English:
In our English, we will be looking at developing our writing skills by studying different grammatical tools. We will investigate these tools and consider the impact they have on our writing and how a good writer can use these to their advantage.
Both Year 5 and 6 are going to be starting our knew class book – Street Child. The story follows Jim Jarvis, a young orphan who escapes the workhouse in 1860’s London and survives brutal treatment and desperate circumstances until he is taken in by Dr. Barnardo, founder of a school for the city’s “ragged” children. This book also fits in nicely with our History topic ‘Education through time.’
Over the course of the half term, the children will be writing diaries from the perspective of Jim Jarvis, holding a debate and writing a persuasive letter to Lord Shaftesbury around Child Labour and finally, turning the poem ‘Jabberwocky’ into a narrative.
Maths:
We are always working on our mental maths skills and strategies in Year 5 and 6. This half term is no different as we will continue to discuss and practise the best mental strategies for solving problems.
Alongside this, we will also be learning about Place Value, including reading and writing numbers up to 1,000,000. Pupils will be comparing, ordering, rounding and calculating with numbers, using bar models to help them. Following this, Year 5 and 6 will progress onto calculating with large numbers using the four operations to solve calculations and word problems.
Year 5 will be moving on to geometry- where they will look at types of angles, drawing angles and finding missing angles on straight lines, around a point and in quadrilaterals. They will also begin to deepen their understanding of regular and irregular polygons.
Spanish:
In Spanish this half term, both year groups will be focusing on ‘The Wider World’ (el mundo a mi alrededor). The children will learn new key words and phrases relating to places in our world e.g. continents, animals, countries and the United Kingdom. They will conversate in Spanish asking each other questions such as, “Where do you live?”, and “Where is Spanish spoken?”. Not only will this enhance their Spanish skills, but their Geography knowledge too.
Science:
This half-term, both Year 5 and Year 6 will be looking at Animals including humans. During this topic, the focus will be on identifying and naming the main parts of the human circulatory system, recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their body functions and finally, describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals including humans.
Art:
In Art this half term, we will be focusing on specific artists. We will be looking at Alma Thomas and Kadinski and comparing the different styles of art. We will even be trying a few of their techniques.
Music:
For our music, our topic will be ‘keeping healthy’ which includes us looking at singing and playing scales and chromatic melodies accurately.
PE
Our PE focus for this half term are handball and health related exercises. All classes will be accessing two hours of PE every week and all children in Year 5 will continue to access swimming lessons every Tuesday. Please see below which sports your class will be learning.
Jellyfish: Handball and Swimming
Starfish: Handball and Swimming
Octopus: Handball and Health Related Exercises