Year 5 2026 - 2027

Welcome to the Year 5 Class Page

Year 5 Staff:

Class Teachers: Mr Kulyn (5K), Miss Sutcliffe (5S)

Teaching Assistants: Miss Harrison, Mrs Hill

Autumn 1

Welcome to Year 5! We are delighted to welcome the children back for a new academic year and are excited to begin another fantastic learning journey together. Autumn is a time for settling into new routines, building confidence, and establishing the high expectations that will help every child succeed throughout the year. We will encourage children to be independent learners, resilient problem-solvers and thoughtful members of our school community. Through engaging lessons, creative opportunities and challenging learning experiences, we hope to inspire curiosity and a love of learning in every child. We are looking forward to getting to know the children even better as they grow academically, socially and emotionally over the coming months. We are confident that, with continued support from home and school working together, this will be a happy, successful and rewarding year for all.

Curriculum Overview

Writing:

This half term in English, Year 5 will begin by exploring the imaginative picture book Tuesday by David Wiesner. Children will use the atmospheric illustrations to write vivid setting descriptions, focusing on creating mood and suspense through expanded noun phrases, carefully chosen verbs and adverbs, and the effective use of conjunctions. They will also develop characterisation through dialogue, learning how to punctuate speech accurately and use reporting clauses to move the action forward.

We will then move on to Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson. Pupils will write detailed character descriptions of unusual underwater creatures before creating their own informal pieces of writing in role as a fish. They will focus on adopting a distinctive voice, using contractions and appropriate informal language, whilst learning how to use parenthesis to add extra information.

Later in the half term, our learning will link closely with Geography through the study of rivers. Inspired by a range of river-themed texts, children will create explanation texts that describe the journey of a river from source to mouth. They will develop their use of organisational features including headings, subheadings, diagrams and captions, whilst applying a range of cohesive devices such as adverbials, conjunctions and generalising language. Throughout the unit, children will continue developing their understanding of grammar and punctuation, including dialogue, parenthesis, conjunctions and cohesive devices, while building confidence in editing and improving their own work.

Reading:

Guided reading takes place daily using a variety of engaging texts, alongside our new online reading programme, Reading Eggs. It’s important that children access Reading Eggs at home—each child has received a laminated copy of their login details.

Please encourage your child to read regularly outside of school. If you need book recommendations, feel free to ask. Lovereading4kids.co.uk is a fantastic resource, and we also have a wide selection of books available in school. Remember, comprehension and enjoyment are just as important as speed and fluency. There’s a book for everyone—if you're unsure what your child should read next, we’re happy to help.

Maths:

This half term, children will follow the White Rose Maths scheme, focusing on Place Value and Addition and Subtraction.

In Place Value, pupils will develop their understanding of numbers up to 1,000,000. They will read, write, order and compare large numbers, explore the value of digits within numbers, and learn to round numbers to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000. Children will also apply their knowledge through reasoning and problem-solving activities.

In Addition and Subtraction, pupils will strengthen their written and mental calculation skills by adding and subtracting numbers with more than four digits. They will learn efficient formal methods, solve multi-step problems and develop their ability to explain their mathematical thinking clearly.

Daily fluency practice and "5-a-day" activities will continue to reinforce prior learning and support long-term retention.

Please continue practising multiplication tables at home. By the end of Year 5, children should confidently recall all multiplication and division facts. Times Tables Rock Stars remains a fantastic resource for regular practice.

Science:

This half term in Science, children will study Living Things and Their Habitats. They will explore the life cycles of a variety of plants, mammals, birds, amphibians and insects, comparing similarities and differences between them. Pupils will investigate how living things grow, reproduce and change over time, whilst developing their observational and enquiry skills through practical activities and discussions.

Geography:

This half term's Geography topic is Rivers. Children will learn about the journey of a river from source to mouth, identifying key features such as tributaries, meanders, waterfalls and estuaries. They will investigate how rivers shape landscapes and explore some of the most famous rivers in the United Kingdom and around the world. Pupils will also develop their map-reading and geographical enquiry skills throughout the unit.

History:

Our History topic will begin in Autumn 2. Details will be shared in the next curriculum overview.

Design Technology:

This half term in Design and Technology, children will study Bridges. They will investigate different bridge designs and discover how engineers make structures strong, stable and fit for purpose. Using this knowledge, pupils will design, build and evaluate their own bridge models, considering how improvements could be made to increase strength and effectiveness.

Art:

Our Art topic will begin in Autumn 2. Details will be shared in the next curriculum overview.

Computing:

This half term in Computing, children will begin by learning about Online Safety. They will develop an understanding of how to stay safe online, identify potential risks and make responsible choices when using the internet and digital devices.

Later in the half term, pupils will move on to Systems and Searching, where they will explore how information is shared across networks and learn how search engines work to help users find information effectively and safely.

Spanish:

This half term in Spanish, children will explore the topic of Pets through the Language Angels scheme. They will learn the names of a variety of common pets and develop their ability to describe them using simple words and phrases. Pupils will practise speaking, listening, reading and writing in Spanish, while building confidence in asking and answering questions about animals. Through engaging activities, children will continue to develop their pronunciation, vocabulary and sentence-building skills, strengthening their foundation in conversational Spanish.

Religious Education:

This half term in RE, children will explore the question: What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God? Pupils will learn about key beliefs and practices within Islam, including prayer, worship, charity and fasting. They will consider different ways Muslims express their faith and reflect on why commitment can be important to believers.

PSHE:

We follow the Jigsaw scheme of work. This half term, children will explore the unit Being Me in My World.

They will reflect on the year ahead, consider their hopes and aspirations, and set personal goals for themselves. Pupils will discuss rights, responsibilities and behaviour expectations, whilst considering how their actions affect others. They will also explore ways of overcoming challenges, building resilience and contributing positively to our school community.

Music:

Our Music topic will begin in Autumn 2. Details will be shared in the next curriculum overview.

Physical Education:

PE takes place every Monday. Please ensure your child brings the correct kit: white T-shirt, black shorts, and black pumps. Track pants and a warmer layer are recommended for outdoor sessions. All items should be clearly labelled and kept in a named P.E. bag.

Additional Information

Homework:

Reading is the most important activity outside the classroom. With the right book, it won’t feel like hard work!

Spellings:

Weekly spellings are given every Monday and tested on Friday.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office to arrange an appointment.

Mr Kulyn, Miss Sutcliffe and the Year 5 Team :)