Welcome to Year 5. 

We are Chestnut Class!

The adults in Chestnut Class are Miss Cooksey and Mrs Cowen.

What are we learning about in Spring 2?

In Maths, we will be developing our knowledge of multiplication and division. We will be using the formal method of multiplication to multiply by 2 digit numbers. We will also be learning how to find remainders using the formal method for division.

In English, we will be reading The Odyssey. This will link with our History topic which is about life in Ancient Greece. Our end point will involve writing a historical narrative with a flashback. 

In History, we will be exploring what life was like in Ancient Greece. We will be ordering key events in chronological order on a timeline. We will be researching the differences in daily life for boys and girls and wealthy/poor people. This will help us to make comparisons.

In PSHE, we will be continuing our work with Oxenhope Primary as part of our Linking Journey. The theme this year is resilience which we will explore through the story "After the Fall". We are very excited to reconnect with our buddies at Oxenhope.

In Art, we will explore surrealist art with a focus on movement. We will be recreating The Great Wave using water colour paint and water colour pencils. We will be developing our painting skills and recapping techniques such as blending, mixing and shading.

What have we been learning about in Spring 1?

In Maths, we have developed our understanding of fractions through finding equivalent fractions and ordering/comparing fractions.

In English, we read the story Shackleton's journey. Our learning journey led us to write a newspaper article based upon the key events that occurred during Shackleton's adventure.

In Geography, we explored the theme of sustainability. We considered which resources we need to survive and which of these are renewable. 

In RE, we answered the question 'What kind of king is Jesus?" We listened to bible stories about Jesus and his decisiples to find out what type of person Jesus was. We linked some of his teachings to some of our school values. We also visited the bible exhibition at our local church to find out more about the bible.

In Computing, we further developed our knowledge of Online Safety evaluating the choices we make online and the risks associated with them.

In PSHE, we found out about the ways we can help during an accident or emergency. We welcomed the fire brigade into school to discuss the risks associated with electricity and how leaving appliances on can lead to house fires. 

In Music, we welcomed the Plumber Drummer into school. We had a fantastic session! 

What have we been learning about in Autumn 2?

In Maths, we further developed our addition and subtraction skills. We revisited column addition and column subtraction and developed our knowledge of column addition and column subtraction so that we could apply it to larger numbers and multi-step problems. We then moved onto multiplication and division developing formal and informal strategies. Our daily times tables practice has helped to increase our fluency.

In English, we explored the text Hidden Figures which is based on the true story of Dorothy Johnson Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Mann Darden  and their contributions during the Space Race. At the end of the unit, we selected one of the women in the story to write a biography about. 

In History, we explored how travel and transport have changed over time. We compared how travel is different today and explored the advancements in technology over time.

In DT, we designed and made a pencil case using our sewing skills.

In PSHE, we considered the ways in which people spend money and the importance of saving for the future. We also discussed the risks associated with money such as gambling and accumulating debt and the impact this can have on mental health and wellbeing.

Our science topic this half term linked in with our text 'Hidden Figures'. We answered the question 'What does the solar system look like?" as part of our Earth and Space topic.

In RE, we explored the question 'Was Jesus the messiah?" We explored the definition of a messiah and responded creatively through individual responses and collaborative tasks evidenced in our RE big book.

We had our first residential visit to Nell Bank in Ilkley. This was a 2 day residential in which we developed our team building skills, resilience and independence. 

Throughout the half term, we have been getting ready for Christmas. We have sang songs and listened to readings during advent and the festive period. We attended the BDAT Carol Service at Bradford Cathedral alongside children from other schools.

What have we been learning about in Autumn 1?

In Maths, we developed our knowledge of place value through exploring numbers up to 1,000,000.

In English, we completed our Grammarsaurus Unit. Over the first four weeks, we explored the building blocks of grammar needed for Year 5. We then explored the text War Game in preparation for the summer term in which we will be learning about life during World War 2. We participated in drama activities to explore the characters feelings when sent to war. Our final write at the end of the unit was a letter home recounting wartime experiences. 

In Science, we explored the topic 'Forces' through the question 'How can Usain Bolt run so quickly?' We investigated friction, air resistance and gravity through carrying out a number of different investigations. 

In RE, we thought about the question, 'How do religions help people live through good and bad times?' We explored the concept of afterlife and reincarnation as means of providing comfort during difficult and challenging times.

In PHSE, we answered the question 'What makes up a person's identity?' We learnt about diversity within our school community and the wider world exploring ethnicity, faith and culture. We also found out about the different ways we can challenge stereotypes using the texts; The Proudest Blue and Julian is a Mermaid.

In Computing, we answered the question 'Can you create a shared project?' and explored different systems. We learnt about the input and output of electronic devices.

In Geography, we answered the question 'What makes the earth angry?' Our topic helped us to find out about natural hazards and disasters including volcanoes and earthquakes. 

In Art, we further developed our pencil skills using line and tone to show movement in our sketches.

This half term, we have been preparing for our harvest festival. We have been collecting food resources and supplies for the food bank, writing harvest prayers and singing harvest songs. We have also participated in the Big Sing at St George's Hall in Bradford.

We started our swimming sessions at Shipley Swimming Pool as part of PE.

 Take a look at our Curriculum Year Group Plan to find out what else we will be learning about in Year 5 this year. Remember you can find the knowledge organisers for each unit on class dojo – please share these with your children and discuss the key vocabulary!

Important Information:

Tuesday: Swimming

Wednesday: PE 

Thursday: Library and Spellings

Friday: Reading Books