This term, Year 5 are reading The Explorer by Katherine Rundell. The story follows four children who are stranded in the Amazon rainforest after a plane crash. Together, they must learn how to survive, face challenges, and uncover the secrets of the jungle. It’s an exciting adventure story that sparks lots of discussion about resilience, teamwork, and discovery.

Year 5 enjoyed taking part in the Macmillan Coffee Afternoon. We were delighted to welcome some of our family members to join us for a coffee and a bun while supporting this wonderful cause. It was a lovely opportunity to come together, share a treat, and raise money for charity.

Our class enjoyed an exciting taster afternoon at Mount St Mary’s, where we took part in a range of engaging lessons. In science, we experimented with testing acids and alkalis, before heading to a lively and competitive PE session. We also joined a history debating lesson, practising how to share our opinions clearly and confidently. It was a fun and memorable afternoon full of learning and new experiences!

On Thursday 18th September, Year 5 had the delight of attending a Northern Ballet performance of 'Merlin' at The Grand Theatre, Leeds. This launched their participation in Northern Ballet's RISE project which will involve weekly dance lessons with a Community Dance Artist and focus on four different ballets: Merlin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. All the children were impeccably behaved and were amazed by the incredible dancing, music, puppetry and costumes! 

Year 5 settled into the new school year brilliantly! Lots of smiling faces excited to catch up with friends and find their way around a new classroom! We jumped straight into our new art topic in the afternoon looking at starting points in the design process. We immersed ourselves in the sights and sounds of the rainforest, creating a series of drawings, and forming our ideas into a mood board!

 Welcome to Year 5! 

 First of all, we would like to say a huge welcome back to school; we hope you all had a wonderful rest and are ready for a busy and exciting year in Year 5. We are really looking forward to teaching you again and helping you shine brightly every single day.

 We hope you are ready because Year 5 is going to be an adventure: we have so many exciting topics, challenges and opportunities ahead of us in the coming months. A Rainforest Adventure, Space Exploration and The Ancient Greeks are just some of the exciting topics in Year 5, and let's not forget Robinwood! We are looking forward to working together with you to ensure you have a happy and memorable year. 

In order to achieve your potential, we ask for two key things from you: always try your best and believe in yourself. Trust us, if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. Every day is a new day and a challenge! 

You are going to quickly discover just how much we love reading and sharing this passion with you. Our class library is well-stocked and ready for you to dive into to discover a world of adventure and possibility. One of the best pieces of advice we can give to you in Year 5 is read, read and then read a little bit more.

This half term we are reading…

As you are now in Upper Key Stage 2, there may be times when our class text is sent home to read set chapters. This is a fantastic opportunity to share our class text with your family.

Suggested Reads this half term:

If you are enjoying the Explorer by Katherine Rundell (which we know you will!) why not try one of these texts at home:

Please make use of local libraries to borrow these for free!

Year 5's learning will be supported by several members of staff who are all excited to enrich your child's education, but will be primarily supported by Mrs Barton, Mrs Nicholson and Mrs Caley. If you ever wish to speak about your child's learning and time in Year 5, please feel free to ask.

We encourage you to take the time to read our Autumn curriculum newsletter. This is available on our class page (and will be every half term), and a paper copy will be shared in the first week back. This outlines PE days, key dates for the half term, along with activities, research and additional reads which will all enhance your child’s time in Year 5.

 Remember, the classroom is yours. Please share any ideas you have with us - we would love to hear them! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Mrs Barton and Mrs Nicholson