Friday 17th October
The children have had a very busy couple of weeks and are excited to be heading into the final week of this half term. I think they all need—and deserve—a well-earned break. They have worked incredibly hard, and we are all very proud of them.
Science has been a big hit with the children, as they’ve had the chance to experiment with reversible and irreversible changes. They observed the evaporation of a saltwater solution, which formed salt crystals, and used small Bunsen burners to cook an egg, identifying that as an irreversible change. We also took them outside to burn paper matches while discussing the changes taking place, and even challenged them with a curveball by asking what type of change occurs when burning a candle.
The children also completed their independent writing, and we were very impressed with their warning tales, which included lots of lovely setting descriptions. In Art, they finished recreating Hokusai’s famous painting The Great Wave. They spent a great deal of time perfecting their drawings, painting with both watercolours and acrylics to add texture, and outlining the finer details. We were really impressed with the results.
Music has been very lively, as the children are now taking inspiration from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and creating their own compositions. Cedar class also enjoyed pairing up with Willow class for paired reading. This is something we will be doing every week, which the children thoroughly enjoy.
Friday 3rd October 2025
The children have had a wonderful few weeks and are now fully settled into the routine of Year 5. In PE, they are continuing to develop their gymnastics skills, working on rope climbing and practising inversions on the bars. Geography has been a real highlight, with the children thoroughly enjoying their learning about natural disasters—we even managed to gather everyone into the hall to create an exciting earthquake simulation!
In Science, the class has been experimenting with different ways to separate materials and discovering which methods work best. They have also explored dissolving and evaporation, and we are eagerly waiting for our salt water to evaporate so we can observe the salt crystals that form.
In Maths, we have moved on to addition and subtraction. The children have been deepening their understanding of exchanging in addition by using concrete resources such as counters and place value grids. This hands-on approach was a particular favourite, especially as they got to draw directly on their desks!
Finally, in English, the children have done a fantastic job rehearsing our model text—a warning tale—and are now working through the innovation stage. It has been wonderful to see them express themselves in their writing and make use of all the tools we have discussed in preparation for this.
Friday 5th September 2025
The children have settled into Year 5 brilliantly and have had a busy and exciting first week exploring the theme of Africa. Together, we have investigated the geography of the continent, learning about its diverse landscapes, countries, and natural features. The children also discovered the work of a range of African artists and enjoyed recreating some of their vibrant artwork in their own unique styles. As part of our DT project, the class designed and created flags of different African countries, experimenting with the technique of batik as well as practising their sewing skills to bring their designs to life. A highlight of the week was Mr. Geldhill's assembly, who shared fascinating stories about his experiences teaching in Africa. The children listened with great enthusiasm and asked thoughtful questions, making it a truly memorable experience.
