This half term, our core book is ‘A Kind of Spark’ by Elle McNicol. The 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 that have happened in the world around us and continue to develop learning behaviours such as supporting and actively listening to each other. 

In writing, they will focus on writing a monologue in first-person, ensuring that they include all the structural and language features. They will also be writing an interview based on a key event in our core text.

In RE, the children are learning about discrimination and powerful individuals who have changed the course of history. They will then move on learn about the importance of Lent to Christians and preparing for Easter.

In maths, the children will be building on their knowledge of fractions and decimals to link to percentages. Converting metric measurements will involve the use of place value. Converting units of time and the use of timetables will build on previous learning about time. Area and perimeter of shapes will build of their knowledge of converting metric measurements. There will also be a focus on mental calculation strategies. 

Ensuring you child is fluent with their times tables up to 12 x 12 would be very helpful. There will be opportunities to apply what they have learnt on a daily basis through reasoning and problem-solving activities.

Swimming will resume every Friday each week. The pupils are learning skills such as water safety; how to get in and out of the pool safely, and how to swim independently by kicking and stretching their arms out in front of them and paddling. They have begun to dive into the deep end and swim upwards also. If possible. please support your child to develop their swimming outside of the school to boost their capacity to learn how to swim during these taught sessions.

Outdoor PE sessions will be led by the PE coach who is concentrating on multi-skills activities in the field or playground when the weather is dry.

Children will build on their knowledge of forces. The children will be analysing a range of forces. They will be conducting a variety of experiments to identify the effects of a range of forces. They will be researching the contributions of various scientists who have developed theories about forces. They will be using a range of equipment to test out their predictions involving forces.

We will be looking at empathy and identity issues. Methods to challenge discrimination will be linked to our topic of the Windrush Generation. The children will find ways to deal with online bullying and will continue to discuss how to stay safe online.  They will move on to discuss emotional changes that children go through during puberty and who they can go to talk to if they are worried about anything.

This term we are focussing on history through the continued topic of the Windrush. Pupils will be learning about post-war Britain and creating timelines, plotting significant events along the way. Pupils will be learning through exploring a variety of sources, such as videos, photos, letters, articles and interviews of those with links to the Windrush. 

Pupils will make links to their geography topic where tropical climates and biomes were explored. The push and pull factors of migration will be revised to answer questions about how the immigration from the Caribbean to London has impacted post-war to modern Britain. 

This term, pupils will continue with programming and will be learning how to use Picoh. 

Picoh is a programmable robot head. It has three motors that move its head and lips, and a screen that displays eyes. Connected to a computer Picoh can be programmed to sense, think and act. 

In DT  this term, pupils will design and make their own bridge. The children will create a product that is strong, stable and fit for purpose.

Our topic this half term is Around Town. The children will learn the nouns and definite articles/determiners for 10 places around a town in the foreign language. They will learn how to navigate around the town using directions and prepositions to indicate the exact position of a place in relation to another in French.

This term we will be focusing on the topic Enjoying Musical Styles. The children will be singing, listening, playing, improvising and composing with a range of different music including reggae, 20th/21st century orchestral pop music. They will focus on the song Eerie Canal written in the 19th century.

• Weekly swimming lessons will continue on Fridays

• PE will remain on Thursdays 

• Wednesday 5th March 2025: Year 5 Class Assembly