Year 5

Monday 20 July 2026 Holy Guacamole... We're Making Fajitas! This morning, the children took their taste buds on a trip to Central America as part of our North America geography topic. We explored how ingredients, flavour combinations and cooking techniques can reflect the culture and traditions of different countries. We also discussed how recipes can be adapted to suit different dietary needs and preferences.Before any cooking could begin, our young chefs learned about the key ingredients and equipment needed to make fajitas. They then practised safe chopping techniques, including the famous "bridge" method, to prepare peppers and salsa. Despite several requests, we can confirm that no vegetables were harmed by karate chops.The children also made their own guacamole using avocado, lime juice and salt. A few budding master chefs even had the opportunity to season the chicken. Once all the preparation was complete, the children headed out for a well-earned break while staff transformed the classroom into a fajita feast worthy of a cook
Thursday 16 July 2026 A Wet, Wild and Wonderful Afternoon With the scorching temperatures showing no signs of easing, a shady afternoon activity was exactly what we needed! The challenge was simple: throw ping pong balls into the opposing team's cups and be the last team standing. What followed was an afternoon packed with laughter, excitement and a surprising amount of dancing!&quest;
Friday 10 July 2026 Day 4: The Final Chapter at St Briavels We could hardly believe it. Our final day at St Briavels had arrived and somehow the week had flown by faster than a trebuchet projectile heading towards an unsuspecting castle tower.For the first time all week, all of the children were sound asleep as we made our way around the castle to wake them for one last day of adventure. With cases packed and only a few stray socks, underpants and hidden sweets needing to be reunited with their owners, the children stripped their beds and headed down for breakfast.Of course, no morning would be complete without another instalment of Tea with Tom. What started as a small gathering has now become a phenomenon. A record-breaking 17 pupils attended today's cuppa and catch-up and several more children were successfully converted to the art of tea drinking. Pinky fingers were proudly raised and plenty of chitter chatter helped us ease into our final day.The morning was a relaxed one. Children taught staff complicated clapping games and songs that see
Thursday 9 July 2026 Paddles, Plunges and Plenty of Laughter Day 3 began with a challenge that many Year 5 children were not prepared for... opening their eyes! Most of the children needed waking up this morning after another action-packed day at the castle. Little did they know, today's adventures would take us far beyond the castle walls…After yet another delicious breakfast (not forgetting Tea with Tom), the children squeezed into their wet gear and prepared for a day on the River Wye. We hopped onto minibuses and headed down to the water's edge where we were greeted with the best news possible in the scorching heat. Before heading out onto the river, we were allowed a dip in the water to cool off. There may have been a few cheers louder than those heard at the World Cup! The children split into two groups for their river adventures. One group took to the canoes while the other had an unexpected treat... paddleboarding! Suddenly everyone was kitted out with life jackets, helmets and paddles, looking like a very enthusiastic SOS res
Wednesday 8 July 2026 Archers… Fencers… Assemble! Day Two at the Castle {SECTION_MENU}
Tuesday 7 July 2026 Day One at the Castle
Monday 6 July 2026 Stepping Back in Time with Now Press Play Today, the children took part in an exciting Now Press Play workshop in the hall, where they were fully immersed in the fascinating world of the Ancient Maya. Equipped with headphones and guided through an interactive story, the children stepped back in time and followed in the footsteps of a young Maya child and their loyal pet jaguar, Soft Paws.Throughout the experience, the children became part of the adventure. They harvested maize, travelled through the rainforest, visited the great city of Tikal and faced a series of challenges as they attempted to rescue their mother after she was captured by warriors. The immersive nature of the workshop meant that the children were not simply learning about history, they were living it! They ran, crawled, hid and problem-solved as the story unfolded around them.The level of enthusiasm and engagement was fantastic. Every child was eager to participate and fully embraced their role in the adventure. The hall was filled with excitement as they jo
Thursday 2 July 2026 Crash, Bang, Wow! Learning About Life as a Stunt Performer This morning, we were incredibly fortunate to welcome professional stunt performer Annabel Canaven to our school. As part of our PSHE unit on careers this half term, the children have been learning about a wide range of jobs and professions. Following our visit to Kingston Maurward on Monday, where we explored different career pathways, Annabel's visit gave us a fascinating insight into a truly extraordinary profession.From the very first slides of her presentation, the children's jaws dropped in amazement! Annabel shared stories and footage of some of the incredible stunts she has performed throughout her career. She has been set on fire, hit by cars, thrown from the back of moving vehicles and even jumped from buildings. Watching the videos and seeing the photographs of these daring feats left us all astonished.Annabel explained that becoming a stunt performer requires dedication, determination and years of training. To qualify, she worked hard to develop a wide range of skills, incl
Monday 29 June 2026 Southill Shines at Education Conference A Standing Ovation for Southill
Tuesday 23 June 2026 Football Facts and World Cup Wonders To mark England's second group-stage match, the children have been exploring everything to do with the FIFA World Cup. They have researched its rich history, the value of the famous trophy, incredible statistics and some truly astonishing records, including one recently broken by Lionel Messi.Using a range of handouts and online sources, the children uncovered a host of fascinating facts which I am sure they will be keen to share with you. They discovered that Brazil is the only nation to have won the World Cup five times. They also learned about Pickles, the dog who famously found the World Cup trophy after it had been stolen in 1966.The children were particularly interested to learn that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in the tournament's history, featuring 48 teams. It is also the first World Cup to be hosted across three different countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.The children thoroughly enjoyed writing about this historic and iconic competition. Perhaps they w
Tuesday 16 June 2026 Self-Care Stormbreak - We are ONE with nature! This afternoon, after a busy and brilliant cricket lesson, the children got their creative juices flowing during a self-care Stormbreak session.
Wednesday 10 June 2026 Dear Buddy,
Thursday 4 June 2026 Reversible or Irreversible? That Is the Question! This term in Science, we have been exploring the fascinating world of materials – investigating their properties, learning about the three states of matter, and discovering how mixtures and solutions are formed.This week, our budding scientists tackled a brand-new challenge: reversible and irreversible changes. To deepen their understanding, the children became researchers, working collaboratively to investigate what these changes are and where we might see them in everyday life. Their mission was to create an informative, eye-catching project that showcased everything they had learned.What happened next was truly fantastic!The classroom buzzed with excitement as teams shared ideas, solved problems together and demonstrated excellent communication skills. I was incredibly impressed by the enthusiasm, teamwork and determination shown by everyone throughout the task. The children took real pride in their work, and the finished projects were packed with creativity, scientific kn
Friday 22 May 2026 Maths on the Move The sunshine was scorching, but that did not stop us from putting our maths skills to the test! Today's maths orienteering lesson was the perfect mix of learning, teamwork and plenty of energy-burning fun.Children worked in pairs and were given a map along with a starting number. Their mission was to plan the best route around the school grounds to find hidden cards packed with geometry questions. From coordinates and 2D shapes to tessellation and rotation, every challenge tested the skills we have been learning over the past few weeks.The school grounds quickly became a hive of excitement as children sprinted from clue to clue, eager to solve as many questions as possible. There was fantastic teamwork, brilliant problem-solving and lots of determination on display.It was wonderful to see everyone so enthusiastic about maths while also enjoying fresh air and exercise. A lesson full of movement, smiles and learning&quest; You really cannot ask for more than that!
Monday 18 May 2026 Mini Professors: A Day of Chemical Reactions, Surprises and Playground Rockets! What an exciting and fascinating session we had with Professor Lee as the children became real-life scientists, exploring the magical world of chemical reactions!The children discovered that a chemical reaction happens when two or more substances mix together and change into something completely new. But rather than stopping at science definitions, we explored chemical reactions through examples the children could easily relate to in everyday life.We began by talking about something many of the children had seen before — an apple turning brown after a bite is taken. The children were fascinated to learn that this happens because enzymes inside the apple react with oxygen in the air, changing the colour of the fruit.Next, we explored the science behind baking cakes. What starts as a mixture of ingredients transforms completely once heat is added in the oven. We discussed how many chemical reactions need heat to make changes happen, causing things to rise, harden, change textur
Friday 15 May 2026 Ready or Not… Here They Come! After reaching an incredible 2,000 dojos - and more than 6,000 altogether since the start of the academic year - Year 5 finally enjoyed their well-earned class dojo reward. Their chosen activity&quest; A giant game of hide-and-seek!Once the boundaries had been carefully established to make sure nobody ended up on the roof, down the shops or in the school pond, the children made full use of our wonderfully spacious school grounds. Even the sunshine arrived just in time to join in the fun.The competition quickly became far more intense than anyone expected, with some truly impressive hiding places and determined seekers. After counting up the scores, Team Dragon were crowned the hide-and-seek champions thanks to Elsie's excellent seeking skills and the team's unbelievable hiding tactics.Who would have thought such a simple playground game could create so much excitement and laughter&quest;
Tuesday 12 May 2026 Ready, Set, Compete! KS2 Athletes Gear Up for Sports Week With Sports Week fast approaching, Years 4 and 5 came together on the top field to practise some of the exciting events they may choose to represent their teams in on Sports Day.After a demonstration of each activity, the children were divided into eight mixed teams and rotated around a range of athletic events including hurdles, sprint, sack race, egg and spoon race, tyre pull, three-legged race, long jump and shot put.It was fantastic to see Year 4 and Year 5 pupils working together so positively. Mrs Murray and I were incredibly impressed by the way both classes supported one another, competed with enthusiasm and demonstrated real resilience and determination throughout the afternoon.Next week, we will meet again to try out more events before pupils sign up for the competitions they would like to take part in before half term. With tug-of-war, space hoppers and target throw still to prepare for, excitement is certainly building for our KS2 athletes.
Wednesday 6 May 2026 Little People, BIG DREAMS! This half term, Year 5 has been learning all about Philippe Petit and his extraordinary tightrope walking adventures, including his daring walk between the Twin Towers. We have been completely inspired by his courage, creativity and determination.We are huge admirers of the Little People, Big Dreams series, which introduces us to some of the most inspiring individuals from around the world. From Sir David Attenborough to Neil Armstrong, and from Rosa Parks to Anne Frank, each story captures our imagination through beautiful illustrations and fascinating facts.During this topic, the children became researchers as well as writers. They explored a range of non-fiction books, biographies and child-friendly reference texts to gather key information about Philippe Petit's life. They also used carefully selected online sources to deepen their understanding, learning how to take notes, check facts and organise information into chronological order. This helped them to write authentic, detailed
Tuesday 5 May 2026 Poetry Performance - People Need People A few weeks ago, our talented Year 5 children took to the stage at the Weymouth Pavilion, where they delivered a confident and captivating performance of “People Need People” by Benjamin Zephaniah. From the moment they stepped into the spotlight, they demonstrated not only a deep understanding of the poem, but also an impressive level of confidence, expression and unity as a group.This performance also served as a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Benjamin Zephaniah, whose words continue to inspire and resonate so powerfully. Adding their own creative twist, the children paid homage to the wonderful tradition of performances at the Pavilion by delivering a second run-through in true “panto” style—where, of course, things went ever so slightly wrong! This playful contrast showcased not only their sense of humour, but also their versatility and stage presence, making the performance even more memorable.Unfortunately, the performance it
Thursday 30 April 2026 Dear Me... In our Stormbreak sessions this week, we've been focusing on self-care - in simple terms, taking good care of ourselves.As children grow older, it can become all too easy for them to be self-critical, often seeing their “glass half empty” rather than half full. With that in mind, today's session took on a thoughtful and personal approach.Armed with clipboards and pens, the children were invited to write a letter to themselves, highlighting the things they are proud of — their strengths, qualities and the characteristics that make them who they are. To help them reflect, they found quiet spaces outside, enjoying the calm of the fresh air, the glorious sunshine and the sounds of nature as they wrote.At first, some children found this challenge difficult. It's not always easy to recognise and celebrate our own strengths. However, with a little time and encouragement, their ideas began to flow, and it was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they filled t