This half term, our core text is the ‘Boy in the Tower’ by Polly Ho-Yen. It is about a boy who is living in a tower block and strange plants start attacking the foundations of the buildings. The children will be analysing the characters’ motivations and reactions. We will then be planning a monologue and writing a story.

Children will continue to develop their reading and comprehension skills by making predictions based on visual images and the text, inferring, and clarifying their understanding of words and phrases based on evidence from the text. They will make links with real events happening in the world around us and continue to develop learning behaviours such as supporting and actively listening to each other. Information texts about materials will be a reading focus for a week.

In R E we are looking at the unit 'What are the ways that communities care?'. The children will continue to look at different groups of people (holding religious and non-religious world views) and how each cares for the local and world environment. They will look at similarities between the different ways people care for the world and discuss how religious people are instructed to care for the world.

In maths, the children will use a range of methods to develop their understanding of multiplication and division. This will lead to the use of the formal column method to multiply up to four digits by two digits. The bus stop method will be used to divide up to four-digit numbers by one-digit numbers. There will also be a focus on mental calculation strategies. Ensuring your child is fluent with their times tables up to 12 x 12 would be helpful. The vocabulary associated with multiplication and division will be emphasised and there will be opportunities to apply what they have learnt daily through reasoning and problem-solving activities.  

For indoor P E, the children will move on to unit 2 of real PE. In this unit, the children will develop and apply their dynamic balance on a line and counter balance with a partner through focused skill development sessions, modified/non-traditional games and sports and healthy competition. For the outdoor P E sessions, pupils will be learning multi-skills P E focusing on agility, balance and control and games.

Children will build on their knowledge of properties and changes of materials. The children will be analysing the properties of materials before conducting a range of experiments to identify reversible and irreversible changes. They will be researching the contributions of various scientists who have come up with new uses for the combined materials we have today. 

We will be exploring the health and well-being unit this half term. The children will be learning about the importance of relaxation and sleep; understanding how to cope with failure; learning how to set goals and how to achieve goals. They will also know when to take precautions while in the sun, how to eat healthy meals and ingredients; learning about different emotions and possible ways of dealing with a difficult situation.

In Geography we will be looking at the Unit Protect our Planet. 

In computing, this half term we will be learning how to start to create vector drawings. They learn how to use different drawing tools to help them create images. They will learn to recognize that images in vector drawings are created using shapes and lines, and each element in the drawing is called an object. They then will layer their objects and begin grouping and duplicating them to support the creation of more complex pieces of work.

In D T this term pupils will be exploring textiles and attaching fabrics through stitching to create stuffed toys. They will be designing and creating a prototype and they will explore a variety of stitches. 

In French, the children will be learning about the topic of weather. By the end of this unit, pupils will have the knowledge and skills to describe the weather and to also present a weather forecaster pretending to be on television. This enables us to link the weather vocabulary with map work, compass points and general geography. This unit will help the children to improve both their language and cultural knowledge.

In music this term the pupils will be listening to and understanding music, improvising elements and singing the song 'The Sparkle in my Life'.

• Thursday 14th November - Year 5 Class Assembly @ 8:45 am

• Friday 29th November - Inset Day (school closed to all pupils)

• Friday 20th December - Whole School Carol Concert & Christmas Lunch (pupils can wear a festive jumper)

• Monday 23rd December - Sunday 5th January: Christmas Break 

• Monday 6th January: School reopens to pupils