Welcome to Seahorse Class 2024-25

Week 1

Wow! What a fantastic first week we have had. We have been so impressed with how well the children have come back to school and settled into Year 2 school routines already.

PSHE - Our ideal classroom

We started the week by imagining our ideal classroom. The children were encouraged to be as imaginative as possible and shared what they would have in their "ideal" classroom. After the children had shared their thoughts - we realised how happy it made everyone feel, so we then discussed what we could all do to make everyone feel happy in our classroom. The children all wrote and decorated promises on cards, that they would do to make the classroom a "happy" place. These were then made in to a paper chain and hung in our class room.

English - Dougal's Deep Sea Diary

This week we started our first Year 2 writing journey - Dougal's deep sea diary. The children explored different sentence starters for asking questions and created their own questions when faces with a slow reveal of the front cover of our first book. We then focussed on the use of adjectives to describe how Dougal's feelings changed throughout the story and used a zone of relevance to sort the most powerful adjectives. 

Maths - Number and place value

In maths this week, we focussed on numbers and place value. To start the week we began by counting by odd and even numbers, in 2's, in 5's and 10's. We then looked at how numbers can be represented in different ways. Finally to help up with teen and tens numbers we compared and ordered numbers and looked at how we can use the greater than and less than symbols (<,>) to show how numbers relate to each other. 

PE - High and low body parts and beanbag control

This week we started our PE units. On Wednesday we explored starting and finishing body positions focussing on the shifting of body weight. The children explored the different ways they could move to make different body parts be as high as possible and then switch to explore movement with body parts as low as possible. On Friday, we focussed on how we can move whilst controlling a beanbag using different parts of our bodies before moving on to using hand - eye coordination to throw and catch a beanbag. The children then invented their own games involving using these skills.

Week 2

English - Features of a postcard, planning and writing

This week the children explored what features are present in a postcard and how they are laid out. They then used this information along with the skills we covered last week to plan and write their own postcards from Atlantis.

Maths - Near numbers and skip counting in tens

To start the week the children used their place value knowledge to create two digit numbers and work out their nearest ten number before estimating where two digit numbers would be placed on a number line in relation to ten numbers. We have then used this knowledge to start counting forward and back in tens from any given number. 

DT - Wheels and Axels

In DT this week we recapped on our woodwork knowledge from last year and in particular the use of winding drills and palm drills. The children learnt the difference between a fixed axle - The axle is fixed to the body and the wheels are free to turn on the axle and a free axle - The wheels are fixed to the axle and the axle turns in a bigger tube called the bearing. The children then used a variety of materials, tools and joining techniques to explore different wheel and axle combinations.

PE Gymnastics - High and low body parts

Following on from our floor work last week the children explored travelling and posing whilst having different body parts being the highest or lowest part of their bodies. We used a dice to randomly choose the body part and then the children had to work out how to shift and move their body weight to help them travel or strike a pose.

PE - Games - Ball skills and games

This week in games we looked at sending and receiving balls to ourselves and others whilst focussing on using our arms to aim accurately where we want to send the ball and the importance on being on the balls of our feet to help us move into the correct position to receive the ball. The children practised these skills before creating their own games sending and receiving.

Week 3

Maths - More and less

This week in maths the children have been developing their place value knowledge by exploring one more / one less, two more / two less, and ten more / ten less than a given numbers. The children were able to spot patterns on a number line and 100 square grid and use this to explain their reasoning and solve problems.

Science - Field study observations

After discussing what all living these needed to survive last week, we went out on to the field to find evidence of life. The children used magnifying glasses to help them explore a variety of habitats and find a variety of minibeasts, plants, food, eggs, feathers and the school chickens!

PE - Gymnastics

This week the children explored how they could shift their body weight onto their hands to enable them to travel in different ways with their feet being the highest part of their bodies. The children performed a variety of "horse kicks" and "bicycles" using different parts of their bodies to support the shifting weight and maintain their balance whilst moving around, through, over and under different apparatus.

Week 4

Maths - Number bonds and partitioning

This week the children developed their place value and number knowledge. We started off reviewing our knowledge of number bonds to 10 and then 20. We then looked at how two digit numbers can be broken down into their ten and ones counterparts before looking at number fact families by finding all of the addition and subtraction sentences that can be linked to a single number.

English - Adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions and rhyming words

This week we focussed on the different types of words that are used to make sentences interesting, informative and exciting. The children looked at pictures of different types of sea creatures and created word banks of adjectives and adverbs to describe the sea creature they had chosen and how it moved. The children then explored the power of the suffix ly and how it can be used to change adjectives into adverbs and the different spelling rules. The children then blew us away by combining all of these to write incredible sentences about sea creatures before finishing the week by creating rhyming word banks. 

Geography - physical features of Portsmouth City

Having compared the difference between a city and a village last week, the children had the task of identifying and naming famous human features that make up a city and specifically are landmarks for Portsmouth City. 

Computing - Using ICT responsibly

This week the children looked at familiar ICT they use at home and at school and thought about all the different things that they could use the specific ICT for. The children then came up with rules that they should follow to keep themselves and others safe when using different types of ICT.

Music- Storm soundscapes

This week the children focussed on dynamics of compositional pieces. The children used what they have learnt over the previous weeks to think about different body percussion they could use to create different elements of a storm and then, in groups the children drew their own soundscapes - drawing bigger and smaller objects to show the change of pitch and tempo. The children took it in turns to take on the role of conductor and led their group. 

Week 5

PSHE - How do we make others feel

This week we focussed on how our words and actions can effect others. We thought about what makes us feel good and how we act/behave when we are feeling happy and then compared what makes us feel sad and how we behave differently and make different choices. The children acted out a scenario and discussed how each person felt and what they would do differently to make themselves and others feel better.

Computing -ICT around us

Over the last couple of week the children have developed their knowledge and understanding of what information computer technology is. This week the children went on an ICT hunt to find as many different examples of ICT they could find in our school.

Science - When do we stop growing?

In science this week we thought about why and when we stop growing. We discussed what would happen if we didn't stop growing and eventually decided that we stop growing when we are big enough to look after ourselves and others. The children investigated how tall they currently are and hypothesised how tall they might become and at what age they think they will stop growing. From the investigations we found out that around this age girls tended to be taller than boys.

PE - Gymnastics - High and low body parts - bridging

This week in gymnastics the children focussed on how they need to stretch and tighten different muscles when bridging. They then developed this further by exploring how to shift their body weight and balance to enable them to have different parts of their body as the highest part.

PE - Games - Aiming

This week the children developed their sending skills by practising throwing a beanbag over extended distances. They then developed this further by exploring how to use their body and arm to aim and land a bean bag on a target before combining these skills and creating their own games.

English - Under the sea poems

This week the children used what we have been learning over the past few weeks to plan, write, edit and publish their own under the sea poems. On Friday, with a little bit of help from green screen, the children rehearsed and then read their poems. 

Week 6

Maths - Measurement - centimetres and money

This week we changed our focus to look at measurement. To start off the week the children recalled the use of "greater than", "less than", and "equal to" symbols to compare lengths of wool. We found out that the wool had come from Mrs Parker's wool shop and the children used centimetre and metre rulers to help measure the different lengths to work out how much each length of wool would cost. This led us nicely into money. The children recalled the different value of each coin and then used this to skip count in 2p's, 5p's, and 10p's.

English - Tidy - an apology letter

This week we started our next writing journey which links to our pollution theme - Tidy by Emily Gravett. The children explored how to find definitions of unfamiliar words and drew pictures to help them remember meaning of words. The children also focussed on different viewpoints from the characters within the story and used drama to explore what each character would say to one another about the different situations. We also focussed on how we apologise to someone when we have hurt their feelings by exploring the language we use and how we speak and listen.

PE - Gymnastics - Bridging using apparatus

This week the children used what they had learnt from previous weeks about stretching, balancing and tightening muscles to create different high and low body parts when bridging whilst using different pieces of apparatus.

PE - Games - Hand - eye coordination and reactions

This week the children used balls to develop their hand - eye coordination and reaction times. The children practised balancing, dropping and throwing their balls and catching them at different levels - above head, middle and knees. The children then created games to put these skills into practise and teach their friends how to play.

Week 7

Final Straw Foundation beach day

On Tuesday we were very lucky to be able to go to Hayling Island and work with the Final Straw Foundation. We were met by Kate and Georgia who set us the challenge of finding as many different things along the beach. The children discovered a plethora of items including dog fish egg cases, cuttlefish, crabs, hag stones, a variety of shells and seaweed and of course plastic. We discussed the harm plastic is causing to the ocean and its wildlife before being set another challenge of creating a pirate or pirate ship out of the things we found. All the children had a great time and we would like to thank Kate and Georgia again for a great morning.

PE - Gymnastics - Bridging, collaboration and cooperation

Following on from last weeks lesson where children used different apparatus and different parts of their body to create high and low bridges, the children explored working with a partner to create a series of movements using fluid movement . The children took it in turns to be "the leader" whilst their partner was "their shadow" and copied what their partner did using different high and low body parts. The leader would then create a bridge which their partner had to find a way to go either over or under whilst maintaining smooth fluid motion before becoming the leader.

Design and technology - Woodwork and making wheels and axles

This week the children developed their wood working skills by beginning to create their own wheels and axles for their own pencil pot transporters following their designs. The children had to think about the purpose of the product and then choose suitable material and joining techniques to insure their product would work.

Science - Do bigger animal have longer lifespans?

This was the question the children investigated this week. The children had a variety of pictures of domestic and wild animals and set the challenge of working together to  hypothesise the average lifespan of the different animals. We then shared and discussed our thoughts before looking at the answers and unpicking the reasons as to why some animals have longer lifespans than others.

PE - Games - Sending and receiving 

This week the children played a game of scatterball to develop and use the skills we have been learning this term. The children had to work together, think tactically and use their hand eye coordination and quick feet to try to win. The batting team had to plan where they were going to send their balls whilst the fielding team had to be light on their feet and be ready to possibly receive the ball and hopefully catch it.

Week 8

Geography - Portsmouth City Field trip

Throughout this term, the children have been learning to answer the big question - "why do people prefer a city over a village?". The children recapped what they learnt from Year 1 about what makes Catherington a village before learning about what makes a city a city and what makes Portsmouth unique. On Tuesday we had a great time catching the train to take us into the city and watching the physical landscape change rural to urban. We walked around the city and identified different physical and human features that makes a city a city and identifies Portsmouth.