Class Four – Years 5 & 6


Welcome to Class Four

We are a class of year 5 and 6 children taught by Mr Dean. Additional teaching is provided by Mrs Farraday.

Our class email address is: class4@levens.cumbria.sch.uk - please feel free to contact us with any questions you have and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Any urgent enquiries or drop-off & pick up arrangements must be sent to office@levens.cumbria.sch.uk as the class inbox is not monitored during teaching time.

Home Learning Information

Homework:

Homework will be set and checked each Friday - it must be submitted by Friday morning unless otherwise specified. Pupils who do not have their homework in school by the deadline will be required to complete it during their break time, or complete alternative work. This includes homework which has been completed but left at home. I recommend bringing it in on Thursday just in case! Each student has a blue homework diary where they record what they need to do each week.

Spellings follow a slightly different timetable, being tested and set on a Wednesday. Students will be taught a range of strategies for learning their spellings but please do help them to practise at home. Little and often is the key! 

Online learning Links:

- TTRockstars - We use TTRockstars in school to practise our times tables. Practising little and often is the key to success!

- IDL - To improve spelling, students have opportunities in school to use the IDL application. This can also be accessed from home if needed.

Forgotten your login information? Login information for the services above can usually be found inside a student's home learning diary. If you have lost or forgotten your username or password, please let us know as soon as you can and we will be able to reset it for you.

Useful Social Media Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larger versions of this information for Instagram & Twitter can be found here. For the information on TikTok, click here.

Curriculum information 

Curriculum information 

Maths: We continue with studying numbers smaller than one this term, with a dive into the worlds of fraction, decimals and percentages. Following this, we move on to perimeter, area and volume before rounding the term out with some statistics. Some areas of maths are only covered by year 6 this term (specifically ratio and algebra). During this time, year 5 will consolidate and revise what they have learned so far, allowing more time to master any areas that may need review. 

English: Learning will centre on our class novel “Secrets of a Sun King” - a novel set between Ancient Egypt and the modern day. This fits well with our history topic, and the two will inspire a range of different writing genres including a newspaper report, formal letter and non-fiction piece. We will also cover poetry, using both Ancient Egypt and the changing seasons for inspiration. SPaG remains embedded into our curriculum throughout, with more explicit teaching sessions as appropriate. 

Guided Reading: The arrangements for guided reading remain the same, with Mrs Farraday teaching year 6 and Mr Dean teaching year 5. Year 5 continue to explore short novels and develop their written responses to questions, ensuring that evidence from the text is given. Year 6 will continue to read ‘Holes’ by Louis Sacher as well as making a start on looking at some SATS past papers and developing some test technique and more detailed written responses to a range of texts.  

Science: Building on the work completed last term on forces, we begin our science unit by studying simple machines, including pulleys, levers and gears. Following this, we study the properties and uses of different materials. This learning has applications to our studies in History, as we examine how the Ancient Egyptians would have used simple machines to help them build great things, and the choices that would have been made about the materials they were built from. 

History: As you may have guessed, our history topic this term is Ancient Egypt. We begin with a wide focus, looking at three early civilizations: the Indus Valley, the Shang Dynasty and Ancient Sumer and considering what allowed these groups of people to flourish. Our learning is then applied to the Ancient Egyptians as we focus in depth on their achievements and way of life. 

Art: This term two different techniques are used to imitate different styles of work. First, we use the batik printing method to create African-inspired motifs. In the second half of the term, we move on to using paint to create landscapes inspired by local artists Libby Edmondson and Heaton Cooper. 

Music has two units this term: ‘You’ve got a friend in me” and “Inspirational Women in Music”. We continue to explore a range of different musical styles as well as learning to play along with percussion instruments. 

P.E. continues to cover two units in each half term. In the first half-term, gymnastics and lacrosse are the focus, with tri-golf and personal fitness in the second. 

R.E.: Our Christian value for the Spring term is Thankfulness. In R.E. lessons we will delve deeper into the meaning and significance of Ascension and Pentecost and deepen our understanding of Christian beliefs about the nature and character of God. 

SCARF: The themes for SCARF this term are ‘Valuing Difference’ and ‘Being my Best’. We start by developing our understanding of the importance of tolerance and respect for others. In the second half of the term we focus on ourselves as individuals: the skills and qualities which make us unique. During the second half of the term we also study basic first aid skills. 

Computing will have a focus on coding – particularly the use of selection in computing algorithms. As well as coding programs of our own, we will explore the use of physical computing devices. 

French: We begin revising French words for countries and the weather, before applying this knowledge to learning about holidays and describing a holiday using French vocabulary.