This term we will be working on the following topics:

English        

Our focus texts will be The Riddle of the Runes by Janina Ramirez and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Through these texts we will write predictions, character and setting analyses, instructional texts, news reports and narratives. We will also be using co-operative improvement to edit and improve our writing.

In our whole class guided reading sessions we will read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. We will focus on a different type of question in each session, including retrieval, vocabulary, inference and deduction. We will have a big focus on using evidence from the text to support our answers.

At the end of each day we will spend 10 minutes reading for pleasure. This will vary each day but will include quiet reading, sharing book reviews and teacher-led reading.

 

Maths

We will be using the Maths No Problem scheme to support our mathematical learning. We will be learning how to make fractions, order and compare fractions and carry out calculations involving the addition, subtraction and multiplication of fractions. We shall continue our work on place value to involve decimals, and we shall be adding and subtracting numbers, including decimals. We shall use percentages to compare quantities, relating percentages to fractions and decimals and calculating percentages. We will learn to recognise and name types of angles, measure angles and solve geometry problems involving angles. We shall continue our daily practice of fluency with multiplicative reasoning through Mastering Number activities.

 

Science

We will be studying two science topics this term. In Life Cycles we will describe the reproduction process of various plants and animals and compare different lifecycles. This will be followed by Earth and Space, where we will describe the movement of the Earth and moon in relation to the sun, explain the seasons and day and night and explore how our understanding of the solar system has changed throughout history.

 

History 

Our topic this term is the Vikings. We will be explaining where the Vikings came from and why they invaded Britain, sequencing events according to their significance for groups of people, naming Viking trade routes, identifying the differences between Viking sagas and evaluating the impact of Viking achievements.

 

Geography  

In our topic Where Does Our Energy Come From? We will be learning about renewable and non-renewable energy sources, where they come from and their impact on society, the economy and the environment.

 

Art       

Our topic is Drawing: I Need Space where we will discover what retrofuturism is and work with a range of media to achieve different effects, applying an understanding of tone, texture, line, colour and form.  We will evaluate images, select and place textures and design and create a collagraph print.

 

Design Technology (DT)     

Our topic is Mechanical Systems: Pop-up books. We will be designing a pop-up book which uses a mixture of structures and mechanisms.

 

Music        

We will be looking at 'Storm' Interlude from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten and Pentatonic melodies from across the globe. We will be learning about key melodic features, then focusing on pitch, tempo and dynamics through small group composition tasks and Graphic Scores.

 

Computing 

We will be studying flat-file databases in which we will use tools within a database to order and answer questions about data and create graphs and charts from data to help solve problems.

 

Physical Education (PE)       

• Dance. We will perform different styles of dance fluently and clearly. We will also be developing and refining routines to showcase space, rhythm and expression.
• Games. We will continue to develop ball skills.

 

French        

We will be learning key vocabulary and phrases through the following topics: Shopping in France and The French Speaking World.

 

Religious Education (RE)      

Our topic is Worship. Children will focus on aspects of worship across different faiths. They will explore what worship is, what it means to religious believers and how believers worship differently. Children will consider different forms of worship and work independently, and with others, to share their learning about worship through music, art and objects. They will finish the unit by discussing freedom to worship around the world.

 

Personal, Social, Health, Economic / Relationships & Sex Education (PSHE/RSE) 

• Belonging to a Community. We will be learning about how to protect the environment and have compassion towards others.
• Money and Work. We will be identifying job interests and aspirations, what influences career choices and questioning workplace stereotypes.

 

 

• Your child should read for at least 10 minutes every day. It is also important that an adult continues to read with your child. Please talk to your child about the book and check their understanding by asking questions about events and the characters’ actions. Please also explain new or unfamiliar vocabulary. Their reading book and reading record book should come into school every day. Children should be recording in their reading record at least three times a week and an adult should be writing once a week.

• Your child will have PE on Tuesday and Wednesday and should wear their PE kits to school on these days.

• The weather is often cold at this time of year and the children will go out to play if there is light rain. It is important that your child has a waterproof coat, gloves, hat and a scarf.

• We are a 'Healthy School'. Please do not put sweets or chocolate bars in your child’s packed lunch. Please do not send in sweets or other treats when it is your child’s birthday. If you want to celebrate your child’s birthday with their classmates, you could buy the class a book, send in a healthy snack such as boxes of raisins or buy stationery such as a pencil, but due to the impact on the environment, we ask you not to send in plastic toys.

• If your child is absent from school, please contact the school office: 020 8850 5486 and leave a message detailing why your child is absent. If your child has had an upset stomach, they should return when they are well. Please try to book medical appointments outside the school day and note that family holidays will not be authorised.

• If you have any questions or wish to raise a concern, please contact the class teacher in the first instance.

Please see the school calendar and weekly newsletters for information about events for Year 5.