Autumn Term 1 and 2
2024
Year 5
Welcome back and hello Year 5! Here you will find all of the key information about what the children are getting up to this term. The door for Year 5 will be opened at 8:45am and will close at 8.55am for registration. Please ensure children arrive on time to ensure that they can settle into the school day successfully.
Reading
Our novel we we will be enjoying this term is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K Rowling – This adventurous, gripping tale follows the story of Harry, an orphan boy, who is told that he is in fact a wizard! What follows is a story so magical that it will have the children on the edge of their seats. After half term, the children will delve into the story of The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge. This story follows in the footsteps of Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny who are determined to discover the truth, but when night falls without warning they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. It is a timeless novel for anyone who’s ever felt lost and will have the children hooked from the very first page.
Reading continues to be an important part of the day. Please ensure that your child reads at home daily and that this is recorded in their reading record. Your child’s reading book and reading record need to be sent into school daily to enable us to read at school, change books and monitor your child’s reading progress. A mixture of them reading to an adult as well as reading independently is encouraged in order for children to develop their fluency and comprehension. Our library day is Friday.
Writing
As writers, we will be using books to help inspired great pieces of short burst writing. We will be looking at the book ‘Hidden Figures’ which follows in the footsteps of four African American Women who were instrumental in helping NASA win the space race. We will also be reading ‘Curiosity’ by Markus Mokum which focuses on the Mars Rover and its journey through space. These books will help us write: diary entries, persuasive letters, explanation texts, mission logs and flow diagram. We will also be developing the children’s handwriting, spelling and grammar each week.
Maths
In Maths, we’ll be developing and extending our knowledge of place value and number, involving rounding and comparing numbers. We will then look at addition and subtraction of 4 digit numbers. We will also be studying multiplication including square, prime and cubed numbers and division moving on to fractions. Alongside this, we will continue to support children in developing their arithmetic skills. TT Rockstars is a fantastic resource that the children have access to at home and will support them with all mathematical learning in school.
Project Learning
We will be starting our new science project all about space! During this unit of work, children will learn that the Earth is part of the solar system and that the Sun is at the centre of that system. They will learn the names of the other planets (based on their distance from the Sun) and be able to describe the movement of Earth (and other planets) in relation to the Sun. Children will discover why there is day and night on Earth and relate this to time. They will plan an investigation to answer the question – what happens to the Sun during the daytime? Children will also gain an understanding of the phases of the Moon and be able to describe the Moon’s movement in relation to the Earth. How exciting!
We will also be learning all about the life cycles of various animals and plants and also study their habitats. The children will also develop their artistic flair, learning all about monochromatic. In this unit, chidlren will develop their sketching skills as they discover their own drawing style. We will also be developing our design and technology skills as we create pop-up Christmas cards.
Physical Education
All PE will be taught outside and this term we will be focusing on tag rugby followed by handball after half term. Our PE lessons will be on a Thursday afternoon. Please ensure your child comes to school wearing their PE kit every Thursday .
Trip
Keep an eye out for further details of our trip to We the Curious Science Museum in Bristol. It promises to be ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD!’
Home Learning
We ask the children read every day and write this in their reading record books. Children are also expected to log onto TT Rockstars in order to develop their times table fluency. Below are also the Year 5/6 statutory spellings that the children are learning to spell in class. If however you wish to also support your child in learning these at home, I have attached the spelling list for you to use:
If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to email me at:
t.prior@southill.dorset.sch.uk
Tom