Spring Term 2026

English 

Continuing our excellent writing skills from the Autumn term, we will analyse, plan and construct a range of text-types throughout the spring including a recount letter, setting description, persuasive advert and poetry.  We will be incorporating our understanding of grammar and punctuation into these units, as well as using spelling patterns that we have worked on throughout the year so far. Much of our writing will be cross-curricular and we will be continuing to transfer skills learnt in English, to other curriculum areas.  Spellings this year will focus on morphology—understanding the meaningful parts of words—which is essential for building confident, accurate spellers.  This approach aligns with current research and supports all learners.  Spelling will be a daily focus and we will use our learning to practise and refine handwriting.  We will focus on correct letter formation, developing a legible and consistent handwriting style, that understands letter joins and spacing. 

Class Novel – Skellig by David Almond. When Michael moves into a new house with his family, he discovers a strange creature living in the crumbling garage. The creature, called Skellig, is fragile and in pain, yet holds a strange power. As Michael and his new friend Mina care for Skellig, Michael learns about friendship, compassion, and hope while his baby sister fights for her life in hospital. The story blends realism with fantasy, exploring themes of love, change, and the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary. 

Maths

Our Year 5/6 class will be following the White Rose Maths scheme, covering key areas to build strong foundational skills. We will start with Multiplication & Division, helping children deepen their understanding of previously taught concepts. This will be followed by our second unit on Fractions. During this term, there will be two separate units on Decimal numbers, which will extend the children’s learning from Years 4 and 5. We will complete a unit on area, perimeter and volume before finishing with a unit on converting between fractions, decimals and percentages.

Science

Light: In Science this term, pupils will be exploring the fascinating topic of ‘Light’, in line with the National Curriculum. They will investigate how light travels in straight lines and how this explains the way we see objects, as well as how shadows are formed and why they change in size and shape. Pupils will learn that light is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted when it meets different surfaces and materials and they will carry out practical investigations to deepen their understanding of reflection and refraction. They will also explore how the human eye works and how light enables us to see, linking scientific ideas to real-world applications such as mirrors, lenses, and everyday technologies. This unit encourages pupils to develop their scientific enquiry skills, making predictions, recording results, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.

Living things and their habitats: Throughout the topic, pupils will explore the fascinating diversity of life on Earth, learning how scientists classify living organisms into broad groups such as microorganisms, plants, and animals. They will investigate how classification systems are organised and why these systems are essential for understanding relationships between species and for studying the natural world more effectively. Pupils will also examine how habitats provide for the basic needs of different living things, and how environmental changes—such as climate shifts, pollution, and human impact—can influence where and how organisms live.

Art

Architecture: Dream big or small: In this unit, children are opened to the idea that artists and designers have responsibilities, in the case of architects to design homes that help us have a brighter future. Children discuss as a class if it is best to design aspirational homes, which make us feel good to live in, or tiny homes which benefit the environment. Or perhaps we can do both? Children explore the work of architects and individual builder/designers, and use sketchbooks and drawing to collect, process and reflect upon ideas. Children then go on to build an architectural model of their aspirational home or tiny house, before sharing as a class to see the village that has been made. 

DT

In Design and Technology this term, pupils will take part in an exciting food project titled Taste of Latin America: Designing and Cooking a Stuffed Vegetable Dish. They will explore the vibrant flavours and ingredients of South American cuisine, creating their own version of a stuffed pepper or sweet potato inspired by countries such as Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. Through this hands-on unit, pupils will learn how to plan, prepare, and cook a balanced dish, experimenting with ingredients like rice, beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, herbs, cheese, and plant-based proteins. They will also develop key cooking and nutrition skills, including accurate measuring and weighing, understanding safe food storage and handling, and refining recipes by adjusting methods, cooking times, and flavours. This unit not only celebrates cultural diversity through food, but also encourages creativity, teamwork, and confidence in the kitchen.

PSHE 

We will follow a structured plan for both Year 5 and Year 6 from the SCARF units for PSHE.  In the spring term, we will cover the units ‘Keeping Myself Safe’ and ‘Rights and Responsibilities’. In Keeping Myself Safe, they will learn how to make responsible choices to protect their physical and emotional wellbeing, including understanding online safety, managing peer influence, and knowing when and how to ask for help. In Rights and Respect, pupils will explore the link between rights, responsibilities, and respect for others. They will discuss fairness, equality, and how their actions can positively impact their community and the wider world. Together, these units help pupils develop confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of personal and social responsibility as they prepare for secondary school.

RE

We are following a two-year programme of study from Curriculum Kernewek. In Spring 1, we will look at the unit ‘What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?’. The children will explore the five pillars of Islam; why charity is important to Muslims and why Muslims go on a pilgrimage. In Spring 2, we will explore the unit ‘Why is the Torah so important to Jewish people?’.

MFL

This will be taught through a mixed Y5/6 scheme of learning. In the first half term, we will look at the unit ‘School Life, before moving on to ‘Let’s Go Shopping’ in Spring 2. Both units will allow the children to practise their written and oral vocabulary alongside their sentence building skills.

Music

For Spring 1, the children will focus on the unit ‘Dona nobis pacem’. Dona nobis pacem is a round in three parts that is set to a short prayer for peace. It is in Latin and comes from the Agnus Dei of a Roman Catholic Mass. The phrase ‘Dona nobis pacem’ translates as ‘Grant us peace’. As well as being sung in churches, it has also been adopted for use as a song with a broader message about peace. For Spring 2, they will move on to ‘You are everything to me’. This listening unit is based on the song You to me are everything by The Real Thing – a British soul group formed in the 1970s. During this unit, pupils will explore the key musical features of this track and develop an understanding of the term ‘cover version’.

Computing

ICT will be used throughout all the other subject areas to enhance the children's understanding and for research purposes.  Children will be encouraged to use ICT as a tool for furthering their understanding in other curriculum areas. Throughout the term there will be an emphasis on keeping ourselves safe online. In addition to this, we are following the ‘Digital Learning Cornwall’ units for Years 5/6. The first half term will focus on the unit Data and information: Flatfile databases’ and the second half term will be ‘IT around us: communication and collaboration’.

PE

The first half term will have the fitness elements ‘Gym Sequences’ & ‘Skip to the Beat’, with a health focus called Healthy Lifestyle: You are what you eat.  The second half term will have a sport focus of ‘Striking and Fielding’, a fitness focus of ‘Gymfit Circuits’, and a health focus on ‘Healthy Body: Blood and Guts.’  There will be opportunities for children to participate in extracurricular clubs and sporting events and festivals as part of our links with the Newquay Schools sports partnership.

This term, PE will be on a Friday and children can come dressed appropriately in school PE kit on this day. There may of course, be additional days when the children may be required to wear a PE kit, which they will be clearly informed about. 

PE kit:

• Black shorts, leggings or tracksuit bottoms
• Green T-shirt with logo
• Trainers or plimsolls
• Tracksuits may be worn for outside PE during colder weather
• No earrings or jewellery

Please can all items of kit and school uniform be named.

Mrs Burt & Mrs Hay

Class teachers