Term 3- January-February 2025

English

In English this term, Year 5/6 students will be immersing themselves in the moving story When Stars Are Scattered, where they’ll explore themes of hope, resilience, and the refugee experience. Through short burst writing activities, students will develop their storytelling and creative writing skills, creating their own diary entries based on the characters' emotions and experiences. They’ll also write from different perspectives, capturing the feelings of those living through difficult circumstances. In addition, students will study the powerful poem Voices in the Night by Sandy Brownjohn, exploring its themes and structure. They’ll experiment with their own poetry, using descriptive language to evoke strong imagery and emotion, bringing their creative ideas to life. It’s going to be a term filled with heartfelt writing and imaginative expression!

In Reading this term, Year 5/6 students will be exploring two powerful texts: the poem Invictus and the story The Boy at the Back of the Class. They’ll start with Invictus, delving into its themes of determination, resilience, and personal strength, while analysing the poet’s use of language and rhythm. Students will explore how the poem inspires courage in the face of adversity and discuss the emotions it evokes. We will also read The Boy at the Back of the Class, a touching story about friendship, belonging, and the refugee experience. Through this, we will explore character development, themes of empathy and inclusion, and how narrative elements come together to tell a compelling story. Throughout the term, they’ll engage in deep discussions, critical thinking, and activities that strengthen their reading comprehension and reading fluency skills. It’s going to be an inspiring and thought-provoking journey!

Maths

In Maths this term, Year 5/6 students will tackle a wide range of exciting and challenging topics! They’ll start by interpreting negative numbers and understanding how to use them in real-life contexts, like temperatures and money. Students will explore percentages, learning what they mean and how to calculate them, as well as reading and writing decimal numbers as fractions. They’ll also recall important equivalences between fractions, decimals, and percentages, and solve problems that use all three. The class will practice adding whole numbers and solving tricky multi-step problems, as well as using the mean to find averages. Students will also master multiplying multi-digit numbers by one and two-digit numbers and explore multiplying proper fractions by whole numbers and pairs of fractions. By the end of the term, they’ll be confident in solving problems involving percentages and decimals, and applying their knowledge to real-world situations!

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 does my Circulatory System do?

In Year 5/6, students are diving into the fascinating world of the circulatory system! They’ll explore how the heart works like a powerful pump, sending blood through the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients while removing waste. Children will discover the amazing journey of blood as it travels through arteries, veins, and capillaries, and learn about the vital components of blood, like red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Through hands-on activities and experiments, they'll uncover how this incredible system keeps our bodies healthy, strong, and full of energy!

RE- Christian Life Journeys

This term in RE, Year 5/6 students are exploring the exciting topic of Christian Life Journeys! They will learn about the important rite of passage known as ‘confirmation,’ discovering what it means for Christians and how it marks a significant step in their faith journey. Students will explore the different ways confirmation is celebrated across various Christian denominations, understanding the unique traditions and practices involved. They’ll also dive into the Nicene Creed, learning about its key role in Christian beliefs and how it unites Christians around the world. Through engaging lessons and discussions, they’ll gain a deeper understanding of these important aspects of Christian life!

Geography- How does population change?

In Geography this term, Year 5/6 students will be exploring the exciting topic of How does population change? They’ll discover what population is and how it reflects the number of people living in a place. Students will learn about the birth and death rates, and how these factors impact whether a population grows or shrinks. They’ll explore the idea of migration, understanding how people move from one place to another and how it affects population numbers. The class will also investigate how climate change, particularly warming temperatures, can influence where people live. Finally, students will learn the difference between quantitative data (numbers) and qualitative data (opinions), helping them to understand how both are used to study population changes. It’s going to be an eye-opening journey into the factors that shape our world!

PSHE- How can drugs common to everyday life affect health? 

In PSHE this term, Year 5/6 students will explore how medicines can help people feel better, relieve pain, manage health conditions like asthma or diabetes, and even prevent illnesses. Students will learn how vaccinations help stop the spread of diseases and why it's important for adults to give medicines to children. They’ll also discover the difference between legal drugs (like tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and e-cigarettes) and illegal drugs (like cocaine and cannabis), and how all drugs affect the brain or body in some way. The class will discuss the risks of drug use and what might influence someone to try drugs, as well as strategies to resist peer pressure, like walking away or talking to a trusted adult. Students will gain the confidence to always speak to a trusted adult if they have any concerns about drugs or medicines. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to make safe, healthy choices!

PE

In PE this term, Year 5/6 students will be exploring the exciting worlds of hockey and dance! In hockey, they’ll develop key skills like dribbling, passing, and shooting, while learning the rules of the game and how to work as a team on the field. Students will also have the chance to improve their fitness, agility, and coordination through exciting drills and matches. In dance, they’ll get creative by learning a variety of routines and techniques, expressing themselves through movement to music. Students will explore different styles of dance, focusing on rhythm, balance, and performance skills. It’s going to be a fun and active term filled with teamwork, creativity, and plenty of opportunities to improve their physical skills!

Computing

In this unit, learners will use physical computing to explore the concept of selection in programming through the use of the Crumble programming environment. Learners will be introduced to a microcontroller (Crumble controller) and learn how to connect and program components (including output devices- LEDs and motors) through the application of their existing programming knowledge. Learners are introduced to conditions as a means of controlling the flow of actions and make use of their knowledge of repetition and conditions when introduced to the concept of selection (through the if, then structure).

Spelling

This term we shall be looking at prefixes and suffixes, these are groups of letters that go at the beginning of a root word or the end of a root word to make a new word. For example mis- can be added to place to make misplace, -able can be added to forgive to make forgivable.