Elm Autumn
Welcome to Year 5!
We have had a fantastic start to the autumn term and are so proud of how well the children have settled into their new routines and responsibilities. The class has embraced every challenge with enthusiasm, showing a positive attitude towards learning and supporting one another as they adapt to life in Upper Key Stage 2. We have lots of exciting learning opportunities planned this year, including engaging topics, creative projects, educational visits and memorable experiences across the curriculum. We are looking forward to a year filled with curiosity, achievement and fun as the children continue to grow in confidence and independence.
- Miss Kelley
Our Learning:
Writing:
In English, the children created descriptive stories inspired by the short animation The Present. They thoroughly enjoyed exploring the emotions, characters and themes within the film before developing their own imaginative narratives. As a class, we shared ambitious vocabulary, discussed effective descriptive techniques and worked collaboratively to generate ideas. The children used powerful language, figurative devices and carefully chosen details to create vivid imagery, helping to bring their stories to life. We were impressed by their creativity and the way they used language to captivate their audience.
Following this, we studied Freedom Bird and explored the history of slavery in America and the remarkable role of the Underground Railroad in helping enslaved people escape to freedom. The class were fascinated as they learnt about the harsh realities of life for enslaved people and the courage shown by those who risked everything in search of a better future. We focused on the inspirational life of Harriet Tubman, whose bravery and determination made her one of the most significant figures in this movement. From this, the children wrote detailed biographies, highlighting Tubman's achievements and the impact of her work.
To finish the term, the children wrote thoughtful letters to one of the characters in the novel, challenging her views and encouraging her to think differently about refugees and friendship. This provided an excellent opportunity for the children to use persuasive language and express their opinions with maturity and empathy. We then embraced the festive spirit by creating a humorous step-by-step guide on how to steal Christmas, inspired by The Grinch. The children loved incorporating creative ideas, detailed instructions and a touch of mischief into 
their writing, resulting in some highly entertaining and imaginative pieces.
Reading:
This term, we have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf. Through the story, the children followed Ahmet's journey as a refugee arriving at a new school and explored important themes of friendship, kindness, courage and empathy. We had thoughtful discussions about how it feels to be new, the challenges some children face around the world, and the importance of standing up for others. The class loved getting to know the characters and making predictions about what might happen next. Through a range of reading, writing and creative activities inspired by the book, the children developed both their comprehension skills and their understanding of the wider world, showing great maturity and compassion throughout.
Books we have explored
This term, we have explored a wide range of high-quality texts through our class reading sessions. The children have enjoyed listening to and discussing stories from different genres, discovering memorable characters and exploring important themes.
Maths:
In Maths this year, the children will build upon their previous learning as they develop their understanding of key Year 5 concepts. During the autumn term, we will focus on place value, exploring Roman numerals, numbers up to 1,000,000 and developing confidence in reading, writing, ordering and comparing large numbers.
We will then move on to addition and subtraction, applying efficient written methods and using reasoning skills to solve increasingly challenging problems.
Later in the term, the children will strengthen their multiplication and division knowledge, including recalling multiplication facts and using formal written methods. Throughout the year, we will also develop a deeper understanding of fractions, learning to compare, order, add and subtract fractions, as well as recognising equivalent fractions.
We encourage children to explain their thinking and use mathematical vocabulary confidently, helping them to become resilient and independent mathematicians. During morning work, the children will practice both arithmetic and reason and problem-solving skills alongside their timetables facts.