Teachers: Miss Taylor and Mrs Spencer
Spring term
Topic:Mayan Civilisation
Welcome to Oak Class where we make learning fun and exciting, we value every individual and we support, inspire and motivate our children.
Our history topic, Mayan Civilisation, is set to be very exciting this term. We've got off to a flying start by planning, designing and constructing a model-size Temple of Kukulcán which is a pyramid in Chichen Itza. Later in the term, we will explore what daily life was like for the Mayans, learn about Mayan inventions and how they affect our lives today and explore the three periods of Mayan history from 2000 BC to 1500 AD.
After half term, our core topic will be Geography based and will focus on understanding what is meant by the term 'tropics.' We will explore and define climate zones and learn the features of a specific zone.
English
We will use the heart-touching story, The Promise written by Nicola Davies as our class vehicle text to support and inspire our writing of character narratives and newspaper reports.
In the second half of the spring term, our writing outcomes will be instruction manuals and cliffhanger narratives. We will use Leo La Fleur's story, The Errand, to guide and develop our writing styles and techniques.
Maths
In the first half of the spring term, we will be focusing on position and direction in geometry, fractions including decimals and percentages and algebra. We will then move onto ratio and proportion, perimeter, area and volume and imperial and metric measures in the second half of the term.
Both Year 5 and Year 6 will apply the skills they learn to solve word problems and other challenges. Pupils will begin to embed their times table knowledge through the use of Times Table Rockstars both in school and at home.
Please see our Knowledge Organisers and Topic Webs for further information about our studies this term.
Useful learning resources:
English
RECOMMENDED READING BOOKS FOR YEAR 5 *updated*
RECOMMENDED READING BOOKS FOR YEAR 6 *updated*
Spelling Frame
BBC Bitesize English Games and Revision
Grammar Games Online
Reading Comprehension Practice
Maths
TT Rockstars
Top Marks Maths
Purple Mash
Important Notices:
SATs clubs: 3.30-4.30pm every Tuesday (Miss Taylor) and Thursday (Mrs Spencer).
Please encourage your child to read at home regularly and write what they have read in their diaries. If they are unsure what to read, come and speak to us and we will happily recommend books for them. Reading at home makes an enormous difference to their comprehension and writing work in school.
If you have a non-urgent notice to give the class teacher please write this in your child's diary.
Weekly homework will be: One writing task and grammar task given on a Friday to be handed in on Wednesday; a maths question a day from Monday to Thursday; reading x4 per week minimum, TTRockstars x4 per weekend a weekly spelling test.
PE is every Monday and Friday. Swimming is every Tuesday.
Year 6 SATs
Year 6 pupils will sit the end of Key Stage 2 assessments in May. These will take place between the 8th-11th of May 2023. The timetable for these is as follows:
- Monday 8th May- Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Paper 1 and Paper 2 (Spelling)
- Tuesday. 9th May- English Reading
- Wednesday 10th May- Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic) and Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
- Thursday 11th May- Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)
It is important to remember that the tests are nothing for the children to worry about. Please continue to support your child by reading regularly at home and asking comprehension questions about the text. There is a helpful document on this page with comprehension questions.