Year 2 Spring Term 1 Blog

Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 2:30pm

Where has the time gone? The children settled back into the rhythm of school brilliantly after their Christmas break, and it has been a joy to see how quickly they re-engaged with learning.

Our topic this term has been Castles, and the children have been thoroughly captivated from the very start. Our areas of provision have allowed the children to explore what castles look like, what life was like inside them, and even how castles were attacked and defended!

Literacy

In English, we explored The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, where the children reimagined the traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs. This time, the story focused on the three little wolves and the Big Bad Pig. The children created their own alternative endings, deciding what happened to the Big Bad Pig, and their ideas were imaginative, humorous, and a real joy to read.

The children also spent time exploring The Tunnel. They rewrote the story in the first person, imagining themselves as the hero. Their writing showed excellent use of descriptive language, particularly through expanded noun phrases, and they carefully sequenced events using time adverbials. Miss Dales and Mrs Sharp have been blown away by the quality of the children’s writing. We are continuing to work on punctuation, neat handwriting, and spelling, particularly Common Exception Words.

Topic (Science, History, Geography & Art)

Our learning across the wider curriculum has been closely linked to our castles theme. In geography, the children have been using maps and locating Skipton Castle. In history, we learned how castles were attacked and defended, as well as how toilets have changed over time. The children were very relieved to discover that we no longer use moss and a stick after going to the toilet!

In science, lessons have been very practical as we explored the properties of materials and discussed which materials would be best for building a castle. We concluded our work on martials by conducting an experiment to see which material would work best to keep a teddy bear’s feet dry!

In art, the children have been designing and creating a personal Coat of Arms that represents them. Over five weeks, they developed their drawing and painting skills, explored texture, and produced some fantastic final pieces that they were very proud of.

Maths

We have been extremely busy in maths this half term. The children have covered place value, addition, subtraction, fractions (½ and ¼), and measuring. Learning has been very hands-on, with lots of practical resources used to support understanding. We will continue to consolidate these skills next half term. Addition and subtraction can be particularly tricky concepts to master, so any extra practice at home would be greatly appreciated.

PE

In PE, our focus has been on skipping, and the progress the children have made has been outstanding. All adults in school have commented on how skilled and confident the children have become this year.

The children were also visited by the Super Skipper Festival for an additional skipping workshop. Jodie worked with the children on a range of skills, including the side straddle, single bounce, and side swing, among others. She commented on how fabulous the children were, praising their politeness, engagement, and how capable they were throughout the session. During our outdoor PE sessions, the children have been working in pairs and larger groups to attack and defend targets.

Reading

The children in Year 2 take part in whole-class reading sessions almost daily. These sessions help to develop confidence, pace, fluency, comprehension, and reading with expression. Please continue to read at home with your child at least three times a week.

Reading books should be returned on Monday mornings and will be changed and sent home again on Monday afternoons. Our library day is Tuesday.

Thank you again for your continued support this half term. It has been a busy and exciting one. If you have any questions, please speak to a member of the Year 2 team and we will be happy to help.

Many thanks,
Mrs Sharp