Year 5

Welcome to the home of Year 5, where we focus on developing positivity – there is something good to be found in every day and resilience – our ability to bounce back.

Our teachers are Mr Dutton (Class 5D) and Mrs Kennedy (Class 5K) and we are lucky to have the help and support of our fabulous learning support assistant Miss Hughes.

Academic Year 2025/26

PE Information:

Both classes will have two sessions of PE a week. For the autumn term:

• Both classes will have PE every Friday
• Class 5K will also have PE on a Tuesday 
• For the autumn term, Class 5D will go swimming on Friday afternoon

Homework Information:

• Spellings are set every Friday on SpellingShed (the spelling test will be the following Friday)
• Times tables are to be practiced every week on Times Tables Rock Stars (times tables tests will be every Friday – children will be tested on the multiplication and division facts)
• Reading books are to be brought into school every day and we encourage children to read 5 times a week at home (all children will be read with once a week in school)

Google Classroom Support Information 2024-25:

Click here for our Google Classroom Parent Information 2024-25

Click here for our 2024-25 Google Classroom parent support video link and download 

Boost eBook and Spelling Shed Guides for Parents and Carers

Boost eBooks Parent and Carer Guide

Spelling Shed User Guide

 

Year 5 Curriculum Map 2024-25:

If you’re interested in seeing what your child will learn in Year 5 this year, have a look at our long term plan!

Click here for the Year 5 2024-25 Curriculum Overview – What we are learning in each subject

 

Suggested reading list books for Year 5 pupils age 9-10

Books for Year 5 – This curated list contains books suitable for children aged 9-10 in upper KS2 of primary school. These titles have been picked by teachers, librarians and authors, consist of a variety of fiction and nonfiction books for all ability ranges including the more able and readers who struggle.

Link to website:

https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks2-school-pupils/suggested-reading-list-for-year-5-pupils-ks2-age-9-10/Books for year 5 – recommended reading listBooks for year 5 – recommended reading list

 

What have we been up to in Year 5?

 

Week 29 – Monday 12th May – Friday 16th May 2025

Year 5 have had a fantastic week filled with exciting learning across the curriculum!

In English, we’ve been reading up to Chapter 16 of Street Child by Berlie Doherty. The children have explored powerful themes like hardship and resilience through the character of Jim Jarvis. Alongside this, they’ve been working hard to improve their grammar, spelling, and written responses.

In Maths, we’ve been learning about angles. The children have been classifying, estimating, and measuring angles and have really enjoyed getting hands-on with practical tasks and problem-solving activities.

Our Geography and RE lessons have focused on climate change and climate justice. The children have been learning about the environmental and social effects of climate issues and reflecting on fairness and global responsibility. As part of Christian Aid Week, we’ve had some thoughtful discussions about hope, inspired by real-life stories of people making a difference in disadvantaged communities. These conversations helped highlight the importance of compassion and taking action to help others.

Finally, in Art, we’ve been learning about self-portraits and how they can express feelings and personality. The children have been experimenting with different materials and techniques and using their sketchbooks to develop and explore their ideas.

Well done to all of Year 5 for their enthusiasm and effort this week — we’re so proud of you!

Our word of the week is: infrastructure

 

Week 28 – Monday 5th May – Friday 9th May 2025

This week, Year 5 have been busy across the curriculum with a range of exciting learning activities. In art, the children have been creating their own poem portraits, developing their skills in drawing portraits using the continuous line method and exploring how to vary the size, shape and position of words to add interest and expression to their work.

In geography, they have designed powerful posters about deforestation and climate change, raising awareness of environmental issues.

In RE, they have been learning more about famous women of the Bible and their inspiring stories. Meanwhile in maths, they have continued developing their understanding of statistics by exploring two-way timetables.

In English, the children have been stepping into the shoes of Jim Jarvis from Street Child, writing heartfelt letters to his sisters Lizzie and Emily, describing his daring escape from the Victorian workhouse and sharing his hopes and dreams for a brighter future.

 Our words of the week are: poem portraits

 

Week 27 – Monday 28th April – Friday 2nd May 2025

We’ve had a fantastic week in Year 5, filled with enthusiasm, teamwork, and excellent learning!

In English, the children have been working brilliantly in our reading lessons. Using the ‘talking triangles’ strategy, they explored Jim’s experiences in the workhouse from our class text Street Child. Each group member took on a specific role -speaker, responder, or note-taker- to discuss key questions thoughtfully before writing their own well-developed responses. Their maturity and focus during these discussions were excellent.

We were also incredibly proud of the children for being such fantastic role models to Year 2 this week during our parent meeting sessions. The children supported the younger pupils in a range of engaging activities, including collaborative art tasks and team-building games out on the field in the sunshine. Their kindness, patience, and leadership really shone through.

In maths, we’ve been delving into statistics, learning how to interpret and represent data in different ways. Meanwhile, in RE, we’ve been learning about key female figures in the Bible and their important contributions and stories.

Well done, Year 5 – you’ve had a brilliant week! We’re proud of your efforts, teamwork, and positive attitudes.

 

Our word of the week is: empathy

 

Week 26 – Tuesday 22nd April – Friday 25th April 2025

What an amazing computing Week it’s been for Year 5! The children have been busy learning all about databases, systems, and searches. They explored how databases work, using sort and filter tools to organise and make sense of information like real data experts.

They had a fantastic time creating their very own Space Planets databases, and used their search skills to explore the Pitch Up website – planning their ideal camping holidays with great enthusiasm!

As part of our focus on e-safety, the children let their imaginations run wild by designing their own digital superheroes. They created Top Trumps-style cards to showcase their heroes’ internet safety powers, followed by exciting comic book scenarios that taught important lessons about staying safe online.

A huge well done to all of Year 5 – your creativity, curiosity, and computing confidence have really shone through this week.

 

Our words of the week are: Databases

 

Week 25 – Monday 31st March – Friday 4th April 2025

What an incredible week it has been for Year 5! The children had an exciting and inspiring experience with Rock Kidz, where they took part in a high-energy workshop. They learned songs with positive messages, built their confidence, and celebrated their love for music in a fun and engaging way. The atmosphere during the celebration event was electric, with children singing their hearts out and showcasing their enthusiasm for music and performance!

In Maths, the children have been working hard on perimeter, applying their problem-solving skills to calculate measurements for different shapes and real-life scenarios.

In English, they have been writing balanced arguments about the pros and cons of Victorian workhouses. We have been incredibly impressed by the quality of their work, the depth of their understanding, and the detail in their opposing viewpoints. They have also demonstrated a strong grasp of the structure of a balanced argument.

Finally, in PE, the children enjoyed their final session before the break by taking on the Handball Gauntlet! They displayed fantastic teamwork, agility, and throwing skills, working brilliantly in their teams to score as many points as possible.

Well done, Year 5! Wishing you all a lovely Easter break!

 

Our words of the week are: Perseverance

 

 

Week 24 – Monday 24th – Friday 28th March 2025

Year 5 have been brilliant this week, fully immersing themselves in our Victorians topic. The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the different trades during the era and have created their own fantastic Victorian style adverts for a product of their choice. They have also learnt even more about what life was like for poor Victorian children and what jobs they were made to do. The children were tasked with writing diary entries as if they were a Victorian child, detailing their experiences of being chimney sweeps or coal mine workers for example.

In English, the children took part in a debating session about the positives and negatives of being in a Victorian workhouse, preparing the children for writing their balanced arguments that they will write next week!

Well done everyone!

 

Our words of the week are: Dr Bernado

 

Week 21 – Monday 3rd – Friday 7th March 2025

Year 5 had an amazing time celebrating World Book Day 2025! They enjoyed taking part in a quiz, a “Guess the Teacher” challenge, a live BBC World Book Day lesson, and the fantastic parade. The fun continued at playtime with a game of Quidditch, and they were even lucky enough to meet Sonic and Pikachu! Alongside all the excitement, the children have been working hard in their lessons. In maths, they have been deepening their understanding of fractions and decimals, while in history, they have started their new topic on the Victorians. They have been exploring where the Victorian era fits within the historical timeline and learning about key figures from the period, including Alexander Graham Bell.

Well done, Year 5, on a fantastic week full of learning, creativity, and fun!

Our word of the week is: equivalent

 

Week 20 – Monday 24th – Friday 28th February 2025

Year 5 have had another fantastic week, engaging in exciting learning across a range of subjects. In Computing, the children have been developing their understanding of systems and searching, comparing the effectiveness of different websites and using reliable search engines to gather information about space. They have also challenged themselves further on Code Studio, refining their coding and problem-solving skills.

In Maths, the children have been deepening their understanding of decimals, exploring tenths and hundredths and discovering their equivalent fractions. Meanwhile, in English, they have been working hard on their grammar knowledge, learning about the present perfect form and the past perfect tense of verbs.

Well done, Year 5, for another great week of learning!

Our words of the week are: systems and searching

 

 

Week 19 – Monday 10th – Friday 14th February 2025

This week, Year 5 took part in a thought-provoking Safer Internet Day, focusing on the theme: “Too Good to Be True? Protecting Yourself and Others from Scams Online and Phishing.”

Throughout the afternoon, the children explored how to spot online scams, identify phishing attempts, and make safe choices when using the internet. Engaging discussions helped them think critically about misleading adverts, fake websites, and suspicious messages. They learned how to question online offers and protect their personal information.

The children showed great enthusiasm and shared thoughtful insights about their own online experiences. Their discussions demonstrated a strong understanding of how to stay safe and help others navigate the digital world securely.

Top Tips from Year 5:

• If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is
• Never share personal details with unknown websites or messages
• Look out for spelling mistakes, urgent requests, and suspicious links in emails and messages
• Always check with a trusted adult if something online doesn’t feel right

We encourage parents and carers to continue these discussions at home to help reinforce the importance of online safety. Together, we can ensure that our children develop the skills to stay safe in the digital world.

Our word of the week is: phishing

 

Week 18 – Monday 3rd – Friday 7th February 2025

Year 5 have had an exciting and productive week, immersing themselves in a range of engaging learning activities. In English, the children have been busy planning their own Greek myths, drawing inspiration from traditional tales while adding their own creative twists. In Maths, they have been deepening their understanding of fractions, focusing on multiplying fractions and finding fractions of amounts with increasing confidence. Geography lessons have seen them further develop their map skills by learning to use four-point grid references accurately.

Alongside their academic learning, the children have taken part in a variety of activities for Children’s Mental Health Week. They have enjoyed class yoga, reflective journaling, and role-play activities, as well as participating in two live lessons alongside hundreds of schools across the city. The sessions, centered around the theme “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself,” provided valuable insights into self-awareness and personal growth. The children thoroughly enjoyed these activities and responded brilliantly to the guidance and support shared among their peers.

Well done, Year 5, for another fantastic week of learning and personal development!

Our word of the week is: resilience

 

Week 17 – Monday 20th – Friday 31st January 2025

Year 5 have had a fantastic couple of weeks, engaging in a variety of practical learning activities across different subjects. In our Design Technology (DT) lessons, the children have been exploring Chinese cuisine and culture, where they have planned their own soup recipes and designed lantern decorations. As part of their research, they delved into Chinese traditions, legends, and celebrations, including the Lunar New Year, before preparing their own Chinese-inspired noodle and sweetcorn soup for our celebration afternoon on Wednesday.

Alongside their DT work, the children have been busy in English, learning about Greek myths, and in Maths, where they have been developing efficient methods for division. In Science, they have also started exploring substances and mixtures as part of our new materials topic.

Well done, Year 5, for another great week of learning!

 

Our word of the week is: evaluate

 

Week 16 – Monday 13th – Friday 17th January 2025

This week has been another fantastic one for Year 5! In Maths, the children have been working hard to master the area model and formal column multiplication. They’ve shown great perseverance and problem-solving skills as they built their confidence in these important methods. In reading, we completed our journey through Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. The children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the story’s themes of friendship, survival, and resilience, and we’ve had some wonderful discussions about the key messages of the book. In grammar, we’ve been focusing on parenthesis and learning how to use brackets, dashes, and commas to add extra information to sentences. The children have worked hard to apply this new skill in their writing and have been making their sentences more detailed and exciting. In geography, the children have been learning all about the United Kingdom, including its four countries, capital cities, and key physical features. They’ve also explored some of the UK’s most famous landmarks, showcasing their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning about the world around them.

It has been a brilliant week, and we are so proud of all the effort and enthusiasm Year 5 has shown. Well done, everyone!

Our word of the week is: empire

 

Week 15 – Monday 6th – Friday 10th January 2025

On Monday, the children were thrilled to have an extended opportunity to play outside in the snow, making the most of the winter weather to have fun and explore!

Throughout our computing week, the children have demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm and engagement. In our E-Safety session, they delved into the important topic of distinguishing between personal and private information, learning how to stay safe online. Additionally, they have been mastering key computing concepts such as functions and conditionals as part of our computer science curriculum.

The children have also excelled in developing their logical thinking and problem-solving skills. They have worked diligently on the Code Studio platform, where they tackled a range of challenging tasks, and explored hands-on projects using the Micro:bit kit. These activities have not only reinforced their understanding of coding but also sparked creativity and teamwork as they collaborated on exciting projects.

Well done everyone.

Our word of the week is: functions and conditionals

Week 14 – Monday 9th – Friday 13th December 2024

Year 5 kick started our Christmas events in festive fashion this week, performing brilliantly to their families during our Christmas sing along celebration! The children performed Christmas themed poetry alongside a few Christmas classics before closing with their personal favourite, the planet song! You were all fabulous Year 5 and thank you for putting a smile on everyone’s faces before the Christmas holidays!

 

Our word of the week is: appreciation

 

Week 13 – Monday 2nd – Friday 6th December 2024

This week, Year 5 have been working exceptionally hard across all their lessons. In maths, they tackled fractions, while in English, they focused on writing character descriptions. In RE, the children explored how Christmas is celebrated around the world. They also completed their work on Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, studying the significance of the Rosetta Stone. A highlight was creating Egyptian-inspired artwork, where they wrote their names in hieroglyphics inside a cartouche. Additionally, the children ranked what they believed to be the most significant Egyptian inventions before finishing the topic with an end-of-unit quiz. Well done, Year 5 – you’ve been superstars throughout this topic!

In PE, Class 11 enjoyed participating in a mini handball tournament, showcasing the skills they’ve developed in passing, moving, catching, and shooting. Congratulations to the red team for winning all their games and the blue team for earning the ‘spirit of the game’ award. Meanwhile, Class 12 successfully completed their swimming programme. Over the ten weeks, they’ve made fantastic progress, refining their techniques and learning about water safety.

Well done, Year 5 – what an amazing week!

 

Our words of the week are: cartouche

 

 

 

Week 12 – Monday 25th – Friday 29th November 2024

Year 5 have been working hard this half term in science, learning about forces such as gravity and air resistance. This week, they explored the discoveries and theories of Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei and put these ideas to the test with practical experiments. The children especially enjoyed watching NASA’s feather and hammer experiment on the Moon and learning how F1 race cars are designed to be aerodynamic.

In their own experiments, the children tested how air resistance affects three balloons of different sizes. They discovered that the larger the balloon’s surface area, the greater the air resistance, meaning it takes longer to fall to the ground. The children now understand that it is air resistance, rather than gravity, that causes this effect!

Well done everyone.

 

Our words of the week are: persuasive language

 

Week 11 – Monday 18th – Friday 22nd November 2024

We have had another excellent week in Year 5 with the children engaging brilliantly across all subjects. The children have particularly enjoyed learning about the Ancient Egyptian creation story and all of the different gods, goddesses and beliefs. The children have also loved teaming up with the Year 2 children this week during our family meetings. They enjoyed their shared reading of traditional tales and produced some fabulous book reviews based on them. They also worked together to produce some beautiful mosaic artwork! Finally, Class 11 listened to our school council nominees’ speeches, who should all be really proud of themselves, and voted for the person they felt had the strongest ideas for change in our school. All of the children were fantastic in their presentations and the majority vote in class went to Oliver! Congratulations Oliver! You were a worthy winner and you’re going to make a great councillor! Class 12 will be announcing their class councillor very soon! Well done everyone, we are so proud of you all.

Our words of the week are: role models

 

Week 10 – Monday 11th – Friday 15th November 2024

Year 5 were absolutely outstanding during our trip to the World Museum for their “Ancient Egyptian Artefacts” workshop on Wednesday. From the moment we arrived, the children represented our school brilliantly. Throughout the workshop, every child was fully engaged, showing genuine curiosity and an eagerness to learn about ancient Egyptian history and culture. Their behaviour was impeccable not only during the main session but also as we explored various sections of the museum. The children asked insightful questions and interacted respectfully with all of the exhibits throughout the day. We are incredibly proud of each one of them for making the day experience so positive and memorable. Well done, everyone – you truly embodied the values of our school!

Verity has also created a wonderful piece of artwork, commemorating Remembrance Day. We are so impressed with her artistic talents and the lovely messages behind them. Well done Verity!

Our word of the week is: mummification

 

 

Week 9 – Monday 4th – Friday 8th November 2024

The children have been fantastic this week, completing all of their first assessments of the school year! Alongside assessments, it’s also been Computing Week in Year 5. They began with an E-Safety session, learning how to be “online superheroes” by standing up against online bullying. The children demonstrated real maturity in their contributions and responses to thought-provoking questions. In addition, they’ve been developing video creation and editing skills in iMovie. Starting with a storyboard based on Bonfire Night and the Gunpowder Plot, they learned how to import images, video, and sound, add themes and transitions, and use cropping tools. The children also created presentations in Google Slides on our space topic from last half term, incorporating key information about the planets of our solar system along with interactive home buttons and hyperlinks.

Well done, everyone—you’ve been amazing this week!

Our words of the week are: hyperlinks

 

 

Week 8 – Monday 21st – Friday 25th October 2024

Year 5 have had an exciting and productive week in English, learning all about orangutans. They created their own double-page fact files and used their research to write non-chronological reports. The children have been deeply engaged in studying these majestic creatures, while also learning about the importance of using sustainable products to support conservation efforts. In History, we launched our new Egyptians topic with a “wow factor” mystery box! The children had to apply their mathematical skills to solve a series of “sometimes true, always true, and never true” statements, which helped them generate a code to unlock the mystery box. Working brilliantly in pairs, they successfully opened the box to reveal a treasure trove of ancient Egyptian artefacts and treasures. The children also worked on key vocabulary for the Egyptians topic. They created their own ‘VocAPPulary’ devices before participating in a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” style Egyptian vocabulary quiz!

Our words of the week are: sarcophagus

 

Week 7 – Monday 13th – Friday 18th October 2024

Year 5 have had an art-filled week! To start off our art lessons, the children looked at the influence of the Space Race and retrofuturism. They explored retrofuturistic artwork and wondered how each one was made. The children then chose a piece of artwork to focus on and used different media and styles to replicate parts of the piece. Then, the children looked at a piece of artwork created by Teis Albers that used printing. So, the children then used their sketchbooks to develop their own ideas for their own piece of artwork and created their own collagraph printing plate to create the background for their piece. Next week, the children will be continuing with their artwork. We can’t wait to see their finished pieces!

 

Our words of the week are: mixed media

 

Week 6 – Monday 7th October – Friday 11th October 2024

Year 5 have sadly come to the end of both their science space theme and geography Alps topics this week, however, we have been amazed by how much the children have learnt and have been so impressed with how they have engaged throughout the half term in both subjects. The children thoroughly enjoyed our end of topic assessment quizzes on Kahoot and have even created tourist travel guides for the Alps using the Book Creator app. The children have been able to showcase everything they have learnt in their lessons whilst also further developing their computing presentation and digital literacy skills.

 

Well done everyone and thank you for all of your hard work and enthusiasm.

 

Our word of the week is: tourism

 

Week 5 – Monday 30th September – Friday 4th October 2024

Year 5 have had a fantastic week in all subjects this week! The children have enjoyed becoming ‘architects’ in geography, designing their own alpine lodges and labelling/describing the features that they decided to include. The children have also been studying the different alpine industries and their importance to the alpine region including farming, tourism, forestry and renewable energy. It was also our whole school poetry showcase on Friday and the children have really enjoyed performing their class poems, related to the topic ‘counting’, to all of the other year groups in the hall. Well done everyone for a fabulous week!

 

Our word of the week is: architecture

 

Week 4 – Monday 23rd – Friday 27th September 2024

This week in Year 5 has been full of excitement, with the children once again demonstrating impressive engagement and knowledge. In geography, we’ve explored the formation of the Alps, learning how fold mountains are created when tectonic plates collide. The children also applied their map skills to identify other fold mountains worldwide, such as Mount Everest in the Himalayas. In maths, they worked hard on rounding numbers up to 1,000,000 and understanding negative numbers, including temperature variations. In English, the children have written fantastic balanced arguments, debating the pros and cons of sailing around the world, inspired by our novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom. Well done to everyone for another fantastic week!

 

Our words of the week are: fold mountains

 

 

 

Week 1 and 2 – Wednesday 4th – Friday 13th September 2024

 

Year 5 have had a fabulous first week and a half back and it has been a pleasure getting to know all of the children even better. We have undertaken a number of creative tasks with a particular focus on learning how the brain works and the benefits of adopting a ‘growth mindset’. The children took part in a collaborative STEM activity alongside others, with the purpose of learning about the importance of teamwork, positivity and resilience. We also followed this up with team building games in PE! Well done to our eight fabulous captains who represented their teams proudly and were excellent role models to all! We have also been lucky to have had lots of fantastic computing experiences, using the new iPads, Chromebooks and Micro:bit kits, since our return to school This week has also been Year 5’s computing week. We started off our computing week with our ‘Common Sense Media’ E-Safety lesson, based around healthy media choices. The children discussed a variety of scenarios based around healthy and unhealthy digital media use before creating Pic Collages to show how they are going to make healthy media choices. During the rest of computing week, the children have been building on their coding knowledge and skills, further developing their sprites in Code Studio and using nested loops to enhance their creations. Well done everyone, you’ve all been amazing!

 

Our word of the week is: Resilience