2025/6 Term 2

English

In English, children will be using The Explorer by Katherine Rundell as inspiration for their writing. They’ll focus on creating their own quest narratives, developing characters, settings, and plots that entertain the reader. This will include using descriptive language, dialogue, and varied sentence structures to build tension and excitement.

Alongside narrative writing, pupils will also learn how to write to explain. They’ll produce an explanation text on how to survive a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest, which will involve using clear organisational features such as headings, subheadings, bullet points, and technical vocabulary. They’ll practise writing in a formal tone, using precise language and logical sequencing to make their explanations clear and informative.

In reading, children will focus on two texts: the adventure novel The Explorer by Katherine Rundell and the non-fiction book Amazon River by Rômolo D’Hipólito and Sangma Francis. Using these texts, pupils will continue developing their comprehension skills through our EARS strategy and the structured reading approach.

Lessons will include preparing for reading by exploring themes, settings, and vocabulary, echo reading to model fluency, and text marking to understand how punctuation and presentation contribute to meaning. Pupils will also practise retrieving details, summarising information, and making inferences, as well as engaging personally with the text through discussion and creative responses.

                                                                      Maths

This term, children will be developing their calculation and geometry skills. In multiplication, Year 5 will focus on multiplying 4-digit numbers by 1-digit, while Year 6 will extend this to 4-digit by 2-digit and multiplying decimals. Pupils will also learn to round decimals and apply BIDMAS (Brackets, Indices, Division/Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) to solve problems involving the correct order of operations.

For division, Year 5 will practise short division with 4-digit numbers divided by 1-digit, including word problems and rounding answers, while Year 6 will tackle long division with 4-digit numbers divided by 2-digit. In geometry, children will draw, measure, and classify angles, and solve problems involving angles around a point and on a straight line. They’ll also compare and classify quadrilaterals and triangles.

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You can support our learning at home by encouraging us to access Times Table Rockstars and helping us learn our KIRFs. 

KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts)

Science- What evidence is there that living things have changed over time?

This term, our science lessons will focus on evolution, inheritance, and adaptation. Children will explore how living things pass on characteristics to their offspring through genes, and how these traits can vary from one generation to the next. They’ll learn to distinguish between inherited traits—like eye colour or face shape—and those influenced by the environment, such as language or scars.

We’ll also investigate how animals adapt to survive in their habitats, looking at examples like camels with long eyelashes and thick eyebrows to protect their eyes from desert conditions. Pupils will discover how changes in the environment can lead to extinction when species can no longer adapt, and how fossils provide clues about life millions of years ago. Finally, we’ll delve into the fascinating process of evolution and natural selection, learning about the contributions of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace, and the five key steps that explain how species change over time.

RE- Does Creativity Matter (art)?

In RE this term, children will explore how people express their worldviews through creative forms such as art. They’ll learn that creativity can communicate identity and belonging and will ask questions about how context influences artistic expression. Pupils will study examples from different religions and cultures, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu traditions, and consider how beliefs are represented in art.

They will also examine non-religious perspectives and discuss questions about power and ownership in art. Through these lessons, children will develop skills in interpreting creative expressions and understanding diverse worldviews

History- How did the Industrial Revolution change the lives of people in Britain?.

This term in history, children will be learning about the Industrial Revolution, which took place between 1750 and 1900. They’ll explore how this period transformed life in Britain, with manufacturing shifting from hand production to machines, and many people moving from rural areas to towns and cities for work.

Pupils will also learn about the experiences of children working in Victorian factories and how government reforms helped improve their safety. They’ll develop their historical enquiry skills by examining both primary sources—like diaries and tools—and secondary sources such as paintings and books.

PSHE- How can friends communicate safely?

In PSHE this term, children will be learning about different types of relationships, including those with family, friends, classmates, and online connections. They’ll explore what makes a relationship healthy—such as trust and respect—and how to recognise signs of unhealthy behaviour like control or manipulation.

We’ll also focus on online safety, helping children understand how to use the internet responsibly. They’ll learn the importance of protecting personal information, using privacy settings, gaining consent before sharing content, and how to report anything unsafe. Pupils will be encouraged to speak to a trusted adult if they ever feel unsure or uncomfortable online.

PE

This term in indoor PE, pupils will take part in a range of activities designed to improve their overall health and fitness. They will explore key components such as speed, stamina, strength, coordination, balance, and agility. Pupils will be encouraged to challenge themselves, support others, and track their progress using collected data, while developing perseverance and teamwork.

In our outdoor PE sessions, pupils will develop skills that support outdoor adventurous activities. They will work individually and in teams to solve challenges, share ideas, and lead others. Activities will focus on strategy, communication, and inclusion, while also introducing map reading and navigation using more complex maps and controls.

Computing

In computing, children will begin creating vector drawings using digital tools. They’ll learn that vector images are made up of shapes and lines, and that each element in a drawing is called an object. Pupils will practise layering objects and start grouping and duplicating them to build more complex designs. This unit will help them develop precision and creativity while understanding how digital graphics are constructed.

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