Class 5

Curriculum Outline - Autumn 20024

English 

Our first half term will be looking in depth at understanding the grammar word classes and punctuation that are instrumental in creating effective sentences.  This new initiative will be threaded throughout all our year groups at Mawgan in Pydar, so that the skills required to write effectively become second nature to the children.  Towards the end of the term, the children will use these skills to create two non-fiction pieces of writing.  Along with focusing on grammar, spelling, handwriting and reading skills, the second half of the term will look in depth at different text constructions, including narratives, news reports and poetry. We will be continuing to use a Talk for Writing approach to our learning which has three main stages to it: imitation, innovation and finally independence. 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 take a slightly different approach: All spellings will be investigated and practised in school time and Years 5 and 6 will be having the same spellings as set out in the National Curriculum.

Class Novel – Holes, by Louis Sacher.  Holes is a captivating novel by Louis Sachar that tells the story of Stanley Yelnats, a boy who is sent to a juvenile detention centre where the boys are forced to dig holes. As Stanley uncovers the truth about the camp's dark history, he also discovers his own family's hidden secrets.

Maths

We will follow the White Rose Year 5/6 units for learning in this subject.  In the autumn term Year 5 will focus on the units Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division A and Fractions A.  Year 6 will cover the units Place Value, Four Operations, Fractions and Converting Units.

History

In this crime and punishment unit, children will build on their knowledge of periods in history that they have studied through KS2. Children will explore using different historical disciplinary concepts, how crime and punishment has changed over time in Britain. They will explore what was seen as a crime over time and the different gruesome punishments that were handed out to criminals. The children will find out about the development of the police force from the Victorian period right through to the new millennium.  We will also explore our Cornish heritage through a trip to explore Bodmin Jail.  Here we walk in the footsteps of Georgian and Victorian criminals and discover the changes to crime and punishment across three centuries. The tour will offer engaging case studies and an insight into local history. 

Geography

Sustainability: In this unit, children will learn what plastic is and its uses. Children will learn about the problems associated with plastic. Children will investigate ways to reduce plastic waste in school and conduct fieldwork before recording, presenting and evaluating the collected data.

Science

Properties and changes of materials: During this unit of work, children will consolidate previous learning by revisiting the properties of solids, liquids and gases; learn to describe the properties of materials using scientific language; investigate which materials make the best

thermal insulators; and which materials are magnetic. Children will be introduced to key scientific vocabulary to describe the properties of materials (e.g. soluble and insoluble) and investigate how to separate materials using these properties. They will be able to name separation methods (filtering, sieving, evaporation, magnets) and decide on the most efficient method for separating a mixture of materials.

Art

Take a seat:  Children are introduced to the work of a craftsperson/designer, and they explore how the artist brings personality to their work. They go on to explore chair design over the centuries to understand how furniture can reflect or define the age in which it was made.  Children then use a warm up making exercise to remind themselves that they can be inventive in their making, and that the things they make can communicate ideas to other people. Finally children go on to make their own chair (a model of) using the design through making technique.

DT

Healthy Varied Diet / Christmas Design: First the children will learn what the needs of a healthy and varied diet are. They will revisit the Eatwell plate and design a dish for an individual or group of individuals.  Our Christmas design projects will embody the concepts taught in our geography work and will look at creating a sustainable ‘plastic free’ angel.  We will also investigate moving mechanisms to create a pop up Christmas card design.

PSHE 

We will follow a structured plan for both Year 5 and Year 6 from the SCARF units for PSHE.  In the autumn term we will cover the unit ‘Me and my Relationships’ which addresses feelings, emotions, conflict resolution and friendship. We will then move onto ‘Valuing Difference’ which includes a British Values focus.  These themes will be revisited through our assemblies during the term also.

RE

We are following a two-year programme of study from Curriculum Kernewek. During the autumn term Year 5 and 6 will be building on their prior understanding of Hinduism, by covering RE Today upper KS2 unit  ‘Why do Hindus try to be good?’ This unit focuses on Hinduism and builds on work that pupils will have previously focused on the concept of Brahman/God in Hinduism. This unit covers key Hindu concepts about life, death and rebirth. As always, we will also explore Christian beliefs about Jesus’ through our regular Christmas activities, including a Christingle Service.

MFL

We will continue to build on our French vocabulary, listening, reading and writing skills through the units of 'Getting to know you’ and ‘All About Ourselves’ for Year 5’s. Meanwhile, Year 6 will cover ‘Let’s visit a French Town’ and ‘Let’s Go Shopping.’

Music

Initially we will be covering the unit ‘Drunken Sailor’  As well as providing an opportunity to find out more about the context, history, and purpose of sea shanties as work songs, the activities in this unit provide inspiration for pupils to create rhythm games and a class arrangement using their voices and instruments.  We will then go on to explore a unit called ‘Why we Sing’.  This listening unit is based around the Gospel song Why we sing by Kirk Franklin. The song originally comes from the album Kirk Franklin and the Family from 1993, however this activity is based around a live video recording from inside a church, with a congregation.  We will also be learning songs to celebrate harvest time and Christmas as part of our singing assemblies.

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 and 6. For Year 5’s we will learn about ‘Systems and Searching’ and ‘Video Editing.’  For Year 6 the units will cover ‘Communication and Collaboration’ and ‘3D modelling’.

PE

The first half term will have a sport focus on Invasion Games, a fitness focus called Boot Camp, and a health focus called Healthy Body: Inside Out.  The second half term will have a sport focus of Dynamic Dance, a fitness focus of Mighty Movers (boxercise), and a health focus on ‘Healthy Mind: Going for Goals.’  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 Year, PE will be split into two sessions on a Tuesday and a Wednesday and children can come dressed appropriately in school PE kit on these days. 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.