In Block 5, children will explore The Last Wolf by Mini Grey through the Writing Pathways approach. Using the text as a stimulus, pupils will develop their composition, vocabulary, and sentence construction skills through drama, discussion, and oral rehearsal. They will plan, draft, and edit persuasive pieces, character descriptions, and short narratives, focusing on expanded noun phrases, conjunctions, and expressive language. This unit encourages children to explore themes such as responsibility, environment, and viewpoint while strengthening their ability to structure and refine their writing independently.

Key Vocabulary- wolf, forest, habitat, protect, danger, responsibility, villain, hero, persuasive, viewpoint, argument, extinct, survive, decision, consequences, environment, community, wild

In Block 5, children will continue exploring capacity and temperature, applying their measurement skills to compare, estimate, and record different quantities. They will then move on to fractions, learning to recognise and represent halves, quarters, and thirds of shapes and quantities, and begin comparing and combining simple fractions. The block will conclude with time, where children will read and write the time to the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour, and use this knowledge to solve everyday problems. Throughout the unit, children will be encouraged to use precise mathematical vocabulary, explain their thinking, and apply strategies to practical, real-life situations.

Key Vocabulary –
capacity, volume, full, empty, more, less, litres (l), millilitres (ml), temperature, degrees, thermometer, fraction, half, quarter, third, equal parts, numerator, denominator, time, o’clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to, hour, minute, second, analogue, digital, before, after, sooner, later

In block 5, children will explore what school was like long ago and compare it to school today. They will learn about old classrooms, teachers, and learning tools, and notice how things like writing, books, and behaviour have changed over time.

To bring our topic “Schools Then and Now” to life, we would love to invite any parents or grandparents who might be willing to share their experiences of what school was like when they were younger. If you have any stories, memories, or even old photographs of your school days, the children would greatly enjoy hearing about them and comparing them with school life today. If you would be interested in visiting the class to talk to our Year 2 students, please do reach out to us, we would be delighted to have you share your experiences.

Key Vocabulary:
school, classroom, teacher, chalk, slate, desk, lesson, past, present, old-fashioned, change, learning, pupil

In this unit, children will explore how plants grow from seeds and bulbs. They will observe the stages of growth, learn what plants need to stay healthy, and understand how plants change over time. Children will carry out simple investigations, record their observations, and use scientific vocabulary to describe their learning.

Key Vocabulary:

seed, bulb, root, stem, leaf, flower, shoot, grow, change, water, light, soil, healthy, plant

In this unit, children will explore different types of relationships and learn how to develop positive friendships and respectful interactions. They will discuss feelings, how to show kindness, and strategies to resolve conflicts. Through discussions, role‑plays, and reflective activities, children will understand how to communicate effectively and care for others.

Key Vocabulary:

friend, friendship, family, respect, kindness, feelings, caring, sharing, cooperation, listening, trust, support, conflict, problem‑solving

In Block 5, children will continue to develop and apply new vocabulary across the curriculum, closely linked to their spelling focus. As pupils learn rules for words ending in –y, and for adding –s, –es, –ing, and –ed, they will explore how word endings change meaning, tense, and number. Alongside this, children will explicitly learn and use subject-specific vocabulary in English, Maths, Science, Humanities, and PSHE, applying it confidently within lessons and discussions. This continued focus will strengthen comprehension, accuracy, and independence in both spoken and written work.

In Block 5, children will continue to strengthen their spelling knowledge through review and mastery activities. They will revisit Year 1 and Year 2 common exception words to improve accuracy and recall. The mastery focus will develop understanding of key spelling rules, including words ending in –y (with the /i:/ and /ɪ/ sounds), the /aɪ/ sound spelt –y at the end of words, and rules for adding –s and –es to form plurals and third person singular verbs, including words ending in –y. Pupils will also learn and apply rules for adding –ing and –ed, exploring when no change is needed, when to double the final consonant in short vowel words, when to drop the –e, and when to change –y to –i before adding endings. Throughout the block, children will segment words into phonemes, identify root words, and understand how word endings change meaning and tense, building confidence, accuracy, and independence in their spelling across all writing.

We are thrilled with the commitment to home reading this term and truly appreciate the continued support from parents. The excellent progress seen in our recent NGRT assessment would not have been possible without the strong partnership between school and home and the importance placed on weekly reading and completing reading and writing journals. Your encouragement and consistency have made a real difference. As we move through Block 5, we would love this dedication to continue, helping children further strengthen their fluency, comprehension, and confidence so they are fully prepared to face the challenges of Key Stage 2.

In Computing, our topic for this block is We Are Animators. In this unit, pupils work collaboratively in small groups to plan, create, and present a short stop-motion animation. They begin by planning their animation, including the storyline and characters, before creating original media such as models, drawings, or props. Pupils then film their animations using a sequence of still images and learn how small changes between frames create the illusion of movement. They add appropriate audio to enhance their animations and communicate ideas clearly. In the final session, pupils watch each other’s work and give constructive feedback, helping them to reflect on their creative process and improve their digital outcomes.

Keywords: Animation, Background, Character, Frame, Prop, Soundtrack, Storyboard

In Year 2, pupils explore experimental printmaking using monoprint techniques to respond to their environment. They develop observational drawing and mark-making skills, exploring line, texture, shape and space. Children create layered prints, experimenting with composition and expressive techniques. Sketchbooks support planning and refining ideas. Pupils learn how artists use printmaking to communicate personal viewpoints. 

Key vocabulary: monoprint, printmaking, line, texture, shape, mark-making, layer, composition, observe, refine, transfer, design, pattern, create, evaluate.

In Year 2, pupils learn to sing Friendship Song with confidence, developing pulse, rhythm and listening skills. They explore how music expresses feelings and friendship. Children practise clapping rhythm patterns and playing percussion instruments to accompany singing. They learn to perform together, responding to cues and improving through rehearsal. Pupils begin to evaluate their musical work. 

Key vocabulary: pulse, beat, rhythm, tempo, perform, listen, rehearse, instrument, pattern, expression, together, music, evaluate, accompany, sing.

In Year 2, pupils use The Last Wolf as inspiration to explore character and storytelling through drama. Children use freeze frames, hot-seating and role play to bring scenes to life. They develop confidence using voice, movement and expression to communicate ideas and emotions. Pupils learn how stories can be adapted into performance. Key vocabulary: character, role play, freeze frame, hot-seating, story, perform, voice, movement, expression, scene, audience, emotion, drama, collaborate, storytelling.

In Year 2, pupils explore storytelling through dance inspired by traditional tales and imaginative characters. Children create movements to represent characters, settings and emotions, developing coordination and expressive performance. They link actions into sequences and perform with increasing confidence and control. Pupils learn how dance can communicate stories and ideas. Key vocabulary: character, sequence, gesture, movement, perform, expression, levels, pathway, timing, shape, travel, space, story, control, dance.

Athletics 

In this unit, pupils will improve their running, jumping, and throwing skills with more complex activities. They will participate in relay races, jumping challenges, and throwing for accuracy. 

Key Vocabulary: Running, jumping, throwing, relay, accuracy, speed, distance.

All students will take part in a weekly swimming lesson 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.