Windrush Valley Prep School Oxfordshire – Year 2

Moving into Year 2 runs smoothly as the children have already been in this unit for a year. There is a linking door into Year 1 – we have an open-door policy during many lessons. All children in this Key Stage know each other really well and are encouraged to spend time together. The children in Year 2 are encouraged to become independent workers and are working towards increasingly challenging work to support their movement into Lower Key Stage Two. The teacher helps teach the individual child to cope with responsibilities required to become a positive and happy learner. As a unit the children are responsible for the care of their class environment and are given responsibilities to care for their classroom and each other.

Academic Studies

Maths – Maths in Year 2 begins to extend the pupils’ understanding of the number system and place value of numbers to at least 1,000. The children use a core resource – Target Your Maths which ensures that the children are rigorously taught the national curriculum objectives in a cohesive order. Working on this programme provides teachers with the material to teach the statutory requirements set out in the Year 2 Programme of Study for Mathematics in the renewed National Curriculum Framework. Each section is divided into three parts.

  • Section A: activities based upon work previously covered. This generally matches the work requirements for Year 1 pupils.
  • Section B: activities based upon the requirements for Year 2 pupils.
  • Section C: activities providing extension material for the faster workers and for those who need to be moved quickly on to more challenging tasks.

Working with Target Your Maths provides a manageable structure for planning differentiated activities allowing the individual child to gain confidence and then go on to successfully complete activities at the next level.

English – English in Year 2 focuses on the end goal of coping with the general demands of the Year 2 curriculum. The focus is on reading each day in class with the teacher or teaching assistant. The children complete the Jolly Phonics reading scheme, and additional books from a range of reading schemes that include the Oxford Reading Tree and Rigby Rocket, then progress onto chapter books. Each Friday the class has a group and guided reading session using the Ginn 360 reading material. The children follow the Jolly Grammar (Book 2) programme which introduces new elements of grammar, teaches new spelling patterns systematically, develops dictionary and thesaurus skills and improves vocabulary and comprehension. The most dramatic improvement to the result from using Jolly Grammar can be found in the children’s writing. The children will spell and punctuate more accurately, use a wider vocabulary, and have a clearer understanding of how language works.

Languages – Year 2 French picks up where Year 1 French leaves off. It is delivered in a similar fashion with the introduction of French grammar. The work is more demanding although the focus remains on keeping the atmosphere jovial. The expectation of the children is increased but at a realistic pace. The key to success at this level is that every child can participate and contribute equally to the class.

Performing Arts

The year includes preparations for the Harvest Festival, Nativity Play and May Dancing. The children continue to perform individual class assemblies where they perform a wide range of subjects, covering Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development. They perform stories, facts and songs from topics such as Black History Month, Anti-Bullying, and Global Festivals such as Chinese New Year and Easter.

Year 2 will take part in their English Speaking Board (ESB) exam in the first term. They also have the opportunity to take part in the Chipping Norton Music Festival.

Sports – Games/PE/Swimming

Sports takes place on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. There are a wide range of sports on offer to Year 2 pupils throughout the year. The sports programme is delivered by two coaches from an outside agency (Ignite Sports) with additional support from school staff. Sports include football, tag-rugby, cross-country running, netball, hockey, rounders and athletics. Additionally, pupils continue to have a weekly swimming lesson at Kingham Hill School. The children are working towards opportunities to be selected to compete against other schools in these sports in the future.

Our World – Science and Geography

The science and geography curriculum plan run over a two-year cycle and follows the national curriculum objectives. As science and geography are enquiry-based subjects, pupils are encouraged to ask questions, investigate and discover the answers. Topics are chosen to help pupils further their understanding of the interactions between people, places and environments. Wherever possible each child is encouraged to have an enquiring mind, with discussions being a valuable part of their learning. This helps them to build their curiosity and develop their understanding of the natural and physical world.

My World

My World lessons support and develop the social, emotional and well-being of every child. The lessons consist of a combination of the PHSE Curriculum and the RE Curriculum. Each child is taught to value and respect one another and celebrate differences and strengths, developing self-esteem and a positive growth mind-set. Role-play is part of this learning – where the children are encouraged to take part – even the less confident child will come out of their shell through this approach.

Educational Visits/School Trips

Where possible, local trips are organised throughout the academic year in support of science, history or geography topics. Visits may include The Wildlife Park (Animals), Oxford Botanic Gardens (Plants and Growing), and Roves Farm (To meet the Farm Animals and Father Christmas).

Homework

Maths and English homework, which generally consolidates the week’s learning, is set on Friday and is due in by the following Thursday. Spellings are learned weekly; each week focuses on a different spelling rule or pattern. The spelling test is completed on Thursday morning.