Maths

Our first few maths units will be: Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, and Multiplication.  

We will also spend a lot of time reinforcing key presentation expectations which are important to success in this subject.  We encourage children to present their work clearly and with care to reduce errors in calculations.  We expect all children to use one box per digit in their maths books. 

Times Tables are key to success in Upper Key Stage 2 and we will be doing bi-weekly times tables tests to monitor this.  We will also be introducing a 15-minute Number Mastery lesson each afternoon. 

Finally, we put emphasis on arithmetic in Year 5, helping children to develop a rigorous approach to answering a range of calculations based on the four operations (Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction) and FDP (Fractions, Decimals and Percentages).

Writing

In the first half-term, we will be studying two texts: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gertein, and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.

In the first half-term, we will be focusing on the key skills required to be successful in Year 5, including presenting work with care, including using cursive handwriting; editing work, looking specifically at spelling, punctuation and grammar; key features of Upper Key Stage 2 writing, including relative clauses, subordinate clauses, modal verbs, and using a range of punctuation.  We will also be encouraging children to WRITE LESS, BETTER.  We want children to focus on producing quality pieces of writing, and this is much easier when the expectation of work produced is reduced - this should be news to the Year 5 children's ears!

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers - Synopsis of Text taken from Literacy Tree:

In 1974, French aerialist Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks a quarter mile in the sky. This picture book captures the poetry and magic of the event with a poetry of its own: lyrical words and lovely paintings that present the detail, daring, and the vertiginous drama of Petit's feat.

Hidden Figures - Synopsis of Text taken from Literacy Tree:

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.

"Finally, the extraordinary lives of four African American women who helped NASA put the first men in space is available for picture book readers," proclaims Brightly in their article "18 Must-Read Picture Books of 2018." "Will inspire girls and boys alike to love math, believe in themselves, and reach for the stars."

Reading

In reading during the first half-term, we will be reading The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell.  Each week, we will be looking at the text, focusing on different areas of reading, including vocabulary, reading with fluency / prosody, identifying key language and its effect on the story, and the opportunity to develop oracy through class discussions.

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell - Synopsis of Text taken from Literacy Tree.

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack's spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home.

She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And, nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan.

Katherine Rundell's fifth novel is a heist as never seen before - the story of a group of children who will do anything to right a wrong.

 

Spellings

In September, Year 5 will be changing our approach to spellings.  We want our children to focus on accuracy, independence, and being able to spot errors and correct them whilst editing.

Spellings will now be taught daily in short, sharp, 15-minute lessons following the same lesson structure every day:

Quick Review

• Practise a word from the previous lesson's rule or focus.

Teach and Practise

• Introduce words that follow a new spelling rule
• Read the works fluently as a class
• Locate sounds on 'Grow the Code poster - see below
• Add sound buttons and locate focus grapheme or manipulate words.

Practise and Apply

• Spelling 3–4 words that follow the rule and include the focus grapheme

Review

• Recap on rule and add the new rule to a display

On Fridays, children will be introduced to 'prickly spellings', which are Challenge Words.  These will be linked to the Year 5 and 6 Spelling list.

Grow the Code 

History

In history this half-term, we will develop an understanding of Mayan Civilisation, from astrology and agriculture, to medicine and rulers.  The Year children will develop a chronology of the Mayan civilisation, alongside British and local history. From here, they will make connections and identify contrasts between British and Mayan society.

Children will reflect on the inventions and ideas of the Mayans that we use today. Finally, children will make reasoned judgements about what they feel was the end of Mayan civilisation.

Science

In Science this half-term, we will be studying Forces and considering the key question: What forces are acting upon us?  

Year 5 Forces - key vocabulary

Art

In art this half-term, we will be exploring how we can use a variety of techniques to add interesting effects to our drawings.  We will be looking at key skills such as shading, hatching, cross-hatching, blending, smudging and stippling.  We will be considering how we can replicate both natural and artifical light in our drawings.

Religion and World Views

In Religion and World Views this half-term, we will be studying XXXXXX.

PSHE

In PSHE this half-term, the Year 5 children will be discussing relationships, including the following areas:

• Managing friendships and peer influence
• Physical contact and feeling safe
• Responding respectfully to a wide range of people; recognise prejudice and discrimination.

As part of our transition week, we will be spending time looking at the Golden Rules for Behaviour at Talbot Primary School, and considering what these behaviours look like across the school.

PE

This half-term in PE, we will be swimming on a Monday.  We can cater for two classes per week in the pool, so the class not swimming will be doing an additional PE lesson.

Normal PE lessons with Mr Bartram are on a Wednesday afternoon during PPA.