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Spotlight on: Year 5

Spotlight on: Year 5

Mrs Susan McKay and Miss Agata Wygnanska share stories from Year 5

Year 5 pupils have had a busy start to the year. We have focused the girls’ learning around their current topic – Africa – taking strands from this and building them into all of our subjects. The girls have particularly enjoyed learning about the geography, culture and history of the continent, using independent learning strategies to enhance their knowledge.

Year 5 pupils' diary extracts

English

The White Giraffe by Lauren St John has been the focal point for much of the teaching and learning in Year 5 English lessons. Alongside weekly spelling and grammar lessons, we have explored the text of the book to learn more about poaching, loss and experiencing a new way of life. The girls’ writing has covered a broad range of styles, including diary writing, non-chronological reports and persuasive argument. During lessons the girls are encouraged to develop their vocabulary through the use of the thesaurus and dictionary work.

Year 5 pupils investigate water

Science

Water has been the main focus in Science lessons this term and has allowed for both practical and theoretical study. The girls have created their own water cycles, explored changes of state, and linked this work to the process of filtration.

Year 5 pupils using hack saw to cut wood

STEM

This then led nicely onto the girls’ STEM session with Mrs Tessa Shercliff (STEM Co-ordinator), in which they designed and constructed individual water pumps.

Year 5 pupils looking at white board with protractor

Mathematics

Over the course of this term, the girls have consolidated their knowledge of ‘place value’, applying this to a variety of mental and written calculations. During some sessions the girls have been using rich mathematical tasks from the NRICH website, allowing them to become maths investigators and to develop their reasoning and problem solving skills.

Year 5 pupils outside the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Humanities

Our Africa topic has allowed the Year 5 class to explore this vast continent from a geographical and historical point of view. In Geography, we compared life in rural and urban environments, and looked at the different climatic regions across the continent. The girls have used a variety of skills to present their findings and always enjoy the challenge of developing their learning further. The history of Apartheid has led to deep and meaningful discussions about injustice, segregation and moral values. The girls have used a number of sources, images and statistics to analyse South Africa during the period of Apartheid and under Nelson Mandela’s leadership to inform their opinions. Recently we also visited the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge, where we acknowledged the artefacts on display from Africa, with a particular focus on the variety of masks, and learnt about their powers and use in traditional ceremonies. The girls will be making their own masks during the rest of this term and we look forward to sharing those with you soon!

Three Year 5 pupils show off their woven crafts

Art

Art work this term has included collage, drawing and textile skills as well as modelling to create work inspired by African cultures. The girls learnt a traditional weaving technique, to create crafts inspired by Miss Wygnanska’s recent trip to Uganda