Year 5

Welcome back to the final half term of a very unusual but successful academic year! Year 5 have returned energised and ready for the challenges ahead and it has been great to hear about how many pupils spent their break furthering their learning from Summer 1 at home by visiting local sites relating to the Tudor Dynasty!

To round off our year, Year 5 will dive into another new very interesting topic focus – The Victorians. Year 5 will use their Power of Reading book, “Street Child” to gain some perspective on the period and through History, they will learn all about the lives of Victorians, looking specifically at the lives of children.

Year 5 will study sources from the time during their History lessons, including written and photo sources to establish some of the similarities and differences between the life of a child then compared to now. Pupils will also compare the time period with those they have studied before and understand its placement in a chronological timeline.

In English, pupils will further develop their ability to write cohesively, particularly considering their reader and how to engage them, whilst maintaining their understanding with the use of cohesive devices such as adverbial phrases, noun phrases and various clause types for effect and to provide more detailed information. Pupils will use these skills to write their own diary entries and historical narratives, set in the time of the Victorians, using their Power of Reading book to help further their experiences.

In Maths, pupils will refine their reasoning skills, ahead of their transition to Year 6, and look particularly at shape, space and measure. Pupils will consolidate their understanding of cube and square numbers whilst also considering when mental methods can be used over written calculation to improve their speed and efficiency when solving problems. They will also apply these mathematical skills to their Design and Technology learning where they will create functioning train lines and mechanisms which are scaled down to fit a particular area.

Pupils will understand, from their learning in History, that the Industrial Revolution occurred during the time of the Victorians, and that train travel was particularly important. This need for efficient and high functioning train line technology will inform their D&T design and final product.

As an extension of their learning in Science from the first half of the Summer Term, Year 5 will learn about the changes that occur in our bodies as we grow older, particularly during puberty.

Finally, as part of their learning in R.E. pupils will come to understand what marriage means in different religions and the responsibilities that come with it. Pupils will learn about the different types of ceremonies held in each religion to celebrate marriage and compare and contrast these with their own experiences.

As before, P.E. will continue to take place on Thursday afternoons and all pupils should attend school in the appropriate PE kit on that day.

The Year 5 team would like to thank all parents and carers who have supported pupils’ learning, not only throughout the Summer Term, but across the whole academic year. Our pupils have thrived on their return to school and we greatly appreciate all you have done to support this.

We look forward to rounding off the year with great success.

We Love School!