What a fantastic half term we have had in Year 5!

It has been lovely getting to know your children, and we are delighted to say that everyone has settled in effortlessly.

In English this half term, we began by exploring a journey narrative. We completed a range of lessons focusing on different literary techniques, as well as punctuation and grammar, before combining our learning to create our own journey narratives. We then moved on to writing a non-chronological report. In this unit, we focused on the importance of introductions and conclusions, as well as the punctuation and grammatical features that make up a high-quality report. To link with our geography learning, we produced non-chronological reports about a South American country of our choice.

In Maths, we started the term by revisiting place value—beginning with recognising numbers up to 10,000 and gradually progressing to numbers up to 1,000,000. During this unit, we also recapped previously learned skills such as partitioning and rounding. We then moved on to addition and subtraction, starting with adding and subtracting numbers with more than four digits using the formal column method. From there, we explored inverse operations, multi-step word problems, and finding missing numbers in calculations.

In Science, we have been learning all about forces, including gravity, air resistance, water resistance, and friction. The children took part in several exciting experiments, such as testing whether heavier objects fall more quickly by dropping two items of different masses to see which reached the ground first. They also investigated air resistance by designing parachutes from different materials to determine which worked best. Later, they made paper helicopters to explore the link between air resistance and weight, and finally designed boats from a clay-like material to discover which shapes floated most effectively.

As part of our Space Science week, the children explored the solar system through a range of creative and engaging activities. They began by making papier-mâché planets, carefully painting and decorating them to show the unique features of each planet. In art, they used pastels on black paper to create beautiful space landscapes, blending colours to show stars, galaxies and distant planets. Linking to our English learning, the children also wrote detailed non-chronological reports about space, using technical vocabulary and clear organisation to share fascinating facts. To finish off our topic, the class completed a Space Poster Homework project, researching and presenting information about different space themes, from astronauts to the planets and beyond.

In Geography, our focus has been on the continent of South America. We began by locating South America on a world map and using atlases to identify the twelve independent countries that make it up. The children then carried out research on Brazil, exploring its characteristics such as biomes, temperature, precipitation, and population, and comparing these with those of the UK. We concluded the topic by examining the types of housing found across South America and comparing them with housing in the UK.

We’ve also enjoyed having visitors and workshops this half term. Our first was a space-themed visit where the children took part in a fascinating planetarium workshop. We also welcomed Father Andrew from St Mary’s Church in Sunbury for our annual Harvest Festival celebration.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our first half term in Year 5 and look forward to welcoming everyone back after a well-deserved week of rest!

All the best,

The Year 5 Team