An introduction for parents of children in Year 2
An introduction for parents of children in Year 2 2022/23
Clifton College Year 2
Contents Welcome to Year 2 Clifton College The School Day Pastoral Care After School Care Curriculum Clifton College Pre-Preparatory
Specialist Activities Sport Assessment and Reporting Class Assemblies Uniform Security Absence and Sickness Communication Golden Rules and Positive Behaviour The Parent/School Partnership Term Dates
Contact preprepoffice@cliftoncollege.com 0117 315 7591 www.cliftoncollege.com
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An introduction for parent of children in Year 2 22/23
—Welcome to Year 2 The warmest of welcomes to Year 2 at Clifton College PrePreparatory. While not the final stage of the Pre-Prep, Year 2 is the last year of Key Stage 1 and is therefore a time of transition to a slightly more formal and independent style of working.
Children are taught most subjects by their class teacher. Occasionally some teamteaching occurs where teachers within the year group may teach the other classes in subjects that exploit their particular areas of expertise and interest.
There are a number of small changes to the curriculum from Year 1 and to the routine in general.
All children cover the same broad syllabus and the teachers meet each week to plan activities and assess each pupil’s progress. Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum 2014 Key Stage 1 programmes of study.
We hope you find this booklet informative and helpful, but if you have any problems or queries please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff.
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Clifton College Pre-Preparatory
—Clifton College Clifton College consists of two schools: the Upper School, with pupils from 13 – 18 years of age and the Preparatory School, with pupils from 0 – 13. Nursery to Year 3 form the Pre-Prep part of the Preparatory school. The Pre-Prep is based in Butcombe House, Sharps House and The Nursery.
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Our aims are: • To deliver a well-balanced, interesting and challenging curriculum • To encourage high standards and enthusiasm for learning • To develop self-esteem, self-confidence, selfmotivation, self-discipline and independence
• To provide a happy, purposeful learning environment where pupils enjoy their work • To develop the pupils’ awareness and understanding of the importance of British values • To create a close and interactive partnership with parents
In meeting these aims, we are always mindful of the overarching aims of Clifton College, and our role in providing an education, which will lay firm foundations in all aspects of school life, and equip the children to make the very best of their school career at Clifton.
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Clifton College Pre-Preparatory
—The School Day
—Pastoral Care
The academic day begins at 8:30am and finishes at 4pm. A typical day is flexible but may look like this:
All classes in Year 2 have their own class teacher who oversees the pastoral care of the children in the class. They are supported in this by the other teachers in Year 2 and also by the Gap Students and Teaching Assistants that work through the school and who get to know all children well.
Breakfast Club Children in Year 2 have the option of attending Breakfast Club from 7:30am. This takes place with children from across the Pre-Prep in the basement of the Nursery. The children are then brought back to the Pre-Prep at 8am. Early Stay Early stay is from 8-8:25am in the Year 2 classroom, the children arrive at the front door of Butcombe from 8am and go straight to their classrooms. Early stay is free to use and does not require booking. When dropping off please ensure that you sign in you child so that we know who will be picking them up and at what time. Drop Off 8.25am is our main drop off time at which we ask that the children wait in a queue in front of the building with their parent/ 6|
guardian until greeted and signed in by an adult from the year group team. Snack Morning playtime takes place between 10:15am and 10:40am. Milk is provided for the children to drink before they go out to play. A healthy snack is also given to the children mid-morning. At 10:40am the children are collected from the playground by their class teacher. Lunch At 11:50am the children walk over to lunch in the dining hall with their teacher. At approximately 12:30pm they return to the playground, where they play until 1:20pm and are collected by their class teacher. End of Day The school day ends at 4:00pm. Parents meet their children outside the front door of Butcombe House where the children will say goodbye to their teacher.
“Year 2 have their own class teachers who oversee the pastoral care of the children in the class.”
—After School Care
Our After School Care facility takes place in the lower ground floor of Sharps House, and runs until 6.00 p.m. Qualified staff supervise the children until they can be collected. Children are able to select a variety of
activities including art and crafts, games and may use the playground when daylight allows. The children are given a snack tea which includes a choice of sandwiches, fruit, cheese and a drink. After School Care can be booked by submitting a form to the office. The form is shared with parents ahead of each half term, so bookings can be made in advance for regular users.
Occasional use is often available on the day, and a booking can be made via the office, but children can only be accepted if space is available. After places are allocated to working parents, places will be given to occasional users on a first come, first served basis. The provision is free to use and can be used after clubs too. The provision is free to use and can be used after clubs too.
Introduction for parents of Years 2-4 2020/2021
After School Care is primarily a provision available for children who cannot be collected at the end of their school day due to the work commitments of their parents.
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Pupils in Year 2 study crosscurricular topics. The topics generally have either a scientific, historical or geographical focus, but include aspects of all three subjects, along with RE, PSHEE, Art, Design Technology, ICT and of course, Mathematics and Literacy. These are:
Reading
Summer Term: Knights and Castles
In school the children will read from a range of reading material, including stories, poetry, plays, non-fiction, notices, signs, letters, diaries and their own writing. Literature will include traditional folk and fairy tales, poems and stories based on familiar settings and from other cultures, and books by significant authors. Children will learn to use contents, glossary and index pages as well as dictionaries and a thesaurus to assist them in their own research for topics.
Children will be involved in reading activities every day. They will read their chosen reading book, participate in peer reading and group reading in class three times a week and will be involved daily in other reading activities. Children will bring home a reading book and Michaelmas Term: parents are encouraged to hear People who help us them read and communicate Changes with the class teacher using their Lent Term: reading record book, which they Our world should bring to school daily. The Rainforest
The topics are broad, and incorporate many areas of the curriculum and to allow room to encourage the diverse interests and abilities of the pupils.
English English lessons take place daily in all classes. We broadly follow the guidelines of the Primary Framework for Literacy. Speaking and Listening Where possible speaking and listening activities will arise out of our programme of literacy and planned topics. The children will participate in: • telling their own experiences to others; • explaining their opinions and thoughts on certain issues; • drama activities; • telling stories to others;
“The topics are broad, and incorporate many areas of the curriculum and to allow room to encourage the diverse interests and abilities of the pupils.”
An introduction for parents of children in Year 2 2022/23
—Curriculum
Comprehension tasks take place weekly and range from casual questions about reading books to more detailed questions concerning selected passages. These questions will seek a straight-forward answer at first, but will require more particular and reflective responses on what has been read as children become accustomed to the queries and exercises. Children also visit the school library once a week and select books, which they can take home for the week.
• listening to poetry; • activities involving predicting outcomes and discussing possibilities; • conveying accurate messages and following instructions independently. |9
Writing and Spelling Writing activities are often planned to relate to the current topic. In Year 2 the children are encouraged to be independent writers in a range of genres such as instructions, menus, captions, posters, diaries, letters, nonfiction, poems, acrostics and stories. The children will also begin to proof read and edit their work.
Clifton College Pre-Preparatory
The teaching of phonics is continued and consolidated from the work started in Year 1. Phonic sounds and patterns are reinforced through the teaching of letter strings and simple spelling patterns. They will begin to spell common words and then use their knowledge to try more complex words. Each week the children will focus upon a particular sound or spelling rule. They will learn how to add suffixes to root words and use apostrophes for omission or possession. Over the school year they will also learn how to read and spell the days of the week, months of the year, numbers to twenty and the names of shapes. The children are encouraged to join their writing. An appropriate grip is encouraged and they are taught the importance of clear and neat presentation.
“Children have a spelling folder which has a new list of words each week.” 10 |
Mathematics
Science
Numeracy work takes place daily in all classes. We broadly follow the guidelines of the Primary Framework for Mathematics, using the White Rose schemes of work to ensure quality of learning and consistency across the Preparatory School. As in other year groups, mathematics in Year 2 encompasses the four basic operations as well as measures, shapes, time-telling and handling data.
During Year 2 more work will be done to develop the core scientific skills of observation and investigation. The children will work on a different topic each term, designed to encourage them to ask questions about the world around them, and they will be taught the importance of gathering evidence and carrying out experiments. They will start to think about the importance of planning before they start a task: how they will find the answers, what questions they will need to ask, and what the result might be. They will also be thinking of the best ways to present their results; for example, they could be using drawings, charts, diagrams, ICT, or standing up and speaking to the class.
In Maths the four rules of number - addition, subtraction, division and multiplication - are further developed. Children are encouraged to approach problems in a number of ways and to deploy different strategies for working out problems. There is an emphasis on a multisensorial approach to numeracy, ensuring a foundation of understanding based on concrete applications before moving on to more abstract rules and problems. For example, children are introduced to the grouping of sets and repeated addition tasks like counting on in 5s or adding 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 before moving on to multiplication work and learning one’s times tables. Other aspects of numeracy taught in Year 2 include data handling or reading, drafting and interpreting graphs; telling the time to the quarter-hour and solving duration problems; recognizing and identifying 2D and 3D shapes; estimating and accurately measuring volume, length and weight; identifying lines of symmetry and plotting simple co-ordinates on a map; and solving real-life problems such as deriving change when handling money up to and beyond £5.
Science in Year 2 is divided into three main groups: living things and processes; materials and their properties; and physical processes. Under these headings children will investigate animals and plant life in their local environment; investigate the
changes which heating and cooling can bring to a range of materials; and explore what electricity is and how simple circuits are wired.
Geography and History In Year 2 History is based around our topics. In the Michaelmas Term we look at how the first police forces and fire services originated, a study that will lead us onto the Great Fire of London. Later on in the term we look at the monarchy and compare the lives and times of the two Elizabeths, Queen Elizabeth I and our own Queen Elizabeth II. In the Lent term we investigate famous people like Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. Then in the Summer term we explore castles, knights and heraldry in depth. In Geography we study our local environment and contrast it with other areas habitats such as oceans and the rainforest, the location of continents and countries, maps, co-ordinates and compass points. The
and what it means to be a good friend to others.
RE, PSHEE and Citizenship
Children produce work in a variety of mediums in art such as water-colours, clay or sketching on an iPad. They will also study certain artists and their work. The emphasis in art in Year 2 is on observation, looking first at what we want to draw or paint before putting pen or brush to paper.
The children read and listen to stories from the Old and New Testament in the Bible. We ask what it means to be Jewish, explore how different faiths celebrate festivals of light and hear some of the stories Jesus told his disciples. In PSHEE, the children follow a scheme of work called ‘Jigsaw’. This is a thread that runs throughout the school and allows children to explore and discuss such issues as healthy lifestyles, nutrition, water and electrical safety, the role of medicines and drugs, environmental concerns and recycling. PSHEE provides children with a forum to discuss how we can stay healthy, what we should do in an emergency
Art and Design Technology
In Year 2 children will look at designs and discuss them. They will also produce their own topic-inspired models of rescue vehicles, the shields and animals using a variety of materials.
Computing In ICT your child will learn about different sources of information and the forms in which it can be accessed. Children learn
e-safety and the importance of staying safe online. They will work with text, image, sound, and learn about how everyday devices respond to signals and instructions. ICT is integrated into all subjects and taught separately. Children will use iPads in class to photograph and video themselves, to create animations and to develop their skills in coding activities. As your child progresses through the curriculum their knowledge, understanding and use of ICT will grow to include classifying and presenting information, planning and presentation skills, and storing and retrieving information.
Music Music continues to be taught by a specialist music teacher, Mrs Gillam. There is an emphasis on creative music-making, exploring the elements of music: rhythm, pitch, texture and timbre in order to compose and perform.
In Year 2 children will take part in choir and a strings group once a week. Choir provides an opportunity for children to learn and rehearse songs for concerts and productions. Strings group, on the other hand, provides children with the opportunity to learn how to play a violin or cello, to learn the basics of rhythm and pitch and understand dynamics as part of a group. In strings group children start with simple plucking and bowing on the instrument and then move onto using their fingers to alter the pitch. If you would like your child to learn an extra instrument please contact Mrs Gillam. An introduction for parent of children in Year 2 22/23
children are encouraged to use geographical terms and to observe and ask questions about geographical features and issues, such as recycling and saving endangered habitats.
French Year 2 children have 30 minutes of French per week as part of the regular curriculum (there is no charge for this).
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—Homework Children will be given homework some nights that should take approximately 15 minutes. This is mainly a practice or consolidation task connected with something they have done during the week and not finishing off class work. Homework is often differentiated and therefore your child may have a different task to complete to his/her friends. The work should be largely unaided, as the rationale behind setting the work
is to develop a routine whereby the child independently settles down to a short task, ultimately to develop a positive and constructive work ethic at home. However it is also beneficial to talk through their prep with them to explain any misconceptions and support them where necessary. In so doing, prep in future years will become less of a chore for the parents. In addition, ten/fifteen minutes of reading is encouraged each evening.
Clifton College Pre-Preparatory
—Forest School Forest school is an integral part of school life and we teach a lot of our DT and PSHE curriculum in the Forest. We have our own forest school site at Clifton College sports ground at BB, and travel to the site on school minibuses. In Year 2 we visit Forest School twice a term in the Michaelmas, Lent, and Summer terms. In addition to these regular sessions we seek further opportunities when the curriculum allows, to learn outside and to create additional opportunities to visit the forest. There is a Forest School uniform of- green fleece, green joggers and long sleeved navy top which children in Year 2 can wear. However, they are also able to wear their Clifton College track suit with a base layer if they prefer, with full waterproofs and wellington boots.
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—Sport The children have two kit bags: Red bag Swimming kit: towel, costume, swimming hat, hairbrush or comb.
Blue bag PE kit: Royal blue shorts, white polo shirt, white socks. Games kit: White polo shirt, tracksuit top, tracksuit bottoms, and trainers.
An introduction for parent of children in Year 2 22/23
Children have sport activities most days. This may be dance, gymnastics, swimming, or games. During the summer term we have a year group swimming gala.
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—Assessment and Reporting On a regular basis, teachers assess pupils on their attainment in the National Curriculum assessment criteria in the core subjects of reading, writing and Maths. There is a parents’ evening each term at which you are invited to meet
with the class teacher for fifteen minutes to discuss progress. You will receive a written report on your child’s progress twice a year. Each term you will be invited to come into your child’s class for ‘Time to Share’. During this time your child will share with you the work that he/she has been creating.
—Class Assemblies In the Michaelmas and Lent terms each class will lead an assembly. Parents are invited into school to watch their child take part in their class assembly. It begins at 8:45am and usually lasts about 10 – 15 minutes.
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We intend to hold an information evening for parents to meet with the Year 2 team and other parents. This will be an opportunity to learn more about life in Year 2 and to visit the classrooms.
—Uniform All pupils need to wear standard Pre-Prep uniform appropriate for the season. All uniform must be clearly labelled inside. It is useful to have loops on the inside of jumpers, dresses and trousers to enable them to be hung up. All shoes and trainers must be clearly labelled. We recommend the ‘Whoshoe Label’, available to order from the School shop.
The uniform for Year 2 is:
All accessories, hats, scarves, gloves and hair bands should be standard school colour of navy blue, or grey/black. Children with long hair should wear it tied up whilst in school. Children are not allowed to wear jewellery of any kind whilst in school.
Option 1
Option 2
Grey trousers or shorts
Black watch tartan pinafore
Blue long sleeved shirt
Grey trousers or shorts
Navy jumper or tank top
Blue long sleeved blouse
School tie
Navy cardigan
Blazer
School tie
Grey socks
Blazer
A labelled water bottle
Navy tights or socks A labelled water bottle AnAn introduction introduction forfor parents parentof ofchildren childrenininYear Year222022/23 22/23
In the summer-School summer dress and white socks
—School Trips School trips are linked to the topics studied by the children. Previous Year 2 trips have included visits to: Bristol Zoo, Farleigh Hungerford Castle, We The Curious , Caldecot Castle.
—Security The security of your child is of paramount importance. We will not allow him or her to be collected by other adults unless we have received your permission in advance. We would appreciate it if you could write a brief note in your child’s message book if you have made
arrangements for him or her to be collected by another adult. If we do not have permission, we will require your child to stay with us until either parent has been contacted, even if the collecting adult is known to us, i.e. the parent of another child.
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—Absence and Sickness
Should a dentist/doctor’s appointment be required during the school day, please write a letter to the class teacher to this effect. If absence is due to holiday arrangements, permission is required from the Head and a letter explaining the circumstances is required to be kept on file. Although most requests for an occasional day’s
absence are usually looked upon favourably, it should be noted that the school does not support absence for family holidays, nor accepts the obligation to provide work to be completed at home when pupils are absent through parental choice. If a child has had an upset stomach with sickness and/or diarrhea, please keep him or her away for at least 48 hours after the last episode has passed. The staff will only administer doses of antibiotics to pupils subject to written instructions being given on an authorization form signed by the parent/
guardian. In the event of a child requiring paracetamol for high temperature or discomfort an emergency dose can be administered with your written permission. This will be given while we wait for your child to be collected from school. These forms are available from the office. If your child requires an inhaler at times, or may be prone to an anaphylactic reaction, the appropriate in-date medication must be given to the office with full written instructions on its use. An introduction for parent of children in Year 2 22/23
If your child is absent from school, please contact the school secretary, at your earliest convenience, or leave a message on the voice mail.
—Communication Alongside Google Classroom, which we use frequently to share pictures and information the the parents, each child also has a white message book. The Message Book is the main vehicle of communication between the parent and teacher, so please feel free to use it to let us know how things are going. It is especially useful for working parents, who do not have the opportunity to see the teacher informally as often as they would like. Every term the teachers in the year group will send home a Bulletin with details of events and timings for the term. You will also receive a weekly Newsletter which will be emailed to you.
Parents are asked to inform the school office preprepoffice@ cliftoncollege.com of any change of details, e.g. address, telephone numbers, emergency contact numbers, when they arise. We do our utmost to effect good communication with parents but should it ever break down, please let us know so that we can improve the system.
“The Message Book is the main vehicle for communication between the parent and teacher.” | 17
—Golden Rules and Positive Behaviour We pride ourselves on being a happy school, and happy children invariably reach their potential. Our Positive Behaviour Policy, in which we reinforce good behaviour rather than penalising poor behaviour, has a significant impact in making the school a happy learning environment. The school has a set of Golden Rules, which apply to all age groups from Nursery to Year 3.
In line with our positive approach to discipline, the rules make a positive statement about behaviour, and are on show in classrooms and public areas around school. The rules are discussed in PSHEE (personal, social, health and economic education) lessons and ‘circle time’, and often form the focus of school assemblies. The rules are:
Do be gentle Do not hurt anybody
Do look after property Do not waste or damage things
Do be kind and helpful Do not hurt people’s feelings
Do listen to people Do not interrupt
Do work hard Do not waste your or other people’s time
Do be honest Do not cover up the truth
—The Parent/School Partnership Clifton College Pre-Preparatory
We value close links with parents in order to create the most effective partnership between home and school, and you will always find a welcome here. If you have a query or concern, please do not hesitate to ask any member of staff - we are all here to help your child make the very best of his or her opportunities.
The door is always open to you, so please let us know how things are going. We are all very proud of our school, but we are not complacent and we value your feedback. We look forward to getting to know you and your child, and to a long and happy partnership in the years to come.
Staff are available during drop off and pick up for a quick word, or if you would like to talk more privately or at greater length, please make an appointment.
“The door is always open to you, so please let us know how things are going.”
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An introduction for parent of children in Year 2 22/23
—Term Dates 2022-2023 Reception to Year 3 Michaelmas Term 2022 Term starts at 8:30am Thursday 8 September – 3:30pm Thursday 8 December Half Term: 4.00 pm Wednesday 19 October – 8:30am Thursday 3 November Lent Term 2023 Term starts at 8:30am Thursday 5 January – 3.30pm Thursday 23 March Half Term: 1:00pm Friday 10 February – 8:30am Monday 20 February Summer Term 2023 Term starts at 8:30am Wednesday 19 April – 1:00pm Thursday 6 July Half Term: 4.00pm Friday 26 May – 8:30am Monday 5 June
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An introduction for parent of children in Year 2 22/23
Together, we are Clifton Clifton College Pre-Preparatory School Butcombe House, Guthrie Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3EZ T. +44 (0)117 315 7591 E. preprepoffice@cliftoncollege.com cliftoncollege.com
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