Year 2 Learning blog

 

This week in Year 2 we celebrated Science Week, and the theme was curiosity. The children explored lots of exciting ideas and asked many thoughtful questions about the world around them.

We started the week by watching a brilliant science experiment. One of the teachers demonstrated “elephant toothpaste.” The children loved seeing the huge foamy reaction and we talked about how scientists sometimes carry out experiments to understand how different materials react with each other. It was a fantastic way to spark curiosity and excitement for science.

Later in the week, the children investigated fruits and vegetables. We looked carefully at different foods and discussed where they might come from. The class shared their ideas about farms, gardens, and shops. We also thought about how foods look and whether their appearance might affect how we think they taste. The children enjoyed discussing their favourite fruits and vegetables and thinking like young scientists by observing and asking questions.

To finish the week, we reflected on our childhood and what makes it positive. The children thought about the things that help them feel happy, safe, and excited to learn. They then created their own posters to share their ideas. The posters included drawings, words, and colourful designs showing what makes childhood special.

It has been a wonderful week full of curiosity, discussion, and creativity. The children showed fantastic enthusiasm and asked some brilliant scientific questions. Well done, Year 2!

Rowan Class

Pine Class

Mulberry Class

Year 1 Trip to St George's Church - Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Dear Parents/ Carers, 

Year 1 St George’s Church Trip : 

On Wednesday 22nd April, Year 1 pupils will be visiting St George’s Church, Harold Hill. Year 1 children are visiting St George’s Church to help them learn more about Christianity and places of worship. During the trip, they will explore the church building and find out about special features such as the altar, font and stained glass windows. This visit will support their Religious Education lessons and help them understand why the church is an important and special place for Christians.

On the day of the trip, children need to arrive in the morning at normal school time (8.30am) and will be collected at the end of the day. The classes will be going at different times during the day but will be in school for lunch. 

Children should wear normal school uniform (with comfortable shoes). 

Please complete the form below:

https://forms.gle/aUahiZqeFm8xyDV59 

Many thanks for your continued support.

Miss Wyatt                  
Phase Lead    

Pine forest school

 Our Orienteering Adventure

Today in Pine Class we spent some time thinking about how people find their way around the world. We began our discussion by sharing different ideas about navigation. The children talked about using maps, asking for directions, recognising landmarks and, of course, using Google Maps on phones and tablets. It was lovely to hear how many of the children had already experienced using maps when travelling with their families.

After our discussion, we explored a more traditional navigation tool – a compass. The children learned that a compass helps us find direction and that the red needle always points to north. We practised holding the compass carefully and keeping it still so that the needle could settle and show us the correct direction. The class enjoyed checking which way was north and then working out where east, south and west would be from there.

Once everyone had a chance to practise using the compasses, we moved on to a fun team challenge. In small groups, the children worked together to create their own simple routes. They used natural materials such as sticks, stones and leaves to make symbols and markers that would guide others along their path. This encouraged lots of teamwork, problem-solving and creativity as the children decided where to place their markers and how to make them clear for others to follow.

Next, the children took part in a digital orienteering activity with the iPads and Miss Float. Using the devices, they followed a set route around the outdoor area, checking the map and moving from one point to the next. The children were very excited to see how technology can help us navigate and enjoyed comparing it with the compass and natural markers they had used earlier.

Finally, the class had some choosing time, where they were able to explore different activities and continue their learning through play. It was wonderful to see them talking about directions, maps and routes while they played.

The children showed great curiosity and teamwork today, and it was fantastic to see them learning different ways we can find our way around – from traditional tools like compasses to modern technology like digital maps.

Well done, Pine Class! 🌿🧭

Year 1: What We Are Learning W/C 2nd Mar 2026

 

Year 1: What We Are Learning 

In science this week, the children revisited the seeds they planted and explored how their plants have changed over time. They looked carefully at how their plants have grown since they were first planted and talked about the differences they could see. The children were encouraged to describe the changes using the correct vocabulary for the different parts of a plant, such as roots, stem and leaves. This helped them to reflect on the growth of their plants and develop their understanding of how plants change over time.

This week the children have been busy in their Religious Education lesson as we explored how Christians welcome a new baby into their community. The children have been learning the significance of Baptism (Christening) and the special symbols involved in the ceremony. To bring their learning to life, we held our very own 'baptism' ceremonies in the classroom! We practiced using a traditional baptism shell to pour water over the baby's head in our classroom font, learning that this represents a fresh and positive start for the baby. 

Year 1 celebrated World Book Day this Thursday by dressing up in either pyjamas or as their favourite book character! The children participated in a number of activities including creating a WBD bookmark and recording a short video of them reciting an extract from ‘Not now Bernard’ which will be made into a compilation video with the whole school!

Year 1: Certificates; Friday 6th Mar 2026

 

Well done to all the children that have received certificates this week!

Walnut

E for Excellence: Liza

Star Writer: Victor

Reflectiveness: Maximus

Trackers: Eva

Beech

 

E for Excellence: Emily

Star Writer: Emmanuel

Teacher Happy: Shahaan and El-Amin

Trackers: Dhaksha

Apricot

E for Excellence: Jazelle

Star Writer: Arthur

Reciprocity: Aaira

Reflectiveness: Lenny

Resourcefulness: Kamari

Apricot Forest School

 As it was World Book Day yesterday, today’s session was based on the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood. 📕 

We began by reading the story together before setting off on our own forest adventure, following a trail that took us from Red Riding Hood’s house all the way to Grandma’s cottage.  The children were very careful not to leave the path as they didn’t want the Big Bad Wolf to gobble them up! 🐺 Along the way, they navigated a series of obstacles, using their balance and coordination to weave through the “forest”. 🌳🍃

To sharpen our listening skills—just like in the line, “Oh, what big ears you have!”—the children wore blindfolds and sat quietly while tuning into the sounds of nature around them. 👂

Next, we focused on our looking skills—“Oh, what big eyes you have!”—by taking part in a nature scavenger hunt. Equipped with binoculars and magnifying glasses, the children explored their surroundings, spotting tiny insects and the first signs of spring. 🔍👀🐞🌼

We then enjoyed a healthy snack, just like the treats Red Riding Hood carried in her basket for Grandma. The children tucked into apples, oranges, and bananas. 🍎🍊🍌

We ended the session with a game the children already knew, but with a Red Riding Hood twist. It was a chasing and catching game where four children were the Big Bad Wolves and all the other children were Red Riding Hood.

Year 2 Certificates - 6.3.26

 

Well done to all the children that have received certificates this week!

Mulberry 

 E for Excellence: Aarav

Star Writer: Daniel

Reflectiveness:Luna

Resourcefulness:David

Resilience:Luca

Reciprocity:Madison

Pine

E for Excellence: Chalva

Star Writer: Amelia

Resilience: Elizabeth

Reflectiveness: Sienna-Rae

Rowan

E for Excellence: Zachary

Star Writer: Harley

Reflectiveness: Yoyo

Resilience:Aadhvik

Reciprocity: Eliza

.

Resilience - These children have demonstrated perseverance, managed distractions, noticed patterns and been absorbed in their tasks.

 

Reciprocity - These children have shown interdependence, collaborated effectively, listened to others, displayed empathy and have imitated effective ideas and methods from others. 

Reflectiveness - These pupils have planned carefully, revised ideas, identified key features and can talk about their learning. 

Resourcefulness - These pupils have been curious about their learning, made links between ideas, shown imagination, reasoned methodically and capitalised on resources.