Year 5 Curriculum

Literacy

Over the year, the children are exposed to a range of fiction and non-fiction texts where they explore the language and features of the text type through carefully planned reading exercises, before producing their own written examples. Over the course of each half term, the children learn about narrative reading and writing, poetry and a non-fiction text. We also respond to a text using ideas from 'The Power of Reading' strategy. Alongside this, children are taught specific word level and sentence level skills. Here is a breakdown of the key text types we study each term.

Autumn Term - Legend, poetry, recount, play script, fiction focus, poetry

Spring Term - author Study, myths, persuasion, non-chronological reports, fiction focus

Summer Term - explanation text, non-fiction/newspaper reports, poetry, letter writing, non-chronological reports, newspaper writing

Maths

In Maths, we follow the National Curriculum, supplemented by the White Rose Scheme, which encourages the children to approach maths mastery with a resilient mindset.

• Place value

• Addition

• Subtraction

• Statistics

• Multiplication and division

• Perimeter and area

• Fractions

• Decimals

• Percentages

• Properties of shapes

• Direction

• Measurement - converting

• Volume

Science

Autumn - Properties and changes of materials; Life cycles of plants and animals

Spring - Forces; Earth and space

Summer - Human life cycles and changes; Working scientifically experiments

Computing

The topics we cover in Computing lessons are as follows:

• Online Safety

• Google Drive, Docs and research skills

• CS First - Animate a name and storytelling

• We are crytographers

• We are architects

Book Study

Autumn - Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Spring - Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Summer - Tom's Midnight Garden by Edith (in a graphic novel format, adapted from the original by Phillipa Pearce)

The pupils study the book in great detail. It is advised that your child has a copy of each book in school as the pupils complete lots of activities based on the text, however this is not a requirement. We ask that if possible that the children do not read these beforehand.

Guided Reading

The children will read three different texts in guided reading this year. These will be selected from the following: Danny the Champion of the World (Roald Dahl), Rooftoppers (Katherine Rundell) and Tom's Midnight Garden (The graphic novel version by Edith)

Topic - History and Geography

We study the Ancient Egyptians in the autumn term. Pupils will take part in an Egyptian Day, when they dress up as Ancient Egyptians and enjoy a range of activities.

During the spring term we study Ancient Greece. Pupils will take part in an Ancient Greek day, when they will enjoy a range of activities, such as a mini-Olympics.

In the summer term we will learn about Brazil, first focusing on its culture and then its trade. We will then study the rainforest in more depth, particularly looking at the rainforest climate. This will include map study and fieldwork.

Art

Year 5 Art begins in the autumn term with pupils looking at observational drawing. They look at the methods of smudging, hatching and cross hatching and apply these techniques to their work. The children also look at positive and negative drawing techniques and study in detail the work of Frank Auerbach.

In the Spring term the children study: the work of Norman Foster and focus on dip dye techniques, creating architectural fabric prints, punchinella weaving, press prints, string printing and contours.

During the summer term the pupils look at the work of Hundertwasser and develop images using layering acetate. The pupils will also have the opportunity to re-create pointillism and Fauvist paintings. To finish their term off the children then select a technique from the year to produce their own composition. Their work is then displayed at the annual open evening that occurs in July.

DT

For one week each term children undertake a DT project, which allows focused teaching of each stage in the design process: investigating existing products, designing a product for a specific audience, modifying ideas where necessary and making a prototype before producing and evaluating a finished product.

In the Autumn term, the pupils look at making 3D structures, with the inspiration of an Ancient Egyptian Shaduf.

For the Spring term, the children look at analysing and making a basic bread, before creating their own.

In the Summer term, the children focus on sewing skills and make their own purse.

RE

Throughout Year 5, a wide range of religions are explored. In line with the new RE syllabus, children will explore a range of questions related to different world religions.

Autumn

• Christian beliefs about holy and loving God

• Being a Muslim in Britain today

Spring

• Christian belief that Jesus was the Messiah

• Importance of the Torah to Jewish people

Summer

• Christians following the ways of Jesus

• Humanism and Christianity

PSHE

In PSHE, we follow the MindUp Scheme, which encourages the children to practise mindfulness and become more rounded learners and individuals.

Autumn

• Class rules

• Application and voting for roles and responsibility

• Why and how laws are made (UNICEF)

• Human rights and the rights of a child (UNICEF)

• The right to protect your body

• Being safe - concept of privacy

• Confidentiality and when to break it

• Respectful relationships - respecting difference

• Respectful relationships - stereotypes

• Anti-bullying and the effects on mental health

• Caring friendships - who to trust

Spring

• Mental well being - benefits for your own wellbeing

• Mind up - Gratitude

• Growth mindset - perseverance

• Zones of regulation - to help others

• Money - the role of money, ways of making money, budgeting

• Environment - how do we manage money in school? (Link to the environment and our grounds)

Summer

• Puberty changes and personal hygiene

• Mind up: Mindful movement

• Respectful relationships - self respect and happiness

• Families - stable, caring relationships, marriage

• Demonstrating respectful relationships in Micro Society

Music

Children will be following the Charanga Scheme to learn how to play instruments, compose and improvise. This year instead of singing the children will learn sign language.

PE

In indoor PE, children participate in fitness activities, badminton, dance and gymnastics.

In outdoor PE, they take part in football, netball, tag rugby, tennis, cricket, athletics and teamwork skills. In the summer term they also have a weekly swimming lesson in the school pool.

French

Autumn

• Greetings and personal information

• Clothing

• Using verbs to say what people have

• Describing people

• Talking about School subjects

• Likes and dislikes

• Telling the time

Spring

• Asking politely for food

• Asking the way and giving directions in a town

• Talking about holidays

• Express an opinion about holidays

• Describing a house and using adjectives

Summer

• Describing what people do at home and where

• Hobbies and where you do them

• Hobbies and using the negative

• Revision of previous learning