12th September

We hope you had a wonderful summer break and made some special memories with your family.

It’s been a fantastic first week—getting to know the children, establishing routines, and igniting their enthusiasm for the term ahead.

We’re excited for all that this term has in store and can’t wait to get started!

In English this week we have re-written the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood. The children enjoyed planning their stories on a story map and showcasing their writing. What a strong start to the year!
Throughout our writing sessions this week, we have had to remind the children to use their Year 1 skills, capital letters, full stops and finger spaces in all of their writing. If you could echo this at home, that would be much appreciated.

In maths this week we have focused on place value and the children’s understanding of number. We have looked at symbols, representations and place value charts.

We have thoroughly enjoyed having the children back in school, and they have all settled into Year 2 well.

Reading

As we begin Year 2, we have taken the time to carefully assess all the children’s reading to ensure they are continuing to progress in line with end-of-year expectations. This included looking at their phonics knowledge using the Little Wandle scheme, as well as their reading fluency, comprehension, and inference skills.

Through this process, we’ve found that while some children are reading fluently and can decode words well, they may need additional support to fully understand and interpret what they’ve read. Because of this, a small number of children who were previously reading beyond the colour band system at the end of Year 1 may now be reading books from Phase 5 Set 5 or the gold band, to better match their current comprehension and inference levels.

We take a rounded approach to reading, looking at decoding, fluency, and understanding together. Our aim is to ensure every child starts their Year 2 reading journey at the level that best supports their ongoing growth. We understand this may feel like a step back, but please be assured it is not — it is a purposeful step to help strengthen key comprehension skills that are essential for long-term reading success.

As always, our door is open. Please come and see us if you would like to discuss anything further.

Alternatively, we have a year group email year2@wbis.org.uk

Have a lovely weekend! 😊