Class 5

It will be a busy start to 2023 in Class 5. In maths, we will be consolidating our knowledge of fractions and exploring how fractions relate to both decimals and percentages. Our class text for this half-term is the brilliant War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. We will be exploring the themes of friendship, bravery and loss throughout the 5 weeks as we follow the journey of Joey and his heroic exploits during World War I. Our writing focus for this half term will be on developing character description via our ‘lost and found’ narratives, before we turn our attention to effective instruction writing during our non-fiction unit. Our topic for this half-term is the Ancient Egyptians; we will be sharpening our analytical skills to investigate the importance of the Pharaohs to everyday Egyptian life, and trying to determine just why the Ancient Egyptian civilisation came to an end. In RE we will be learning more about the religion of Islam, and Mrs O’Leary will be continuing her amazing art lessons, this time focusing on an artist study and using mixed media to help the children to create their own masterpieces! Mrs Bearman will be teaching C5 Music where the children will study the era of war songs to support their work on War Horse.

We are really looking forward to this half-term in Class 5. Our reading lessons for this half-term will be based on the book Holes by Louis Sachar. As well as being a captivating read, the book is centred heavily upon the concept of tolerance and the powerful role of friendship and kindness: important qualities for our class as we navigate our way through the academic year and beyond. Our writing focus for the first half of Autumn 2 will be to write our own balanced arguments; we will be analysing the controversy around the upcoming World Cup in Qatar and exploring both sides of the argument as to whether a boycott of the tournament would be justified. As Santa’s annual visit draws closer and the decorations begin to appear, we will switch our attention to narrative writing: the children will be creating their own ‘warning tale’ around the idea of curses and fate, similar to that which befell Stanley Yelnats in Holes. In Maths, we will be turning our attention towards the division, multiplication, addition and subtraction of fractions, including the conversion of fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa. Our geographical focus this half-term is on the UK and its counties and cities. We will begin the unit by ensuring that the children are able to name, locate and describe the position of the major counites and cities in the UK, using the 8-point compass. As we move further into the unit of work, we will be comparing the physical and human geography of Norfolk with that of the country of Peru. PE will see Class 5 begin their gymnastics unit of work and Mrs O’Leary will be continuing her transformative art lessons, this time looking at how the material of clay can be manipulated in different ways for artistic effect.

We are looking forward to a fantastic school year in Class 5 and have much to look forward to! In the first half-term, we will be consolidating our knowledge of place value and the 4 key operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. We will be applying mental and written strategies within the four operations to increasingly complex problem-solving scenarios. Our class text (and the focus for our reading lessons) this half-term is Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver. The story, set in the Stone Age, follows the quest of Torak and Wolf as they try to save the forest from a demonic bear! Our writing unit will focus on building suspense and the children will look in depth at how Michelle Paver creates a sense of the unknown in Wolf Brother, before trying to write their very own suspenseful narrative. Our humanities focus for this half term is The Stone Age to the Iron Age; we will be looking at how life changed during these time periods and asking how the relative lack of evidence from this period of history impacts our understanding of prehistory. Our PSHE unit for this half term will support the children in aiming high, setting achievable and ambitious goals, and exploring their own preferred learning styles. The personal focus is also evident in our PE and Art units, where we will be looking at personal improvement and self-portraits respectively! We cannot wait to get started!

Here we are back a really busy half term. The year 6 are the first to go  swimming although only 20 are able to swim in any week- those who stay will work with me on extra research for our rivers project which is our first humanities unit. I will rotate the groups who don’t swim to ensure everyone gets the same opportunity to go to the pool . In RE we will be looking at creation stories from many world religions. In PE this term class 5 will be playing netball. English work will have as its context Shakespeare’s The Tempest and we plan to have a performance ready very close to half term- we will confirm the date ASAP. Maths follows the national curriculum beginning this year with rounding and decimals, addition, subtraction multiplication and division. Class 5 will have weekly spelling assessments so there will be spelling as well as reading homework every week. French is being taught via ‘Language Angels’ with a focus on key vocabulary.  In my absence on Fridays Mrs Cuthill will be teaching science, games and music.  Mr Caston will take Class 5 ICT on Fridays too. Art this term uses the artist Modigliani for inspiration as we study his style looking at faces then attempt to create masks of characters from The Tempest in his distinctive style.

This term we are using Richard lll as a focus for our English writing. We are comparing the known facts about Richard with the play by William Shakespeare. We are comparing fiction and non-fiction text and how newspaper reporting can use bias for persuasion. As a culmination of our study we will be performing a version of the play and making it available to watch on line. The class are reading Skellig by David Almond and we have resumed group reading.  In maths the work is problem solving applying the algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division but recognising when a mental calculation is more appropriate in solving a problem. Investigations will continue to support mastery of patterns and are contextualised using Richard 111. In art we have started by looking at form and colour using Kasimir Malevich as inspiration and will move on to masks of the reconstructed face of Richard 111 practising more natural colour mixing as we do so. Humanities this term is, rather appropriately, medicine and disease through the ages. PSHE will be a particularly important subject so children have an opportunity to discuss their feelings about the world they are living in. We will be using IT across all subject areas.

ENGLISH/HUMANITIES: To commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1 most of the Humanities and English in class 5 will be inspired by that event. We plan to study the poems of Carol Ann Duffy, Wilfred Owen, Rudyard Kipling and Rupert Brooks. To help with the understanding of the period the children will, in humanities, build a model trench. . If anyone has any item which they wouldn’t mind sharing with the class (from WW1) it really would be fantastic to see and talk about it. Last time we studied the period a tin brought by a parent became the inspiration for some story writing which is on display in class.

MATHS: This will start with fractions decimals and percentages followed by ratio and proportion and then towards the end of the term we will study geometry, particularly triangles and circles.

ART: This will follow a WW1 theme looking at the work of Paul Nash then, to cheer ourselves up, focussing on poppies and the work of Georgia O’ Keefe as well as Matisse and his cut outs. Towards Christmas Class 5 will make their traditional advent calendar and also create the backdrop for the pantomime (Any artistic parents who might like to help out please come to talk to us).

MUSIC/FRENCH/PE: The second half of the autumn term is a very busy one indeed. As well as the pantomime to rehearse and perform, particularly for the year 6, instrumental music will continue with the specialist teacher Mr Taylor, French with Mrs O Malley and Miss Gillespie will continue to work on gymnastics.

SCIENCE: Mrs Cuthill will continue to teach Science on Friday mornings. We will start by revising our learning on Space and beyond, Electricity and sound before focusing on Teeth, Muscles and skeleton.

ENGLISH: In English the class writing, comprehension, drama and lots of reading will be based around the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. There will be a performance around half term to which all parents will be invited.

MATHS: In Maths we are starting off with pattern and algebra though revision of times tables and the accurate and efficient application of tables to multiplication and division will be an important focus.

HUMANITIES: To fit with the English the class will study the geography and history of Italy so if anyone has any photographs or books they don’t mind lending to the class that would be super.

As usual there will be French, music (whole class ukulele playing!) and this term gymnastics, games and for the year 6 swimming so they will be very busy with P.E.

ART: We are looking at the work of Kasimir Malevich, particularly- the Athletes- which we are adapting to fit our Romeo and Juliet theme.

SCIENCE: This year science will be taught by Mrs Cuthill on Friday mornings. There will be a biology focus this term with children extending their learning on teeth, muscles and the skeleton.

ENGLISH: This half term is going to be very busy for Class 5 (what else is new!) As well as completing our work on Richard 111 and performing a version of Shakespeare’s play, we are going to use our visit to the Houses of Parliament as a context for some of our written work. Obviously school camp and preparing for Leavers’ assembly will be a significant part of the term for the Year 6’s.

MATHS: In Maths we will be revising the 4 rules and continuing investigations including a rather messy one involving baked beans.

ART: Speaking of mess the art focus on the work of Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko as we look at the abstract expressionists and their influence on contemporary art.

SCIENCE/ICT: Dr Doak is coming into school to work on robotics with the children and Mrs Cuthill will deliver Science.

FRENCH: French resumes this term with Mrs O’Malley.

PE: Premier Sport will continue to teach Athletics on Tuesday afternoons. We also plan to do lots of PE and games to prepare for sports day. There is a special archery taster session in July.

English: This half term the context for all our English work will be Shakespeare’s Richard III. It will culminate in a class performance of a version of the play.

Humanities: Linked to our Richard III topic, we are studying the Plantagenet dynasty and the impact of the wars of the Roses as well as the many discrepancies between the known historical facts about Richard and Shakespeare’s version. Due to SATs preparation which has to move up a notch in this half term, the year 5 children are spending their humanities afternoon with Mrs Read.

Science: Year 5 will also be joining the Y5 from Class 4 on Friday morning to have an outdoor science/Forest School session this half term led by Jane Steed. There will be a focus on Habitats, using our grounds for hands on learning.

Year 6 have a science, maths and English revision focus for the first weeks but around that we will squeeze in as many other subjects as possible- particularly sport and P.E.

PE: Unfortunately Mrs O’Malley, the French teacher is away for the rest of this term recovering from a planned operation. This means the class will have an additional sports lesson with Premier sport on Tuesday afternoons. Games on Fridays will focus on athletics whilst my PE will be cricket and rounders.

Art: In art, as well as completing the Rousseau unit, it seems pertinent to look at some of the portraits of Richard III so that will be our starting point.

The half term will end with our visit to Kentwell Hall for the ‘Through the Ages’ living history. Costume details will be sent home soon (we want everyone to dress up to really enjoy the experience) but if anyone struggles with organising a costume please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Mrs Taylor for advice.

English: This half term the class will finish their science fiction novellas and the stories will be used to present the Class 5 assembly. For the rest of the term the context for our writing will be Shakespeare’s history play Richard 111 and we will explore some of the ‘inaccuracies’ demonstrating how Shakespeare may have played with the facts. Spelling will focus on some of common rules and I will be teaching ways of remembering them. Although there will continue to be spellings to learn, the focus is very much how the rule can work to help remember the spelling. In grammar we are looking at sentence structure, the passive voice, subjunctive and the various verb forms as well as subordinating and coordinating conjunctions.  Although the Year 6 need to be able to recall the technical vocabulary for their tests, it is also important they know how the grammatical conventions affect the style of their writing, throughout the grammar taught will be applied in writing. 

Maths: We will focus on embedding the number and algebra already introduced. A continuing necessity has to be to learn times tables as committing them to memory is the single most effective way of improving mathematical performance. For those children who are not yet fluent in their recall of multiplication, facts homework will focus on learning them (lots are already great - but the practice is useful).  We will also work on measure, conversions between units, time and the properties of both 2 D and 3D shape.

Science: We will be exploring light followed by some investigations into the topics introduced in previous years - especially Year 5. The list includes forces and resistance, solution and suspension as well as insulation, condensation and evaporation.

Art/DT: In art, Africa week will inspire some sculptured heads, an opportunity to hone the skills used in the Modigliani heads. Following this we will be looking at the collages of Henri Rousseau (We ran out of time last half term) but applying perspective to the work rather than Rousseau’s naive style.

Humanities: Because of the organisation of the timetable to aid the Year 6 for this half term, Mr Portas, whose sons were both pupils here at Aldborough, will be planning and delivering Humanities. He will be teaching Islam as part of the RE programme of study.

French: This will continue on Tuesdays but until SATs Class 5 will lose their music session in order that PE can continue. We appreciate this loss will be a blow but rest assured we will focus on more music post May.  Any parents who might like to support the class, if they have any spare time and would be interested, then please let me know it would be lovely to hear from you.

ENGLISH: In Class 5 the children will be looking at the genre of Science Fiction; writing a novel set on a planet in a galaxy far, far away. Incidentally, and to help our background knowledge, we will be revising our understanding of the solar system using information books as well as exploring the creation story from the Bible and other cultures. As well as creating a story, we will be using and applying a range of punctuation for effect as well as working on National Curriculum grammar.

MATHS: We will be revising number facts and proceeding to work on sequences, including those with negative numbers, fractions, data and co-ordinates as well as conversions between different units of measure.

HUMANITIES: Geography is our focus and the class will be studying the course of the river Mississippi creating a 3 D model of the three stages and studying the wildlife and demography of the river. Art will start with masks in the style of Modigliani and then proceed to looking at the naïve art of Henri Rousseau, using his inspirational jungle pictures to create the landscape of the planet at the centre of our own science fiction novels.

SCIENCE: We are going to study the heart, keeping fit and healthy and then light and finally electric circuits. There will be some SAT test practice questions included in the timetable to familiarise the year 6 with the format for the formal tests in May. That should keep us all very busy.

English: This half term, having performed Macbeth at the Playhouse, we will begin a new unit of work based on the poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. Characterisation will be explored  with children writing their own version of the tragic tale describing the night setting using a range of writing techniques.

Maths: We will be moving from fractions, decimals and percentages to ratio and proportion and then moving into geometry. Maths investigations will have a focus on algebra. Accurate recall of times tables will continue to be a focus with regular opportunities to use these facts.

Humanities: We are looking at the history of crime and punishment- not too gory- but this theme fits in beautifully with work on The Highwaymen. The periods of history we will consider are, the Middle Ages, the Tudor period, Regency and Victorian ending with WW1 so that gives great chronology too.

Art/DT: The pantomime will dominate drama and creating a backdrop as well as the advent calendar should keep us busy in art.

Science: This will be focussed on the human body initially and then, linked to light at Christmas, we will move on to the symbols used to create electrical circuits.

English: The context for work will be Macbeth as the class are performing at the Shakespeare School Festival in November. As a result we will be using drama for writing and lots of the grammar and spelling work will be based on Macbeth. Writing arguments, short stories, newspaper articles and letters will give the children ample opportunity to become immersed in the play.  As a break from Shakespeare, the children will share, for group reading, War Horse, Private Peaceful and Kensuke’s Kingdom- all titles by Michael Morpurgo.

Maths: Following the national curriculum for year 6 maths, with support for year 5, the term will begin with arithmetic but there will be opportunities for problem solving and investigations too. Using familiar patterns in mathematics and learning how to explain outcomes algebraically will also be part of the first half of the autumn term work.

Science: Adaptation and classification will be the initial unit of work; Mrs Cuthill will lead science in the autumn term.

Humanities: To begin the year the topic will be history and the class will study Scotland and the Scottish wars of independence. Later in the term, the topic will focus on key figures and events from the middle ages, particularly the Magna Carta, King Richard and King John.

Art: As well as mask making, faces of the weird sisters from, guess what? Macbeth, we will be looking at the print making of the Japanese artist Hokusai. Later in the term, to coincide with a major exhibition at Tate Modern, we will be studying the work of Modigliani.

Music: We will be studying The firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky, exploring how composers use rhythm, tempo and dynamics to create variations on a theme and use these ideas to compose our own fanfare.  We will work as a class to choreograph a response to the finale music and have opportunities to perform to other classes in the school.

All the children will be lucky enough to continue French with Mrs O’Malley and music with         Mrs Cuthill. On Friday for games we have a specialist Karate teacher for the year 6 in the autumn first half term, as the pool at Aylsham High School is out of action due to refurbishment; the year 5 will be having football with Mr Barnard. Tuesday P.E will be led by a specialist gymnast this term.

I think you’ll agree-an action packed beginning to the school year 2017-2018 here in class 5.