WELCOME TO YEAR 5!

This year, we have some really exciting overarching topics to explore. Thought by many to be just history, geography and science themes, children will actually explore many exciting and engaging elements which link with Religious Education (R.E.), the Arts, Design Technology (D.T.), Music, Modern Foreign Languages (M.F.L.), Computing, Physical Education (P.E.) and Personal, Social and Health Education (P.S.H.E.). The English themes and objectives covered will weave fictional, factual and poetic approaches throughout these topics to bring meaning, depth and relevance to the work that the children will be exploring while maths objectives will be revisited away from maths lessons in areas including, but not limited to, measurement, statistical data collection and analysis, and position and direction.

Autumn One

The Anglo-Saxons and Scots: We will travel back in time to when the Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded Britain and drove out the last remaining demoralised Romans. We will explore how they settled across the country and in our local area, particularly in Codnor, Derby and Repton. We will look at myths and legends, alongside Anglo-Saxon land use, place names and trade. The beginnings of Christianity in Britain and its existence with Pagan traditions will be explored, with Sutton Hoo also focused upon. We will also research the battles at Stamford Bridge and Hastings, and how these brought the Norman Conquest to the British Isles.

Autumn Two

The Vikings: During the Anglo-Saxon period, the Vikings from Scandinavia began to invade and conquered parts of Britain for themselves, whilst also living alongside Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Celts in other areas of the country. We will explore myths and legends, as well as the battles that shaped the formation of England and its first monarchy through the method of Viking raids. Time will also be spent researching longhouses, longships, daily life in Jórvik, the impact of Danelaw and Danegeld, and the relationships and influences linking the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons through their place name and religious developments.

Spring One

Our Earth: During this term, our focus will be maps and learning how to read them, draw them and use the directions they provide us with, particularly concerning the history and impact of the Ordnance Survey (O.S.). The children will look at their local area geographically, as well as other areas of the world, find out about the importance of environmental protection, and learn how to use cardinal directions with a compass, and 6 and 8 figure grid references.

Spring Two

Space: Linking with the science curriculum, the children will examine aspects of the Space Race including the first animal in space, the first human in space, the first woman in space and the first human on the moon's surface; the names and features of the contents of our Solar System including the Sun and all of the planets; and the International Space Station (I.S.S.), Kennedy Space Centre (N.A.S.A.) and Baikonur Cosmodrome (ROSCOSMOS).

Summer One

Our Local Area: The children will complete a local history study, with elements of geography supporting this, focused on the impact that the Pentrich Revolution of 1817 had in Ripley, its localities and further afield. We will complete a local quantitative statistical study that records Ripley's amenities and traffic use alongside a qualitative study of people's memories and opinions using questionnaires, the results of which will be compared with similar data and information from throughout Ripley's history. The children will also complete a walk to Pentrich in order to retrace the journey taken by the rebels on their fateful way to Giltbrook.

Summer Two

Tour of Europe: This topic will look at Europe as a continent, within which the UK is geographically located (physical geography) including its many climates, and the European Union (E.U.), of which the UK was, but is no longer, conceptually a part of (human geography). The children will complete lots of independent, enquiry-led research into the cultures, places and famous historical sites and landmarks that they may wish to visit and experience. Authors, composers and artists from Europe researched throughout the year will allow the children to examine and make links with how the stories, music and artworks in European culture were produced.

Maths

Maths teaching and learning largely follow the themes and topics of the White Rose Maths Hub's Year 5 curriculum; these are set out in the table below, however, there may be occasions where slight changes in the order of delivery are required or make relevant links elsewhere across the whole curriculum. The children also do Daily10 and 2-minute count sessions to support their arithmetic and fluency development. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME:

Here are 5 simple things you can do at home to really support and boost your child's learning:

1. Hear them read most nights and sign their organiser - this will give them the chance to earn Rocket Reader badges and Golden Raffle tickets, too!

2. Practise their spellings - their weekly pattern and the year group words for Spelling Bees; there will be a Spelling Bee three times during the year!

3. Practise multiplication times tables - verbally and by using internet programmes such as TT Rockstars, Multiplication Speed Test and Hit The Button; they will definitely need them this year and in the future!

4. Complete MyMaths homework - it will be set in blocks at the start of each half-term so tasks can be visited a number of times throughout the half-term, ideally before we've learnt about it in class so they bring some understanding into lessons, and then afterwards, too, so their learning can be revised and consolidated to memory.

5. Complete topic homework tasks - these should be fun and bring you together as a family; there are several tasks you can have a go at, in a variety of ways, which are great opportunities for show-and-tell, too.

And remember, the more of these things your child completes regularly, the more they are rewarded through our Pride Points system!