To start our exciting topic Houses and Homes, Years 1 and 2 will be going on a trip to Bekonscot Model Village, where they will be looking at the different styles of homes. In addition, the children will be looking at the countries that make up the United Kingdom and where Cuddington is in relation to other places that they know. We will also be looking into different houses and homes around the world, exploring how and why they are built and who might be living in them. We will be looking into what an architect is and the difference between an architect and architecture. They will be able to explain why they like certain buildings, thinking about their purpose and whether the architect has designed the building for that purpose. We will investigate changes within living memory around the local area and how the village of Cuddington has changed in recent years.

In Science, we will be looking at the properties of different materials and whether, or not, they are suitable for a specific purpose. The children will be designing their own investigations to test suitability and recording their results accordingly.

For our RE lessons, we will be looking at why it is important to look after our world. The children will be focusing on nature and creating their own nature-inspired sculpture while reflecting on the importance of the world around them.

Spellings

Children will be given a weekly spelling list through Spelling Shed, we will be doing a half termly spelling test so please practise these spellings at home when possible. Please encourage your child to put the words into sentences so they begin to understand definitions and context. This should aid their long-term recall of the spelling rule. It is very common to find that the children are able to spell the set of words during their tests and whilst practising but if they are not spelling them correctly in a piece of writing, then the spellings are not embedded. Therefore, it is vital to practise them in many ways to help them retain them.

Phonics

We will be following Phase 5 from Bug Club which will combine phonics, reading and spelling rules. These will be taught using the Bug Club software.

Reading books

Your child will be given one reading book every Friday to bring home. This will be related to the work they have completed in Phonics. They will have this book for a week and will be given a new one on the following Friday.

Library day will be Friday.

All books should be returned to school on Friday so we can send new books home with your child. The children will not bring new books home unless they have returned the previous week’s books.

Please continue to read to your child and to listen to them read as often as possible and complete the Reading Record. Re-reading passages, discussing the text, highlighting interesting or unknown vocabulary, and talking around the subject are all very worthwhile activities.

Learning Logs and Homework

Homework will be weekly spellings, a Maths task and reading and at various points in the year, a specific one-off Learning Log homework linked to an annual or national event such as World Book Day. It is important that all children complete the homework. Please email me if your child is experiencing any particular difficulties with the completion of the homework.

PE

PE kits need to come into school on a Monday and will be sent home on a Friday to be washed.

Please ensure all clothing is clearly named. In KS1, we often have items of clothing that go missing; having clearly named items makes it a lot easier for us to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Lost property

Please can I ask that you ensure all your child’s clothing is clearly named. Having them clearly named helps us to ensure pieces do not go missing. It will also help any other parents to return items, in the event of their child taking home another person’s belongings.

Thank you for your continued support as we begin our exciting Year 2 journey!

Mrs Bowman and Mrs Clements