Year 5
Welcome to Year 5!
Year 5
Welcome to Year 5!
As the children progress through Upper Key Stage Two, Year 5 is a super year for the children to build on their independence and self-motivation – their voices and personalities really developing and being heard. Whilst still having the chance to be elected as a Collective Worship Councillor, School Councillor or Digital Leader, our Year 5 pupils have the opportunity to take on more responsibility around the school, such as helping with the younger years at lunchtime and becoming Sports Ambassadors. These duties are valuable and it shows through their increasing independence and confidence.
English:
Reading
We use a whole-class approach when teaching reading, using activities from Reading Explorers. Children are explicitly taught reading skills including skimming, scanning, text retrieval, inferring, deducing, analysing and evaluating. As part of their learning, children are provided with opportunities to respond to the texts that they read through a range of question types. They are encouraged to text-mark and identify evidence from the text to justify their ideas and answers. Children are consistently encouraged to apply these skills when reading independently and reading across the curriculum.
We also enjoy a class text together. This is a well-loved and enjoyable part of our day as the children cannot wait for the next instalment of the book! We try to select texts that appeal to all of the members of the class so that they can all experience that wonderful feeling of reading together.
Spelling
We follow the Active English Spelling approach. Children explore the morphology and etymology of words, looking closely at root words and how these can be built upon using prefixes and suffixes. We also focus on securing accurate spelling of the Year 5 and 6 common exception words through regular practice and by applying them in writing to enrich vocabulary. Children are encouraged to use these spelling skills confidently across all areas of the curriculum.
Writing
The Year 5 curriculum for writing builds on prior learning, developing skills from previous year groups while introducing new ways to advance writing, such as using relative clauses, linking paragraphs with cohesive devices and using punctuation such as semi-colons and colons to avoid ambiguity. We use the Grammarsaurus to support our teaching of grammar and writing. Children regularly practise key technical skills and learn how to apply these through a range of writing opportunities, including non-chronological reports, letters, diary entries, setting and character descriptions and poetry. We also explore the PAT (Purpose, Audience and Text Type) for each piece, helping children understand how to adapt their writing to suit different forms and contexts.
History
Our history curriculum encourages curiosity through key enquiry questions. We begin by exploring “Were the Vikings raiders, traders, or something else?” by examining a range of historical evidence to develop balanced conclusions about Viking life and impact. Next, we study “What was life like in Tudor England?” where children explore different sources to understand daily life and key historical events of the Tudor period. Finally, we investigate “What did the Greeks ever do for us?”, diving into the creation of democracy and how ancient Greek ideas and philosophers have shaped society today.
Geography
Our curriculum encourages children to think like geographers through key enquiry questions. We begin with “Why do oceans matter?” where children explore the importance of our oceans, how they support life and regulate climate and what can be done to protect them from pollution and change. Next, we investigate “Would you like to live in the desert?” by studying the location and features of hot desert biomes, how humans adapt to these environments and whether living there is truly sustainable. Finally, we explore “What is life like in the Alps?” comparing the physical and human geography of the Alps with our own local area.
Computing
Our computing curriculum builds on prior learning and helps children develop the digital skills they need for the modern world. Throughout the year children take part in a range of units including quizzing, databases, game creator, spreadsheets, coding, word processing and coding with external devices using Micro:bits. These units develop their understanding of how technology works and how it can be used to create, organise and present information effectively. Children are also taught how to use devices, the internet and online platforms safely and responsibly.
Science
Our science curriculum builds on children’s curiosity and encourages them to ask questions about the world around them. In Year 5 children learn about forces, space, global warming, properties of materials, animals including humans, life cycles and reproduction. They also explore reversible and irreversible changes, plastic pollution and take part in consolidation lessons to deepen their understanding. Across all topics children carry out practical investigations to develop their enquiry skills and enrich their scientific understanding.