Pott Shrigley Class 2 2023 - 2024

Autumn Term 2

A very warm welcome back to the second half of our Autumn term.  The children have made a fantastic start to the year, settling into their new class well and approaching their learning with a positive attitude. 

This half term is always busy with the lead up to Christmas and of course, rehearsals will begin for our annual school nativity which each child in Class 2 will get the opportunity to perform in. It is always one of the highlights of our school year, both for the children and parents!

In English we will be exploring the book, ‘Escape from Pompeii’ by Christina Balit.  The children will further develop their writing and grammatical skills by building upon and expanding their knowledge by writing a return narrative and a non-chronological report.  To support their writing, the children will be become ‘Geographers’ and will use atlases, globes, and Google Earth to locate volcanoes across the world.  Alongside this, they will learn the impact that volcanoes have on the physical and human features of landscapes and how this impacts civilisations.

This half term in maths, the children will continue to learn different methods for addition and subtraction which they will apply to number work and word problems. Children will use concrete and pictorial strategies to help them transfer skills to the abstract, developing their mastery skills along the way. We will also continue to secure knowledge of our times tables to help us with fundamental skills necessary to assist with our maths work.

In the run up to Christmas, children will explore Incarnation and how this Christian celebration period is a time to reflect on God’s presence with us 2000 years ago, and today.  We will think about how it feels to be in the presence of God, and in what ways we think he is with us.

The children will deepen their scientifc thinking as they investigate rocks and fossils and learn about Mary Anning, the famous fossil hunter. They will take part in a fossil excavation, examine soil, and learn about different types of rocks. The children will generate enquiry questions which they will answer by carrying out fair tests and examining the results, drawing conclusions. 

During ICT lessons this half term, we will begin to learn coding in further detail.  We will build on prior knowledge of algorithms, sequences, how to design a program, and the functions of different buttons in a program. The children will be given the opportunity to create their own program and implement these important ICT skills.

In Design and Technology, we will be evolving our baking skills whilst looking at nutrition. Children will be designing their very own afternoon tea, thinking about where this British tradition originates from. They will then produce invitations to invite their school friends to taste their final designs, a delicious treat for everyone! 

Reading remains a crucial part of the curriculum.  In Class 2 we aim to read as regularly as possible.  Children will take part in one to one reading sessions, whole class guided reading, and reading for pleasure.  We would ask that you please read with your child as much as possible at home too.  Either reading to them or listening to them read for ten minutes every day can have a huge impact on their progress which is vital for developing not only fluency and comprehension, but for accessing all areas of the curriculum. 

For homework in class 2 we will send spellings home on a Monday for your child to learn and return by the following Friday, ready for our weekly spelling test.  There are lots of different ways that children can learn spellings to help embed and apply them in their work.  If you require any assistance with the spelling homework, please do ask. 

We remain as active as ever here at Pott Shrigley and the children will continue PE lessons with AT Sports Coaching on Tuesday afternoons, swimming on Thursday afternoons, and Forest School on Friday afternoons. Please ensure that the children have the appropriate kit for each activity and bring a water bottle to school daily. 

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries or concerns. 

Miss Millington