Welcome to Year 5!

We strive to develop young minds, whether it's academically or artistically, to be the best they can be. We hope that you enjoy exploring what we have been learning about so far!

Meet the team:

5S - Mrs Stevens is the class teacher. Miss Lloyd is a trainee teacher. Mrs Cullen is the teaching assistant.

5M - Miss Morgan is the class teacher. Mrs Parry-Jones and Ms Franks are the teaching assistants.

The Autumn Term:

English and Guided Reading

This term, we are studying various books within our English and Guided Reading lessons including:

• The Promise - a fiction book about poverty, desperation, promises, forgiveness, and how an environment can change people's perspectives.  
• There's a boy in the girls' bathroom - a fiction book about a boy who hates school and hates everyone in it who goes on a journey to believing in himself and making positive relationships.
• The Planetarium - a non-fiction book filled with images and information about the universe.
• The Highwayman - a classic narrative poem written in 1906 telling the story of the tragic love story between an unnamed 19^th century highwayman and Bess, a landlord’s daughter.
• Why is snot green? - a non-fiction book about scientific phenomena.
• Where the mountain meets the moon - a fantasy-adventure children's novel inspired by Chinese folklore.

Throughout these book studies, the children will rehearse reading, writing and spoken language skills. They will analyse characters, meaning and authorial intent, as well as revisit and learn new grammatical techniques.

Maths:

The children will continue to rehearse skills across the maths curriculum, focusing first on place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and fractions. They will practise mental strategies as well as written strategies, and will use a range of equipment to support their understanding. There will be a focus on building fluency within these areas, as well as applying their knowledge and skills to reasoning and problem solving activities.

Maths homework is set each week on Purple Mash. It is usually based on the learning the children have been doing in recent weeks. We ask that the children practise their times tables regularly at home up to 12x12 and beyond. All pupils have a login for Times Tables Rockstars online. They continue to take the Terrific Times Tables test in school each week.

Science

The topics this term are Forces and Parachutes, and Space. The children will learn about gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction. They will also be learning all about the planets, including the earth and moon’s movements.

On Monday 28th November, the children will have a visit from the WonderDome Space Dome company where they will observe short films and still images about space exploration! 

History

Our History topics this term are ‘The Anglo Saxons’ and ‘The Vikings’. The children will be exploring what life was like during these historical periods and how they have influenced the modern world.

At the end of the topic, the children will be going on a 2-day residential to Ufton Court (12th and 13th January) to consolidate their learning and take part in activities related to the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. They will dress up and feast like a Viking!

Art and DT:

These lessons will also be linked to the Vikings topic. In Art, the children will be practicing landscape sketching, and will be looking at the artist, JMW Turner. In DT, they will be creating shields using Modroc and cardboard.

Computing:

The children will further develop their understanding of current E-safety issues. They will practise skills using databases and Microsoft Word.

Religious Education:

The children’s learning will focus on pilgrimages and special journeys through different religions. The children will be having visits from the children's minister at St. Mary's Church (Chesham) and Mrs Ahmed (our administration and finance assistant) to talk about pilgrimages in Christianity and Islam.

PSHE:

The children will explore healthy lifestyles, wellbeing, managing their feelings, and setting goals.

Music:

The children will be learning national anthems and traditional music, focusing on composition. They will also take part in music assembly once a week where they will be learning songs, and watching and sharing instrumental performances.

French:

The children will continue to develop their pronunciation in French lessons and will learn vocabulary for presenting themselves.

PE:

The children will be continuing to develop their skills in the areas of Football, Netball, Tag Rugby and Basketball.