Squirrel Class

Class teacher’s welcome

Welcome to year 2 and 3 Squirrels Class! This year promises to be an exciting journey of learning, discovery and growth. In our classroom, we celebrate curiosity, creativity and kindness. Encouraging every child to develop their confidence and achieve their best. We will explore a wide range of subjects through engaging lessons, hands-on activities and collaborative projects, while also focusing on building strong friendships and supportive learning community. Together, we will work hard, have fun and make this a fantastic year to remember!

Curriculum news

Autumn 1

Maths: Number and Place Value, Addition and Subtraction
English: The Red Prince (fiction), How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth (instructional)
Science: Weather and Seasons
Geography: Locate hot /cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles Look at weather across the world Use world maps
History: Stone Age to Iron Age
RE: What is it like to follow God?
Computing: Connecting Computers
PSHE: Me and My Relationships
Music: Shape Rhythms
D&T: Shell Structures (kite-making)

Spellings and Phonics

At All Saints’ Primary School, we follow Little Wandle Phonics which then transfers into the Read, Write Inc. spelling scheme in Key Stage 2. You can find an overview of your child’s spellings below.

Year 2s will be focusing on the following during their sessions this half term:

Phase 5 review:

Week 1	/ai/ a-e ai ay a eigh ea ey aigh /ee/ y ea ee e ie ey e-e /igh/ igh i-e i y ie /oa/ ow o o-e oa oe ou	people eye whole
Week 2	oo/ /yoo/ oo u u-e ew ue ou ui /air/ air are ear ere /ur/ er ur ir or ear /ow/ ou ow	through improve move prove shoe two who beautiful their parents
Week 3	or/ or a aw au ore oor al oar our augh aur /zh/ si su /ch/ ch tch ture* /sh/ sh ti ch ssi ci si	thought sure
Week 4	j/ j g ge dge /s/ s ss c ce se st sc /u/ ou /e/ ea /i/ y /o/ a /u/ o o-e /oo/ u oul schwa: er a or ar our re	once again any many friend busy pretty because laugh**
Week 5	ie /ee/ /igh/ y /ee/ /igh/ /i/ ea /ee/ /e/ /ai/ a /a/ /ai/ /or/	friend

Year 3s:

Week	Focus	Example Words
8 Sep	The or sound spelt a before l and ll.	almost, already, chalk, small, stalk, talk, altogether, Red Words: above, after, again
15 Sep	Soft c .	Circus, city, concert, excellent, exercise, fancy, notice, pencil, Red Words: any, anyone, are
22 Sep	Adding the suffix –y (1)	Dotty, muddy, spotty, runny, sunny, yummy, foggy, funny Red Words: ask, bath, beautiful
29 Sep	Special focus 1: Red words. Common exception Special Focus 2: Homophones.	1: where, could, there, want, was, would, what 2: See/sea, son/sun, blew/blue, knight/night, saw/sore
6 Oct	Adding the suffix –y (2)	Breezy, crazy, curvy, greasy, simply, spiky, wheezy, Red Words: behind, both, bought
13 Oct	Adding the suffix –ly	Bravely, foolishly, happily, loudly, nearly, softly, warmly Red Words: break, brother, buy
20 Oct	The n sound spelt kn and gn.	Gnash, gnaw, gnome, knead, knee, knock, knit, Red Words: caught, child, children
28 Oct	– HALF TERM	–
3 Nov	The *igh* sound spelt y.	Butterfly, horrify, July, multiply, my, nearby, reply, Red Words: Christmas, class, climb
10 Nov	Adding the suffix –ing (1)	Beginning, clapping, dropping, gripping, nodding, shopping, tripping Red Words: clothes, cold, come
17Nov	Special focus 3: Red words. Common exception Special Focus 4: Homophones.	3: money, people, busy, half 4: There/their, no/know, right/write, to/too, week/weak
24 Nov	Adding the suffix –ing (2)	Baking, cracking, phoning, racing, shading, tickling, writing, Red Words: does, door, down
1 Dec	The j sound.	Adjust, bridge, charge, energy, gentle, large, urgent, Red Words: even, every, everybody
8 Dec	The o sound spelt a after w and qu.	Quality, quantity, squash, wallet, wander, wasp, watch, Red Words: eye, fast, father
15 Dec	Special focus 5: Contractions and apostrophes.	5: I’m, I’ll,

Home Projects:

Weather Explorer’s Scrapbook

Search different countries with different climates.
Draw or print maps showing where each country is.
Record temperatures, weather patterns and fun facts.
Include a short story about an adventure in each climate.
Make illustrations, charts or weather symbols.
Include a small DIY weather tool (e.g., mini rain gauge).

Extreme Weather Experiment

Choose one type of extreme weather to explore (storm, snow, wind, heat).
Do a safe home experiment to simulate it:
E.g. create a tornado in a bottle, build a mini wind turbine, or melt ice to measure temperature changes.
Record what happens in a science diary with sketches, photos or short videos.
Add a short “report” explaining why it happens.

Express the weather through art, music and dance.

Pick one type of weather (rain, sun, snow, storm).

Create:

Artwork: Draw, paint or collage a weather scene.

Music: Make a rhythm or beat inspired by that weather (clap, tap, shake instruments).

Optional dance or performance: Act out your weather using movement or props.

Record a short video or take photos to share.

Be Creative! You can make a scrapbook, a giant poster, a PowerPoint slideshow or even a video diary. Add drawings, photos, maps, charts, and anything else to make your project exciting and colourful.

Please bring your home project during the week beginning 13th October. The suggested projects are just ideas. You are welcome to create anything you like based on what we’ve learned this term.

Dates for the diary

PE days: Tuesday (Mrs Siddons), Thursday (Mrs Ed-dakhissi)

Forest School: Just a little reminder that Squirrel Wednesday the 1st of October 2025. Their last session will be Wednesday 15th October 2025. Please check the letter for details of what your child will need to wear.

Squirrel Class Collective Worship and class visit: Wednesday 19th November 2025

Squirrel class Church Visit: Thursday 2nd October

Parents evening consultation: Tuesday 14th October and Thursday 16th October 2025

Carol Service year 3 at All Saints’Church: Tuesday 16th December 2025

Carol Service year 2 at All Saints’Church: Wednesday 17th December 2025

Links to support learning

Reading

Please encourage your child to read daily for a minimum of 10 minutes. At least 3 reading sessions per week should be recorded in the school Reading Record. Children should all have a school reading book (that can be changed regularly) but should be encouraged to read other material as well.

Maths

Year 2 Numbots (login on inside front cover of Reading Record) – Children work through the different levels to help secure their calculation skills and number facts.

Times Table Rock Stars (login on inside front cover of Reading Record) – Y3 introduces 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables, as well as building on 2, 5 and 10 (from Y2)

Written methods for addition, subtraction and multiplication are taught as in the pictures below.