Welcome to Year 2 at Beaconside Church of England Primary School!

Year 2 is an exciting year full of curiosity, discovery and growing independence. We aim to create a happy, nurturing classroom where every child feels valued, supported and confident to have a go, ask questions and celebrate their achievements.

Throughout the year, we encourage children to become enthusiastic learners, develop their confidence and take pride in everything they do. Our learning is brought to life through engaging topics, creative activities, practical experiences and opportunities to explore the world around us.

Key Information for Parents

PE Days

• Wednesday – Indoor PE

• Friday – Outdoor PE

Please ensure your child has the appropriate PE kit in school on these days.

Reading Records and Homework

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading records and homework books are collected every Wednesday and returned to children on Friday.

Our school expectation is for children to enjoy five reads each week. This can include independent reading, sharing a book with an adult, being read to or listening to audiobooks, including Tonies. We want reading to be an enjoyable part of everyday life, helping children develop a lifelong love of books and stories.

We ask that parents and carers sign their child's reading record each week, as these are checked weekly in school. We also encourage children to write their own comments about what they have read or listened to if they would like to. This is a lovely way for children to share their thoughts, develop independence and take pride in their reading journey.

Year 2 Residential Visit

During the summer term, we have an exciting residential visit planned to Windermere, where we will explore the wonderful world of Beatrix Potter and her connections to the Lake District.

This is a fantastic opportunity for children to develop their independence, build confidence and enjoy memorable experiences with their friends.

Further information about the residential will be shared with parents towards the end of the year.

Our Learning Adventures

Autumn Term – Explorers and Adventures Around the World

We begin our Year 2 journey by travelling back in time to discover some incredible explorers and pioneers, including Neil Armstrong, Amelia Earhart and Valentina Tereshkova. We learn about their remarkable achievements and even put our design skills to the test by creating aircraft with moving parts!

Later in the term, we travel across the world to Kenya, comparing its geography, culture and environment with our own beautiful county of Cumbria. Through stories, artwork and geographical exploration, we discover similarities and differences between places and communities.

Spring Term – Wonderful Landmarks and Local History

In the spring, we become world explorers once again, discovering famous landmarks and sculptures from around the globe. We develop our map-reading skills and explore what makes these places so special. In Design and Technology, we investigate how to build strong and stable structures by designing and making bridges.

We then turn our attention closer to home, discovering the fascinating history of Penrith. We explore Penrith Castle, learn how our local area has changed over time and develop our understanding of the people and places that make our community special.

Summer Term – Creative Cooking and Beatrix Potter

Our summer term begins with a delicious challenge! We explore healthy eating and develop our practical cooking skills as we learn how to design and make vegetable soup. From preparing ingredients to thinking about food groups, we enjoy bringing our learning to life.

Later, we discover the wonderful world of Beatrix Potter, exploring her much-loved stories and her important connection to the Lake District. We enjoy reading tales such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, using these stories to inspire our own writing and artwork.

Our learning will be made even more special by our summer residential visit to Windermere, where children will have the opportunity to explore the world of Beatrix Potter firsthand.

Reading, Writing and Maths

Reading is at the heart of everything we do in Year 2. We enjoy sharing stories, discovering new authors and developing our confidence and enjoyment as readers.

In English, we explore a variety of exciting texts to inspire our own storytelling, poetry and non-fiction writing. In maths, we build strong foundations in number, calculation, shape, measures and problem-solving through practical activities and opportunities to explain our thinking.

We celebrate effort, perseverance and progress, recognising that every child learns and develops in their own way.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

In Year 2, we love opportunities to take our learning outdoors! Throughout the year, our outdoor learning includes exploring nature and conservation, developing navigation skills and learning about shelter building.

We also enjoy expressing ourselves through art, music, PE and creative projects, helping us develop teamwork, confidence and new skills.

Growing and Shining Together

As part of the Beaconside family, we encourage our Year 2 children to show kindness, respect and compassion towards others. Guided by our school values of joy, compassion, faith, hope and courage, we aim to help every child grow in confidence, celebrate their individuality and let their light shine.

We can't wait to share a wonderful year of learning, laughter and adventures together!