Year Two
Year 2 at Thomas A Becket Infant School
Year 2 is a wonderful year of discovery, creativity and growing independence. At Thomas A Becket Infant School, we want every child to feel happy, safe, valued and excited to learn. As part of our caring community, children are encouraged to build confidence, celebrate their achievements and believe in their potential.
Our nurturing ethos and school values promote respect, kindness, collaboration and responsibility. We celebrate individuality, encourage children to listen and learn from one another, and develop resilience through our Power of Yet approach, helping children understand that mistakes are part of learning and that, with perseverance and practice, they can achieve great things.
Building the foundations for lifelong learning
Throughout Year 2, children continue to build on their knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics, developing the strong foundations they need for the next stage of their education.
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Through carefully chosen books, engaging stories and regular opportunities to read, children develop fluency, expression, comprehension and a growing love of literature. They learn to explore characters, discuss events, make predictions, retrieve information and think more deeply about what they read. We encourage children to talk about books, share their opinions and discover the joy that stories can bring.
Writing is brought to life through our creative curriculum, giving children meaningful reasons to write for different purposes and audiences. Whether they are writing instructions for a playground design, stepping into the shoes of the remarkable Mary Anning to write a diary, creating imaginative character descriptions or recounting a memorable adventure, children develop their vocabulary, sentence construction, punctuation, spelling and handwriting. We encourage them to express their own ideas, experiment with language and take pride in becoming increasingly independent writers.
In mathematics, children deepen their understanding of number, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They explore shapes, measures, fractions, patterns and statistics, learning to recognise relationships between numbers and apply their knowledge to solve problems. Practical resources, mathematical discussions and opportunities to explain their thinking help children develop confidence and understand that there is often more than one way to approach a challenge.
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A curriculum full of curiosity and creativity
Our creative curriculum brings learning to life through engaging themes that inspire children to explore, question, investigate and make connections across subjects.
In the Autumn term, Let’s Play invites children to become designers, builders, scientists and engineers. Through hands-on challenges, they explore materials, test ideas, solve problems and bring their own creations to life. Let’s Celebrate explores celebrations, traditions, cultures and beliefs, helping children develop respect, kindness, gratitude and a sense of belonging.
During the Spring term, Long, Long Ago takes children on a journey into the past. From Mary Anning and the world of dinosaurs to fossils and historical artefacts, children investigate how we learn about the past and how the world has changed. Our World broadens their geographical understanding as they explore the UK, the continents, oceans and our local area of Tarring, discovering different places, cultures and communities.
In the Summer term, Once Upon a Time nurtures a love of storytelling, traditional tales and imaginative writing. Wild and Wonderful sparks curiosity about plants, habitats and the natural world through art, music and creative design. Alive and Kicking explores healthy lifestyles, physical activity, teamwork and wellbeing, while Big Blue immerses children in the wonders of our oceans and local coastline, inspiring them to discover marine life and care for our planet.
Every theme brings learning together, creating meaningful connections across subjects and opportunities for children to think creatively, solve problems and develop their understanding of the world. Through memorable, hands-on experiences, we nurture curious, confident learners who are inspired to ask questions, think independently and discover more.
Learning through exploration and continuous provision
A special feature of learning in Year 2 is our continuous provision, which extends learning beyond the traditional classroom lesson. Our carefully planned classroom environments offer children opportunities to revisit, practise and apply the skills and knowledge they have been taught through purposeful, creative and independent experiences.
For example, during Let's Play, children might use construction materials to design and build playground equipment, investigate which materials are strongest or most waterproof, measure and compare the heights of their structures, and write instructions explaining how to make their creations. Through one engaging activity, they can apply their knowledge of science, mathematics, design technology and writing while developing problem-solving skills, perseverance and collaboration.
Adults play an important role in this process, observing children's learning, asking thoughtful questions, modelling new skills and providing guidance or additional challenge when appropriate. Children are encouraged to make choices, follow their interests, explain their thinking and learn from one another, while knowing that support is available whenever they need it.
This approach helps children become resourceful, curious and increasingly independent learners. It also gives them valuable opportunities to practise new skills in different contexts, build confidence through repeated experiences and discover that learning can be both purposeful and joyful.
Preparing for the next chapter: a confident transition to Year 3
Moving from infant to junior school is an important milestone and we want every child to approach this next chapter with excitement, confidence and a sense of readiness. At Thomas A Becket Infant School, we work closely with our colleagues at Thomas A Becket Junior School to provide a carefully planned, supportive and collaborative transition into Year 3.
Our Year 2 and Year 3 teachers work together to ensure that important information about each child's learning, achievements, individual needs and successful support strategies is shared through a comprehensive handover. Year 3 teachers visit children in their familiar Year 2 classrooms, getting to know them before they move on and learning about the approaches, resources and scaffolds that help them feel confident and succeed. This helps create continuity between the two schools, so that children can recognise familiar ways of learning and feel reassured as they take their next steps.
A shared transition book accompanies the children from the end of Year 2 into the beginning of Year 3, helping to connect their experiences and celebrate their journey. Children also have opportunities to visit and tour the junior school, become familiar with their new surroundings and begin to build positive relationships with the adults who will support them.
Throughout Year 2, we also nurture the practical skills that will help children flourish as they move into junior school. They learn to organise their belongings, take responsibility for their resources, manage tasks with increasing independence, ask for help when needed and approach unfamiliar situations with resilience. By encouraging children to think for themselves, work collaboratively and take pride in their achievements, we help them develop the confidence to embrace new routines, friendships and learning opportunities.
Our close partnership with the junior school means that transition is not simply a final event at the end of the year; it is a carefully supported journey that places each child's wellbeing, confidence and continued progress at its heart.
A year to remember
Year 2 is a truly special stage in a child's school journey. It is a year of growing independence, deepening friendships, exciting discoveries and achievements both big and small. We are passionate about providing an environment where children feel happy, safe and supported, where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is celebrated and every child is given the opportunity to flourish.
As children prepare to leave Thomas A Becket Infant School, we want them to carry with them more than the knowledge and skills they have gained. We want them to leave as confident communicators, enthusiastic readers, thoughtful mathematicians, kind friends and resilient learners who believe in themselves and are excited about what comes next.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 2 children and the journey they take with us. Every question asked, challenge embraced, friendship formed and achievement celebrated contributes to a year filled with purpose, joy and lasting memories.
“Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you.” — Roald Dahl
“An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.” — Sir David Attenborough