Maths

To start the year, we have been focussing on number and Place Value in Maths. We spent the first few weeks really picking apart numbers- using a CPA approach- so that each child had a solid understanding of the value of each digit within numbers up to one million. Once the children were confident with this, we moved on to ordering and comparing numbers and then rounding numbers.  Throughout this topic, the children were challenged to demonstrate their understanding by explaining their methods and the reasoning behind them.

We have now started looking at addition and subtraction. So far, we have looked at how we can use our knowledge of place value to improve our fluency and add or subtract numbers mentally, especially if only a few digits will change. We will then move onto formal written methods which we will continue after half term. 

 

English

Our novel this term has been ‘I Was a Rat’ by Phillip Pullman. The children have enjoyed reading and listening to the story as part of our English lessons. While reading the story, the children have discussed the storyline, made predictions based on what they have read and made inferences as to how  the characters are feeling using clues from the text to support them.

Throughout the half term, the children have also been provided with short writing opportunities based on the book. The children have written a character description, a diary entry from a character’s perspective and a persuasive letter trying to convince the lead character to make the right decision when in a tricky situation. Before the children had completed this writing, we looked at the features of the different texts so that the children could incorporate them into their own writing including the appropriate punctuation and grammar. 

 

Science

This half term, year 5 have been learning about the properties of materials. This topic has provided lots of opportunities for the children to work scientifically and investigate how materials can be used and even changed. During the topic, the children have come up with questions to investigate by identifying variables and choosing which variables to change and measure. They have also made predictions based on their prior knowledge of the materials and carried out investigations while measuring accurately and tabulating their results.

The children have investigated the properties of materials, which materials make good thermal conductors or insulators, which materials make good electrical conductors or insulators and developed their own investigation based on the solubility of sugar in water.

Geography

For Geography, the children have been learning about Fair Trade. We started the enquiry learning about the Silk Road. The children used maps to locate the Silk Road and to identify which modern-day countries the road passed through.

The children then learnt about International Trade- comparing British imports and Exports. We looked at the city of Southampton as an important port for where commodities come in and out of the country and the children used grid references on a map to locate some of the key areas of the city.

Finally, we learned about Fair Trade and explained the difference it made for independent farmers in third-world countries who otherwise would receive very little money for the products that they grow.

R.E.

We have learnt about Hinduism in R.E. this half term and how Hindus show commitment to their faith. The children enjoyed learning about the different customs and routines and have been able to recall and explain the ways a follower of Hinduism may show their commitment to God.

Computing

This half term, the children have learnt about online safety. We discussed the SMART rules for when using the internet and the children were able to explain these and present them in a comic book that they designed on purple mash. We looked how to keep our information private through the use of passwords and discussed how to come up with a strong password so that others cannot access our personal information.

Spanish

The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning Spanish this term. We have started by revising the key phrases used to introduce ourselves. The children have worked hard on the pronunciation of key words and can identify how some letters in Spanish have a different sound to those in English. Over the half term, we have learnt how to talk about ourselves and ask questions to find out information about others.

PE

In Year 5, our PE has been based on the topic of ‘Creative Games’ and we looked at the sport of Rugby through this unit.

The children have moved through a number of different key skills which can be applied to the sport of Rugby including tactics, passing and receiving and how to attack and defend effectively.

Year 5 have also attended swimming lessons this term. The children have been growing in confidence in water and are starting to swim short distances with a recognisable stoke.

PSHCE/JIGSAW

In Jigsaw, we have been learning about ourselves. Setting ourselves goals and targets for the year along with looking at other people within the world and how they live in comparison to us, in the United Kingdom.

Music

Year 5 children have been hard at work learning to play the descant recorder. They have learnt to play the notes B, A and G. They can hold the descant correctly with their left hand on top and are getting much better at changing their finger position, playing softly to create a lovely recorder ensemble. They have improved their knowledge of formal notation by trying to read the notes, which include crochets, quavers and minims. They have learnt how to recognise the end of the sheet music, a bar line and wait for the count in ready to start all together.

For our Harvest Celebration at St. Catherine’s with Father Roger Parker, The Hobbits have been hard at work learning three harvest songs: – Cauliflowers Fluffy and Harvest Samba and We Plough the Fields. Miss Whiteside, Music Lead, has led our weekly singing assembly in readiness for our celebration.

The children were set the challenge of performing the hymn We Plough the Fields and Scatter in Church to an audience of KS2 with parents and carers invited. 

In singing lessons with Mr Garrett, the pupils have been taught the importance of warming up their voice and the importance of good posture. Areas covered in the warm ups included breathing, diction, vowel shape, intonation, dynamics, phrasing, and expression. The pupils enjoyed the warm ups and were keen to engage in practical work.

As well as singing, pupils were taught to listen actively and use appropriate subject specific language when they discussed music that they had listened to in lessons. They were gradually introduced to the elements of music and through the activities of listening and performing were able to develop a deeper knowledge of how music is put together.

 Singing:

This term pupils have learned the following songs for the harvest festival:

Harvest Samba and Cauliflowers fluffy. For their performance challenge they also sang, “We plough the fields and scatter”. This was a very technically demanding piece that has a wide range and involves not only stepwise movement, but a lot of leaps based on the major arpeggio. They rose to the challenge admirably.

In addition, pupils worked through the Charanga original scheme with their singing and this term the song they worked and performed was: Living’ on a prayer

Keyboards:

After a lot of initial singing this term, we started with a refresher keyboard course. All pupils also had an initial assessment.

Keyboard piece: Rock Out Those E’s