Welcome to Year 2 Parents

Who are the Y2 teachers?

Miss Carey- Class Teacher 

Mrs Brandrick- Teaching assistant and Elma’s Dog Mentor

Mrs Sterling- PPA Cover

What do we expect from your child in Year 2?

This year we will continue to support and nurture the children. As they return to school it is our aim to help them to build their independence and confidence ready for when they move up to Key Stage Two. In Year 2 the children will be encouraged to take on some responsibility for themselves and their learning journey. They will be expected to complete and return homework on time and will be encouraged to take ownership and responsibility for remembering the things that they need in school; for example, ensuring they get their reading diary signed by an adult at home and bringing it to school every day, bringing in PE/swimming kits and book bags. We will always be there to support and guide them in their learning when needed and strongly encourage them to ask for help if they need support.

Website

The Year 2 class page on the school website will celebrate the children’s learning with photographs. There will also be updates and information for parents on this page so please make sure you check the page regularly.

SATs

SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) are assessments that Year 2 children take to assess their progress at the end of Key Stage One. They are teacher assessed and therefore there is no set timetable for them. To minimise worry and stress we do not know when we will do them and will not tell yourself or the children. This will allow the children to perform at their best and give a true reflection of themselves without any worry.

Although they are important, SATs are not the only assessment I will take into consideration when assessing the children. I will assess the children based on the whole year to ensure where they are working at is correct ready for their move into Key Stage Two. Your child will be either Working towards their expected age, Working at their expected age or Greater Depth.

The OLSK approach is calm, confident and prepared. All we ask is that the children try their best and we will always be proud of them.

Rewards and Consequences

We will continue to use Class Dojo to reward children for a range of different things, including showing Gospel Values, being kind and helpful, working hard, showing resilience, persevering, completing homework, contributing to learning, teamwork, listening well, using their manners as well as much more. 

As before, we will be using 'minutes' as a sanction- these will be taken off Golden Time at the end of the week.

Just like in Year 1, we use the Rainbow, Sun and Cloud behaviour system in Year 2. Your child will start every day on the Sun and will aim to be moved up to the Rainbow by demonstrating good behaviour in order to earn Class Dojos. If your child shows unkind behaviour or fails to follow the school rules, your child will be moved onto the Cloud and given a warning. If this behaviour continues, they will be moved onto the Thunder Cloud, given a time out and parents will be informed.

As always, parental involvement is key, and we will work with you to give praise or tackle any issues. 

PE, Swimming and Forest School

Again, this year, we will be having PE on a Wednesday so every child will come to school dressed in their PE kit. Our second PE day is on a Monday and children will come to school dressed in PE kit. This should be their indoor kits (shorts/t-shirt) with black or navy joggers on top and outdoor trainers. Any hoodies worn should be either school branded or plain navy/black. Please ensure your kit is labelled to avoid any mix-ups or lost items!

We will have forest school on a rota basis- you will be notified in advance but please have a kit ready including wellies/trainers, clothes you don't mind getting muddy and a waterproof jacket.

In the spring and summer term we will also be going swimming every Tuesday, so children will need to bring their swimming kit, towel, and goggles in a bag so they can change when we get to the swimming pool. More information about this will be given to you nearer to the time.

Homework

It is very important that your child reads to an adult at home every evening. This will have a huge impact on your child’s progression with reading and will be very helpful for their learning across the curriculum. Please ensure an adult signs your child’s reading record so that myself or Mrs Brandrick knows that your child has been reading at home. We will encourage your child to change their reading book regularly, to ensure that progression is occurring and to allow your child to read a variety of texts.

Monday- Your child will be sent home with maths homework on Mondays to be completed for the following Monday (Every other week). This will really help embed knowledge learned in the lessons and begin to improve their mental maths.

Wednesday- Every 2 weeks your child will be given their EBL research question. It is really important that your child completes this and brings it to the lesson on time. This will help with their learning in the lesson and enable them to take part in our class discussions. This will also encourage children to be independent and curious with their learning.

Friday- Every Friday I will give your child spellings to practise for the following Friday. It is really important your child learns these spellings throughout the week as it will help with the spelling test and their Read, Write, Inc. lessons.

If your child loses a sheet, it is their responsibility to come and ask for a new one so that their work can still be completed. If children are unable to complete their homework at home, they will need to complete it in their own time at school.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support in your child's education. If you have any queries/questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Miss Carey and Mrs Brandrick