Class book: Kensuke’s Kingdom
Our class book for this half term is Kensuke’s Kingdom, Michael Morpurgo.
Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier, survived the war and the bombing of Hiroshima, but his family perished. As an extraordinary bond forms between the two, Kensuke faces a heart-breaking choice: can he give up the secluded life he’s built for himself to help reunite Michael with his parents?
English
Our class text this half-term is Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. As mentioned briefly above, this is a story of a young boy whose family decides to sail around the world together. During a storm, Michael gets knocked off the boat and is washed up on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Michael can’t find food or water but one morning he wakes up to a plate of fish and fruit. He’s not alone on this island.
Children will begin by writing a balanced argument for and against sailing around the world with their family. As the story continues, we read entries from Michael’s ship’s log and so the children write their own ship’s log-imagining what a good day and a bad day might be like aboard a ship. We then look at short stories before the children write their own. As the story draws to an end, the children will have an opportunity to write a letter from one of the main characters in the story before putting them in a bottle to ‘send out to sea’!
Science
Year 5 will be learning about Forces in their upcoming Science Week. During this week, they will be investigating and exploring gravity and the effects of air and water resistance. They will be experimenting with objects when they act between moving surfaces and how different variables can impact the movement. Children will also get the opportunity to learn about gears, leavers and pulleys to explore the impact their forces have against objects.
Year 6 will be learning about Adaptation and Revolution in their upcoming Science Week. They will be exploring how living things can produce offspring of the same kind, despite not being identical. Year 6 will also explore how living things have changed over time and that pieces of history, such as fossils, can provide information about how things inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. During this week, the children will also be investigating how animals and plants have adapted to suit their environment and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
Maths
To start the half term, Year 5 will be moving onto their Multiplication and Division topic. Within this topic, they will be learning about multiples, factors and prime numbers then move onto multiplying 2, 3 and 4-digit numbers. They will also look at dividing with and without remainders. Towards the end of the half term, they will be applying their Multiplication and Division skills to Word Problems.
Year 6 will start the half term by finishing off their Fractions topic. They will be using all four operations to answer reasoning and problem-solving questions linked to fractions. Leading on from this, they will develop their understanding of Decimals; knowing how to convert a fraction to a decimal, divide decimals by multiples of 10 and multiply and divide decimals by whole numbers.
PSHE
PSHE at Oulton is taught through discussion. Pupils are asked to follow classroom rules that encourage respect and the ability to discuss concerns with a trusted adult when needed.
Through PSHE, Year 5 will be learning how to keep themselves and others safe. Pupils will discuss what it means to be safe online and the impact and influence online behaviours can have on themselves and others. Year 5 pupils will also be looking at the impact of choices around being absent from home and identifying ways in which they can support themselves and others in this scenario.
For Year 6, PSHE lessons will be around Relationships and Sex Education. Pupils will learn about positive relationships, human reproduction and roles and responsibilities individuals have. Within our learning, children will be given the opportunity to ask questions using an ‘ask it basket’. Throughout our lessons, children are asked to be respectful of each other and follow the ground rules.
Art
All of UKS2 will be improving their skills in working with Water Colours. They will develop different sketching techniques: Hatching, contour hatching, cross hatching, random hatching, stippling and ink wash and learn how to control and experiment qualities of tone, shades, hue and mood. These skills will accumulate in each child creating a piece based on their class text (Kensuke’s Kingdom).
Geography
In Geography, we will be learning about the North Pole and the South Pole. This will include learning about the conditions in these places – how they are similar and how they are different. We will also learn about the countries that are located within the Arctic Circle. We will then go on to find out about how plants and animals have adapted to live in these regions and consider the impact climate change is having on the Arctic Ocean.
Music
This half term, Year 5 and 6 are spending their music lessons preparing for the KS2 Carol Concert. Both year groups will be learning and practising songs to perform as year groups, phase and whole KS2. They are all really excited to perform to parents in the last week of term.
PE
Our PE this half term will be slightly different depending on which year group/class your child is in. Please see below to see which areas of PE your child will be focusing on this half term.
Blue Tangs: Swimming and Cricket
Orcas: Swimming and Dance
Swordfish: YOGA and Cricket
Octopus: Cricket and Badminton
Children in Octopus, Blue Tangs and Swordfish will also continue to be taught by Elite Kids Coaches for one of their PE lessons.
Children in UKS2 also have access to an after-school club run by Elite Kids. They will be focusing on Tag Rugby and, as of now, there are still some spaces available. Please get in touch with the school office if you would like to book your child a place.
