Year 5 & 6 Class information page 2025 - 2026

Welcome to Years 5 and 6!

Back to school already? We hope your summer was full of fun and relaxation—now it's time to dive into a new year packed with learning, laughter, and unforgettable times with friends!

Our history topic this term is Fashion in the 20th Century. This is always a topic that excites, interests and motivates the children to do great work. We will look at how fashion has changed over time, influenced by popular culture and developments in materials and manufacturing processes. We will design and make outfits inspired by particular time periods and we will do investigations into different designers and other key people in the fashion world during this period. This topic links very nicely with our guided reading lessons in particular but is also reflected in literacy too!

In science we will dive into the fascinating world of evolution and inheritance—a topic that helps us understand how living things have changed over time and why we look the way we do!

Children explore how traits are passed down from parents to offspring, and why no two individuals (even siblings!) are exactly the same. They learn that variation is a natural part of life and that sometimes, these differences can help living things survive better in their environments.

Through exciting investigations, pupils discover how animals and plants adapt to suit their surroundings—like how polar bears stay warm in the Arctic or how cacti store water in the desert. These adaptations can lead to evolution, a gradual process that has shaped life on Earth for millions of years.

We also take a journey back in time to learn about fossils, which give us clues about ancient life, and meet famous scientists like Mary Anning, Charles Darwin, and Alfred Wallace, who helped us understand how evolution works.

This topic encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific exploration. Pupils ask questions, carry out experiments, and present their findings—developing skills that are essential for scientific enquiry.

In English, we will be using the book Island: A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin to help us to gain a deeper understanding of spelling and grammar. This book will inspire us to create both long and short pieces of writing practising exisiting writing skills and gaining some new ones too. We will use some other texts to support us in our learning, particularly the wonderful story Jemmy Button by Jennifer Uma. This writing unit links in really well with our science topic of evolution and inheritance. We will enjoy collaborating between the two subjects of English and science. This year we are going to have a particularly big push on handwriting and spelling so please practise these skills at home.

In our reading this term we will be exploring the world of Kaspar Prince of Cats by the legendary author Michael Morpurgo. We will use this book to gain valuable practise at answering the different types of reading questions but more importantly we will get swept along by this inimitable cat's adventures. Why don't you aim to read some of Michael Morpurgo's other books this year for fun? They're all wonderful! 

In maths this term, the Year 5s will focus on their understanding of place value. We will explore the interesting world of Roman numerals and we will discover how having a good understanding of place value helps us with so many other areas of the maths curriculum. We will then move onto the different ways that we add and subtract, multiply and divide and then we will finsih the term by beginning our deep dive into the world of fractions.

The Year 6s will also begin their maths journey by recapping place value and then they will swiftly move onto addition and subtraction, multiplication and division and fractions before rounding off the term with some work on fractions. Phew!

Don't forget to practise your times tables using TTRS, everyone! Use the link at the bottom of the page to access your account.

PE during Autumn Term will be taking place on Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday we will be working with one of our CEPD coaches on invasion games. On Friday we will practise our athletics skills in the sports hall. 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! 

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. Also, even though we are heading into autumn and we do still get some hot sunny days so consider whether sun cream might be needed.

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.

Here are some other websites you may find useful and informative...Click the pictures to be taken to the sites.