Focus Grammar

• Formation of nouns using suffixes -ness and -er and by compounding eg. whiteboard, superman
• Formation of adjectives using suffixes such as -ful, -less (others found in N/C Y2 English appendix) 

Hot Seating

Focus Narrative:

Cultural Stories

Key Text/Stimulus:

The Rainbow Serpent (Australian Dreamtime)

The Lambton Worm (Local)

Writing Outcome:

Overview

In this unit, children explore how stories can be used to explain natural events and features. Inspired by cultural stories like The Lambton Worm and The Rainbow Serpent, children will create their own mythical creature that lives in a familiar local setting such as woods, rivers, beaches or parks. They will learn how characters can have magical powers that change the world around them.

Writing Task

Invent a new mythical creature that lives near your school or home (e.g. in the woods, by the beach, or near a river). Write a story explaining what your creature does and how it causes something magical to happen (e.g. making the stars appear, the river flow, or the rain fall).

Writing Focus

Write a clear story with a beginning, middle and end, using time words (e.g. One night, Then, Suddenly, Finally) to organise events. Describe your creature using expanded noun phrases (e.g. a shimmering, silver-scaled creature) and choose strong verbs (e.g. slithered, shimmered, soared) to show action. Join ideas using simple conjunctions (and, but, because) and use capital letters, full stops and finger spaces accurately.

Focus Non-Narrative:

Poetry - Nonsense Poems

Key Text/Stimulus:

On the Ning Nang Nong by Spike Milligan

Writing Outcome:

Overview

In this unit, children explore playful poetry through the nonsense poem On the Ning Nang Nong by Spike Milligan. They will learn how poets use rhythm, rhyme and made-up words to create fun and imaginative worlds. Children will experiment with sound patterns, repetition and silly language to understand how poetry can be expressive and entertaining.

Writing Task

Create your own nonsense poem about a made-up place filled with strange creatures and unusual sounds. You could invent silly words, describe what you might see and hear, and build a playful world like the Ning Nang Nong.

Writing Focus

Write a short poem using repetition, rhyme and rhythm to create a playful effect. Invent and use nonsense words alongside real words to describe sounds, creatures and actions. Use descriptive language to build a clear picture of your imaginary place, and organise your ideas into simple lines or verses.

Cross-curriculum support genres:

Information Texts

Non-chronological reports

Pathway: Working with Shape and Colour 🔗

In this pathway children are introduced to the idea that artists often work in partnership and are often inspired by other art forms – in this case music and the visual arts.  

Disciplines:

Printmaking (Stencil/Screen Print), Collage

Medium:

Paper, Printmaking Ink,  Stencils & Crayons

Artists:

Henri Matisse, Claire Willberg

How can artists use shape and colour to make interesting artwork?

Artists use different shapes and colours to create patterns, contrast, and balance, helping their artwork stand out and communicate ideas or feelings.

Shape – A flat area with a clear outline, such as a circle, square, or triangle.

Colour – The different hues we see, such as red, blue, or yellow.

Pattern – A design made by repeating shapes, colours, or lines.

Context Link

Working as Expedition Planners for Regina Flowerton, the children will investigate how travel has changed over time. They will compare past and present transport, exploring how journeys have become quicker and how this has impacted tourism, before sharing their findings with the Regina and her expedition team.

Cross Curricular Writing Opportunity:

Create an information poster to explain how travel has developed from the past to today, Use clear headings, simple factual sentences and key vocabulary to present your ideas.

How has transport changed?
There are now many more modes of transport, such as cars, trains, buses, airplanes, ships and bicycles. Each type has changed in design, speed, and function over the last 50-100 years

How has travel changed?
Past Travel: people used to travel using horses, carriages, walking, steam trains, early cars, or boats. Emphasis on slower, more limited forms of travel.Modern Travel: Today’s travel options, like electric cars, high-speed trains, airplanes, buses, and even space travel.Travel connects people and places today, compared to the limited travel options of the past. Travel allows for holidays, international trade and migration.

How has tourism changed?
Then: In the past, people would typically travel to seaside towns or nearby countryside for holidays. Trips to places like the coast (e.g., Blackpool or Brighton in the UK) were popular because they were reachable by train.Now: Today, tourism is global, with people traveling to distant countries, tropical islands, or famous tourist attractions (e.g., theme parks, historical cities, or even safaris and cruises).

Transport – The way people and goods move from one place to another, like cars, trains, and boats.

Travel – Going from one place to another, whether for work, holidays, or moving home.

Tourism – Visiting places for fun or holidays, like beaches, cities, or attractions.

Past – A time that has already happened; how people used to travel or go on holiday.

Change – When something becomes different over time, like how transport has improved in speed and distance.

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Cross Curricular Writing Opportunity:

As Expedition Planners preparing Regina Flowerton for her journey, write a non-chronological report comparing Melbourne and Bedlington. Include sections on human and physical features, explaining similarities and differences such as climate, buildings, population and environment. Use clear headings, factual language and subject-specific vocabulary to organise your report and present useful information for the pre-expedition briefing.

Context Link

Working as Expedition Planners alongside Regina Flowerton, the children have been tasked with investigating one of the key destinations of her journey—Melbourne in Australia. They will explore its human and physical features, comparing them to Bedlington to help Regina understand what to expect. Using their findings, the children will prepare and present an in person pre-expedition briefing to Regina, ensuring she is fully informed before the journey begins.

Where are Melbourne and Bedlington located? Bedlington is the town we live in. It is located in Northumberland, England. In Europe.Melbourne is the capital city of the state of Victoria in Australia. (country and continent)

What are the human and physical geography features that are similar in Bedlington and St Kilda?Both Bedlington and St Kilda have human features like houses, roads, shops, and schools where people live, travel, and work. They also share physical features such as being near the coast, having parks and green spaces, and areas where people enjoy nature. These similarities help us see how towns and cities in different countries can meet people’s needs in similar ways. Human and physical geography can often be found side by side in different places around the world.

What are the human and physical geography features that are different in Bedlington and St Kilda?St Kilda has sandy beaches, palm trees, and a warm, sunny climate, while Bedlington has grassy hills, cooler weather, and more rainfall. St Kilda also has unique human features like Luna Park, a beachside theme park, and trams that travel along the streets—unlike Bedlington, which has buses but no trams. The style of buildings and types of transport reflect each place’s weather and way of life. These differences help us understand how geography influences the way people live in different parts of the world.

Why is St Kilda warmer than Bedlington, and what does it have to do with the Equator and the Poles?St Kilda is closer to the Equator, which means it gets more direct sunlight and has a warmer, sunnier climate. Bedlington is much further north, closer to the North Pole, so it has cooler weather and more rain. The Equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth, and places near it are usually hot. Places near the Poles are colder because they get less sunlight throughout the year.

Equator – An imaginary line around the middle of the Earth; places near it are usually hot.

Poles – The coldest parts of the Earth (North Pole and South Pole) where there is less sunlight.

Climate – The usual weather in a place, like hot and sunny or cool and rainy.

Physical features – Natural parts of the land, like beaches, hills, and rivers.

Human features – Things made by people, like houses, roads, shops, and theme parks.

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Sport:

Games

Gymnastics

Context Link

Working as Expedition Planners supporting Regina Flowerton, the children will explore the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel as part of their research into Melbourne. This real-life example will inspire their Design and Technology learning as they investigate how fairground wheels are designed and constructed, helping them understand the mechanisms and structures behind such large-scale attractions while still creating their own fairground wheel models.

How does a wheel and axle create movement?

When the axle turns, it makes the wheel rotate in a circular motion, helping objects move smoothly.

Wheel – A round object that turns to help something move.

Axle – A rod that goes through the centre of a wheel and helps it turn.

Rotate – To turn around a centre point.

Online Safety

Revisit previous coverage 🔗

Creating media:

Stop motion: Using tablets 🔗

Creating simple animations, storyboarding creative ideas and decomposing a story into small parts of action.

Context Link

Working for Regina Flowerton’s expedition team, the children will explore the Aboriginal story The Rainbow Serpent as inspiration for their work. Using stop motion animation, they will create their own short animated story based on this traditional tale, helping Regina and her team better understand the stories and culture of Australia before their journey.

Oak Academy

Compose and create: improvising with four notes 🔗