Class 5 Newsletter Summer Term 2021
Welcome to the summer term! It was lovely to see all the children back in class before the holidays and we are looking forward to a good summer term ahead in school, with continued focus on the catch-up curriculum after lockdown supported by increased wellbeing activities, as well as the delivery of our full curriculum outlined below.
English
We begin with the study of a short film, ‘Swing of Change’, which links with elements of our history topic and provides the opportunity to explore some of the issues raised in the text, such as racial prejudice and discrimination. We will use drama to develop understanding of character feelings and use emotive language and relative clauses in writing to describe personal responses to events.
Later in the term, we will be using a short, visual text called ‘Tuesday’ to inspire some journalistic writing and will be examining different methods of representing dialogue, including in play scripts. We will be learning about William Shakespeare and reading simple forms of some of his plays to finish the term.
We will continue to read The Hobbit as our class text, using this as a basis to explore the children’s responses to classic texts. We encourage the children to read as widely as possible both within school and at home.
Maths
We will start this term by looking at negative numbers, calculating differences between temperatures and rises and falls in temperature. The children will add and subtract fractions where the denominators are multiples of the same number. They will identify, name and write equivalent fractions. Continuing from this, the children will multiply fractions by whole numbers. They will work with mixed numbers and improper fractions and convert from one to the other. The children will revisit using the grid and short method of multiplication and will be introduced to long multiplication. They will multiply 2, 3, 4-digit numbers by numbers ≤26 using long or short multiplication or grid method, and solve problems involving multiplication and division.
Later in the term, we will be revisiting time. The children will look at 24-hour timetables and calculate intervals of time. They will also be drawing and interpreting line graphs and conversion graphs. We will regularly set the children problem solving investigations to develop their problem solving and reasoning skills.
History and Geography
We begin the term with a history topic looking at changes in Britain, focusing in particular on the theme of the diversification of the population and looking at how Britain has changed to embrace different cultures, from the time of the slave trade to the present day. We will look at the reasons for and impacts of population migrations, including identifying multicultural role models and exploring personal stories.
Our geography in the second half of this term will have a physical geography focus, exploring the range of biomes, their key features and locations.
Science
For the first part of this term, we will be looking at living things and their habitats – the children will describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird. They will also describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals. In the second half of this term, we will be learning about animals (including humans); describing the changes as humans develop to old age (this will include the main changes that occur during puberty and the changes in old age).
Computing
This term the children will learn about data; they will collect and enter data within a spreadsheet and create different formulas. The children will use the ‘how many’ tool to work out which letters appear most often. They will make graphs from the calculations on their spreadsheet.
We will continue to use the internet for research, Word Processing and PowerPoint for presenting. The children will also have opportunities to use certain apps to present their learning in a variety of ways.
Art and DT
We will begin the term with art work, comparing and experimenting with the styles of Maggi Hambling and JMW Turner. We will then continue with a DT project, designing and making our own cam mechanisms. This will entail developing an understanding of how cams work as well as the skills to cut, join and assemble these effectively.
After half term, we will be linking our art and design work to our geography topic of ‘biomes’, looking at some simple 3-d work and learning to weave, designing and creating our own woven representations of a biome of our choice.
RE and PSHE
In RE, we will be learning more about Hindu places of worship and comparing these with those in the Christian faith as well as looking at religious symbols and their meanings.
Our PSHE learning will focus on health and wellbeing, continuing our learning about the benefits of mindfulness, keeping safe in a range of situations and considering how the children are growing and changing – emotionally, intellectually and physically – as they move towards puberty.
Music
This term will look at a ‘Ten Pieces Musical Menu’ – from this we will learn about tempo, lyrics, dynamics, rhythm and instruments.
PE
Our sporting focus for the summer term will be rounders, cricket and athletics. The children will need to have their PE kits in school for Wednesdays and Fridays.
French
We will be learning how to describe what we do at the weekend and particular times of day as well as learning vocabulary to talk about foods and preferences. We will be developing our ability to understand and write texts of increasing length and complexity as well as to respond verbally to a wider range of simple questions.
Homework
The children will continue to be asked to complete 3 pieces of homework each week; these will include spellings and one piece each of English and maths homework, each taking approximately 40 minutes to complete. As previously, homework should build upon work in class and it should be clear to your child what is required of them. Please limit your support to ensuring that they have the opportunity to complete their work in time and that they present their work neatly and to the best of their ability. If they have any questions, we are always happy to answer them. Homework will be posted in your child’s Assignments on Teams; please support them to make sure that work is submitted in a legible format before the deadline given.
As ever, please also encourage your child in their reading, giving them the opportunity where possible to sample a wide range of text types and support their interest by discussing what they have read and by continuing to share texts by reading aloud together when possible. They should read daily at home, completing reading activities such as reviews or posters regularly as they wish.
If you have any concerns or issues you would like to discuss regarding your child, please don’t hesitate to contact the office to arrange for us to call you by ‘phone.
Mrs Rudkin and Miss Sabin