Year 5 & 6 Class information page 2026 - 2027

Mrs Ashdown

Mr Dewdney

Mrs Hughes

Welcome to Years 5 and 6!

Hopefully you had a lovely summer break. Now it's time to dive into a new term packed with learning, laughter, and unforgettable times with friends!

The first Topic unit is called Britain and the Rest of the World. This unit helps children develop their understanding of how Great Britain is connected to the wider world through geography, trade and global relationships. Pupils learn to use atlases, maps and grid references to locate places in the UK and around the world, identify continents, oceans, the Equator, latitude and longitude, and compare different physical environments such as the Amazon Rainforest and Andes Mountains. They also explore where products and food come from, investigate imports, exports and Fairtrade, and consider how global trade affects people and places. Throughout the unit, children build their geographical knowledge, map-reading skills, enquiry skills and ability to compare and evaluate information about different locations.

This term, children learn about the human circulatory system and how it transports vital substances around the body. They explore how the heart pumps blood through a network of blood vessels, learning to identify and understand the roles of the heart, blood, and lungs. Pupils investigate how heart rates change during physical activity and how lifestyle choices affect cardiovascular health, discover how oxygen and nutrients are delivered to cells while waste products are removed, and understand the different functions of arteries, veins, and capillaries. They also learn how the circulatory system links with other bodily systems, connecting their scientific knowledge to real-life health and wellbeing. Through practical investigations and hands-on activities, children develop their understanding of how our bodies function and why keeping our hearts healthy is such an important part of everyday life.

The first literacy unit the children will study will be based on the book Star of Fear. Star of Hope.This Pathways to Write unit, based on the book by Jo Hoestlandt, develops pupils' reading, writing and historical understanding through the theme of friendship during the Second World War. Children explore characters, emotions and events linked to the Holocaust, using the text to build empathy and deepen comprehension. Through a range of writing opportunities, pupils learn to write diary entries, letters, narratives and extended pieces, focusing on vocabulary, sentence structure, organisation and authorial techniques. They also develop their ability to infer characters' feelings, discuss themes of hope, courage and loss, and use evidence from the text to support their ideas.

This term, children will study Wonder by R.J. Palacio, exploring themes of kindness, friendship, courage and belonging through a rich and engaging whole-class reading journey. As they follow Auggie's experiences of starting a new school, pupils develop their comprehension skills by discussing characters' motives, feelings and relationships, making inferences and supporting their ideas with evidence from the text. They explore how the story is told through different narrators, considering how perspective shapes a reader's understanding, while also examining the author's language and structural choices. Through vocabulary study, fluency practice, drama activities, debates and collaborative discussion, children deepen their understanding of the novel and build confidence as thoughtful, reflective readers. The unit encourages pupils to think critically about empathy, resilience and inclusion, helping them connect the themes of the story to their own lives and experiences.

In the autumn term, Year 5 children learn about numbers up to one million and how place value expands into hundred-thousands. They explore numbers through standard and non-standard partitioning, learning to read, write, order, and compare integers up to 1,000,000. Pupils investigate counting in steps of powers of 10, discover how to round numbers to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, and 100,000, and interpret negative numbers in practical settings. They also learn to read Roman numerals up to 1,000, connecting their mathematical knowledge to historical contexts. Through varied fluency and reasoning tasks, children develop a robust conceptual understanding of large numbers and their relative magnitudes.

In the autumn term, Year 6 children learn about numbers up to ten million and how exceptionally large numbers are structured and compared. They explore numbers on extended number lines, learning to read, write, order, and compare integers up to 10,000,000. Pupils investigate powers of 10 and how digits shift value, discover how to round any number to a required degree of accuracy, and understand negative numbers in context. They also learn how to solve complex problems involving numerical reasoning, linking their mathematical knowledge to abstract contexts. Through structured tasks and problem-solving activities, children develop deep fluency and confidence in handling the upper limits of the number system.

PE during Summer Term will be taking place on Monday for Mrs Ashdown's class. They will be going swimming so will need the appropriate kit for that. On Thursday the two other classes will be working with Jules on our dancing skills and on Friday all classes will practise indoor athletics. Please make sure that a correct PE kit is in school ready for these lessons. If kits are taken home to be washed (which is encouraged) please make sure they are brought back again. Our uniform list is available on this website if you are unsure as to what children should be wearing for their lessons.

Each week we will have a list of spellings to learn and some maths and English tasks to complete too. Remember homework helps you to practise the skills you learn in school. It does not have to be something to worry about. Be organised with your homework! As soon as you receive it, look at what you have to do and ask your teacher or a friend if you do not understand. Do not leave homework until last minute because that is when it becomes stressful! Your lists of spellings will be attached to this webpage, if you lose them! Don't forget to read regularly and fill in your reading record. This is important and something you should be proud of!

Water bottle.jpg

Please remember to bring in a water bottle each day. Staying hydrated is healthy and helps you to learn! Remember to use a reusable water bottle as this is far better for the environment than disposable ones although please don't spend a fortune on these! You can buy a reusable water bottle cheaply from school.

Things you can do at home

Don't forget that we do expect you to spend half an hour or so a week on Times Tables Rockstars. Knowing your times tables is a vital skill so get practising straight away by clicking the link below.