Years 5 & 6 – Herons Class
Welcome to Herons Class page:
On this page you will be able to find information about the work which Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are undertaking. You will also find information of ways in which you can help and encourage pupils in their learning to enable them to fulfil the school values ‘To Nurture, To Grow and To Flourish’.
To enable you to be fully involved with your child’s learning we hold half termly consultation meetings which provide an opportunity for pupils and parents to meet with the class teacher to discuss progress, celebrate achievements and discuss the next steps.
Our topics this term are as follows:
Summer Term- Herons Class
Year 6 pupils will have a mixture of half hour spelling and grammar sessions run by Mrs Lomax.
Year 5 will have four half hour spelling sessions a week following the Sounds Write programme.
Year 5 will be focusing on the following topics:
● Decimals and percentages
● Geometry of shapes
● angles
● measures
● volume and capacity
Year 6 will be focusing on the following topics:
● Area of triangles
● Geometry of shapes
● angles
● statistics
● Maths projects
Astronomy The Big Bang theory, gravity, the Universe, our Solar System, the moon and our galactic neighbourhood.
Meteorology Weather and climate, the atmosphere, the Ozone layer, air movement and wind direction, cold and warm fronts, thunder and lightning.
In the second half of the term we will be learning about The Suffragettes Democracy in the 19th Century, The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, Emmeline Pankhurst and the WSPU, The Anti-Suffrage Campaign 5 and World War I and the Representation of the People Act.In Geography we will be learning about New Zealand and the South Pacific, the location and physical geography ,The history of New Zealand- The Maori , Earthquakes, Climate and the South Pacific Islands.
In the second half of the term we will complete a local geographical study, studying maps,looking at local issues, collecting data and presenting data.
In DT we will be constructing bird houses!
They will learn about the benefits and consequences of taking risks, in familiar and unfamiliar contexts and discuss how their levels of responsibility are changing. They will learn about different strategies for getting help from known and unknown adults, even when this is difficult.describe . The children will complete their cycling proficiency training and learn strategies for staying safer on the roads when using them independently, as a cyclist or pedestrian. They will also learn about keeping safe in the sun and receive some simple first aid training.
In the second half of the term the children will learn Italian and write to their penpals at Little Thetford School to show off their new knowledge!
Autumn Term- Herons Class
The children will be learning new words through Mrs Wordsmith and they will have weekly spellings set through Spelling Shed.
‘Animals including humans‘ where we will develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology.
For the Second half term we will be looking at ‘Materials’. This unit is building on prior knowledge from Key Stage One where children began to learn about materials, their properties and how these link to their uses.
In the second half of Autumn Term we will be learning about the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During this unit, the children will build upon their knowledge of empire and slavery. They will look at the atrocities of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, looking at how and why the forced migration of millions of Africans took place.
In Geography we will be learning ‘Spatial Sense’. This unit builds on children’s understanding of globes and maps. Latitude and longitude are taught to enable children to gain an understanding of how cartographers divide the world into segments to allow identification of locations using co-ordinates.
In the Second half of Autumn Term we will be learning about mountains. Children will learn that mountains are large landforms that rise above surrounding land. They will briefly look at plate tectonics theory, touching on the reasons why mountains form. Children will also learn that a mountain range is a group of connected mountains and will study the Alps, The Himalayas, The Rockies, The Andes. Mount Kilimanjaro will also be studied as an example of a dormant volcano.
In DT we will be looking at fashion textiles. The children will look at sewing techniques and produce a draw-string bag.
The children will also work on recognising their emotions and will work on their understanding of the zones of regulations.
Spring Term- Herons Class
The children will be learning new words through Mrs Wordsmith and they will have weekly spellings set through Spelling Shed.
Year 6 pupils will have a mixture of half hour spelling and grammar sessions run by Miss Eaton.
Year 5 will have five half hour spelling sessions a week following the Sounds Write programme.
Year 5 will be focusing on the following topics:
Multiplication and Division formal methods
Fractions including ordering, adding, subtracting, fractions of amounts, improper and mixed number problems
Decimals and percentages
Year 6 will be focusing on the following topics:
Decimals and percentages
Algebra
Imperial and metric measure
Area, perimeter and volume
Ratio and Proportion
‘Living Things’ Pupils will look at the life cycles of plants and animals in their local area, working scientifically to observe the life cycle of a local tree and the animals that interact with it. The children will also learn the reproduction of flowering plants and find out about the life and work of Sir David Attenborough and Dame Jane Goodall
‘Forces’ The children will be able to explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object; identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces and recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
The Industrial Revolution where the children will look at the similarities and differences between the impact that the Industrial Revolution had on the lives of the rich and the poor. The children will learn that through harnessing fossil fuels to power engines, factories and machines, the Industrial Revolution fundamentally changed the way that human beings live.
In the second half of Autumn Term we will be learning about the Victorian Age. We will look at the significant life of Queen Victoria: both her personal life and some of her decisions as a monarch, including her involvement with the British Empire. In addition to the political context of this time, this unit also delves deeper into the social aspects of Victorian Britain, looking in particular at the lives of the poor. The children will also learn about more positive aspects of the Victorian period, looking at the significance of the Great Exhibition and the growth in technology and new discoveries made by the Victorians.
In Geography we will be learning British Geography including East Anglia, Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside this will include the following:
∙ East Anglia includes the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
∙ East Anglia is warmer and drier than most of the UK and the land is very flat. These are ideal conditions for growing crops.
∙ In the past, much of East Anglia was marshland, people drained the marsh water into man-made rivers which are very straight.
∙ The Midlands means ‘land in the middle’. The biggest city in the Midlands in Birmingham.
∙ Many years ago, Birmingham was the most popular market town
∙ The Midlands is ‘resource rich’, coal and iron were mined years ago, helping businesses to prosper.
∙ Yorkshire covers a very large area. It used to be the largest county in the UK.
In the Second half of Spring Term we will be learning about Australia this will include
∙ Australia is one of the largest countries on Earth. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere.
∙ Australia is incredibly diverse
∙ Dutch explorers mapped the northern and western coastlines in the early 1600s naming the land ‘New Holland’.
∙ British explorer, Captain James Cook mapped the eastern coast in 1770 naming the land ‘New South Wales’
∙ After the loss of the American colonies, in 1783 the British began establishing penal colonies in New South Wales and other parts of the mainland where they could exile convicts.
∙ In the 19th century, many people came from Britain to Australia in search of gold during a period known as the ‘Gold Rush’.
∙ Canberra is the capital city of Australia and home to the government.
∙ Due to its size, regions of Australia have different climates and biomes.
∙ In 1907, the British released rabbits into the wild in Australia.
∙ Climate change, invasive species and urbanisation are threats to Australia’s biodiversity.
In DT we will be looking at fashion textiles. The children will look at sewing techniques and produce a draw-string bag.
In PSHE our topics will be looking at working together and financial capability followed by healthy lifestyles
The children will also work on recognising their emotions and will work on their understanding of the zones of regulations.
Topic 1 – Food
Vocabulary – eating in Restaurant (role play)
Likes and dislikes (asking for opinion)
French meals (formal / informal) – reading
French breakfast
Topic 2 – Daily Routine
Vocabulary
Reflexive verbs (also -er verbs)
time
They will also be composing music for a mood.