Autumn 1
Dear Parents / Carers,
Welcome back! The new school year is here and we are very much looking forward to meeting our new classes; we hope you had a great summer and thank you for your continued support, especially over the last two years which have been challenging for so many. This page outlines what your child will be learning in Autumn 1; it would be appreciated if you read this with your child so that they too can get excited about returning to school.
This is a crucial and exciting year for your children and we expect them to be punctual, focused and hard-working so that we can all help them achieve their full potential. We look to Years 5 and 6 to set an excellent example for the entire school and we are sure they will rise to the challenges that are put before them.
English
This half-term, we will be studying some powerful and inspiring texts. Using Cloud Busting, a powerful story written in verse, by the multiple award-winning author Malorie Blackman (Children's Laureate from 2013-2015), children will reflect on friendship, bullying and belonging. This text will provide children with the opportunity to reflect on the story's themes, explore different poetic forms and to be inspired to write their own poems. After this, to develop their narrative writing, children will use The Book of Hopes, an anthology edited by Katherine Rundell, and a BFI animation to stimulate their own stories.
Maths
We will be developing the children’s mental agility with number and problem solving. They will also be focusing on place value and numbers to one million, developing their addition and subtraction skills with numbers of this size.
Science – Forces
Children will use their investigation and observation skills to learn about forces. They will explore the impact of gravity and friction, including water and air resistance through a series of hands-on investigations. They will also learn how pulleys, gears and levers are used in different mechanisms to help reduce the force needed by humans.
Geography - Water and Natural Resources
This half-term, children will be learning about the different natural resources used and valued by mankind. They will then assess how these natural resources are used and whether we are using them in the most eco-friendly way. Part of their investigation will look at water access and usage around the world.
RE - Islam
Children will explore the important elements of belonging to the Islamic faith and the beliefs at the heart of the religion. They will also research how Islam is practised within homes and in the community.
PSCHE – Understanding Our Feelings
Over the whole Autumn Term, children will learn to reflect and develop their understanding of their own emotions, as well as improving their accuracy in the language they use to describe them. We also look forward to circle time when the class will reflect upon developing effective relationships with others in their class.
Computing
This half-term, children will be learning how to keep themselves safe whilst spending time online. They will learn how to protect themselves and keep their personal information private and protected. Children use Sleuth IT to solve detective cases. They will learn to apply problem solving skills, literacy skills as well as mathematical skills in a gaming context, while working together as a team. Sleuth IT is a multi-media resource aiming to engage children with literacy work. Using Sleuth IT, children will solve a series of interactive ‘whodunnits’ as they learn to crack literacy and mathematical codes to gather evidence needed to solve the crimes. The unit will end with a Key Note presentation outlining how they solved the case.
Music
Year 5 will be learning how to play the ukulele throughout the year. This half term children will focus on learning how to hold, pluck (pick) and strum the ukulele. Children will develop the ability to play simple, familiar melodies using the scale of C and chord accompaniments using C major, F major and A minor chords. Children will be encouraged to sing along to some songs, which will also develop their aural skills and the ability to understand song structure and melodies. We will be listening to ukulele music by Jake Shimabukuro.
P.E.
Children will start the year with athletics and practice the correct techniques for running, jumping and throwing. They will also work as part of a team participating in relay races & in small groups to observe each other and give feedback using language they are familiar with in their classroom of ‘What went well’ and ‘Even better if..’ They will also have opportunities to measure and record personal bests & practice their technique in order to improve.
In Year 5, your child will have swimming lessons at some stage throughout the year. More details about swimming will follow closer to the time that your child’s class commences (5OG first).
In dance, the children will explore creatively a variety of topics to compose solo, group and class dances that they are able to share and comment on. We will use a creative task from the Tokyo Olympic games opening ceremony as their starting point. The children will explore the pictograms that illustrate each sport played at the Olympic games and use props and freeze images to compose their dance.
Children should come to school in their PE kit and do not need to bring their normal uniform to change back into. Please do make sure that they have warm enough clothes for the whole day e.g. some jogging bottoms if they wear shorts for PE.
Dance
Linking with the recent World Athletics and the forthcoming Paris Olympic Games 2024, children will use the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony as a stimulus for their dance. Here they will see a performance of all 50 Olympic sports choreographed to
Music and using props and movement to illustrate each sport. Children will work in small groups to create a series of movements, selecting props to use for their chosen sport and will need to work as a team to ensure they freeze in their poses in time with the music!
French
In all year groups we will be spending the first half term setting expectations for best French learning behaviour, getting to know each other and learning key classroom language to help us communicate in French in the classroom. This will be done using songs, movement and interactive activities, with a focus on spoken French.
Homework
English (spag.com - fortnightly) and maths (mathletics.com - weekly) homework will both be set on Wednesdays and should be completed by the following Monday. Online homework will first be set on the 13th September.
Children will also be given a list of spellings in their Reading Records each week starting in the week commencing 11th September. They should practise spelling these words at home, using a range of strategies (as shown in the Reading Records). They will then be tested on these spellings through dictations in class in the following week.
Every pupil will be given a new Reading Record and Guided Reading homework will be set from the week commencing 11th September. In the Reading Record, the children can record and complete their reading homework as well as using it to record their independent reading both at home and at school (in the Wider Reading section). We will note your child’s reading targets for that half term in the record and comment on their reading and comprehension skills every two weeks. We recommend that all children spend at least 30 minutes each day reading independently at home to improve fluency, vocabulary and confidence.
Children will need to bring their Reading Record to school with them every day. Please sign the record each week, as this is an essential form of parent/teacher communication to show that your child has practised their spellings and that you have seen their reading homework.
Mobile Phones and Smart Watches
Some children are given mobile phones to let their parents know they have arrived/left school when they go home alone. All phones should be switched off when they come onto site and given to their teacher at the start of the day. We strongly recommend that your child has a simple, cheap phone for this as expensive smartphones can unfortunately make them a target for street robberies.
Children should not be bringing smart watches to school for any reason and will be asked to hand these in if they do bring them.
Healthy Eating at Playtime
Children can bring in a healthy snack to eat during break time. They are allowed to bring a piece of fresh or dried fruit or vegetable, or a small savoury sandwich (no crisps, biscuits, sweets, yogurts, cakes etc please) – teachers will monitor these snacks to make sure they are suitable. There should be no foods containing nuts brought into school.
Water
All children need to bring a small, labelled bottle of plain water to drink throughout the day and take it home each night to be washed. They can re-fill this bottle from the water stations in school during the day.
Communication between Home and School
In Year 5, many children start to come to school by themselves. If you would like your child to go home alone, please give written permission to your child’s class teacher. At the end of the school day, your child must always say goodbye to their teacher before leaving the school premises. In order to keep your child safe, teachers will only allow your child to go home with someone else provided you have clearly given advance permission to your child’s teacher or the school office.
It is important for your child’s safety that the school has two accurate contact numbers in case of an emergency but also for us to be able to contact you and discuss what is happening in school. Please ensure that home and any mobile contact numbers that have been sent into school are correct and current.
We will work in close partnership with families to ensure your child’s time at school is successful – if you have any queries concerning your child’s education or welfare, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher on the playground or through the office and we will be glad to discuss any queries with you.
Yours faithfully,
Matt Gale (5G, Year Leader)
Javier Torres (5T)
Bridget Symmonds (5S)
Zoe O’Grady (5OG)
