The nights are getting shorter and spring is in the air – welcome back!

Our topic this term is Crime and Punishment. It will take Year 5 and Year 6 on a journey through British history as they discover how crime and punishment has changed throughout the ages. Beginning with the Romans and traveling right through to the present day, we will discover how changes in society create changes in the kind of crimes that are committed, as well as the ways in which they are punished. We will notice that each period in history has its own problems, whether it’s simple stealing from a house or an animal in the Middle Ages or cybercrime today. We will examine and consider images of punishments and pose questions about their use. We hope our visit to Oxford Castle and Prison on Monday 3rd February will help us understand the reasons why prisoners were detained and how they were treated.

In English we will be digging into Louis Sachar’s classic novel Holes. This inventive and captivating comedic mystery will have us on the edge of our seats. The book presents thrilling themes, from a miscarriage of justice, a juvenile detention camp, yellow spotted lizards to a woman who turned to crime, providing Year 5 and 6 with brilliant comprehension and writing opportunities.

Arithmetic and Times Tables

Year 5 will continue to practice essential maths skills weekly with a variety of arithmetic questions. Mental arithmetic is being able to add, subtract, multiply and divide in your head and to solve problems using method and logic. These skills are the key foundations of maths skills, and speed and accuracy makes everything else in maths so much easier. Building confidence in maths early on will pay back many times over.

Remember that all the children have access to Times Tables Rockstars. Rapid recall of times tables is fundamental to much of their Maths learning.

Spelling

Spelling skills are taught in school twice weekly following the Spelling Shed scheme. We use this opportunity to investigate and collect a wide and rich vocabulary too.

Please encourage children to login and practice their weekly words. There will be a half-termly test of twenty words taken at random from the previous six weeks’ lists. The children will be encouraged to revise the previous term spellings and to focus on high frequency words that are being misspelled.

Reading at Home

The children will continue to be able to change their reading book as necessary. We will regularly check that the books they select are both suitably challenging and encompass a variety of genres. Please keep up the excellent work by reading to your child and listening to them read as often as you can. Don’t forget to fill in the Reading Record—

this is very important! Re-reading passages, discussing the text, highlighting interesting or unfamiliar vocabulary, and engaging in conversations about the subject matter are all incredibly valuable activities. Thank you for your support.

Homework

All homework will be assigned every Friday, and we kindly ask that it be returned to school by the following Thursday, unless otherwise specified. Each week, a spelling activity will be available on Ed Shed. Additionally, we encourage reading at home at least three times a week, which should be recorded in your child’s Reading Records—these will be checked each Thursday. A maths task will also be set on Fridays and is due the following Thursday. Furthermore, twice a term, we will have a Learning Log activity. It is essential for all children to complete their homework, so please do reach out via email if your child encounters any challenges. Happy learning!

PE

PE is timetabled for Thursdays and Fridays, but this is subject to change due to weather conditions. To ensure your child is fully prepared for every session, please send in their PE kit every Monday, and it will return home on Friday. It’s vital that the kit fits comfortably and is appropriate for daily use. Included in the kit should be a jumper, jogging bottoms, shorts, t-shirt, trainers, and spare socks. Having the correct kit ensures that your child can participate actively and enjoyably in their PE lessons. Thank you for your cooperation.

Water Bottles

Please make sure your child brings in a named water bottle daily.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Thomas