Year 5

Hello and welcome to Year 5! I’m Miss Elvy, and I’m really excited to begin this new school year with you. Some of you might remember me from earlier in your school journey, and it’s lovely to be working with you again – and to welcome lots of new faces to the class too. I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone better as we start this exciting year together. We’ll also be joined at times by Mrs Mizon, who will be supporting our learning in class.

We have a busy and brilliant autumn term ahead. One of the highlights will be our swimming lessons, where we’ll build on the confidence and skills developed in Year 4. In maths, we’ll be working through key topics including number and place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and perimeter and area – all helping to strengthen your understanding and problem-solving abilities.

Our English lessons will be guided by the Literacy Tree, and we’ll be exploring two fantastic texts this term: Robot Girl and Hidden Figures. These books will inspire a variety of writing, including a non-chronological report and an engaging narrative, allowing us to develop both factual and creative writing skills.

There’s so much to look forward to this year – new learning, exciting challenges, and plenty of opportunities to shine. Let’s make Year 5 a year to remember!

Year 5 – Autumn 1 Update

We’ve had a great start to the school year in Year 5! The children have settled in well, showing lots of enthusiasm and curiosity. They’ve been getting to know their new classroom routines, making new friends, and embracing the challenges ahead with a positive attitude. It’s been lovely to see their confidence grow already. 

English 
This half term, we've been diving into two fantastic texts:  Robot Girl and Hidden Figures. Robot Girl sparked some great discussions about technology and ethics. We used it as a springboard for writing diary entries and narrative pieces, focusing on character voice and building suspense.  

With Hidden Figures, we explored the real-life stories of four brilliant African American women who worked at NASA. The children wrote biographies and persuasive letters, learning about resilience, equality, and the power of education. Both books have really sparked their imagination. 

Maths 
In Maths, we’ve been working hard on place value—understanding numbers up to one million—and then moved on to addition and subtraction. The children have been developing both their written and mental methods, while also tackling plenty of reasoning and problem-solving tasks to stretch their thinking. We have also begun looking at multiplication through multiples and factors. 

Science 
Our Science topic this half term has been Forces. We've looked at gravity, friction, and air resistance through practical investigations. From testing how different surfaces affect movement to finding out about gravity, the class has really enjoyed getting hands-on with their learning. Considering fair testing has been a key part of each investigation. 

Music 
Year 5 has also started learning to play the ukulele! They've already mastered a few basic chords and have been working on rhythm, strumming, and playing simple songs together. It's been brilliant to see their confidence grow each week—and there’s plenty more music to come. Their instructor has been very impressed with their progress. 

History – Anglo-Saxons 

This term, Year 5 has been diving into the fascinating world of the Anglo-Saxons. We’ve explored who the Anglo-Saxons were, where they came from, and why they came. The children have been intrigued by stories of kings and warriors from over a thousand years ago. Taking the role of history detectives, they tried to solve the mystery of the burial ship at Sutton Hoo and who might have been buried in it. The children have really enjoyed stepping back in time and imagining what life was like in these exciting, often challenging, periods of history.