Year Two | RCPA NEW

Hedgehogs and Moles News

W/B 29th June 2026

In Year Maths this week, we have started our final unit all about Position and Direction. The children have worked in pairs, guiding one another around the school playground to find the 'x marks the spot'. We then moved on to Clockwise and anti-clockwise and the children soon realised they had heard this language before when we were learning about time.

In English, we have been busy writing up our own poems- 'If I were in charge of the school'! The children have loved being in control of things they would cancel, such as long assemblies, smelly toilets and hard quizzes.

In DT, we have made a list of the ingredients we will need to make our scones next week for the Summer Fair. The children are looking forward to weighing and measuring in grams and ml. If you would like to buy one please bring along some small change (50p-£1) we promise the children will be washing their hands before they make them, ha!

We've had a couple of parents offer their support with our school trip (thank you) but we are in need of a few more to enable it to go ahead. Please speak to any of us if you are able to help.

Have a lovely weekend,

The Year 2 Team 🙂

W/B 22nd June 2026

WOW - what a hot week it's been! Given the temperatures this week, we think the children have coped brilliantly. They've enjoyed lots of water play, calming activities such as bracelet making and lego building.

The children have taken part in some quizzes this week and we have been blown away with their progress and determination to show off what they know now they are at the end of year.

Thank you to Freddie J who brought in his Buff-Tip Moth to set free in our forest school. The children were in disbelief that it was actually alive and not just a twig. When it is resting, it folds its wings against its body, creating the illusion of a broken birch twig. This adaptation allows it to blend into its environment, making it difficult for predators to spot- super cool!

We hope you will have received a letter regarding our school trip to Arlington Court on Friday 17th July. Please speak to us if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend, The Year 2 Team ☀️

W/B 15th June 2026

This week, we have started a new unit in English- 'If I were in charge of the world'. The children have been very creative thinking about what they would cancel or change about the world. On Thursday we had some meaningful conversations about global issues. The children said they would cancel poverty, pollution, unkindness, stealing, illness, hate and homelessness.

In Math, we have been recapping units of work that we learned about right at the beginning of Year 2. We were super impressed the children had remembered how to add and subtract large numbers, multiply and divide and find fractions of amounts.

In Science, we have started a new experiment with bean seeds and are growing them in different conditions.

In DT, we researched what flavour scones we might like to make in a few weeks time. The children drew some lovely ideas in their books.

Have a lovely weekend... sunshine is on it's way!

W/B 8th June 2026

This week we enjoyed a visit from a volleyball coach. He taught us lots of different skills like 'digging' and 'serving'. The children really enjoyed it and behaved brilliantly.

In our whole class reading this week, we have been reading about why our ocean is in danger. The children were already able to tell us lots of facts about what they had learned in Geography. Interesting facts included: plastic takes 400 years to break down in the ocean and big ships and their noisy engines make it very difficult for sea mammals to communicate. We made decorated paper plates to show all the things we have learned so far about the ocean.

In English, we have written our letters to Mr Pennington outlining some of the things we would like in school. The children headed their letter with an address, followed by positive adjectives to 'hook' Mr Pennington in and make him interested in reading on. Things like swimming pools, running tracks, longer play times, a football pitch, school lunch vote, more school trips and an early finish on Fridays were among some of the issued asked by Year 2 - We're not overly hopeful they will be granted, ha!

In DT, we have started our final topic about cooking. We intend to design and make our very own scones to sell at our Summer Fair, but first, it was very important to taste test some on the market. The children had the choice of trying plain, fruit or cheese scones with butter and or jam. All of them enjoyed their taster and are looking forward to making some for you all to buy at the fair.

W/B 1st June 2026

In Maths, we have started our new topic all about Mass, Capacity and Temperature. This week, we have been using balancing scales to compare different objects around the classroom and used words like heavier, lighter, grams and kilograms. If the children have any opportunity to use scales at home, we'd love to see any pictures!

In English, we have continued writing sentences that will hope will persuade our felt tips pens to reappear. We intend to write our own persuasive letters next week to Mr Pennington.

In Science, we wondered if seeds and plants always need soil in order to grow. We have put this to the test and have cress seeds growing in sands, stones, kitchen roll, cotton wool and cardboard.

In Georgraphy, we have been learning about the impacts of overfishing. The children enjoyed watching videos of trawler boats and we couldn't believe the size of the nets- the size of 4 football pitches! We drew posters to highlight these worrying issues in our Oceans.

In whole class reading this week, we have been reading 'Rigatoni the Pasta Cat'. The children have loved watching videos about how pasta is made and looked at the different shapes and sauces to go with pasta. The children made great links to Science and were able to tell us that Rigatoni only eats a very heavy based carbohydrate diet.

W/B 18th May 2026

OUR FELT TIP PENS ARE ON STRIKE !!!!!!!!!!

We were shocked to receive a letter from our felt tip pens expressing how upset they are that we don't take good care of them. They claimed we never put their lids on, we leave them to dry out and we press them so hard that we damage the nibs.

As a year group, we have decided to write our very own persuasive letters in the hope that they will return soon.

In Maths, we have consolidated our learning all about statistics. The children can read pictograms and interpret the information shown. They children have been great at spotting when the 'key' has changed and when the symbol is worth something else.

In Science, we have been looking inside different fruits to find their seeds. We have planted an apple seed, pepper seed and tomato seed and have predicted which we think will grow first.

In Geography we have been learning about how humans use the ocean for example, surfing, fishing and trade.

We were so proud of all the Year 2's in Sports Day this year. The had great fun on Thursday, collecting points and working in their house teams. On Friday we saw friends cheering each other on and some very speedy running! Well done everyone.

Have a great half term and enjoy the sunshine,

The Year 2 Team 🙂

W/B 11th May 2026

This week in Year 2, we have been writing our own stories inspired by the 'Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch'. The Year 2 adults have been astonished with the presentation and quality of writing produced by the children. The children wrote their stories from the seagull's perspective and used conjunctions to extend their sentences, adjectives to describe and adverbs to describe verbs. On top of this we have seen some beautiful joined up handwriting- well done everyone.

In Maths, we have started our unit on Statistics. The children have been great at interpreting data presented to them in different ways, such as tally charts, tables, block diagrams and pictograms. They needed to remember when tallying, to tally 4 and then strike though 5. The children have enjoyed making their own data and asking each other questions such as 'What is your favourite flavour ice cream?' and 'What is your favourite part of a plant?'. When drawing pictograms, the children sensibly chose a symbol they could replicate lots of times. It was important to remember to use a key so that the person interpreting the data knew what the symbol represented.

In Science, we have looked closely at a variety of seeds using magnifying glasses. We looked carefully at their shape, size and colour and made predictions about what they might grow into. Afterwards the children drew their favourite seeds and what they produce in their books.

In Art, the children have started to make their 3D birds out of polystyrene. They all persevered as drawing on the polystyrene was a little tricky! In spelling, our rule has been to add the suffix 'ness' on to route words and in Geography, we have been labelling the seas around the UK.

A huge thank you to Freddie J who brought in his pet stick insects into school for us to see in real life. We have been learning about stick insects from the book 'Do you love Bugs?' as part of our whole class reading and it was so lovely for the children to see one up close and put into practise some of the vocabulary they had learned.

W/B 4th May 2026

This week in Year 2, we have been learning about how many hours there are in a day and how many minutes there are in an hour. The children are getting really good now at using the clock in the classroom to recognise key times in the day.

In English, we made disgusting sandwiches to trick the pesky seagulls from our class book 'The Lighthouse Keepers Lunch'. We added things like, salt, pepper, pickled onions, beans and herbs- they really did smell disgusting. The children used great adjectives to describe the sandwiches such as vile, disgusting, gross and awful.

In Science, we took a trip to the forest school to observe and look closely at different seeds. The children noticed lots of similarities and differences in their appearance and what they grow into.

In Art, we have been creative with paper and looked at making something 2D into a 3D.. The children twisted, folded, cut and drew on paper to make their bird 3D.

W/B 27th April 2026

The children have worked incredibly hard in Maths, learning 5 minute intervals- minutes past the hour and to the hour. If they have a watch or clock in their room, please encourage them to tell you the time.

In English, we have been thinking about how Hamish (the cat) might have felt after being stuffed in the basket and sent across the zip line. The children loved recreating this with props and as a result, came up with some lovely descriptions.

In science, we have looked closely at the lifecycle of a sunflower and after growing their own, the children had a really good understanding of the process. We hope their sunflowers are growing well at home

W/B 20th April 2026

Year 2 have had a fun week back. We have started our new book 'The Lighthouse Keepers Lunch' by Ronda Armitage. We have been introduced to Mr and Mrs Grinling and have been using adjectives and prepositions to describe what their cottage looks like and where is it positioned.

Bing Videos

In Maths, we have started our new unit on 'Time' and have recapped o'clock and half past. The children may enjoy playing this game on top marks: Teaching Clock

In Science, we have identified parts of a flower and its role and in Art, we have started our new unit about birds. The children looked closely at photographs of birds and using a sketching pencil, had a go at drawing some of its features.

We were very proud of the children on our trip to Tarka Tennis and thought they represented our school extremely well. Thank you so much to all the parent volunteers for your help and ensuring the trip was able to go ahead.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend,

The Year 2 Team 🙂

W/B 23rd March 2026

In Year 2 this week, we have thoroughly enjoyed getting our hands (and clothes - sorry!) messy to create our fire engines. We have thought about what recycling materials could be used for each part and made sure to include all the essential things a fire engine would have benefitted from having in order to put The Great Fire of London out a lot quicker. We used lollipops sticks for ladders, sauce pots for sirens and got very creative with pipe cleaners to create hoses. It was so lovely seeing everyone get stuck in for a whole day of DT!

We are also very proud of the Year 2 Rockstars who performed in the Rock Steady Concert - you were brilliant and should be really proud of yourselves 🙂

W/B 16th March 2026

In Year 2, we have had been looking closely at fractions and in particular, thirds. The children have done well finding one third of an amount. We have also looked at 'Unit Fractons' where the numerator is always 1.

In English, we have started our new book, 'The Owl who was afraid of the Dark'. The children have been writing questions that Plop (the night owl) might ask the people he visits. The children have also use the conjunction 'because' to add extra information to their writing.

In Science, we had so much fun making bath bombs and spoke about the importance of keeping our body clean. The children measured, mixed and moulded the mixture into a shape and even added different scents so they smelled nice. We hope the children enjoyed using their bath bombs and watching them fizz. If anyone would like the recipe on how to make them- see below.

In PSHE, we have been discussing how important it is to share with our friends and how we can wait our turn and communicate better using language such as 'it's my turn now and then it's your turn'.

It has been so lovely to see the children enjoy snack outside and play on the field this week- long may this weather continue! 🌞

Have a lovely weekend.

W/B 9th March 2026

As part of Science Week, In Year 2, we have been looking closely at Microbes. The children have shown great curiosity and asked questions such as, "How big are microbes?", "Why do we have microbes in our body?" and 'Do all microbes make us poorly?".

We spoke about Bacteria and that actually, some Bacteria is good for us, such as those found in Yoghurt. Good bacteria can be good for our digestive system and over all well-being. We spoke about how some Bacteria can make us poorly and can give us nasty symptoms such as a temperature, upset tummy and sickness. The children have been even more conscious- hand washing regularly as they begin to understand the importance of having clean hands to prevent spreading nasty germs.

The children got creative and designed their own Bacteria's and Viruses and decided how their germ would be caught and what symptoms their germ would give a human.

Next week, we look forward to making our own bath bombs that we can use in the bath to help keep our bodies clean and healthy!

W/B 2nd March 2026

We have had a great week in Year 2! In Maths, we have started our unit on Fractions. The children have learned that a fraction is a whole that has been split into equal parts. We have learned 'half' is something that has been split into 2 equal parts. We have also halved different amounts e.g. half of 100 is 50.

In Science, we spoke about the importance of washing our hands to stop us from getting ill. We did an experiment which looked at how effective soap is in getting rid of germs. We used pepper (germs) and washing up liquid. The children were fascinated when the washing up liquid touched the pepper, the pepper dispersed!

We really loved dressing up for World Book Day. The children enjoyed sharing a book with a Year 4 pupil and talking about their characters. Our World Book Day Conga was a giggle too!

In History, we have looked closely at some of the equipment used in the Great Fire of London.

W/B 23rd February 2026

This week in Year 2, we have started our new book in English 'The Great Fire of London'. The children have loved learning new facts and watching videos that take us back to 1666. We intend to write a diary from the perspective of a London rat, who will tell the reader all about the Great fire and the terrible conditions!

In Maths, we have been multiplying and dividing by 5. The children have remembered to draw groups of 5 to support them with tricky questions and problems.

In Science, we were inspired by artist Guiseppe Arcimboldo. We have been using our knowledge of a balanced healthy diet to draw interesting self-portraits. The children were challenged to use foods from each food group.

In PSHE, we have also been thinking about what keeps our body healthy. In History, we will learn more facts about the Great Fire of London including what caused the fire, what equipment was used and the impact of the fire once it was put out.

W/B 9th February 2026

This week in Year 2 we have been multiplying and dividing by 2 and 10. The children have been drawing groups to help them work out the answers. In English, we have been using similes to describe our dragon. In Science, we have been looking at food groups and how they make up our diets. The children noticed that Carbohydrates and Fruit and Veg make up a lot of our daily diet. In Geography, we wrote postcards from Antarctica and described some of the features there. The children found it fascinating that there are research stations where scientists do experiments to learn more about the environment.

W/B 2nd February 2026

This week in Year 2, we have been completing our learning quizzes in Reading and Maths. We are so proud of the children drawing things to help them answer the questions - we have been so impressed with their concentration and efforts.

In Maths, the children have learned a new symbol for divide for example- 20 cakes, shared between 4 friends, means they'll get 5 cakes each.

In English, we have started our unit on the poem 'Tell me a Dragon'. The children have loved designing and inventing their own dragons with great drawings and descriptions!

In PHSE, following on from our 'Big Bird Watch' in the forest school, the children have been working in small groups to make their own birds out of tissue paper. The children needed to work collaboratively to create their piece and got to choose who they think they work well with.

W/B 26th January 2026

This week in Year 2, we have started our unit on Multiplication and Division. The children have been busy making an array with counters and writing a multiplication sentence.

In English, we have been planning our own stories based on the book 'Little Red Reading Hood'. We have been blown away by the concentration when writing up their stories! The children have remembered capital letters, full stops, finger spaces, used joined up handwriting and their stories make sense- Well done everyone!

In Art, we have continued our unit on printing and this time used polystyrene and a sharp pencil to make a template. The children then added a small coating of paint and experimented with colour and overlapping.

In Geography, we have been looking at where Hot and Cold deserts are located around the world. The children noticed that hot deserts are mostly located nearer the equator.

W/B 19th January 2026

This week in Art we have used various items to imprint into plasticine, which we then pressed into an ink pad and printed in our books. Look at some of the beautiful patterns we have made! I wonder if you can tell what items we have used?

In English, we are getting close to finishing our learning based on 'Little Red Reading Hood'. We have worked so hard to produce some wonderful sentences and next week we will be using what we have learnt to write our very own stories!

W/B 12th January 2026

Year 2 have been working hard in Maths, finding different ways to make £1. We have also been comparing amounts using the symbols < > = (less than, more than, equal to)

In English, we have been changing the mood in our writing by talking about the weather. We have used words and phrases like gloomy, stormy, dark clouds appeared and lightning struck to imply to the reader that something bad is about to happen.

In Art, the children have been creating some BEAUTIFUL prints using objects from around the classroom and wax crayons. Some of these creations will be displayed at the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford. We will let you know when this will be and if your child's artwork has been chosen.

W/B 5th January 2026

This week in Year 2 we have loved using fingerprinting to create some lovely flowers. We can't wait to add some detail with fine liners next week!

In English, we have visited the Forest School to support our writing and explore what things we can see, feel, touch and smell.

W/B 6th October 2025

This week in Year 2 we have been creating our own animals/mini beasts in Science and deciding which Biome they would live in. We needed to think about what adaptations they would need to have to be able to live in that Biome. For example, if our bug wanted to live in the desert, it would need long lashes to protect its eyes from the sand.

In English, we have been using adjectives to describe and adverbs to show how the verbs have been carried out.

In Maths, we have been adding and subtracting from 2-digit numbers. We have used dienes and number lines to support our learning.

W/B 29th September 2025

In Year 2, we have started our new book 'Binny's Diwali'. The children have had time to look closely at Rangoli patterns and took the opportunity to create their own with chalk in the outside area.

In Maths, we have been looking at related fact families. For example, if we know that 1+3=4 then 10+30=40.

In Science, we have been looking and exploring microhabitats in the forest school. The children were very brave and enjoyed holding the bugs they found.

W/B 22nd September 2025

In Year Two this week, we enjoyed the return of the sunshine and spent some time in our school garden making bug hotels, we then wrote instructions for others so they could make one too.