Year 5 Opal Class

Mrs Ripley	Miss Bond	Mrs Bowman
Class Teacher	Teaching Assistant	Teaching Assistant (PM)

Autumn Term One

The children have settled into Year 5 incredibly well and have made a fantastic start to the new school year. It has been wonderful getting to know them and seeing their enthusiasm, curiosity and confidence grow over the first half term.

In English, we have been exploring The Lost Words and have particularly enjoyed developing our descriptive writing skills through the study of a hawk. The children have produced some truly imaginative pieces of writing, using a wide range of adventurous vocabulary to bring their descriptions to life. They have created fantastic acrostic poems and have experimented with alliteration, metaphors and similes to make their writing more vivid and engaging.

Across all areas of the curriculum, we have also placed a strong focus on handwriting and spelling, encouraging the children to take pride in the presentation and accuracy of their work.

In Mathematics, our focus has been on place value. The children have been developing their understanding of numbers up to 1,000,000, including partitioning numbers, using powers of 10 and comparing numbers using greater than and less than. They have worked hard to develop their mathematical reasoning and explain their thinking clearly.

Our Science topic this half term has been Forces. We have investigated gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction, exploring how these forces affect objects in everyday life. The children have enjoyed discussing and investigating forces and applying their understanding to practical examples.

In Geography, we have been learning about rivers, following their journey from source to sea. We have explored the different stages of a river’s journey and developed our understanding of the geographical features and processes involved.

Our PSHE learning has focused on peer pressure. The children have discussed different situations where peer pressure may occur and considered how we can make positive choices, stand up for ourselves and others, and seek help when needed.

One of the highlights of the half term was BET Futures Week. Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed researching, designing and creating their very own roller coaster for Thorpe Park! The children demonstrated fantastic creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills as they developed their ideas and brought their designs to life.

It has been a fantastic first half term, and we are incredibly proud of how well the children have settled into Year 5. We are looking forward to continuing our learning journey together after half term, with lots more exciting learning ahead as we begin to look towards the Christmas season!

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