• English
• SPAG
• Maths
• Homework
• This week in the classroom
• Reading
• Remote learning

Welcome to Year 5 and 6

Welcome back to the summer term! We hope you had a wonderful break. We have lots planned for this final term of learning! Mrs Caldwell will continue to teach the class on a Monday, Tuesday & Thursday afternoon, with Mrs Gallagher taking over Wednesday to Friday. We are also lucky to have Mr Snell working with us in the mornings. 

General information to know about Years 5 and 6:

- Please ensure that items of clothing are clearly named. This will ensure that if anything goes missing, it can be quickly reunited with its owner.

-  P.E is on a Monday and a Friday so please ensure that your child comes into school in their PE kit on these days.

- Please ensure that your children are reading at home, either independently or with an adult, to help develop their reading skills and nurture their love of reading. Over the last few years, the school has invested a great deal of money in new book band reading books as well as reading for pleasure texts. We have encouraged all children to take great care of these and make sure they return to school in the condition that they left. All books are signed out to children under a library system and they will be expected to return their current book before they are allowed to take another. This system was in place for the Year 6s at the end of last year and they did a fantastic job with returning and taking care of the books. I am sure that our Year 5s will be the same!

- Homework will consist of weekly spellings, related to the work the children complete in class. They will also need to complete at least thirty minutes a week on TTRockstars (logins can be found in the front of their reading jotters). The children also have active assignments on Languagenut that they can login to, if they would like to improve their scores (logins are also in the front of their reading jotters).

- Children need to bring their own water bottles into school which they can access throughout the day and they will change their water regularly. Please do not allow other drinks such as juice, fizzy drinks etc. If children bring juices, smoothies etc. they should be kept only for lunch.

- Snack will be served in the hall at break times. Children will be responsible for this money and are advised to bring it to school in a clearly labelled purse or wallet.

- As children enter Year 5 and 6, many parents wish for their children to walk home alone or with friends. If this is the case, please send a letter into school giving your permission for this. The teachers have a list of the children with letters of consent, and these are the only children who will be permitted to leave the school grounds without an adult.

Summer Term Curriculum

English

In English, we will be starting a new poem, called ‘The Highwayman’. This is a narrative poem, written by Alfred Noyes and first published in 1906. It tells the story of the Highwayman, and how a betrayal leads to the death of a loved one. As a class, we will explore the language and structure of the poem, as well as unpick the complicated characters involved.

In writing, we will start a narrative unit based on our class book ‘The Explorer’. The children will take on the character of the Explorer, writing in role to describe the children stranded in the jungle.

Maths

In maths, we will complete our learning on fractions and decimals. We will then be moving on to learning related to converting units of measure and comparing, measuring and estimating angles. We will continue to focus on developing our arithmetic skills across all areas we have been taught and on developing our understanding of how to deconstruct word problems and apply our mathematical learning to them.

History

In history, we will be starting a new unit on Crime and Punishment. We will investigate crimes and punishments through the ages, going from as far back as the Romans, right up to the modern day. The children will discover how laws and punishments have evolved, examining significant changes and similarities that remain. By studying historical crimes, they will understand the justice system's progression and its impact on modern society.

Geography

In geography, we will be looking at Natural Resources. The children will learn what natural resources are and how they can be used. We will also explore the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources. We will learn about where our food comes from and why food production is sometimes harmful to the planet. We will also explore what economic minerals are, know where they can be found and how we use them. The children will then find out about the many different uses of wood and where wood is grown. We will finish off by looking at why water is a precious resource and learning about some of the threats to the availability and distribution of water across the globe.

Computing

In computing we will learn about programming through Scratch. The children will design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems. They will solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts and use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs. The children will practise working with variables and various forms of input and output and will use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work. They should also be able to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs. The children will select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals (including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information).

PE

In PE, the class teacher will be completing a hockey unit. The children will learn and use a range of attacking and defensive tactical strategies as well as learning how to work as part of a team. With their PE coaches, they will complete a unit on athletics, developing flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance. They will begin to build a variety of running techniques and use them with confidence. They will learn how to perform a running jump with more than one component. e.g. hop skip jump (triple jump). They will begin to record peers’ performances, and evaluate these. In throwing and catching activities they will develop accuracy and confidence. The children will also learn to describe good athletic performance using correct vocabulary and know how to use equipment safely and with good control.

Science

In science, we will continue to learn about Space, this time looking at imbalanced forces. The children will learn about gravity and its effects. The will be able to describe a number of different concepts related to gravity: the relationship between mass and gravity; air resistance and its effects; friction and its effects; water resistance and its effects; and the relationship between surface area and air and water resistance. They will also learn how to make an object aerodynamic or streamlined and will be able to describe the effects of levers, pulleys and simple machines on movement.

French

In French, we will start the summer term by learning vocabulary related to school. The children will learn how to say what they study at school. They will be able to say which subject they like and don’t like and give reasons why. They will learn how to say when you learn a subject as well as be able to describe their timetable. The children will learn to say what activities they do and where they go after school. They will also be able to make sentences about the subjects they study, giving opinions. Finally, they will learn about France’s National Day, Bastille Day.

Art

In art, we will be finishing our unit on using different styles to ‘make our voice heard’. The unit focuses on developing our skills in using different art styles, exploring effects with tools, understanding and applying chiaroscuro and creating symbolic and expressive drawings.  We will then move on to sculpture and 3D. In this unit we will learn to represent memories through art, using various materials and techniques and develop skills in planning, creating and evaluating 3D sculptures.

DT

In DT, we will be focusing on textiles and will be learning how to combine different fabric shapes. We will also be having a focus on food and creating a dish that represents different cultures and seasonality.

RE

In RE, we will be exploring why some places in the world are significant to believers. We will use maps, pictures and texts to investigate why some places are significant to some religions.

PSHE

In PHSE, we will be learning about relationships and how they change as we grow. This unit will also contain learning on puberty and how our bodies change.  We will also be learning about different ways to keep ourselves safe as we become more independent, this includes learning on social media use and the impact of this on our lives.