Spring 2025
Geography
During the Spring term, Year 5 work was mainly focused around our Geography topic on Iceland. The children worked together to research the different human and physical geographical features that can be found in this European country. Together, they used digital resources such as Digimaps and Google Earth to explore the landscape of Iceland, as well as using StreetView technology to go on a ‘walking tour’ of Reykjavik. They compared these geographical features with those found in the United Kingdom, and looked at the difference between the two countries.
Writing
We have completed two pieces of persuasive writing in the first Spring half-term, written from two very different perspectives. First, the children read The Boy at the Back of the Class and learnt about the experiences of a Syrian refugee. They then wrote a letter to the Home Office, persuading them to increase the amount of aid offered to refugees and asylum seekers. The children then began looking at the story of Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, and wrote a speech from the point of view of Lady Macbeth, convincing her husband to murder the King!
Maths
The children have continued to expand their knowledge of multiplying and dividing using written methods this half term, using their skills from previous year groups to complete trickier problems. They also developed their understanding of fractions, and linked this knowledge to decimal numbers. In addition (maths joke!), the children learnt different problem-solving strategies with which they could begin to solve harder problems linked to different areas of the maths curriculum.
Design & Technology
After researching different types and flavours of scones, during which time the children were able to taste-test them, we designed our own scones inspired by some Greek flavours which we learnt about in the Autumn term. The children worked in small groups to measure ingredients, create their own mixture using specific rubbing-in techniques, and then baked them in the school kitchen! The children tasted their scones in the afternoon and evaluated their cooking!
Computing
During our Computing lessons, the children began to learn about flat-file databases, first working with paper versions in class and exploring the difficulties that searching through these presents. They then moved on to using digital databases created through the J2Data website, linked to a variety of different topics such as the Titanic passenger list or minibeasts. They used the skills developed in these sessions to then conduct their own research using a real-life online database – ‘booking’ flights to different locations around the globe!
Spring 2 Overview
English
During our English lessons, we have been completing lots of pieces of writing inspired by our topic work on The Vikings.
Our first piece of writing, designed to inform, was a news report written about the story Arthur & The Golden Rope. We informed our readers about a vicious attack that had occurred when the Norse monster Fenrir appeared in a local forest.
Our second piece of writing is a biography of the Norse god Loki, inspired by the Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good series of books. We have looked at key events in Loki’s life and have used these to inform our work.
Maths
In maths this term we have continued to deepen our understanding of lots of different areas of maths.
We have studied area and perimeter this half-term, and have continued to build on the children’s knowledge of decimals and fractions, whilst also introducing them to the concept of percentages for the first time.
The children have also been working systematically to solve different problems, and have drawn diagrams to help work out tricky tasks.
Science
In science lessons we have been learning all about different materials and how they might change in different ways, including reversible and irreversible changes.
This builds on work that the children last studied in Year 4.
We have continued to study how filtering can be used to sort different materials, and have used our knowledge of thermal insulators to conduct experiments in class.
History
Our history topic this half-term has been all about The Vikings.
We have learnt about some of the important dates, events and people that lived during the Viking period, and have made lots of links to other areas of the curriculum.
Through our work in other areas of the curriculum, we have learnt about some important figures from Norse myth.
Art
In our art lessons, we have been looking at the work of a present-day artist, Sarkasi Said, whose work with Batik relief has been inspired by his upbringing in Singapore.
We studied the work of Sarkasi and used this to inspire our own designs for Batik printing. After working on our designs, we had a go at using different relief techniques using different media.
The children have worked really hard this half-term to create a piece of tie-dye, to make a wax relief and to make a masking tape relief! Using Batik techniques, the children will also create a large group piece of work to be displayed in school.
Autumn 2024
Our history topic this term has been all about Ancient Greece.
We have learnt about some of the important dates, events and people that lived in Ancient Greece, and have made lots of links to other areas of the curriculum.
One of our favourite lessons was learning about the different gods and goddesses that made up the Greek Pantheon.
We made our own Top Trumps cards for our own gods, and used them to play games with our friends. Why not play a game of cards with your child this afternoon, and see which god comes out on Top?
In science lessons we have been learning all about different forces that we can see in the world around us.
This builds on work that the children last studied in Year 3.
We have looked at the work of renowned scientist Isaac Newton, learnt how he discovered gravity, and have studied forces such as air resistance and water resistance too!
Towards the end of the unit, we have been learning about different mechanisms, and how forces help them work. This week, we studied levers, and thought about how they make jobs easier to complete.
In maths this term we have continued to deepen our understanding of lots of different areas of maths.
We have studied place value, continued to practise written methods for addition and subtraction, and have investigated how to use our knowledge of multiplication and times tables to help us tackle other areas of the maths curriculum.
The children have also been working systematically to solve different problems.
Our most recent topic has been all about fractions. The children have been investigating equivalent fractions and how to spot them easily. Play these equivalent fraction games to see how many you can find!
During our English lessons, we have been completing lots of pieces of writing inspired by our topic work on Ancient Greece.
In the first half-term, we studied some of the ancient myths of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus. We used information from these tales to write a character description of the her0, as well as re-telling the story of his battle against the Cyclops in our own words.
This term, we have enjoyed reading the book Who Let The Gods Out? by Maz Evans. We have used our knowledge of the text to write a series of diary entries from the point of view of the main character, and will be creating a WANTED! poster inspired by events in the story.
In art lessons, we have been looking at the work of a present-day artist, Eleni Vernadaki, whose work with pottery and ceramics has been inspired by vases from Ancient Greece.
We studied the work of Eleni and used this to inspire our own designs for Ancient Greek pots. After working on our designs, we had a go at making simple forms using clay.
Last week, we were thrilled to welcome a guest artist who worked with us in class to sculpt, decorate and paint our own Ancient Greek pots. These have been taken away to be fired and should be back in the hands of the children by Christmas.
In the mean time, have a go at decorating your own Greek pot!