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Into the final term, we explored the Ancient Kingdom of Benin. To start, the children enthusiastically created board games where the Oba (king) had to find a new wife. This activity sparked their curiosity and set the stage for our study.
In the second week, the children examined numerous ancient artefacts and produced outstanding writing on the reliability of historical sources. Additionally, they learned how to use semicolons in their writing, and it was wonderful to see them applying this new skill effectively.
Week three was assessment week, and the children tackled their final Year 5 assessments with remarkable resilience and hard work. We were immensely proud of their efforts. In the afternoons, they engaged in a DT project, creating satchels inspired by the African fashion designer Pathe’ O.
In the fourth week, the children became budding journalists, writing newspaper articles about the British Empire's takeover of the Kingdom of Benin in 1897.
During week five, Year 5 got creative with their writing, producing excellent narratives about Toki, a boy living in a rainforest aspiring to be the leader of his tribe. The children also met their new Year 6 teachers, played seated volleyball in PE, and enjoyed some excellent music lessons.
Week six was Science and Art Week, a true highlight filled with fun and learning. The children sculpted Benin Bronzes from clay, painted them with metallic paint, and participated in science experiments with students from the local school, DSTC. They also explored the development of animals and humans.
In our last week of the year, we got our hands dirty with Challenger Troop activities. Sixty-six children had an exciting day of team-building and communication games, thoroughly enjoying learning discipline from army cadets. The video for this is on our school facebook page and class dojo pages. We also had a fantastic time tie-dyeing t-shirts, which looked vibrant and colourful. Finally, the children used their punch-making skills to create a delicious Nigerian punch full of fruit and flavours.
This term, our Year 5 pupils were also thrilled to participate in a cross-trust maths tournament, showcasing their mathematical knowledge and teamwork. Their enthusiasm and dedication paid off as two of our teams successfully qualified for the grand final, a testament to their hard work and strategic thinking. The experience not only bolstered their problem-solving skills but also tested and developed their social and communication skills; building their pride in themselves and our school.
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