Spring 2 Update!

 

Year 5 have been captivated by the tale of My Friend Walter by Michael Morpurgo, and their recent trip to the Tower of London truly brought the story to life!  It was an amazing adventure!

The children were able to visit the home of the legendary Sir Walter Raleigh, learning more about his fascinating role in British history. They met the Beefeaters and watched the guards in action - some definite highlights of the trip. They marvelled at the Crown Jewels and took in the breathtaking views of the River Thames and majestic Tower Bridge.

As part of their learning, they also explored the Tower’s darker past, discovering its role as a prison where many historical figures— including Sir Walter Raleigh himself—were imprisoned and even executed. They were particularly intrigued by stories of crime and punishment in the past, comparing them to modern-day justice.  

This unforgettable experience was both educational and exciting, giving the children the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich history and culture of London—a perfect way to deepen their understanding of the story, its characters, and the history surrounding it.  

Spring 2 2025

Welcome back! We have kicked this half term off with a bang - celebrating Mardi Gras! Children came to school wearing brightly coloured clothes, particularly in purple, green and gold to represent power, justice and faith. They learned about the traditions of the celebration across the globe and participated in a host of festival activities (making masks, playing Mardi Gras bingo, learning dances, parading in the procession). We look forward to a time of reflection as we begin the Lenten season. 

We also look forward to our trip to the Tower of London, which will enhance children's learning of their new BIG question, 'Does the punishment fit the crime?'. They will get to walk Sir Walter Raleigh's walk and spend time in The Bloody Tower, which they have been eagerly reading about in our class text, My Friend Walter. 

This half term's topic is Community and Participation which follows Solidarity and Peace. We learnt in Spring 1 about having a mission and working together to make the world a better place. Over the next few weeks, children will create, write and speak about how people we know work actively to create a world of peace and hope. 

         

World Book Day was a huge success - lots of reading and enjoyment of books and a catwalk to finish the day with!

 

 

 

Spring 1 2025 - A New Year!

Year 5 has rung in the new year with a focus on new beginnings, setting targets and building good habits with hopes of having a successful Spring Term.

Today, we are part way through our new class text - Alex Rider, Stormbreaker.  This action-adventure novel has excited the classes and all are thoroughly enjoying the story and reading with great expression.  The children have just completed persuasive emails to Alex and are looking forward to writing like Anthony Horowitz!

In Maths, Year 5 children have been working with fractions - consolidating and strengthening their understanding.  They can compare, order, make equivalent fractions as well as convert improper fractions to mixed numbers and back.  Although this can be tricky, they have worked well completing their work and applying their knowledge.

Our Science 'big question' (is it too late to change?) has offered lots of opportunities to be scientists.  Children have worked in small groups conducting experiments to investigate these curious questions:  Can we change the state of a material?  Can we change it back?  Can we create something new?

Finally, in RE, we are on a mission!  Year 5 understands that God and Jesus both have missions.  The classes have been learning about how Jesus wants everyone to be a part of His.  They have learnt that there are many amazing people who have joined Jesus to spread the Good News and encourage all to come together in 'Solidarity and Peace' to help fulfil God and Jesus' missions.

 

Autumn 2 2024 - Advent!

The countdown to Christmas has begun!  We have started to prepare for the coming of Jesus by:  decorating our school doors; making Christmas decorations for the Winter Ball and learning our Christmas hymns.  Children have also been busy doing good deeds around school and in our local environment too:  litter picking; presenting to parents information on how to be an 'upstander' during Anti-Bullying week and raising money for Children in Need while wearing bright clothes.  

The next few weeks will be even busier as we prepare for Christmas by enjoying festive activities like the Advent Liturgy, Carol Concert, EYFS Nativity, Reconciliation, TED Talks, Christmas Pantomime, Christmas dinner and Christmas parties. 

As it says in Mark 13: 33, "Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come."   

         

 

Autumn 2 2024

What a wonderful start to Autumn 2!

The children returned to school after their half-term ready to write.  They completed their newspaper reports about the final scene from Macbeth, using reported speech and impressive vocabulary.  While they are sad that our writing about Macbeth has ended, the children are excited by their new topic of 'What's Out There?' which will cover non-chronological reports about space.  

On Wednesday, children ventured out into the local community to plant more trees with the support of Trees for Cities.  The prayer leaders and ECO group worked well together to care for God's Creation - showing their commitment to Stewardship.

Finally, on the last day of the first week of this new term, Year 5 visited the London Science Museum.  This was their first lesson about space and forces - our science topic.  They spent a brilliant hour in the IMAX Theatre watching an amazing film about Earth and Space called The Beautiful Planet.  Then they spent time exploring the Space Exhibition looking at replicas of rockets, how astronauts complete daily tasks while living on the Space Station and gazing at images of planets and moons that exist in our Solar System.  It was a superb start to our new topic - 'What's Out There?'.  Please check out the photos in our Gallery 24 25!

Autumn 1 2024

Welcome to Year5!

We have made a super start to the new academic year after the summer holiday. The children have settled in well, and they are already enjoying their new topics for the Autumn term. Our class text at the moment is William Shakespeare's Macbeth which both classes are thoroughly captivated by!

Please find below a list of recommended reading books that link to our History/Geography topic on the Reformation and Henry VIII this half term: 

• Spy Master: First Blood by Jan Burchett
• Eliza Rose & Lady Mary by Lucy Worsley
• Tudor Tales: The Actor, the Rebel and the Wrinkled Queen by Terry Deary
• My Friend Walter by Michael Morpurgo
• The Queen's Fool by Ally Sherrick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly, Year 5 23-24 has come to an end but with a flourish of activity!  

Egyptian Workshop

Sports Day

Cultural Day

 

Have a great summer!

Summer 2

Now, the final countdown has begun! As we approach the end of the academic year, we continue our learning journey with our BIG question, 'What is Ancient Egypt's Legacy?'. This half-term we will take part in an Egyptian workshop, write instructions on how to make Canopic jars and reinforce our learning through shared reading. 

We have also continued our work with Trees for Cities both in our school grounds and at our local nature reserve, Marnham Fields. This is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to learn more about the outdoor environment and how to maintain the healthy growth of the trees planted in the Autumn term. 

Both Year 5 classes have written and performed TED Talks about our class charity, the Make a Wish Foundation.  Both teachers are very proud of the work children have put into their presentations and impressed with how far they have come with their public speaking skills.  Bravo!

   

Keep a watchful eye on upcoming event days: Class Photos; Cultural Day; Sports Day; Move-Up Day; End of Year Production, Charity Day and End of Year Celebrations. 

Summer 1

Welcome back! We hope your Easter holidays were filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments with your loved ones.

As we dive into the new term, we're excited to embark on an exploration of a BIG question: 'What is the circle of life?' This intriguing enquiry will weave together our RHE and Science topics, fostering a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of our world.

Adding to the excitement, our class text for this term is Philip Pullman’s gripping tale, 'Clockwork' or 'All Wound Up'. Already, it's sending shivers down our spines, igniting curiosity and sparking discussions that promise to be both captivating and thought-provoking.

We can't wait to delve into these rich topics as we resume our journey together filled with enthusiasm and dedication. 

Welcome back to the circle of learning!

 

Royal Opera House Workshop

We were lucky enough to have been selected to join the 'Meet the Artists' online workshop with the Royal Opera House. This workshop introduced us to different ballet routines, gave us opportunities to compare/contrast different repertoire, as well as gaining an insight into what they do at the Royal Opera House. 

  

Spring 2

Happy Easter to all!

Year 5 performed the Easter Liturgy beautifully today.  All children worked hard to learn their lines, the songs and any roles they played.  We were most impressed with how well the children worked together.  We wish you a blessed Easter and look forward to seeing you at the start of Summer Term.

Oracy 

Children in Year 5 continue to work on their oracy skills.  They have been talking a lot in their lessons - sharing their ideas, thoughts and knowledge.  In Maths, children have been learning about 2D and 3D shapes; they have had to use their properties to describe what the shape is as well as if it has been reflected or translated.  In RE, children were discussing Jesus' actions and Judas' choices on Maundy Thursday.  The children gave thoughtful advice of what Judas should have done or could have done to make amends for his betrayal.  Please have a look at the photographs in the gallery!

The Tower of London School Trip

Children in both classes were incredibly well-behaved on both the bus and tube on our journeys to the Tower of London and back again on Friday 15th March.  It was a successful trip with children showing their knowledge of Sir Walter Raleigh and their understanding of the importance of the Tower regarding our History topic - Crime and Punishment.  It was great to see their excitement when they realised they were walking in the footsteps of our main character from My Friend Walter, as well as the relief that our system of consequences has greatly changed.  Please check out the gallery for photos!

Class Assemblies 

Children in both classes have performed wonderful assemblies over the past two weeks about Saints who they have learnt about this term.  Well done for learning the lyrics and lines and speaking so clearly.  Make sure to check out their photos in the gallery!