to Year 5

Timetable

English

Our English lessons will take the form of 2-3 week units. Each unit will begin with a resource such as a book or a film and this will form the stimulus for writing. We cover a range of different writing genres such as letters, recounts, reports, instructions etc. Grammar will be taught within our English lessons and children will be encouraged to use what they’ve learnt in their writing (grammar overview included in pack).

We will begin the year with a unit based on the book The Day the Crayons Quit. The focus of the unit is to ensure children are using commas in the four ‘safe places’. Commas can be difficult to grasp, but these four places are a perfect place to start.

English - Reading

In year 5, we aren’t just assessing how well children can read and decode words. We are trying to improve their comprehension of the texts we read. This could include simply retrieving information from texts, understanding how authors have created a particular atmosphere, how vocabulary is used, predict how the story will progress and inferring deeper meanings. We read class books as well as reading texts suited to your child’s ability in smaller groups.

Class texts: The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman and Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

All children now have a reading diary and we ask that they read to an adult at least three times a week. Their diary should be in school ona Monday and if it is signed, they will get a Monkston point.

• We use Read Write Inc. Spelling scheme.

• Each unit consists of a video introducing the sound, ‘dots and dashes’, word changers, four in a row and a small test.

• Spellings will be sent home weekly, but will not be marked or checked.

• Tests will take place weekly and our new orange slip will be filled in.

Maths

The year 5 maths curriculum is quite extensive!

Having an instant recall of times tables will be hugely beneficial, as will having a quick recall of mental arithmetic (e.g. adding and subtracting single digits at speed, doubling and halving, number bonds etc.).

Fractions play a big part in the year 5 maths curriculum, so we will consolidating and deepening our understanding in this area.

We now follow White Rose maths and our yearly schedule looks like this…

The following information is a guide as to our usual weekly homework amounts and types of task. Clearly these may be amended slightly due to work taking place in the classroom during the week, but we would not expect the overall amount to be greatly affected. They may also be amended in response to the specific needs of individual children within the class.

We have adopted a consistent and appropriate approach to setting homework from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 2. Our expectations are in line with Government guidelines.

Year 5Reading, spellings & times tables.45 min English task + 45 min maths task each week.

Homework will be handed out on Tuesdays and will be due in the following Monday. We will allow an extra day before giving homework detention.

If there are any issues or difficulties, please speak to us or write a note; however, we have to be consistent when making decisions about detention.

Science Year 5 science is very practical and hugely enjoyable!

Not only do we look at scientific knowledge, but we are also trying to encourage scientific skills such as planning and investigating.

History

Elizabethan England Local Study

• How they came to power• Henry VIII and how his reign

changed Britain• Religion in Tudor times• Everyday life • The role of a monarch• Key events in Tudor Britain.

• TBC

Geography

Coasts Rivers

• Using atlases, maps and globes to locate areas of coast

• How cliffs are created• Caves, arches and stacks• How a beach is formed• Tourism

• Locating major UK and world rivers

• River vocabulary and definitions• Journey of a river• The water cycle• Erosion and deposition• Human use of rivers• Flooding

RE & PSHE

• Autumn term: Sacred texts and belief systems.

• Spring term: Common practices across the dominations and belief and behaviour (local influences).

• Summer term: Global influence.

• TEAM• Britain• Be Yourself• It’s my body• Money Matters• Aiming high

Art & DT

Three topics taught in fortnightly blocks once or twice a term, timetable depending.

• Baking bread/healthy eating• Making cam toys

A range of techniques taught throughout the year using famous artists as inspiration.

We will begin the year looking at ceramics and creating our own clay container. Then we will look at painting techniques and particularly colour mixing.

Computing & Music

This term, we will be looking at coding and how it is used to create computer games and simple programs.

They will also be recapping and learning new skills using programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Publisher.

We are following a new scheme called Charanga where we look at different genres if music such as rock, hip-hop and jazz.

We will sing in every lesson music lesson and eventually aim to sing separate parts.

PE

Swimming

Swimming takes place of our indoor PE sessions this term, on a Wednesday, and it is a compulsory part of the curriculum.

Children learn the basic swimming strokes as well as water safety and lifesaving techniques.

Non-swimmers or less confident swimmers will be taught in a smaller group.

The rest of our PE lessons (on a Tuesday) will have a different focus every half term.

This half term, we will be focusing on ball skills such as passing and kicking. We will play a range of different ball games; some of them will be well-known, such as football and netball and others will be made up!

Term Details of the trip, visit or theme day

Approximate cost

Autumn 2019 Tudor Day approximaely £9 per child

Spring 2020 Milton Keynes Recycling Factory approximately £7 per child (just for coach)

Summer 2020 Parks Trust Walk Free!

Read with them!Those who read a lot tend to do much better in so many areas of learning. Discuss the texts they are reading and ask them questions about it. Children in year 5 are not too old to be read to!

Encourage your child to complete their homework..…but don’t complete it for them! Offer help if necessary, but independence is important too.

Nurture their interestsDo they like animals and the outdoors? The Parks Trust Junior Rangers might be for them. An interest in history? A visit to Warwick Castle would tie in perfectly with our Tudors unit.

Talk to themAsk them about their day and about what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy.