We will then move on to Celebrating Difference. Children will develop understanding about why it is important to respect the beliefs of others and how we can find common ground with people who may look or sound different.

RE: In RE, we will explore Buddhism and the themes of key Buddhist beliefs. We will look at the question What is the best way for a Buddhist to show commitment to their beliefs? In this unit, we look at some things that are really important to Buddhists. Many Buddhists will turn to The Three Refuges to help them in times of difficulty.

We will also be learning about how Buddhist teachings are interpreted by believers. This will involve looking at different versions of Buddhism, to determine the similarities and differences between them.

To support your child at home please can you:

• please encourage discussions around rights and responsibilities at home - allow your child to decide what motivates their own behaviours.

• ask the children How can we help each other in difficult times? Why is it important to feel safe?

• ask them why people who follow the same belief may have different ideas about how best to show their faith.

History – Autumn Term: Early Civilisations

Throughout the first half of this term, Year 5 will explore the world of Early Civilisations, learning about Ancient Egypt, Ancient Sumer, the Indus Valley and the Shang Dynasty. Children will investigate how people lived, why early cities developed near rivers, and the inventions and achievements of these civilisations. They will use timelines, maps, artefacts and historical sources to develop their understanding and practise making inferences from evidence. They will build on this knowledge to compare the civilisations and consider what made them significant.

Later in the term, Year 5 will focus on the Shang Dynasty, investigating their daily life, achievements and legacy. Children will examine and evaluate historical evidence, compare the Shang Dynasty with Britain at the same time, and discuss which of their achievements was most significant. They will use everything they have learned to complete their composite task: an independent written response to the question, “How significant was the Shang Dynasty and what was their greatest achievement?”

To support your child at home, please can you:

• Encourage your child to talk about what they have learned and explain new historical vocabulary.

• Look at timelines, maps, museums or historical artefacts together and discuss what they can tell us about the past.

• Encourage your child to ask questions about the past and explain their ideas using evidence.

Later in the term, we will focus on decimal numbers and their equivalent fractions; rounding to decimals and further addition and subtraction techniques.

In addition to this, all children are expected to know all times tables (up to and including 12x). As you know, this was a huge focus in Year 4 and this will continue to be a focus in class.

To support you child at home please can you:

1. Ensure your child completes their weekly Complete Maths homework independently. This will give us information about what children need support with, so we can give them the specific help they need. Homework will be set each Friday and is due by the following Friday.

2. Children should also continue to practice their times tables on TTRS to develop their fluency (accuracy and speed).

3. Show children where they can see Roman numerals and decimals in real life. This may be on analogue clocks, dates, or shop prices.

Throughout the first half of this term, we will be exploring gravity and forces, learning about the work of Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton. We will investigate air resistance, water resistance and friction, exploring how these forces affect the movement of objects. We will also explore mechanisms, investigating how levers, pulleys and gears work.

Later in the term, the year 5 children will explore Earth and space, learning about the Solar System, the moon and other celestial bodies. We will investigate the Earth's rotation and will be creating sundials.

To support your child at home please can you :

1. Discuss everyday forces in action.

2. Read or watch videos about the Solar Systems.

3. Observe how shadows change throughout the day.

To support your children at home, please could you practise the following words:

Yo como (I eat)

sano (healthy)

bocadillo (sandwich)

Following handball, the focus will shift to refine passing and receiving in netball. The focus of the learning is on using passing and moving skills, refining these skills and applying them into game situations. Pupils will apply prior learning, of how to keep possession in order to beat an opponent.

Argentina class will be having swimming lessons for 10 weeks, learning a vital life skill.

Friday 11th September

Walk the Globe

Friday 2nd October

Y5 Science Oxford Trip

24th October - 8th November

Half Term

Friday 18th December

Last day of term (finish at 12:30pm)

PE Days

Tuesday and Thursday

(Argentina class will be swimming this term so will need swimming kit on Thursdays)

Your child's learning is so important to us. This is why their attendance should be 100%. In addition to this, please remember that school lessons start at 8:30am. Please ensure your child arrives at this time.

The children will then move onto instruction writing where we will explore key features of instructions. We will also explore 'The River' by Valerie Bloom, developing our use of imagery and personification.

To support your child at home please can you :

1. Talk through the story structure together.

2. Practice story mapping with familiar stories.

3. Encourage drawing or visual summaries.

To support your child at home please can you...

listen to classic fm and radio 3 for lots of examples of music from different periods. 

Art: In art this term the children will be investigating how drawing can express emotion, movement and depth, inspired by the work of Charlie Mackesy and Elizabeth Catlett and will develop their drawn ideas through print making.

DT: In DT this term the children will be investigating different types of bridges and how structural strength is affected by shape and design. They will be measuring and cutting out materials to build a Truss bridge.

To support your child at home please can you...

1. Create simple prints using household objects.

2. Make a bridge using recycled materials materials.

3. Draw patterns to use for print making.

At Wexham, we believe that our school and your home must form a partnership to help your child grow and develop to their fullest potential.

Please do not hesitate to get in contact with us if you have any concerns, questions or you would like any guidance on ways to support your child. 

The best way to do this is via TEAMs. All children have a login and password and have access to their class Teams page. Check this on a daily basis as we will use the class page to communicate any key information.

Your child's class teacher is available on TEAMs from 8am until 4:30pm. If you send messages after this time, they will be responded to the following day. Please also note that during the day the teachers will be teaching and may not be able to respond. Any urgent information (e.g. about collection on the day) should go through the school office.

The parent newsletter is sent out, via email, on Mondays. Please read this every week as it often contains key dates and details that you need.

We often have physical letters that need to be sent home with the children so please make it part of your routine to check their bags at the end of the school day for any of these.

Later in the term, the Year 5 children will read Windrush Child (by Benjamin Zephaniah). This story uses real life experiences to describe the trials and tribulations that Caribbean families faced when coming to the UK after World War 2. The book explores themes of racism, belonging and losing loved ones.

To support your child at home please can you :

1. Ensure your child reads (or is read to) at home for at least 15 minutes a day and sign their Reading Record weekly.

2. Ask your child about their current class reader and any background knowledge they have learned.

3. Discuss books that you are reading with your child. Make predictions and ask lots of questions.