Year 5
Welcome to the Year 5 blog.
On PE days, children should come to school in their PE kit and wear this all day.
Spring 1
16.1.26
Year 5 have had a fantastic start to their learning this term and have shown great enthusiasm across the curriculum.
In English, we have started our class text Street Child by Berlie Doherty. The children have been completely hooked by the story and by learning about life in Victorian London. We have explored some of the awful jobs many children were forced to do at the time, including mudlarking (searching through filthy river mud for scraps to sell), working as coal miners in dark, cramped conditions, and being chimney sweeps, climbing narrow chimneys that were dangerous and unhealthy. Using this knowledge, the children have written powerful setting descriptions of the bleak and cruel workhouses, as well as thoughtful letters of advice to the main character, Jim. Their empathy and maturity have really shone through.
Next week, we will be spending some time learning about the Exeter workhouse. If you wish, you could spend some of the weekend looking this up or even going for a wander near the site to help bring this learning to life.
In History, we have started our unit on the British Empire. The children are learning how far the empire extended across the world and why Britain wanted an empire, including trade, power, resources and influence. We are also beginning to understand that the impact of the empire was not always positive for the countries and people involved.
In Science, the children have been learning about materials. They have taken part in a range of experiments to test different materials for different purposes, thinking carefully about properties such as strength, flexibility, waterproofing and insulation.
In Maths, we have started looking at the written methods for multiplication and division. Please see the maths section of the school website for more information about the taught methods, which will help you to further support your child at home.
30.1.26
In English, the children are still thoroughly enjoying their class text Street Child. They have been writing in role, producing thoughtful diary entries, dramatic descriptions of escape and even an imaginative interview linked to the story. Alongside this, the children have been focusing on key grammar skills, including the use of relative clauses, parenthesis and dashes, which they have started to apply confidently and effectively in their writing.
In Maths, we have returned to fractions, with the children working hard to multiply unit fractions, non-unit fractions and mixed numbers by integers. They have shown growing confidence in this area and have impressed us with their perseverance and problem-solving skills.
Science lessons have seen the children exploring electrical conductors and mixtures. They have enjoyed investigating which materials conduct electricity and developing their understanding of how mixtures can be separated, asking thoughtful questions and making careful scientific observations.
In History, the children have continued their learning about the British Empire. Over the past two weeks, they have focused on what life was like in a British Empire colony, considering the experiences of both the colonists and the indigenous people. The children have also learned about India's withdrawl from the British Empire and the reasons for this. The children demonstrated sensitivity and maturity when discussing these contrasting perspectives.
A highlight of this week was our trip to see the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. The children represented the school wonderfully and behaved impeccably throughout the visit. They loved learning about the different instruments in the orchestra, singing along to a themed song and joining in with a Katy Perry classic, which brought plenty of smiles and enjoyment.
Weekly spellings for the children to practise are uploaded weekly to SpellingFrame. Children will have weekly access to this during school time but it would also be great if they could continue their spelling learning at home at least once a week using SpellingFrame.
Times Table Rockstars - it would be great if children were accessing TTRS 4 x weekly for around 5-10 minutes.
Reading - reading is so important to your child's education. Please read with your child daily for 5 - 10 minutes. This can include them reading aloud to you and you reading aloud to them.