Year 2 Curriculum Overview
Autumn Term and Year Summary 2024
Teaching and Curriculum at Hampton Court House
Hampton Court House Prep is about providing an educational experience centred around the child with bespoke approaches for every individual. Whether in classroom settings, extra-curricular activities or charity work, we teach the children to be well-rounded and caring and to contribute to all aspects of school life. Our day-to-day curriculum is one of the foundations of this approach. Lessons are designed to be interesting, engaging, supportive and challenging so that all children feel able to do their best. Teachers will always enable children to contribute fully to lessons, learn and demonstrate new knowledge, skills and ideas, and to shape their voice as part of a dynamic, but homely, community.
Intent
At Hampton Court House, our Years 1 – 6 curriculum is designed with the holistic development of each child in mind. We aim to cultivate a love for learning, curiosity, and confidence in our students. Central to our intent is the bilingual programme for Years 1 – 4, where approximately 50% of the curriculum is delivered in French. This unique approach not only enhances language skills but also broadens cultural understanding and cognitive flexibility. Our goal is to support every child’s intellectual, social, and emotional growth through a rich and balanced curriculum where mistakes are accepted, and questions welcomed.
Implementation
Our curriculum is implemented with a focus on creating an inclusive, engaging, and supportive learning environment with a sense of fun. For Years 1 – 4, the bilingual programme integrates French into everyday learning, covering subjects such as humanities, science, sport and the arts in both English and French. This immersive approach helps students develop proficiency in both languages naturally and enjoyably, with in class support used to ensure all children are able to understand and access the curriculum. Lessons are structured to build on previous knowledge, ensuring a smooth progression. Within years 5 and 6 more specialist teachers are used to deliver the curriculum which allows for the development of skills necessary to start their secondary education in year 7. We employ a variety of teaching methods, including individual tasks, group work, and hands-on activities, to cater to different learning styles. Continuous assessment practices allow us to monitor each child's progress closely and provide personalised support as needed.
Impact
The impact of our carefully crafted curriculum is seen in the enthusiasm and active participation of our students. They develop strong foundation skills in literacy, numeracy, and science, along with the ability to think critically and solve problems. The bilingual programme enhances their language skills and cultural awareness, giving them a broader perspective and improved cognitive abilities. Our students also grow in confidence, independence, and social skills. Regular assessments demonstrate enhanced academic progress and personal development, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the next stage of their education with a lifelong love of learning and a unique bilingual advantage.
Key contacts
Susie Byers Head of Prep sby@hchnet.co.uk
Eldon Fayers Assistant Principal | Teaching & Learning efa@hchnet.co.uk
Nick Edwards Assistant Principal | Data & Assessment ned@hchnet.co.uk
Paul Pearce
Deputy Head | Operations & Academic pgp@hchnet.co.uk
Year 2 Curriculum Overview Autumn Term 2024
Year 2 students will identify the changes that autumn brings to our surroundings, in particular the differences we can observe in trees.
Studying the work of artists such as Gustav Klimt, Henri Rousseau and Andy Goldsworthy, pupils will make observations about the methods used to depict various landscapes Pupils will be introduced to the medium of acrylic paint and will develop their drawing skills and colour theory to create various artworks in response to the artist studies
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
What are we studying?
Trees: Making art in response to ‘The Tree of Life’, by Gustav Klimt and ‘Surprised! (or Tiger in a Tropical Storm)’, by Henri Rousseau Focusing on pattern, shape, symbolism, collage and drawing skills
Trees continued: Making art in response to the art of Andy Goldsworthy and Piet Mondrian Focusing on temporary art, sculpture, tonal values, pattern and introduction to acrylic paint
Ernest Shackleton: Pupils will read William Grill’s telling of Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to cross the Antarctic, making art in response to the illustrations in the book Building upon drawing skills by looking at new techniques and approaches, introducing mixed media
Superheroes: Working on a large-scale collaborative piece, pupils will study the drawings of James Gulliver Hancock and create a cityscape in which to place various superheroes, villains and villainous inventions
Clay: Birds Looking at the bird studies of Matt Sewell and John James Audubon, students will learn watercolour techniques to paint different birds Pupils will each make and decorate a clay bird to be fired in the kiln, revisiting pinch pot techniques and expanding on skills with clay modelling and building techniques
Sewing project: Taking inspiration from textile designer Donna Wilson, pupils will design and stitch a soft toy This project aims to develop fine motor skills and revisits mastery of a basic running stitch
Découverte du monde
DDM is split into discrete subjects in order to cover a wide range of knowledge across humanities and sciences. Whilst it is an interlinked curriculum, we ensure that the essential foundation of knowledge needed for the later years of prep in each subject and senior are covered.
Science
We will explore different materials like glass, plastic, metal, wood, paper, brick, and rock, and describe their properties using vocabulary such as stretchy, stiff, hard, soft, shiny, dull, bendy, inflexible, rough, smooth, absorbent, unabsorbent, waterproof, and permeable. Through hands-on activities and discussions, we will deepen our understanding of these concepts and develop scientific inquiry skills.
History
In Year 2 this term, we will explore the chronological order of significant historical events throughout the year and learn about them in detail. We will discover the Royal family, understand that generations succeed one another starting at George I. Throughout Black History Month we will learn about key events in our mutual history and how nationalities, civilisations and peoples are connected by both traumatic historical events as well as those that help us move towards greater understanding and cooperation.
Geography
We will identify a familiar place thanks to photographs, drawings, and use of maps and orientate ourselves (photographs with different angles and perspectives). Create simple representations of their familiar surroundings. We will study London; its local geography, people, history and development, as well as its global impact.
Découverte du monde, continued
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
What are we studying?
Read the time on a digital watch and situate the moments of the day looking at our school timetable.
Identify a familiar place with different backup material (photographs with different angles and perspectives).
Explore a selection of materials and discuss how they might be tested for their rigidity (identical lengths of wood, plastic, metal, card).
Events behind living memory that are significant nationally or globally: Remembrance Day (France and UK).
Consider time with Past, Present and Future by considering evolution through transports and technology.
Learning about the role of the monarch, Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II and King Charles III. Observe the various states of matter (gas, liquid, solid) and its changes. Know the process of the water cycle.
Events behind living memory that are significant nationally or globally: Women’s Day: Joan of Arc and Bastille Day.
Discover Versailles and Louis XIV.
To identify the United Kingdom and its countries on a map; know their flags and their capital cities, customs, and traditions.
Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other.
Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the countries learned in History.
Use simple compass directions, locational and directional language, to describe the location of features and routes on a map.
Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.
Events behind living memory that are significant nationally or globally: Christopher Colombus. Exploration of the new world.
Recognise the different typologies of landscapes and use basic geographical vocabulary. Explore the birth cycle of animals and humans
Significant historical events, people, and places in their own locality/ globally.
Sustainability with links to exploitation of resources inf rain forest; protection and preservation
Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.
English
In Y1 and 2 we use the ‘Read Write Inc.’ phonics programme. It is a DfE-validated systematic synthetic phonics programme for teaching early reading and writing, designed to ensure progress for every child. Children move through the course according to their own individual progress. Most children will have completed the course half-way through Y2. Those pupils will then explore other aspects of reading and writing to consolidate their skills. Those pupils who need a little more time will continue on the programme to ensure they make the desired progress to ensure all pupils are ready for Y3.
We make sure that Read Write Inc. teachers inject their lessons with energy and enjoyment, from teaching the first sounds to developing fluency and comprehension and engaging children in the best stories that reflect all children’s lives. Children learn to read sounds and blend them into words. They apply this phonic knowledge to read and comprehend Storybooks that are carefully matched to the sounds they know. Children learn to read these books with a storyteller’s voice supporting development of prosody (stress and intonation) and expressive communication skills. The aim of Read Write Inc. Phonics is for children to learn to read early. By the end of term 2 in Year 2 children should be able to read stories at over 70 words per minute.
They also learn how to form letters using mnemonics to help them. They learn to spell correctly using their Fred fingers. And they learn to compose their own writing - drawing upon ideas from the story they’ve just read.
Everything knits together: The phonics supports the reading and writing; The reading supports the writing, the writing supports the reading. While your children are learning to read, they work in progress groups to master each level of phonics and reading. The reading leader assesses and re-groups children every half-term. This allows you to whisk children through the phonic stages as quickly as possible. Children work in these progress group for one hour each day. This means they are learning at their ‘challenge’ level for five hours a week.
The children progress through colours which identify a different level of phonics knowledge and reading stage.
Children who have started the curriculum in September in Reception should have completed all levels by the time they finish year 2.
Extra Support
One-to-one tutoring
Even with the best teaching and the best programme, there are some children who need extra practice to keep up. We accelerate the progress of these children with 10 minutes one-to-one tutoring every day. However long it takes, we don't give up!
Home support
Read Write Inc. provides everything parents need to help their children practise reading at home. Each week, children take home their Read Write Inc. Storybook and corresponding Book Bag Book. Virtual Classroom videos are sometimes sent home during holidays to help with motivation and to continue the momentum build up.
Forest School
Forest school is the part of our Prep curriculum built entirely around outdoor learning At HCH we have the advantage of excellent grounds that we take full advantage of. Throughout Year 1 and Year 2 children develop their confidence, self-esteem and risk-taking skills further through a variety of purposeful and adult led activities. Children will develop a wide range of skills that are cultivated in an outdoor environment, such as bush craft skills, curiosity and care of the natural environment.
Throughout the year there are curriculum links to a range of other discrete subjects where it will enhance the learning science, humanities and creative subjects Having a considerate and safe relationship with the outdoors is really important As such, we will start the year covering being safe around a fire We will then lead to exploring the natural environment focusing on the changes that they see during seasons
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
What are we studying?
Safety in the natural environment and taking safe and supervised risks
Observing the changes in weather and in the natural environment for Autumn and Winter
Celebrate Autumn Harvest and Christmas
Building dens and using tools safely
Celebrate Chinese New Year and harvest from community garden to cook a Chinese meal on the open fire
Celebrate National Birdwatching and make bird feeders for winter birds
Fairytales and stories that link to play in the natural environment
Celebrate National Wildlife Day
Observing new changes in the natural environment coming into Spring and planting
Celebrate World Bee Day
Summer 2 Minibeasts, map making and treasure seeking
They will develop pleasure in reading and understanding by learning how to read and revise all their sounds from Year 1: [a], [e], [i], [o], [u], [ê], [s], [l], [p], [m], [n], [f] using the Alpha's method. They will apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decoding syllables and simple words. During the lesson, the pupils will learn vocabulary about themselves, politeness, instructions, stationery, numbers from 1 to 30, colours, weather and daily routine. They will discover some grammar rules, such as beginning to punctuate sentences and using capital letters and full stops.
Year 2 will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup, listening to French stories. Finally, they will hear and watch different authentic audios, videos and sing songs.
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
What are we studying?
We will recap our sounds learned in Year 1: [a], [e], [i], [o], [u], [ê]. We will learn vocabulary about themselves, politeness, instructions, stationery. We will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup and listening to French literacy every week.
We will recap our sounds learned in Year 1: [s], [l], [p], [m], [n], [f]. We will learn vocabulary about numbers from 20 to 30, colours, weather, daily routine. They will discover some grammar rules, such as beginning to punctuate sentences and using capital letters and full stops. We will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup and listening to French literacy every week.
We will recap our sounds learned in Year 1: [ch], [v], [r], [b], [t], [j]. We will learn vocabulary about countries, nationalities. They will discover the singular and plural. We will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup and listening to French literacy every week.
We will discover the following new complex sounds [eau], [on]. They will also discover feminine and masculine nouns. We will learn vocabulary about professions, workplaces, transports. We will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup and listening to French literacy every week.
We will discover the following new complex sounds [ou], [an]. We will learn vocabulary about physical description, personality traits. We will discover some grammar rules, such as the present tense of the verbs to be and to have using je/tu/il/elle. We will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup, Sami and Lili and listening to French literacy every week.
We will discover the following new complex sounds [in]. We will discover some grammar rules, such as the present tense -er verbs using je/tu/il/elle. We will learn vocabulary about instruments, leisure, sports, activities. We will also develop their cultural knowledge by learning about Loup, Sami and Lili and listening to French literacy every week.
Francophone Culture
We are excited to introduce a new aspect of our French curriculum to complement our French immersion programme with a Francophonie culture lesson. Learning about Francophonie at school has many benefits for students; It helps them understand and appreciate the cultures, traditions, and histories of French-speaking countries around the world.
This knowledge can make students more open-minded and aware of global diversity, which is important in today's world. It will help them appreciate the richness of the French language beyond France, recognising its influence in places like Canada, Belgium, and various African nations.
This lesson will take place one a week. It is tied deeply to other aspects of the curriculum, looking at French, History, Music for example. Children will discover different aspects of French culture, from literature, to theatre, to music, to cooking and more. We will talk about national events like, Remembrance Day, Pancake Day, Bastille Day, the Fête de la Musique, etc. We will also enjoy French music and dance, learning traditional dances or songs. We will also discover children's literature, movie’s character as Loup, Asterix & Obelix or Tintin & Milou.
This new lesson is there to enrich what we currently have and alongside that it will be a number of event days to allow children to explore this all-new level of French civilisation in a very immersive way.
Maths
Y2 maths consolidates and builds on key mathematical knowledge from year 1, but with added complexity and context application. The Autmn term will consist of 3 main topics in Maths; Place value, Addition and subtraction, and Shape.
Place Value: The children will learn to recognise tens and ones, use a place value chart, partition numbers, and count in 2’s, 5’s, 10’s and 3’s
Addition and Subtraction: The children will learn number bonds to 100, to add and subtract across a ten, to add and subtract tens, to add 2-digit numbers, and solve addition and subtraction number problems
Shape: The children will learn to recognise and name 2-D and 3-D shapes, count sides, vertices, edges and faces on shapes, sort 2-D and 3-D shapes, and make patterns with shapes
Term
Autumn 1 Place Value Addition and Subtraction
Addition and Subtraction
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Shape
Money Multiplication and division
Length and height Mass, capacity and temperature
Summer 1 Fractions Time
Summer 2 Statistics Position and direction
What are we studying?
Organised physical activity is vital to child development, both in terms of strength and growth cognitive, motivational and social skills.
The Year 2 children will focus on the core skills of two invasion games, football and netball. In football, the children will be taught how to perform the core skills to play the game.
This will include passing, shooting, dribbling, agility and small sided conditioned games. In netball, they will learn the fundamental skills of catching, throwing and movement. Students will be taught the basic positions, how to shoot and the different types of passes they can use in competitive game situations.
Term
Autumn
Spring
Summer
What are we studying?
Football: Passing, shooting, dribbling, conditioned games.
Netball: Passing, shooting, attack vs defence, positions and conditioned games
Gymnastics: balances, body shapes, travel, jumps and rolls
Games: balance, coordination, agility, throwing and catching.
Cricket: throwing, catching, batting, bowling and fielding
Athletics: sack race, long jump, javelin throw, obstacle race, relay, 60m sprint.
Performing Arts
Year 2 Curriculum Overview Autumn Term 2024
At Hampton Court House, we believe that the performing arts are integral to our school community. Therefore, students will actively participate in various performances throughout the year. These performances form the backbone of our curriculum. We are committed to offering inclusive opportunities that allow every student to showcase their talents.
In our lessons, to prepare for these performances students will focus on developing spatial awareness, musicality, vocal, physical, and character skills to enhance their performance abilities. They will learn stage craft and understand how to engage an audience.
Additionally, we place a strong emphasis on collaborative and creative skills, which are essential for every child's growth. Our classes incorporate engaging games and activities designed to foster teamwork, improve peer interaction, and develop the ability to follow directions. Students are encouraged to contribute creative suggestions through music, movement, and dialogue, ensuring a well-rounded arts education at Hampton Court House.
We begin the year by preparing for our Christmas show, themed around "The Nutcracker." Year 2 students will focus on developing their ballet skills, alongside incorporating singing into their performance.
In Year 2, Drama will be taught in French, enhancing language skills through theatrical expression. By the Easter term, students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in a dedicated showcase event.
Throughout the year, there will also be numerous recitals and concerts, providing students with platforms to display their musical abilities and talents.
PSHE
We begin PSHE across the Prep school by exploring the topic ‘Being Me in My World’.
We will begin by looking at the year ahead, recognising our hopes and fears, and our rights and responsibilities. We will also look at the importance of rewards and consequences. In the second half term our topic will be Celebrating Difference. This explores the differences between boys and girls – introducing the idea of stereotypes. We will look at bullying and why it happens and standing up for yourself and others.
We aim to make all PSHE sessions as relevant to the students and their current needs and concerns, therefore out content is changeable, and suggestions and feedback are welcome at any time from students and parents.
How it will be assessed
PSHE lessons are predominantly discussion based, with some written tasks for deeper comprehension and application. At the end of each lesson, the students will complete self-reflection sheets for teachers to monitor understanding and adapt future teaching. Teachers keep track of the students’ levels and understanding of the different elements of PSHE across the year.
What are we studying?
Being Me in my World
Hope and fears for the year
Autumn 1
Rights and responsibilities
Rewards and consequences
Learning charter
Relationships
Families
Keeping safe – exploring physical
Spring 1
contact
Friends and conflict
Secrets
Trust and appreciation
Healthy Me
Being healthy
Summer 1
Being relaxed
Medicine safety
Healthy eating
Autumn 2
What are we studying?
Celebrating Difference
Boys and girls
Why does bullying happen?
Standing up for myself and others
Diversity
Celebrating difference and still being friends
Changing Me
Life cycles in nature
Spring 2
Growing from young to old
Girls’ and boys’ bodies
Assertiveness
Dreams and Goals
Goals to success
Summer 2
My learning strengths
Learning with others
A group challenge