In Block 4, children will explore the text My Name Is Not Refugee through the Writing Pathways approach. They will build empathy and understanding by discussing themes of belonging, change, and identity, using drama and talk to generate ideas for writing. Pupils will plan, draft, and edit in-role pieces such as diary entries, letters, and short narratives, focusing on sentence structure, descriptive language, and conjunctions to show feelings and viewpoints. This unit will support children in developing powerful personal voice and emotional literacy within their writing.

Key Vocabulary- refugee, journey, home, safe, belong, change, identity, unfamiliar, leave, travel, worry, hope, new, different, feelings, brave, community, welcome, adapt, move

In Block 4, children will continue developing their skills in multiplication and division, using equal groups, arrays, and repeated addition to solve problems. They will then learn to measure length and height using standard and non-standard units and will conclude the block with hands-on exploration of capacity, mass, and temperature. Throughout the unit, children will be encouraged to use accurate mathematical vocabulary, apply strategies to real-life scenarios, and justify their reasoning.

Key Vocabulary- measure, length, height, ruler, centimetres (cm), metres (m), tall, short, long, longer, shorter, capacity, mass, weight, volume, full, empty, heavier, lighter, grams (g), kilograms (kg), millilitres (ml), litres (l), temperature, degrees, thermometer

In Block 4, children will explore the theme Who Lives Here?, learning about different animals and their habitats across the world. Pupils will investigate how environments such as forests, deserts, oceans, and polar regions meet the needs of the animals that live there. They will locate habitats on world maps, identify key features of each environment, and compare how living things survive in different climates. This unit will help children develop geographical knowledge, map skills, and an understanding of how animals are connected to their habitats.

Key Vocabulary- habitat, environment, climate, map, world, continent, ocean, forest, desert, polar, rainforest, woodland, coast, survive, adapt, shelter, food, water, predator, prey, location, region

In Block 4, children will learn about living things and their habitats through the White Rose Science curriculum. They will explore the differences between living, dead and never-lived things, and investigate how habitats provide for the basic needs of plants and animals. Pupils will identify a variety of habitats such as woodland, ponds and coastal areas, and learn how different animals depend on each other for food within simple food chains. This unit develops children’s understanding of how living things survive, adapt, and interact with their environment, while encouraging curiosity and respectful attitudes towards nature.

Key Vocabulary- living, dead, never lived, habitat, microhabitat, environment, survive, basic needs, shelter, food, water, air, adapt, depend, food chain, predator, prey, consumer

In Block 4, children will follow the Jigsaw PSHE programme to explore the theme Healthy Me. They will learn about making healthy choices, including the importance of exercise, sleep, hygiene, and a balanced diet. Pupils will also discuss keeping themselves safe, understanding risks, and knowing how to ask for help when they need it. Through stories, role-play, and reflection, children will build confidence in making positive choices for their physical and emotional well-being.

Key Vocabulary- healthy, exercise, hygiene, balanced diet, sleep, germs, medicine, safe, unsafe, risk, help, choices, habits, body, mind, feelings, wellbeing, calm, energy

Across this block, children will continue to develop and expand their vocabulary through daily exposure in reading, writing, speaking and listening activities. Vocabulary will be introduced and practised through high-quality texts, classroom discussions, phonics, and subject-specific learning in areas such as English, Maths, Science, Humanities, and PSHE. The focus will be on building both everyday language and topic-specific terminology, helping children to improve comprehension, express ideas clearly, and apply new words confidently in their spoken and written work.

In block 4, children will continue to develop their spelling knowledge through both review and mastery tasks. They will revisit previously taught content such as common exception words, compound words, prefixes, suffixes, and syllable division to strengthen recall and accuracy. The mastery focus will introduce and secure key spelling rules, including contractions, the suffixes –ly and –ful, and words ending in –tion. Throughout the block, pupils will segment words into phonemes, apply grapheme knowledge, and explore how word structure changes when adding endings. This approach aims to build confidence, accuracy, and independence in spelling across written work.

For home learning this term, we ask students to focus on improving their reading skills. With the next NGRT assessment coming up, we want children to approach the test with greater accuracy and confidence. Regular reading at home will help strengthen comprehension, fluency, and word recognition, ensuring pupils are well-prepared and confident for the assessment. Children will also continue to complete their reading and writing journals as well as MyMaths tasks to consolidate their learning across subjects.

In Computing, our topic for this block is We Are Safe Researchers. In this unit, pupils develop skills in finding, organising, and presenting digital information responsibly. They begin by structuring their research questions using mind-mapping software, such as Popplet, and then conduct independent research using carefully selected websites. Pupils learn how to evaluate and record information safely while considering important online safety measures, such as using Google SafeSearch and knowing how to respond if they encounter concerning content. Drawing on their research, pupils create and deliver a short presentation to share their findings with an audience. By the end of the unit, pupils will have strengthened their skills in safe online research, digital organisation, and presenting information clearly and responsibly.

Keywords: Bing, Filter, Google, Presentation, Search engine, Wikipedia

Clay Tile Projects In Year 2, children develop their sculpture skills through clay tile projects. They learn how to shape, roll and smooth clay, then create raised and impressed designs using tools and found objects. Pupils explore pattern, texture and simple relief techniques, considering how repeated shapes create visual interest. They practise joining methods and refining surfaces, then evaluate the final effect. Sketchbooks are used to plan designs and record ideas. 

Key vocabulary: clay, tile, relief, texture, pattern, impress, carve, shape, form, surface, smooth, join, score, slip, tool.

Zoo Time! 

In Year 2, pupils use Zoo Time! to develop a secure sense of pulse and explore rhythm through animal-themed songs and activities. Children sing with confidence, copy rhythmic patterns and play simple parts on classroom instruments. Pupils practise starting and stopping together, keeping a steady beat and listening to others while performing. They begin to identify changes in tempo and dynamics and make simple musical choices. 

Key vocabulary: pulse, rhythm, beat, tempo, dynamics, pattern, repeat, perform, ensemble, sing, untuned percussion, tuned percussion, listen, control.

Belonging 

In Year 2, pupils explore the theme of belonging through drama activities that build confidence, empathy and collaboration. Children use role-play, freeze frames and simple improvisation to show friendships, families and feelings. They practise speaking clearly, using facial expression and body language, and working together to create short scenes. Pupils reflect on how characters might feel and how actions affect others, developing thoughtful performance skills. 

Key vocabulary: belonging, character, feelings, freeze frame, role-play, improvise, expression, voice, movement, space, teamwork, scene, audience, empathy.

Building 

This block, classes 2B and 2D will be taking part in dance lessons designed to build confidence, creativity and enjoyment through movement.

In Year 2, pupils use dance to explore building and construction, creating movements that show strength, balance and teamwork. Children experiment with different ways of travelling, turning and holding shapes to represent lifting, stacking, stretching and connecting. They create short sequences with clear beginnings and endings, developing coordination and timing. Pupils work collaboratively to build group dances, using formations and pathways, then perform with focus and confidence. 

Key vocabulary: balance, strength, shape, pathway, formation, teamwork, travel, turn, sequence, control, levels, direction, timing, link, perform.

Short Tennis 

In this unit, pupils will enhance their short tennis skills by practicing more controlled hitting, serving, and engaging in longer rallies. They will start to play simple matches.

Key Vocabulary: Racket, ball, serving, hitting, control, rallying, match.

In this block, classes 2A and 2C will participate in Swimming lessons designed to build both confidence and enjoyment in the water. Our programme follows a structured level system that ensures steady progression, tailored to each child’s ability. Alongside stroke development, children also learn important water safety and personal survival skills. We aim for every child to leave Junior School as a competent, confident swimmer with the skills to participate safely in a range of aquatic environments.