Summer 1 2025

Exciting learning for children in Year 5, 

English

This term, we will be reading and studying the book Holes, it is a bestselling novel written by Louis Sachar.

'Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention centre. At Camp Green Lake the boys must dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the dried up lake bed. The Warden claims the labour is character building, but it is a lie. Stanley must dig up the truth.'

An exciting read and plenty of writing opportunities; 

• asking questions and predictions about the book,
• how effective the opening of the book is,
• writing a formal letter to Stanley's parents inviting them to attend a disciplinary hearing,
• storyboard of Stanley's Great, Great Grandfather Elya Yelnats,
• writing an informal letter from Stanley to his parents explaining his first day at Camp Green Lake,
• infer information about the Warden's character from the text. 

Maths

Science

This half term, we will be looking at 'Living Things and their Habitats'. We will learn about:

• discuss the work of a well-known naturalist or animal behaviourist,
• name the five animal groups and understand that the way each of those groups  reproduces may be di­fferent,
• explain which groups of animals lay eggs and which do not and compare groups of animals that look after their young with those that don’t,
• label parts of a flower and understand the purpose of each part,
• explain the process of pollination and fertilisation,
• explain seed dispersal and name some seed dispersal methods,
• order the stages of the life cycles of mammals, birds, insects and amphibians,
• describe the di­fferences and similarities in the life cycles of mammals, amphibians, insects and birds,
• identify familiar animals that undergo metamorphosis

Geography

This half term, we will be looking at 'Map Skills':

• recognise physical and human OS map symbols,
• Locate physical and human features on an OS map using 4-figure grid references,
• understand how height is shown on an OS map,

• recognise different landscape features using contour lines.

PSHE

In this unit of work, children will learn about how to take care of their bodies. This will involve learning about consent and autonomy, learning about body image and stereotypes and learning about substances which are harmful to our bodies. Children will also learn about the importance of sleep, exercise and hygiene. Lessons will explore the things that influence the way people think about their bodies, where different pressures can come from and how these pressures can be resisted. Throughout the unit, children will be encouraged to consider the choices they have, healthy habits that can benefit us all and how to seek support should they need to.

French

This term, we will be looking at the unit 'En ville - In Town'

• To apply knowledge of places in town and verbs in new contexts to build phrases
• To apply grammatical rules on the use of masculine and feminine nouns
• To write accurately using sentences
• To ask questions
• To develop cultural understanding

PE

On Wednesdays, PE is with Miss Bishop learning about cricket and Friday is swimming at Chase leisure center with Mrs Barker and Mrs Hartshorn. 

Cricket is a striking and fielding game where the children will develop their knowledge on the role of the bowler, wicket keeper, fielder and batter. They will think about the skills, strategies and tactics to outwit the opposition. This is achieved by striking a ball trying to avoid the fielders, so that they can run between wickets to score runs.

Children must swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 meters, use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke] and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

Computing

This term, we are learning 3D Modelling on Purple Mash.

• The children will know what the 2Design and Make tool is for,
• explore the different viewpoints in 2Design and Make whilst designing a building,
• adapt one of the vehicles models moving the points to alter the shape of the vehicle while still maintaining its form,
• explore how to edit the polygon 3D models to design a 3D model for a purpose.

Religious Education

This term we are learning about food in different religions. We will be able to:

• explain that food is important in different religions,
• describe the food rules that are allowed/not allowed in each religion,
• know what fasting is,
• explain what each religion does for fasting,
• explain what foods are used at the end of religious festivals,
• re-tell the story of Passover for the Jewish festival,
• explain the significance of the foods on a Seder plate linked to the Passover story,
•  re-tell the story of the Last Supper,

explain the symbolism of the foods used in the Last Supper to Christians.