Year 5

ENGLISH

Inspired by the adventures in our reading books, alongside the poem ‘A Dreadful Menace’ we will be focusing on making use of a range descriptive language in our poetry work and fiction writing where we will write our own daring adventure stories.  For our non-fiction work, we will learn about the features of journalistic writing and write a diary recount of the adventures of the polar explorers, Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton.

Alongside our reading work, we will be exploring a wide range of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary taken from the texts.  We will play with vocabulary to aid our understanding and extend our understanding through finding synonyms and antonyms, analysing prefixes, suffixes and root words, investigating shades of meaning as well as using words correctly within and across a range of contexts.

MATHS

This half term, we will be learning about fractions, focusing on equivalent fractions; converting improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa; comparing and ordering fractions; adding and subtracting fractions. Following this, we will move onto our second unit of learning about multiplication and division where we will focus on written calculation methods.

SCIENCE

Our Science this half-term focuses on forces.  We will be planning and carrying out a range of investigations into forces, investigating what happens when forces are balanced or unbalanced.  We will explore the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction on moving objects and investigate how levers, pulleys and gears can help to reduce the force required to move objects.

Science Aut 2

GEOGRAPHY

In Geography this half-term, we will be learning about mountains and how they are formed, alongside exploring mountains and mountain ranges around the world.  We will also learn about earthquakes and volcanoes, how they happen and the impact they can have.

Geography Aut 2

RE

This half term we will be learning about aspects of Christianity with a particular focus on the Christian figure of Jesus, exploring the question ‘Why do Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah?’.  We will learn about the big story of the Bible and use the Bible to locate evidence within the gospel and prophecy texts.

RE Aut 2

PE

Children will have two PE sessions each week – please make sure your child wears their PE kit to school every Wednesday and Friday.  Please make sure your child has their school PE kit on, including a school jumper.  For safety reasons, all watches and jewellery must be removed for PE lessons. If your child wears earrings, they must be able to remove them independently or cover them with medical tape.  Please send medical tape in with your child if needed.  Alternatively, it may be easier to leave earrings at home on PE days.

This half term we will be learning dance, which will include working with a professional dancer to learn a routine.  We will also be learning some of the skills needed to play hockey.

COMPUTING

The children will continue to learn about online safety through our resource, Project Evolve.  This half term, they will be learning about online bullying, how to address it including how and where it can be reported.  Within our creative computing curriculum, we will be learning to create vector drawings.

MUSIC

This term we will be learning to listen to, appraising and responding to music as part of Charanga Music topic ‘Classroom Jazz’.  We will also be learning songs and music for our Christmas nativity presentation.

DT

We will be investigating and analysing a range of different shelters to find out what are the key features necessary for an effective shelter.  We will explore frame structures used for bird shelters, testing out different materials and structures, including how to make a structure stronger and more stable.  We will create designs for simple frame-structured bird shelters and make them using a range of tools and materials.

 PSHE

During this term, the children will continue to learn about Relationships, focusing on how to respect ourselves and others and about how to engage in and manage safe relationships.  We will be using picture books, stories, poems and non-fiction books to explore and discuss a range of issues relating to relationships such as the importance of asking permission and the right to give or refuse consent, what discrimination is and respectful behaviour in person and online.

 MFL

This term we will continue learning with ‘Language Angels’ in French.  This half-term our focus will be on the question ‘Do you have a pet?’ where the children will be learning to respond to the question explaining which pets they do or don’t have, introducing them by name and providing information about them.

HOME LEARNING

In year 5, children still need to read lots! All children are expected to read at home most nights for 15 – 20 minutes either to themselves or with an adult. This could be their school Accelerated Reader book, listening to a story read by someone else or sharing a favourite book. All are equally valuable. Talking about what they have read is also vital to help develop comprehension skills. This is particularly beneficial to the children when completing their Accelerated Reader quizzes.  All children have a reading record book in which parents, carers or the children themselves can record what they have read or make any comments.  If you’re looking for ideas about which books are suitable for Y5 children, please check the list in the link below.

2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y5

In addition, children all have access to Times Tables Rockstars – we have a weekly times tables check in class, so please encourage your child to keep practising their times tables – five or ten minutes a day is likely to be more beneficial than an hour once a week.

Thank you for your support at home – it is very much appreciated!