Image of Year 5 PSHE - Role Plays Showing Acts of Friendship or Acts of Unkindness
22 Apr

Year 5 PSHE - Role Plays Showing Acts of Friendship or Acts of Unkindness

Year 5 Explores the Secret to Great Friendships This week in PSHE, Year 5 have been thinking carefully about what it truly means to be a good friend. We began by identifying the small but significant gestures of friendship that make our school community a kinder place, from offering a word of encouragement to simply sharing a seat at lunch. The lesson took a dramatic turn as the children were given secret roleplay scenarios to perform. Some groups acted out heartwarming acts of kindness, while others depicted trickier situations where friendship was put to the test! Our PSHE Highlights: Spotting the Signs: Discussing how our actions and words impact those around us. The Big Reveal: The rest of the class had to play detective, guessing the scenario being acted out. Some were quite a challenge to figure out! Building Empathy: Reflecting on how it feels to be on the receiving end of different friendship behaviours. It was a fantastic session full of laughter and insightful discussion. Have a look at our photos to see our budding actors in action! How can you show friendship to the people around you?

Image of Year 5 Easter Orienteering Challenge
15 Apr

Year 5 Easter Orienteering Challenge

Egg-cellent Orienteering Adventures for Year 5! Before we hopped off for the half-term break, our Year 5 pupils took to the great outdoors for a high-energy Easter Orienteering challenge! Working in pairs within their classes, the children were armed with maps of the school grounds and a mission to complete. With the timer set to 25 minutes, it was a race against the clock to navigate the playgrounds and the field to locate our hidden Easter questions. To keep things fair and fast-paced, we used a staggered start; pairs began at different stations—some starting at 18 and looping back to 1—ensuring everyone had space to sharpen their navigation skills. Our keen-eyed explorers had to follow the course in strict orienteering order, hunt down the eggs, and tackle the Blue KS2 questions found on the back of each one. It wasn't just about speed! Accuracy was key, as staff marked the answer sheets back in the classroom to find our top navigators. The Grand Prize: Our winning pairs, who found and correctly answered the most questions, hopped home with a giant chocolate Easter egg! Because everyone showed such fantastic teamwork and stamina, every single child enjoyed a delicious chocolate krispie cake for taking part.

Image of Year 5 English - Blending Action, Dialogue and Description in a Sentence
15 Apr

Year 5 English - Blending Action, Dialogue and Description in a Sentence

Word Detectives: Unlocking the Opening Chapters Our budding linguists took on the role of Word Detectives this week, diving deep into the atmospheric opening of our new class novel, Goodnight Mister Tom. In a fast-paced, 12-minute challenge, students were tasked with more than just memorising definitions; they had to uncover the hidden "personality" of the author’s language. Working in teams, each table was assigned a specific keyword from the text—ranging from the stoic robust to the startled bewildered. Using dictionaries as their primary tools, the groups worked to define their word before "detecting" its specific mood. Is the word adamant a grumpy one? Does clad feel neutral or formal? The final challenge required high-level creativity and precision. Students had to craft a "Three-Way Blend" sentence, seamlessly weaving their assigned word into a single line that combined Action, Dialogue, and Description.

Image of Online Safety - App and Play Stores
15 Apr

Online Safety - App and Play Stores

With millions of apps available and children accessing them from an increasingly young age, app stores can present a range of risks. From malware and copycat apps to inappropriate content and persuasive in-app purchases, this Wake Up Wednesday guide highlights how easily young users can encounter issues – even when using official platforms. It also offers clear, practical advice to help parents and educators manage these risks. From setting up parental controls and checking app credibility to having open conversations about safe usage, the guide supports adults in building children’s awareness, encouraging safer choices and promoting more balanced, responsible app use

Image of Year 5 English - Reading and Responding to Haikus
1 Apr

Year 5 English - Reading and Responding to Haikus

Year 5 are getting lyrical this week! We’ve jumped into the wonderful world of Haikus, exploring how these short, traditional Japanese poems can pack such an evocative punch. The children have loved diving into different examples to uncover their hidden meanings. We are now mastering the "golden rule" of Haiku structure: the magical 5-7-5 syllable count! (Counting on fingers has definitely been required!) We are all looking forward to channeling our inner poets later in the week to create our very own Easter-themed Haikus.

Image of Year 5 PE - OAA: Making Maps and Following Directions
1 Apr

Year 5 PE - OAA: Making Maps and Following Directions

Cones, compasses, and coordinate grids! Year 5 took their Team Building PE lesson indoors this week to master the art of navigation. Working together, they created and followed complex maps using cardinal points, carefully avoiding the 'Danger Cone'! It was a brilliant lesson filled with fun, problem-solving, and fantastic teamwork. Well done, Year 5!

Image of Year 5 RE - How Does Art Show God's Victory at Easter?
1 Apr

Year 5 RE - How Does Art Show God's Victory at Easter?

Year 5’s RE took an expressive, arty turn this week! We have been deeply engaged in studying a collection of powerful religious paintings, focusing on how artists convey the profound theme of God’s victory at Easter. The children expertly analysed the artwork, discussing how elements like colour, line, light, and shape are intentionally used to depict the emotion and impact of the resurrection. Inspired by our studies, the class then channelled their learning into creating their own stunning abstract art paintings, capturing their interpretation of the Easter victory. The results are truly remarkable and show fantastic depth of thought.

Image of Year 5 PE - OAA: Teamwork Challenges!
25 Mar

Year 5 PE - OAA: Teamwork Challenges!

Mission Impossible? Not for Year 5! Our PE lessons have been all about teamwork this term! We’ve been putting our communication skills under the microscope with some tricky "Cooperation Challenges." From describing complex equipment layouts to partners who couldn't see them, to the nerve-wracking "Skipping Rope Bridge" football roll, the children have had to be assertive and patient. These tasks were incredibly tough, but the buzz of excitement when that football finally reached the end was amazing! We are so proud of the grit and collaborative spirit on display. Who knew PE could be such a brain-teaser?

Image of Year 5 PSHE - Rights and Respect at Home, at School and in the Local Community
25 Mar

Year 5 PSHE - Rights and Respect at Home, at School and in the Local Community

Rights and Respect: Empowering the Citizens of Tomorrow In PSHE this week, Year 5 have been exploring the fundamental concepts of rights and respect. We began by establishing a clear system of definitions: understanding that 'rights' are the entitlements every person should be afforded, while 'respect' is the active practice of acknowledging the needs and wishes of others. The children applied these definitions to their own lives, categorising their unique rights and responsibilities within three key areas: at home, in school, and throughout the wider local community. Working collaboratively in pairs, the pupils engaged in deep discussion before presenting their findings to the class with confidence. It was a marvellous opportunity for our young citizens to reflect on how showing respect for the environment and for each other creates a more harmonious society.

Image of Year 5 English - Science Fiction Independent Write
18 Mar

Year 5 English - Science Fiction Independent Write

After weeks of exploring distant galaxies and futuristic colonies, Year 5 have officially wrapped up their Science Fiction unit! For their final independent writing piece, the children drew inspiration from Roy Apps’ ‘Time Spinner’. They were tasked with writing a gripping tale about a time traveller from a sterile, silent future who suddenly appears in our vibrant, noisy, modern-day playground. Building on our recent drama and ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ workshops, the children have done a brilliant job of describing the sensory shock their characters felt. From the chaotic shrieks of a football match to the strange, earthy smell of the grass, their stories are packed with atmospheric detail and high-level vocabulary. We have been so impressed by their creativity and their ability to help their travellers find a way back to the future! If a time traveller appeared in our playground today and could take you anywhere in history (past or future), where would you choose to go? Let us know in the comments!

Image of Year 5 Science Week - Does Toast Always Land Butter Side Down?
18 Mar

Year 5 Science Week - Does Toast Always Land Butter Side Down?

The Great Toast Tumble: Science or Superstition? If you spotted Year 5 dropping their breakfast on the floor this week, don’t worry—it was all in the name of British Science Week! Our budding statisticians have been investigating the age-old urban legend: Does toast always land butter-side down? To get to the bottom of this "sticky" situation, the children conducted a rigorous investigation using: Variables: We compared thick-sliced vs. thin-sliced bread. The Control: To keep things fair, we used a 'control' slice (unbuttered but marked) alongside our buttered slices. The "Jam" Factor: We even pushed the boundaries of science by adding jam to see if the extra weight or stickiness changed the outcome! The Verdict? After hundreds of drops and careful data recording, Year 5 discovered that the "butter-side down" myth is exactly that—a myth! Our results showed that toast falls completely randomly. Whether it was thick, thin, buttered, or jammed, there was no statistical evidence to suggest it prefers one side over the other. It was a fantastic way to see how statisticians use data to prove (or disprove!) the things we think we know about the world. Well done, Year 5, for some truly "crumbs-tastic" scientific thinking!

Image of Year 5 Maths - Collaborative Learning with LBQ
18 Mar

Year 5 Maths - Collaborative Learning with LBQ

Perimeter & Area: Mastering Measurement with LBQ! This week, Year 5 have been putting their geometry skills to the test as we consolidated our learning on Perimeter and Area. To sharpen our mathematical thinking, we dived into the LBQ (Learning By Questions) platform, which provided a series of tricky challenges to solve. The classroom was buzzing with mathematical talk as the children worked collaboratively in groups. It wasn’t just about finding the right answer; it was about the strategy. Groups were heard debating different methods, checking each other's calculations, and explaining their reasoning. What impressed us most was the incredible perseverance on display. When a question didn’t turn ‘green’ on the first attempt, the children didn’t get discouraged. Instead, they used the instant feedback to rethink their approach, discuss their mistakes, and try again until they succeeded. A brilliant display of teamwork and a real 'growth mindset' in action. Well done, Year 5!