Cheetwood Primary
Year 5
Spring 1
Year 5 have shown excellent drive and determination in their learning this term. They have challenged themselves and shown a strong commitment to achieving their very best.
This term, we have enjoyed learning about space across several subjects, including Science, French, and English. In English, the children particularly enjoyed reading Hidden Figures, a text linked to our space topic. The book explores the work of NASA and highlights the important contributions of three Black women mathematicians, including Katherine Johnson, whose calculations were crucial in enabling John Glenn to successfully orbit the Earth. The children have demonstrated their creativity and enthusiasm through a range of imaginative space-themed projects. They carefully designed and created models, artwork, and presentations.
In Art, have learnt how to use different types of lines to emphasise emotion and draw attention within their work. Pupils designed their own prints, carefully considering composition to create balanced and visually interesting pieces. By experimenting with a combination of marks, they explored how to create tone and depth, adding detail and dimension to their artwork. As part of the process, children created effective printing plates and built their understanding of printmaking techniques from design to final outcome.
In Maths, children have been developing their understanding of short multiplication and division and have been introduced to using the bus stop method to support their calculations. They have also learnt how to multiply fractions and find parts and wholes of fractions, building confidence in working with more complex number concepts. Although they initially found these topics challenging, the children have shown great resilience and determination, demonstrating a positive attitude towards their learning and making excellent progress.
Next term, we will be investigating rivers in Geography, exploring forces in action in Science and building bridges in Design and Technology. In Maths, we will have a busy term learning decimals and percentages, area and perimeter and statistics.
Autumn 2
We have had a busy term with lots of events and activities taking place across school.
This term, Year 5, along with the whole school, took part in the Winter Performance, showcasing their hard work and enthusiasm. The children also enjoyed a fun-filled Winter Disco, which included games and an exciting dance-off that everyone loved. Our class-book this term was Journey Back to Freedom, and the children were highly engaged, producing some excellent writing, including a persuasive letter and a diary entry. In Geography, we learnt about the United Kingdom and where we live, while in French we explored different family members and how to describe them.
This term in PE, the children took part in a dance unit, focusing on space and effectively developing creative movements inspired by astronauts. Working in teams, they put together their own routines and demonstrated excellent teamwork. They also worked hard on improving their football and netball skills, practising control, passing, and teamwork.
In Music this term, the children have been taught by Miss Eden, who has been working with them to learn how to play the glockenspiel. Alongside this, they have also practised using percussion instruments such as the tambourine and clave. The children learnt how to play along to a range of different songs, developing their rhythm and confidence.
At the end of the term, many parents, carers, and extended family members came to watch our music performance. We had an excellent turnout, and the children were extremely proud to showcase their hard work and progress.
In the Spring term, the children will be learning about space across several topics, with English focusing on NASA as we begin reading Hidden Figures. In History, we will be exploring the history of Manchester and how it has developed since the Industrial Revolution.
Autumn 1
Year 5 have had a great half term with some exciting new learning, some of which we will be showcasing at the end of Autumn.
This half-term, our English learning has been inspired by the epic tale of Beowulf. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the story’s rich language, heroic themes, and dramatic battles. Through reading and discussion, they developed their understanding of character, setting, and action.
Building on this, pupils planned, drafted, and published their own newspaper reports recounting Beowulf’s thrilling defeat of the monster Grendel. This unit helped children practise key writing skills such as using formal language, organising information into clear paragraphs, and adding exciting quotes and headlines to engage the reader.
In Music, children have been developing their instrumental skills and teamwork by learning to play the glockenspiel alongside other classroom instruments. They have been exploring rhythm, pitch, and timing, and are now beginning to play simple melodies as a group. These sessions are helping the children prepare for our Christmas performance, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their growing confidence and musical ability in front of an audience.
This term in Art, the children have explored the concept of installation art—art that transforms a space and invites viewers to experience it in new ways. Using stencils as a base, pupils created imaginative designs which they then decorated using a range of everyday dry materials, such as sand, leaves, pasta, and rice. Through this process, the children developed their creativity, fine motor skills, and understanding of how ordinary materials can be used to create something extraordinary.
