Stanway Fiveways Primary School

WB 10.2.25

We cannot believe we have reached the halfway point of Year 2 already! The time has flown by, from having so much fun! This week the children have been completing their Indian themed wall hangings in DT and their printed rangoli patterns in Art - we are such a creative year group! In Geography we have been comparing the human features between India and Colchester, plus in Science this week we have been focussing on food chains. We are looking forward to learning  even more exciting things next half term! Well done Year 2, for another successful week!

WB 3.2.25

In DT this half term, Year 2 have been designing a wall hanging, based on a scene from India. The children have thoroughly enjoyed the process so far, which has included using a CAD program to design their picture and then applying this to create elements towards the final product, which has involved dying material for the background of the wall decor. The children have also been practising their running stitch sewing skills, as well as threading a needle, knotting and embellishing the material. Next week, the children will now transfer these skills to their final product and from what we have witnessed already, we are looking forward to seeing the outcomes!

WB 27.1.25

Year 2 participated in an exciting Indian drumming workshop this week. The children got to experience traditional music from India and gain first hand experience in using the drums to keep a beat. Indian drumming dates back for over 6000 years and the culture of this genre of music was developed considerably in India. Children listened with enthusiasm and gained an insight into a different cultural aspect of India - our focus country for the term. A great day was had by all!

WB 20.1.25

As part of 'Cultural Week', Year 2 attended a Hinduism workshop, where they gained first-hand experience and insight into the Hindu religion. We learnt about different religious ceremonies, such as weddings and the different traditions that take place.  We also discussed gods, such as Brahma and Vishnu, who are worshipped. The children  explored artefacts and were even able to dress in some traditional garments. It was an enjoyable experience and it gave Year 2 a true understanding of the different beliefs that are present in our diverse world.

WB 13.1.25

Year 2 have been exploring rangoli art this week, discussing the shapes used and intricate details added to make the symmetrical patterns. In PE, we have been enjoying Bollywood dancing and developing our netball skills and practising different passes, this week we worked on our bounce pass - the children showed a great aptitude! In SPaG we have been exploring statements and which type of punctuation is required to identify these, Year 2 have shown a fantastic understanding and have been writing some of their own!

WB 6.1.25

It was lovely to welcome the children back this week, after the Christmas break and we have started the Spring term off with our exciting new topic 'A Journey to India'. During our first Geography lesson, Year 2 explored atlases and maps to locate India and identify the different continents. In Art, we are looking at Rangoli patterns and the intricate details involved in the creations, the children will be working towards creating their own symmetrical patterns, through the use of printing. 

In Computing, we are using laptops to research planets and find specific information. This week the children practised logging onto the computer and accessing the internet and the specific web page we needed to find our required information. Also in PSHE, we discussed how to keep safe, the children had insightful ideas to offer. We have begun our new Talk for Writing unit in English, based on 'The Vampire Dragon', the children have thoroughly enjoyed the text so far and have offered fantastic ideas during lessons! Finally, in Maths we have been exploring money and values of coins, the children have shown a great understanding, identifying monetary values and using a variety of coins to make amounts! Overall, a very busy  first week of 2025 for Year 2!

WB 16.12.24

It has been an extremely busy week in Year 2, not only have the children been practising their carol concert, which they performed fantastically to parents on Thursday evening, they have also been working hard to produce some amazing Victorian inspired toys in DT - there is no end to their talents! In Computing, we have been exploring animation, the children have worked hard in their groups to produce scenes from 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', where they intricately moved their characters, taking screenshots and then bringing these together to create a short cartoon.

It has been a fantastic Autumn term in Year 2, the children have worked hard, but also had a lot of fun being creative - we definitely think they deserve a well-earned break. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming you all back in 2025, where we have another term of exciting activities planned!

WB 16.12.24

It has been an extremely busy week in Year 2, not only have the children been practising their carol concert, which they performed fantastically to parents on Thursday evening, they have also been working hard to produce some amazing Victorian inspired toys in DT - there is no end to their talents! In Computing, we have been exploring animation, the children have worked hard in their groups to produce scenes from 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', where they intricately moved their characters, taking screenshots and then bringing these together to create a short cartoon.

It has been a fantastic Autumn term in Year 2, the children have worked hard, but also had a lot of fun being creative - we definitely think they deserve a well-earned break. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming you all back in 2025, where we have another term of exciting activities planned!

WB 9.12.24

On Friday, Year 2 visited Loganberry Lodge to perform their carol concert to the residents. The children sang their hearts out and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Well done Year 2 for representing the school beautifully!

WB 2.12.24

This week, Year 2 have been practising their sawing skills in DT, ready to build and create their Victorian toys. The children were all extremely sensible, listening to the safety rules and following instructions step by step, we were all very impressed! The weather has not been quite as sunny this week for Forest School, but it has not prevented the children enjoying themselves. They have created some fantastic Christmas crafts from natural resources and have even practised striking a fire, using a flint and steel.

WB 25.11.24

In History this week, Year 2 have been exploring what life was like for children in Victorian times. The children enjoyed exploring and playing with a variety of toys from the historical era, following rules of the games and identifying how they differ from modern day toys. We have also enjoyed another week at Forest School, the children loved toasting marshmallows on an open fire, they were all extremely sensible and followed the safety rules, making it a fun and enjoyable experience for all. Well done Year 2!

WB 18.11.24

Year 2 have enjoyed their Science days this week, which have been focussed on exploring the level of absorbency in different materials. The children made predictions and carried out investigations to observe if their choices were correct, or whether the results portrayed a different outcome and they were then encouraged to discuss reasons for this. We have also enjoyed our second week of 'Forest School', where the children coped admirably in the cold conditions, participating in all activities still, with a smile on their face! Their conker craft creations were amazing and it was great to watch the children use their imaginations and outdoor resources to create games such as: a bowling alley from logs and a competitive game of 'tug of war'.

WB 11.11.24

The children have thoroughly enjoyed their introduction to Forest School, exploring the outside area, appreciating the wildlife and thriving in the outdoor learning environment. We are all excited about the activities we will be doing in the coming weeks! In DT this week, the children have been introduced to their new unit of designing and making a Victorian toy. One of the first stages was to experiment using straws and cardboard to create a turning mechanism, with axles and wheels. The children loved testing ideas and identifying the areas of success and development, ready to work towards their final product. In RE, children have been using the nativity scenes to act out the Christmas story, identifying the key figures and the roles they played.

WB 4.11.24

Year 2 have been extremely busy this week with some exciting lessons. In English, we have begun our 'Smok the Dragon' Talk for Writing unit, where the children have loved slaying a dragon and learning their new story. In Maths, we have been practising our subtraction skills, where we have introduced exchanging. In PSHE, we have discussed different types of emotions and why we experience these and in our Computing lessons this half term, we are focussing on animation and how we can get a series of images to move, which the children are excited about. We have also begun practising our Christmas concert songs and already getting in the festive mood!

WB 21.10.24

What a fantastic first half term Year 2 have experienced! The children have thoroughly enjoyed their topic 'The Great Fire of London' and have settled into the year group impressively! We have enjoyed exciting 'Talk for Writing' units based on 'Zig the Alien', where we have already observed an uplevelling of writing, with the use of expanded noun phrases, adjectives and time adverbials. The children have created fantastic collages in Art and sung their hearts out in Music. We are really looking forward to the next half term and lead up to Christmas, where we have more exciting things planned!

WB 14.10.24

We have continued delving into our topic about 'The Great Fire of London' this week. The children were able to experience the effects of fire and how quickly it would have spread during the tragedy. In groups, they built their houses and then as a year group, we took them outside and observed how quickly they were destroyed, once they were set on fire. The children gained a first-hand experience of the destruction fire caused and we had insightful conversations about how people would of felt and coped during this historical period.

WB 7.10.24

This week, Year 2 had first hand experience of what life was like in 1666 during the Great Fire of London. The children looked fantastic in their costumes, bringing history to life! It was lovely to see them all participate in a variety of activities including sewing, where they had to personalise their own handkerchief. The year group asked inquisitive questions and used their knowledge from lessons to develop their understanding further - a great day was had by all! Also, in Art we are continuing exploring a variety of materials to create a collage, the children identified the different types of textures and are now beginning to plan their Great Fire of London themed piece.

WB 30.9.24

Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed their week, especially in 'Whole Class Reading' where we have been practising our comprehension skills, based on learning and understanding facts about members of staff in the year group. This week Mrs Degun and Mrs Sanders were the focus and we learnt all about their likes and dislikes, and also involved exploring food from other countries. The children had a great time sampling the different food and getting to know the LSAs backgrounds better! Also, in Maths we have been practising counting up in 2s, 5s, 10s and 3s, the children have enjoyed number based games and sorting numbers according to the sequence they belong to.

WB 23.9.24

During Science this week, the children have been investigating different materials and whether they are waterproof or not. We have discussed the properties of these fabrics, how they feel and what makes them water resistant. The children have loved exploring this, by soaking a variety of materials in water and analysing how they coped being submerged in liquid. Also this week, we have been identifying nouns and what they are; going on a hunt around the school to find a variety to then input into our sentences. It has been great to see how Year 2 are already starting to up-level their vocabulary choices!

WB 16.9.24

It has been another busy week in Year 2! The children have been continuing their 'Talk for Writing' based on Zig the Alien, which involves him learning the rules of hopscotch, so in Whole Class Reading, we have been exploring the rules and history behind the game and using our understanding through practical activities to answer comprehension questions based on the factual text! In Maths, we have conitnued exploring place value and using explanations to justify our answers to solve problems. In PSHE, the children have looked at a variety of foods, using the NHS app to scan the labels and group the products according to their nutrition value. During our indoor PE lessons, we have been developing our throwing and catching skills, completing a circuit of activities to increase our confidence.