Year 5

This term we will be learning about mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes in Geography, including what causes them and how they are formed as part of the natural world.

We will begin this half term by exploring the layers of the earth, identifying and locating tectonic plates before going onto consider the grinding and buckling of the earth in the formation of mountains. 

Please ask your child about these wonderful words to support them in developing their knowledge and understanding: mantle, magnitude, magma, fissure, core and crust. 

In science we will be investigating the life cycles of different animal groups, including mammals, insects, amphibians, and birds, and the reproduction of plants. We will compare these processes and explore the different biochemical changes that occur. After half term, we’ll delve deep into the lives of significant scientists who have pioneered changes and discoveries in their fields, including Maria Merion, Mary Anning and Leonado Da Vinci.  

In PSHE we will continue to build on our learning of how to be happy and safe at home and at school, learning about healthy relationships and wellbeing. 

As part of our RE learning we’ll answer these key questions “What spiritual pathways to moksha are written about in Hindu scriptures?” and “What is holiness for Jewish people: a place, a time, an object or something else?”. 

We are also super excited for Jobs Day, where we’ll welcome children from across the school into Year 5 for the first day of their future careers! 

Across the curriculum, we’ll be programming Micro:Bits in DT; creating line drawings and installation sculptures in art; learning and practicing expert gymnastics in PE and learning about systems and searching in computing. 

In English, we’ll begin by reading and responding to Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick, refining our skills in narrative writing and grammar. In maths, the children will use their times tables sticky knowledge to solve problems involving fractions, decimals and percentages. 

To support your child with their learning at home, please hear them read out loud for 20 minutes a day, at least four times a week. If you have any questions or would like more information, please chat to us!

Year 5 will be starting off the year with Ancient Greeks. Our topic will combine both history and geography and will allow us to find out about many aspects of both Ancient Greek life and how they influenced things that we might still use today. 

In maths this term, our skills focus will include times tables; number bonds to 10, 20 and 100  (including bonds for each number e.g. 8+6=14, 11+5=16 AND related subtraction facts e.g 14-6=8, 16-5=11); subtracting single digit numbers from a multiple of 10; adding and subtracting 9 and 11 by adjusting. This will form the basis of maths homework. We will continue to consolidate our understanding of the four operations of number within maths lessons. We will also be focusing on place value and statistics.

In English, we will be covering various text types and developing our skills as writers. The children will write a variety of narrative and non-narrative writing, including myths. Within these text types, they will use a variety of year 5 writing skills, building on their year 4 skills for example: expanded noun phrases, adverbial phrases, subordinate clauses and a range of sentence structures. Reading continues to play an important role in our learning and we hope to broaden the children's experience of authors and genres.

In science, the children will be scientists by studying and experimenting with forces and sound. In computing, they will be developing their coding skills and learning to become digital designers. In art, the children will develop their drawing skills which links to the theme of space (Year 4 science). The children will also be learning about Christianity and Islam in RE.

In Year 5 children are expected to read every day and record this in their planner. Children of this age may well be fluent and competent readers, but still need to read aloud to others regularly and discuss what they have read. Parents need to sign the planner to confirm that your child has read, even if they have not read aloud to you. Children who read regularly (at least 4 times per week) will move along the reading reward chart each week. Planners and reading books need to be brought into school every day. 

Children should be aiming to quiz once a week on Accelerated Reader. This provides them with vital skills in preparation for tests and the opportunity to earn in-school rewards! 

Our science for the first half term is forces and after half term we will be learning about sound. 

Year 5 will have PE every Tuesday and Thursday (please make sure kit is named).

Year 5 homework will consist of a weekly spelling sheet and weekly TTRS homework.