Elm Class
Teacher: Mr S Tilsley
PE days for Autumn 1: Monday and Thursday
Year 2 Classroom
This half term, our main topic will be ‘The Great Fire of London’. Within the curriculum this half term we will also be studying materials in Science and ‘The Creation Story’ in RE. In English the children will be learning to retell the story ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and create their own stories with a similar structure.
Homework will be handed out every Friday and should be completed and returned by Wednesday. Homework tasks are designed to reinforce what we have been learning in class and provide additional practice.
PE will take place on Monday and Thursday. The lessons will focus on fitness and small apparatus. Please ensure your child comes to school in their PE kit, a plain tracksuit for colder days and appropriate footwear. Earrings should always be removed on PE days.
Regular reading at home is vital to your child’s progress. Please encourage children to read every day and record this in their reading record. We check reading records weekly every Monday, and any support you provide at home makes a significant difference. An update on pupil progress will be provided through parent consultations the week beginning the 13th October.
Homework
Challenge and Aspiration Project
To engage and extend learning across all year groups, each topic is accompanied by a Challenge Question, several Project Options (consistently 3–4 choices per topic), and an outline of the higher level thinking skills involved.
Each project is designed to challenge pupils with creative, analytical tasks that promote higher-order thinking. The projects can be pursued independently at home (as optional challenges) or integrated in class for enrichment; teachers can provide feedback at school to support development. We also include cross-curricular subject links to highlight how each challenge connects to broader learning areas (e.g. Art, Computing, History, Science). Pupils are encouraged to choose one project per topic to explore in depth.
Spring 1: Nursing Pioneers – Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, and Edith Cavell
Challenge Question: Who were Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, and Edith Cavell, and how did each pioneer change the field of nursing and help others?
Project Options (choose one):
1. Heroine Trading Cards: Design a set of “trading cards” (like collectible cards) – one for each of the three nurses. On each card, draw a portrait of Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, or Edith Cavell. Beneath the picture, list key stats or facts (birth/death dates, where they worked, one famous achievement). On the back, write a short quote or motto that might capture their legacy (e.g. Nightingale’s “Lady with the Lamp”). Share the cards with classmates to teach each other about these figures.
2. Diary of a Nurse: Write a first-person diary entry as either Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War (1850s), Mary Seacole in the Crimea, or Edith Cavell in World War I. Use historical details: for Nightingale or Seacole, describe conditions in the war hospitals, the soldiers you care for, and how you feel about helping the wounded. For Cavell, describe helping soldiers escape and your feelings of courage. Try to capture their voice and the challenges they faced.
3. Nursing Then & Now Poster: Create a poster comparing nursing in the past (1800s or early 1900s) to nursing today. Divide the poster in half. On one side, draw or list features of nursing as experienced by Nightingale/Seacole/Cavell (e.g. oil lamps for light, no antibiotics, working on battlefields or basic hospitals). On the other side, show modern nursing (modern hospitals, technology like x-rays or vaccines, nursing uniforms today). Highlight 2–3 ways nursing has changed because of these pioneers’ contributions (for example, Nightingale helped establish cleaner hospitals which led to modern hygiene practices).
Spellings to Learn in Year 2
Curriculum Overview Spring Term
elm class overview spring term 2026.pdf
Welcome Meeting for Year 2 Parents
year 2 welcome morning september 2024.pdf
Recommended Books for Year 2
sil y2 recommended reading list.pdf
School Trips
In Year 2, we visit Layer Marney Tower to take part in a Great Fire of London immersive day. We also visit Chatham Green Wilderness Foundation in the Summer term.
