Welcome to Year 5!

Year 5 is taught by Ms Candlish, Mrs Lowe (Wed am), Mrs Davies (Wed pm), Mrs Liana-Stellmach (Fri pm) and Ms Francis. We are supported by the brilliant Mrs Yan. 

Our PE days for Term 3 are Tuesday and Friday. Please come to school wearing your school PE kit on these days, bringing school shoes in a separate bag to change into indoors if it is wet/muddy. Our PE in Term 3 will focus on invasion games and keeping healthy.

Our 'Drop Everything and Read' day is Thursday. Parents are invited to come into class and read with their child until the register is taken just before 9am. Please sign in at the school office in plenty of time, if attending, and please remember to leave with a school adult, via the office so that you can sign out too! Our library day is Friday -  this is an opportunity to renew/return/withdraw books from the school library.

This term's Growing Wild session will be held on Friday 16th January 2026.*

Badger class's Forest School session will be held on Thursday 5th February 2026.*

Term 3 Learning:

• In Art, the children will explore the visual qualities of line, light and shadow, studying the work of Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt before experimenting with shading techniques of their own, including pencil, pen and ink wash. They will take black‑and‑white photographs and reimagine them as expressive shaded drawings.
• Our main focus will be Geography, where pupils will investigate the features and characteristics of land use in agricultural regions around the world, developing their understanding of significant environmental areas and how these influence farming practices.
• In Science, the class will deepen their knowledge of Earth and Space by learning the order of the planets, exploring how the Moon appears to change over a lunar month, and discovering how Earth’s rotation and tilt create night, day and the seasons. They will then review and present their understanding of Earth and Space.
• In PE – invasion games, children will build teamwork, spatial awareness and tactical decision‑making, while PE – keeping healthy will help them consider the choices that support long‑term wellbeing.
• In French, pupils will learn vocabulary linked to owning a pet, practising how to describe animals and express simple preferences.
• Computing lessons will introduce selection in physical computing, giving children hands‑on experience with a programmable microcontroller as they explore conditions and selection.
• Finally, in RE, the class will examine how sacred teachings and stories are interpreted by Sikhs today, reflecting on wisdom and lived values within the Sikh community.

Across all subjects, we’ll continue to build confidence, curiosity, and collaboration. We look forward to sharing our progress with you throughout the term via Class Dojo and our fortnightly newsletters.

*In order to participate fully in both sessions, please ensure that wellies and a waterproof coat are brought into school on that day (whatever the weather) and come dressed in comfortable, full-length trousers, and a top with long sleeves as we will be going into The Meadow. Please ensure snacks are in a lidded container. (It is very useful to also have a spare change of clothes which can be kept on your peg in the cloakroom. Waterproof coats and wellies need to be in school to maximise play times.)

Useful links to support spelling at home:

BBC Bitesize

DoodleMaths and DoodleTables

Practise times tables with Sumdog

Homework

✏️ Spelling Homework

Each child has a spelling book to practise words and patterns learned in school.

🗂️ At the start of each half-term:

• A list of spelling patterns and statutory/common exception words will be added to the book.

🧠 Practise at home:
Children should practise their spellings each week using a variety of methods in their book or using Spelling Shed (online). Examples include:

🎨 Fun Spelling Strategies

• ✅ Look, Cover, Write, Check
• ✍️ Pyramid Writing (e.g. s, sp, spe, spel, spell)
• ✂️ Cut & Match words with meanings
• 🧠 Make Silly Sentences using your spelling words
• 🎮 Play on Spelling Shed – fun interactive games!

📅 Weekly Quizzes:
Spelling quizzes take place during lessons and review both current and past spelling patterns. This helps teachers identify any areas for revision.

📖 Reading at Home

We encourage children to read 3–5 times per week with an adult.

👨‍👩‍👧 How you can help:

• 🖊️ Sign the reading record with the date and your signature
• 💬 Add a comment if you’d like to share anything about your child’s reading

📘 Reading records are checked weekly by the class teacher every Thursday, which is also our library day.

Maths

DoodleMaths

• 2 compulsory assignments per week set Friday-Friday - Please ensure that this is completed independently to give a true reflection of your child's understanding.
• One assignment will consolidate the week's learning.
• One assignment as a pre-teach for the following week based on previous learning to ensure that your child is reading to progress.
• Your child can also complete their daily questions as an optional extra to ensure a broad practice of maths skills and work on areas they find tricky.