Samphire Class - Year 5
Staff: Mrs Roy, Mrs Bunting and Mrs Irvine
Maths
This half term, Samphire Class will be concentrating on developing their understanding of multiplication, division, and fractions. The children will explore key concepts such as multiples, factors, common factors, prime numbers, and squared and cubed numbers to strengthen their number knowledge. As they move on to fractions, they will learn to compare and order them confidently before progressing to work with mixed numbers. Using these skills, the children will begin to solve a range of mathematical problems that challenge their reasoning and fluency. Alongside this, they will continue to take part in their daily morning maths challenges and regular times tables practice to build speed, accuracy, and confidence in their mental arithmetic.
English
This half term, Samphire Class will be focusing their English learning around the beautifully illustrated book Farther by Grahame Baker-Smith. Through this inspiring story, the children will explore a range of writing skills, including using formal and informal speech and understanding how verb prefixes can change the meaning of words. They will use these skills to develop their own imaginative narratives, drawing inspiration from the themes and emotions in the book. The children will also be reading The Story of the Titanic for Children, which will support their continued development in key reading comprehension skills such as explaining the meaning of words in context, making predictions, retrieving key information, and recording and summarising texts effectively. Additionally, they will be practising how to write letters, thinking carefully about tone, purpose, and audience to make their writing engaging and purposeful.
Discovery Learning
This half term, Samphire Class will be exploring a wide range of exciting topics across the curriculum. In Science, the children will be learning about human life cycles and using their knowledge to create an informative booklet showing the six stages of human development. In PSHE, they will be investigating the different decisions people make with money, including how to budget wisely and what influences financial choices. Geography lessons will focus on rivers of the world and the water cycle, with pupils producing a creative piece of writing that follows the fascinating journey of a raindrop. In RE, the class will be considering what it means to be human from both Islamic and Jewish perspectives.
In Computing, the children will develop their digital creativity by producing videos, learning how to plan effectively using storyboards and experimenting with editing techniques. PE lessons will include hockey and dance, helping pupils to build teamwork, coordination, and expression. In Spanish, the focus will be on expanding vocabulary and understanding how words are used in different contexts.
This term also brings some special creative opportunities. Samphire Class will take part in a whole-school textile project to celebrate Christmas and will begin preparations in Music for the Christmas production. Additionally, the children will have the exciting chance to start learning the recorder and flute, with sessions leading up to a joint concert with other schools later in the year.
General Notices
P.E. and Outdoor Learning
PE days are Tuesday and Friday. No woodlands this term
Reading Challenge
In Year 5, we are working hard to promote the importance of reading and show children how enjoyable reading can be. We promote reading for pleasure throughout the school and encourage the children to read every day. At school, we have supplied our in-class reading area with a range of age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction high-quality texts for children to access.
Class Dojo
Class Dojo will continue to be used this year. It is a great space where you can view photos, videos and information about what is happening in Year 5 and across the school. If you require another invitation to join, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Belongings
Please can you ensure that all belongings and named (PE Kits – Wellies – School Uniform – Bags – Coats – Water bottles etc).