Ms Temple - 2025/26

Hello everyone!

It’s been another lovely week in Year 5/6. Here is what we have been up to! 

Maths

Year 5

Fractions A

Aut.4.6 – Compare fractions less than 1

Aut.4.7 – Order fractions less than 1

Aut.4.8 – Compare and order fractions greater than 1

Aut.4.9 – Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator

Aut.4.10 – Add fractions within 1

Year 6

Fractions B and Converting Units

Aut.4.6 – Fraction of an amount

Aut.4.7 – Fraction of an amount – find the whole

End of Unit Assessment

Aut.5.1 – Metric measures

Aut.5.2 – Convert metric measures

Literacy 

This week in Literacy, the students focused on applying their recent grammar learning to a purposeful writing task. Building on their work with modal verbs, the children were asked to write a persuasive letter from the perspective of a farmer addressing their local government.

In the scenario, the farmer had shot a tiger and was at risk of losing their land. The students had to use a range of modal verbs and persuasive techniques to convince the government that they deserved to keep their farm.

The class worked carefully to structure their letters using clear paragraphs, formal language, and strong reasoning. They thought about the farmer’s situation, the consequences of their actions, and the arguments they could present to influence the government’s decision. This task gave the students a valuable opportunity to blend creativity, empathy, and grammatical accuracy, resulting in some powerful and convincing pieces of writing.

IPC

In IPC this week, we continued our exploration of Ancient Greece and began looking more closely at how this civilisation was organised and how its ideas still influence the world today.

We first examined Ancient Greek city-states, focusing on why they developed the way they did. The students then had the chance to design their own city-state, making decisions about location, natural resources, defence, culture, and daily life. They justified each choice, showing a strong understanding of what made city-states successful in the ancient world.

Later in the week, we moved on to major Greek inventions and ideas, including democracy, medicine, mathematics, theatre, architecture, and philosophy. Each student selected an invention to research and created an informative poster explaining what it was, why it mattered, and how it shaped life in Ancient Greece.

To finish the week, we began comparing these inventions, discussing which were most useful and why. The students shared opinions, connected ideas, and started thinking critically about long-term influence.

Next week, this learning will build into a class debate where groups will argue for the invention they believe has had the greatest impact on our society today.

Useful Information

On Friday, November 21st, we will be holding our TGMC Kindness Carnival! This exciting event will raise money for our partner TGMC school in Bristol, UK.

Your child has already received all the necessary information about the event. We kindly ask for donations of any items that could be suitable to sell at the carnival.

Please continue to bring money for:

• Guess the bear’s birthday
  
• Tickets to Pie the Principal
  
• Guess the candies in the jar
  

All winners will be announced during the Kindness Carnival on November 21st.

Thank you for your kindness and support in helping us make this event a huge success!

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Have a lovely weekend  ☺️

Hello everyone!

It’s great to be back in school after a lovely half-term break. I hope you all had a chance to relax and recharge, and I’m really looking forward to seeing everything we’ll achieve together this half-term.

Maths

Year 5

Aut.4 – Fractions A	Aut.4.1 – Find fractions equivalent to a unit fraction
Aut.4 – Fractions A	Aut.4.2 – Find fractions equivalent to a non-unit fraction
Aut.4 – Fractions A	Aut.4.3 – Recognise equivalent fractions
Aut.4 – Fractions A	Aut.4.4 – Convert improper fractions to mixed numbers
Aut.4 – Fractions A	Aut.4.5 – Convert mixed numbers to improper fractions

Year 6

Aut.4 – Fractions B	Aut.4.1 – Multiply fractions by integers
Aut.4 – Fractions B	Aut.4.2 – Multiply fractions by fractions
Aut.4 – Fractions B	Aut.4.3 – Divide a fraction by an integer
Aut.4 – Fractions B	Aut.4.4 – Divide any fraction by an integer
Aut.4 – Fractions B	Aut.4.5 – Mixed questions with fractions

Literacy 

It’s been a very productive week in Literacy. The students began by completing their persuasive writing pieces about protecting tigers. They had planned these before the half-term break, so this week was all about bringing their ideas to life. They worked hard to include persuasive features such as rhetorical questions, emotive language, facts and statistics, and powerful closing statements. I was so impressed with the effort and creativity they showed in their writing; many students spoke passionately about the importance of animal conservation and the role humans play in protecting endangered species.

After finishing their writing, we moved on to learning about modal verbs and their different functions in a sentence. The students explored how modal verbs can express possibility, ability, permission, and obligation or advice. Through discussion and sorting activities, they learned to identify the subtle differences in meaning between sentences such as “You must help the tiger” and “You could help the tiger.” This helped them see how modal verbs can influence the strength and intent of a statement.

To end the week, we continued reading our focus text, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins. The students were fascinated to learn about other animals that are now endangered or near extinction, including the Partula snails, Asian elephant, and White-rumped vultures.

IPC

In IPC this week, we began focusing on our first ancient civilization — Ancient Egypt. The students were very excited to learn that each week we will explore a different civilization and discover what made each one so great, bold, and brave.

We started by learning about the importance of the River Nile and how it played a vital role in helping Ancient Egypt to thrive. The students were fascinated to discover how the Nile provided water, food, transport, and fertile land for farming — and how it continues to be an essential part of life in Egypt today. To show their understanding, the students wrote creative postcards from the past, imagining they had travelled back in time to the banks of the River Nile. They described everything they could see, hear, and smell, from the farmers working in the fields to the bustling riverboats sailing along the water.

Later in the week, we began exploring Ancient Egyptian beliefs and gods. The students were put into groups, each tasked with researching a different Egyptian god. They created informative and colourful presentations to share their findings with the class. Two groups presented this week and did a fantastic job explaining who their god was, what they represented, and why they were so important to Ancient Egyptian life. The remaining groups will share their presentations next week — and I’m sure they will wow us with their knowledge and creativity!

Useful Information

On Thursday, November 21st, we will be holding our TGMC Kindness Carnival! This exciting event will raise money for our partner TGMC school in Bristol, UK.

Your child has already received all the necessary information about the event. We kindly ask for donations of any items that could be suitable to sell at the carnival.

Starting Monday, students will be able to:

• Pay to guess the bear’s birthday
  
• Buy tickets to Pie the Principal
  
• Pay to guess the candies in the jar
  

All winners will be announced during the Kindness Carnival on November 21st.

Thank you for your kindness and support in helping us make this event a huge success!

Have a lovely weekend  ☺️

Happy Halloween everyone!  🎃👻🧛🧟🐈‍⬛

This week has been absolutely spook-tastic! The students have worked incredibly hard during their final push before the half-term break. I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing time together!

Maths

Year 5

Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.7 – Cube numbers
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.8 – Multiply by 10, 100 and 1,000
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.9 – Divide by 10, 100 and 1,000
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.10 – Multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	End of unit assessment

Year 6

Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.6 – Add and subtract any two fractions
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.7 – Add mixed numbers
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.8 – Subtract mixed numbers
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.9 – Multi-problems
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	End of unit assessment

Literacy 

This week, our Literacy lessons have been both thought-provoking and inspiring. We began by watching a powerful advert highlighting the decline in the tiger population. The advert showed bottles of tiger bone wine being shot, symbolising the destruction caused by human activity. The students discussed how the advert made them feel, why it was so effective, and identified the key persuasive features used to deliver its message.

Next, the students went on a vocabulary treasure hunt, working in pairs to find and match the meanings of new words from our text. Afterwards, we explored the features of persuasive writing together. Using an example text, the students identified key techniques such as rhetorical questions, emotive language, and the use of facts and statistics.

To finish the week, they began planning their own persuasive pieces, which they will complete after the half-term break. I can’t wait to see their finished work!

IPC

This week in IPC, the students completed their ancient civilization presentations. Each group shared what they had discovered about their assigned civilization, including key achievements, important inventions, and interesting cultural facts. These presentations helped everyone to strengthen their understanding of how the civilizations developed over time, where they were located, and what made each one unique.

Afterwards, the students brought all their learning together by listing the eight civilizations in chronological order, from the earliest to the most recent. They then used a world map to colour in where each civilization once existed, helping them to clearly see how civilizations developed in different parts of the world.

To finish the week, the students were paired up and given two civilizations to compare. Working together, they created informative and eye-catching posters that highlighted three similarities and three differences between their chosen civilizations. They also included a short written section explaining which civilization they believed was the greatest, boldest, and bravest,and, most importantly, why. The students showed fantastic teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity throughout the task.

Useful Information

• Please note there has been no homework sent home this week. I hope you all have a lovely break with your child. Homework will resume in week 10 and will be sent home as usual on Friday November 7th.

I hope you all have a wonderful half-term together!   ☺️

Hello everyone,

This was the first full week we have had in a while, and what a week it was! The trip on Thursday was so much fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves. You can see photos from the trip in my previous post. 

Here’s what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths

Year 5

Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.3 – Factors
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.4 – Common factors
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.5 – Prime numbers
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.6 – Square numbers

Year 6

Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.2 – Equivalent fractions on a number line
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.3 – Compare and order (denominator)
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.4 – Compare and order (numerator)
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.3.5 – Add and subtract simple fractions

Literacy 

We have now finished learning about our first focus text, Star of Fear, Star of Hope. Over the past few lessons, the students have been busy writing their own short stories from Lydia’s perspective. They had two options to choose from: either Lydia and her family managed to escape before the Nazis came knocking on their door, or the Nazis found them and Lydia was sent to a concentration camp, where she remained until the end of the war. I can’t wait to read their finished pieces — they’ve worked so thoughtfully on them.

Today, we began our new focus text, Can We Save the Tiger? This book explores which animals are endangered, which have sadly already become extinct, and what we as humans can do to protect our planet’s remaining wildlife and prevent more beautiful creatures from disappearing forever.

IPC

This week we began our brand new IPC unit, The Great, The Bold and The Brave, which is all about ancient civilizations and how they shaped the world we live in today.

For our entry point and knowledge harvest, we focused on three fascinating civilizations: the Ancient Romans, the Ancient Greeks, and the Vikings. To start, the students took part in a scavenger hunt, matching clues such as “They built great temples”, “They sailed across the seas raiding new lands”, or “They held the first Olympic Games” to the correct civilization.

We then played a fun game of true or false to test even more prior knowledge and encourage the students to make educated guesses. Afterwards, each group worked together to write down as many facts as they could remember about these three civilizations.

Later in the week, we learned about how historians measure time by exploring BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era), and why these terms are now used instead of BC and AD.

To finish the week, the students began a research activity where they are matching dates, regions, and facts to different civilizations. Next week, they will print their findings and create a large class timeline showing when and where each civilization existed.

It’s been a fantastic start to the unit, with plenty of curiosity, teamwork, and thoughtful discussions!

Have a lovely weekend everyone!  ☺️

Hello everyone!

Here are some photos from our recent trip to Gyeongju Yandong Village. It was such a lovely day and the kids had so much fun!

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing Chuseok break! This week’s update will be a short one, as we’ve only had one day of school.

I just wanted to remind you about our upcoming class trip on Thursday 16th October (next week). Please make sure to complete the Google Form to give your permission if you haven’t already done so.

Also, please send your child to school with 5,500 won in cash, placed in a clearly labelled envelope with their name on it, to cover the cost of the trip.

Here is the form: Gyeongju Yangdong Village

On the day of the trip, please ensure your child has the following:

A water bottle, snack and lunch (that does not need to be microwaved)

Their school uniform

They do not need to bring any money.

Thank you very much for your support!

Hello everyone,

What a soggy end to the week! Thankfully, Chuseok is here to bring us all a chance to rest and recharge. Have a fantastic holiday with your families, wherever it takes you.

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths

Year 5

Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.7 – Compare calculations
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.8 – Find missing numbers
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	End of unit assessment
Aut.3 – Multiplication and division A	Aut.3.1 -Multiples

Year 6

Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.2.15 – Order of operations
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.16 – Mental calculations and estimation
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.17 – Reason from known facts
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	End of uni assessment

Literacy 

In Literacy this week, the students have been strengthening both their grammar knowledge and their ability to write with purpose and effect. At the start of the week, they became journalists and wrote their own newspaper reports linked to the events in Star of Fear, Star of Hope. As part of this, they practised using both active and passive sentences. The active voice helped them to write with clarity and urgency, making it easy for the reader to see exactly who was doing what. The passive voice, on the other hand, allowed them to shift the focus onto the event itself rather than the person responsible, which is particularly useful in news writing when the doer is unknown or less important than the action. Through this, the children gained a deeper understanding of how different sentence structures can change the way information is presented.

Later in the week, we turned our attention to expanded noun phrases, exploring how writers use them to add richness and detail. The children experimented with building longer, more descriptive sentences, and then applied these skills to a creative task. Imagining Lydia’s perspective, they wrote as if she had been captured and was recording her thoughts and feelings from the train. This gave them an opportunity not only to practise their grammar skills but also to step into the shoes of a character and bring her experience to life with empathy and detail. It was a powerful way to combine technical writing skills with imaginative storytelling, and the children rose to the challenge beautifully.

IPC

In IPC this week, the students have been busy both presenting and investigating. We began by working on our digital backpacks. Each group took responsibility for a different backpack and created their own presentation explaining why it is so useful. After presenting individually, we brought all the clips together to form one full class presentation, which we filmed. Over the Chuseok break, I will be editing the footage into a final video that will be shared on my teaching Instagram page — keep an eye out for it!

Later in the week, we switched gears and explored the question of whether animals can feel emotions. Students worked in pairs to research and create fact files on different animals, using both scientific evidence and anecdotal examples to support their ideas. For instance, we asked whether cats purr simply because they are happy, or if there is a deeper reason. Research shows that cats purr primarily when they feel content and safe, though they may also purr in other situations such as when injured or seeking comfort — so it’s not always a straightforward sign of happiness. The children found it fascinating to explore how animal behaviour can be interpreted, and they worked hard to balance scientific research with real-world observations. These fact files will soon be displayed outside our classroom for everyone to enjoy.

Important Information

• Our first class trip of the year is just around the corner! On October 16th, we will be visiting Yangdong Culture Village in Gyeongju.
• If you have not yet done so, please complete and return the permission form. We also ask that you send the payment in cash, placed in an envelope clearly labelled with your child’s name.
• Here is the Google Form

Have a wonderful Chuseok everyone! 😀

Hello everyone,

It was so lovely to see those of you who were able to attend our Chuseok celebrations on Wednesday. The children had a great time and I hope you did, too. 

Here is what we have been up to this week: 

Maths

Year 5

Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.3 – Subtract whole numbers with more than four digits
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.4 – Round to check answers
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.5 – Inverse operations (addition and subtraction)
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.6 – Multi-step addition and subtraction problems
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.6 – Multi-step addition and subtraction problems

Year 6

Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.2.10 – Division using factors
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.11 – Introduction to long division
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.12 – Long division with remainders
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.13 – Solve problems with division
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.14 – Solve multi-problems

Both Year 5 and Year 6 will have end of unit assessments next week, so everyone has a little more Maths homework than usual. I would highly recommend that they do a couple of pages each day, so it’s not too overwhelming. Year 5 will have their assessment on Wednesday and Year 6 will have theirs on Thursday.  

Literacy 

In Literacy this week, the children wrote thoughtful letters from Helen to Lydia, imagining what Helen might have said after realising Lydia’s apartment was empty. The letters included heartfelt apologies, updates on what was happening in her life, and wishes that Lydia was safe. This task encouraged the children to step into the characters’ shoes, developing empathy while also practising how to organise and express their ideas clearly in letter form.

Following this, our focus shifted to grammar, where we explored the difference between active and passive voice. The children learned how the subject and object in a sentence can be switched around, and how the passive voice is often used in formal writing, such as newspaper reports. They practised converting sentences together on the board and then worked independently. This new skill will be put to use next week when they begin writing newspaper reports about Jewish people being rounded up and taken away, linking directly to the historical context of our class text.

We also finished reading Star of Fear, Star of Hope. Although the ending was sad and thought-provoking, it really helped the children to reflect on the importance of kindness and empathy. We discussed how there is no such thing as “luck” in war; it is caused by unkind decisions made by people. Spreading love and kindness is one of the most important ways to create a better world. The class have shown such respect and sensitivity when asking questions about this story, and it has been wonderful to see how engaged they have been with the book from start to finish.

IPC

In IPC this week, the children have been exploring different ways to recognise and respond to emotions. We began with role play performances where each group acted out a scenario showing either comfortable or uncomfortable feelings. Every group worked so well together, and it was wonderful to see the creativity, teamwork, and confidence they brought to their performances.

Following this, the children took on the role of “Agony Aunts,” writing advice for people who were experiencing uncomfortable emotions. This activity encouraged them to think carefully about empathy, kindness, and problem-solving, as well as how their words can make a positive difference to someone else.

We then moved on to a very important discussion about bullying and why it is so important to speak up if you see it happening. The children created thoughtful and eye-catching posters to teach others in the school what to do if they witness bullying. These posters are now proudly displayed outside our classroom so that they can help spread the message of standing up for others and keeping our school community safe and kind.

To finish the week, we explored our “digital backpacks,” a tool that helps us regulate our emotions by reminding us of strategies we can use when we’re experiencing strong feelings. Next week, the children will be making a presentation to show other schools how to use the digital backpacks and explain why they are such a useful resource. Keep an eye on my teaching Instagram page, where I’ll be sharing their presentations soon!

Important Information

• I’d like to remind you about the Google Form I sent a few weeks ago regarding my teaching Instagram page. The form asks for your permission to share photos or short videos of your child taking part in classroom activities. This is, of course, completely optional, and I will only ever post content where the children look positive, engaged, and proud of their work. I’ll include the link again in this update in case you haven’t had the chance to complete it yet. Thank you so much for your continued support. (I have had 11 replies to this so far. Thank you so much! If you have not yet responded please do let me know at your convenience.) Here is the form and here is my teaching page.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! 😀

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the cooler weather! It has been such a welcome change. The children are definitely noticing it too, as they come in from breaktime looking much fresher and less sweaty than before.

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to in week 4:

Maths

Year 5

Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.1.14 – Round within 1,000,000
Aut.1 – Place value	Assessment A
Aut.1 – Place value	Assessment B
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.1 – Mental strategies
Aut.2 – Addition and subtraction	Aut.2.2 – Add whole numbers with more than four digits

Year 5 completed their first assessment of the year on Wednesday. Moving up from Year 4 to Year 5 is always a big leap, so it was no surprise that many of the children found it tough at first. On Thursday, we took some time to talk about smart test strategies, like slowing down, checking answers, and making sure every question is read carefully. The hard work paid off! After the Version B re-test, everyone did much better. Well done, Year 5!

Year 6

Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.2.5 – Primes to 100
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.6 – Square and cube numbers
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.7 – Multiply up to a 4-digit number by a 2-digit number
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.8 – Solve problems with multiplication
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.9 – Short division

Literacy 

This week we continued with our focus text Star of Fear, Star of Hope. The children began by writing a diary entry from Helen’s perspective. This task gave them the chance to practise writing in the first person, while also encouraging them to think carefully about Helen’s emotions and experiences during this difficult time in history. Later in the week, the children made predictions about what might happen next in the story. They were challenged to use expanded noun phrases so that their ideas were not only imaginative but also descriptive and detailed.

The class are really enjoying this book. In fact, they groan in disappointment whenever we have to stop reading, which is wonderful to see. Their excitement is fuelling some excellent discussion and thoughtful writing. I am also impressed by how the children have shown great maturity during our discussions. They ask thoughtful questions with respect and sensitivity, showing that they understand the importance of handling such topics with care.

All of these shorter tasks are helping the children to build the skills they will need for their longer independent writing outcomes later in the unit. By practising empathy, descriptive language, and prediction, they are steadily developing the tools to produce extended, well-crafted pieces of writing with both detail and emotion.

IPC

In IPC this week, we brought our Brainwave unit to a close with an engaging exit point. The students were divided into groups, each responsible for researching and presenting information about a different part of the brain. They showed excellent teamwork and delivered their presentations with confidence, demonstrating how much they have learned about how our brains work and how this helps us to learn more effectively.

We then began our brand-new unit, Express Yourself, which is all about exploring feelings and emotions. Before the unit started, the children were challenged to complete five acts of kindness. In our first lesson, they wrote about what they had done and reflected on how those acts made them feel inside. It was a lovely way to begin the unit and encouraged everyone to think about how our choices can influence our emotions as well as the feelings of others.

As we moved forward, we discussed the different types of feelings people can experience. The students compared physical feelings (such as feeling hot, cold, hungry, or tired) with emotional feelings (such as feeling happy, sad, worried, or excited). This helped them to see how emotions are connected to our bodies and can affect the way we act and respond.

One of our most important conversations was about how emotions should not be labelled as “good” or “bad.” Instead, we looked at how they can be described as comfortable or uncomfortable. This language helps children to recognise that all feelings are natural and temporary, and it reduces the guilt or shame that can sometimes come from experiencing emotions like anger or sadness. The class showed real maturity in talking about this, and it was wonderful to see them reflect so openly.

To finish the week, the students worked in groups to plan and rehearse short role-play scenarios. Each group was given both a comfortable and an uncomfortable feeling to act out. Next week, they will perform their role plays for the rest of the class, who will then try to guess which emotions are being portrayed. This will give the children a chance to practise recognising emotions in others, an important step in developing empathy and emotional awareness.

Important Information

• In last week’s homework, I included a guide to help the children check their own Maths work. Many of them did this brilliantly, though a few forgot. If you could gently remind your child to mark their work straight after completing it, that would be wonderful. It really helps them to celebrate what they’ve done well and notice where they might need a little more practice.
• I’d also like to remind you about the Google Form I sent a few weeks ago regarding my teaching Instagram page. The form asks for your permission to share photos or short videos of your child taking part in classroom activities. This is, of course, completely optional, and I will only ever post content where the children look positive, engaged, and proud of their work. I’ll include the link again in this update in case you haven’t had the chance to complete it yet. Thank you so much for your continued support. Here is the form 🙂

Have a refreshing weekend everyone! 😀

Hello everyone,

I can sense a change in the weather on the way. Hopefully, the temperatures will keep dropping and we’ll soon be able to enjoy our PE lessons outside again.

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to in week 3:

Maths

Year 5

Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.1.9 – Number line to 1,000,000
Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.1.10 – Compare and order numbers to 100,000
Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.1.11 – Compare and order numbers to 1,000,000
Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.1.12 – Round to the nearest 10, 100 or 1,000
Aut.1 – Place value	Aut.1.13 – Round within 100,000

Year 5 will have their end-of-unit assessment on Tuesday 16th, so this week’s Maths homework may look a little heavier than usual. I would recommend that the children spread the work out and complete it over the weekend, as this will give them plenty of practice and help them feel more confident going into the test.

Year 6

Aut.1 – Place value	Assessment
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.1 – Add and subtract integers
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.2 – Common factors
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.3 – Common multiples
Aut.2 – Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division	Aut.2.4 – Rules of divisibility

Literacy 

This week we began reading our new focus text Star of Fear, Star of Hope. In the opening pages, we learned that Helen’s parents worked in a bar, which gave us a glimpse into what life might have been like in the 1940s. Together, we imagined the lively atmosphere of a bar at that time, describing the different sights and sounds that people may have experienced. The children then turned their attention to writing techniques, focusing on the use of a “speech sandwich” — a way of combining dialogue with description to build a richer picture of a scene. This is an important skill for engaging readers, and the students had the chance to practise writing their own examples, weaving setting details into their dialogue.

IPC

In IPC this week, we continued to explore how our brains work and how we can become better learners. The children examined the idea of growth mindset versus fixed mindset by looking at inspiring examples of famous people who overcame great challenges to succeed. We also learned about the amygdala, which we compared to a shark — it can protect us by keeping us alert, but it sometimes confuses real danger with moments that simply make us feel a little nervous. The class then explored the difference between skills, knowledge and understanding, recognising that learning takes many different forms. We also discovered the role of the prefrontal cortex, which we likened to an octopus because it helps us make thoughtful decisions. To finish, the children proudly presented their posters on different memory techniques, teaching each other strategies to use in their own learning.

Important Information

• In this week’s homework, I have included a guide on how students can check their own Maths work as soon as they have completed it. This will not only help them to spot and learn from their mistakes straight away, but it will also show them the areas where they are doing well. Recognising both of these is an important part of learning and will help to build their confidence in Maths.
• Please also ensure that your child completes all of the tasks set before handing in their homework. If they need a little extra time to finish before the deadline, that is absolutely fine. What matters most is giving them that valuable practice, rather than rushing to meet the hand-in date.

Have a lovely weekend everyone! 😀