Dothill Primary School

English:
This week, Year 2 have been busy planning their own stories inspired by The Pirates Next Door. The children came up with wonderfully creative ideas, developing imaginative characters and adventurous plotlines. They focused on using descriptive vocabulary to bring their narrative tales to life.

Maths:
In maths, we explored adding three one‑digit numbers, using strategies such as spotting number bonds and making ten. Children also revisited multiplication methods, including grouping and repeated addition. These approaches strengthened their confidence in mental arithmetic and helped them see links between addition and multiplication.

Science:
Our science lessons focused on the life cycle of a chicken. Children learned how chicks develop from eggs, the role of the mother hen, and how animals grow and change over time. They enjoyed sequencing the stages and discussing similarities with other animal life cycles.

PSHE:
In PSHE, children worked on teamwork skills by creating a collaborative bird collage for our ‘Garden of Dreams’. They practised sharing ideas, assigning roles, and encouraging one another. The final artwork celebrated cooperation, creativity, and the importance of working together toward a shared goal.

PE:
In PE, Year 2 continued with Animal Olympics, learning to run and change direction quickly-just like a hare zig‑zagging away from predators. They practised agility, speed and balance through fun challenges and games, developing coordination and confidence in movement.

English:
This week, Year 2 began exploring our new class book, The Pirates Next Door. The children started writing character descriptions using adjectives and expanded noun phrases to describe appearance and personality. They really enjoyed imagining pirate traits and developing rich vocabulary to bring each character to life.

Maths:
In maths, we focused on number facts for 5 and 10, strengthening recall through games and quick-fire tasks. Children also practised comparing numbers to 50 using the greater than, less than and equals symbols. These activities helped build confidence in number relationships and place value understanding.

Science:
In science, the children learned how offspring resemble their parents, discussing how genes can determine physical features. They matched different animals with their young and explored similarities and differences. This sparked great conversations about inherited traits in humans and animals alike.

Computing:
This week in computing, children learned how to program robots using Bee-Bots. They entered simple code to make the robots move across a map to reach a destination. This helped them understand sequencing, debugging, and how instructions must be clear and precise for technology to work correctly.

RE:
In RE, Year 2 learned about the importance of the Bible for Christians. They explored why it is considered a sacred text, how it guides beliefs and behaviour, and why many Christians read it for wisdom and comfort. Children showed curiosity and respect during discussions.

English:
This week, Year 2 explored monster poems and calligrams, learning how the shape of a word or sentence can enhance meaning. The children enjoyed experimenting with layout, descriptive vocabulary and creative presentation, producing imaginative pieces that combined poetry and visual art.

Maths:
In maths, we focused on units of measure, comparing grams and kilograms through practical activities. Children then moved on to data and statistics, learning how to read pictograms. 

Science:
Our science lessons centred on human lifecycles, exploring how we grow and change from infancy to adulthood. Children discussed key milestones and compared similarities and differences across stages of development. They showed great curiosity and asked thoughtful questions about how humans change over time.

Computing:
In computing, children learned about instructions and programming, exploring how computers follow step-by-step commands. We discussed how AI works through instructions and patterns, helping the children understand that technology relies on algorithms created by people. They enjoyed creating simple instructions.

RE:
In RE, Year 2 learned about the Qur’an and why its teachings are important to Muslims. They explored how the Qur’an guides beliefs, actions and daily life. Children showed respect and curiosity as through discussion.

 

English:
This week, Year 2 began learning how to structure and write letters. We introduced our new class book, Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett, and the children wrote a thoughtful letter to Santa, thanking him for their wonderful gifts. They focused on using clear sentences and polite language.

Maths:
In maths, we explored units of measure, with children measuring objects around the classroom in centimetres and metres. They also worked hard on their ‘Learn Its!’ during morning maths, focusing on 5 times table number facts. These activities helped strengthen their understanding of measurement and multiplication fluency.