Trotts Hill Primary School and Nursery
Welcome to Year 5
In English, we learn how to be persuasive (sorry parents – it could lead to more pocket money!) and extend our writing skills by exploring legends. In Maths, we work towards securing standard methods of calculating, however we also make decisions about when it is more efficient to make informal jottings. Applying mathematical knowledge in problem solving contexts is a regular feature in lessons.
We encourage home learning to be completed weekly. Times table and, spelling practice as well as reading are compulsory. Regular reading is vital as it helps us to learn new vocabulary and notice how many different ways there are to construct a sentence. Keep reading together at home, as well as independently.
In Year 5, we take pride in putting in 100 percent effort. We celebrate the ‘have a go’ attitude. Someone once said, “If you haven’t failed, you haven’t tried.” We value the efforts all parents give to the development of their children.
A visit to Airbus gave Year 5 a taste of outer space. They made models to show how much light we see from Earth as the moon orbits and consolidated learning about Newton's laws of motion. After learning about the Mars Rover and what it can do, the children looked a the prototypes.
Year 5 pupils felt the force this week during an investigation into levers. They found out that a lever reduces the effort needed to lift a load. The investigated the question 'Does the distance the load is from the fulcrum affect the effort needed?'.
After investigating how to turn rotary movement into linear movement using cam mechanisms, pupils designed and made their own moving toy.
Year 5 took part in a STEM Knex Challenge to make a bulldozer. With an hour time limit, the task was certainly challenging but the children were very resilient and persevered to overcome obstacles. The results were very inventive Some children added extra features such as a roller to churn up or flatten the earth.
Year 5 children took part in some potentially life-saving safety training. They practised how to put someone in the recovery position and when and how to perform CPR. In addition, they learnt how to use a defibrillator.
For World Book Day, the children focused on a chapter of Who Let the Gods Out. They learnt about the figures in Greek mythology mentioned in the story. Then, they wrote a response to the events in the chapter. As a group, they edited each others writing so it would be ready for publishing.
Using an image as a stimulus, the children generated ideas using figurative language and descriptive phrases. Then, they wrote a free verse poem evoking the feeling of being alone in an abandoned theme park.
Level 3 students, from Oaklands College Theatre in Education Tour, performed a Horrible Histories play based on the Vikings. The children then had the opportunity to participate in an acting or dance workshop themselves.
For Internet Safety Day 2024, Year 5 consolidated their knowledge of how to keep themselves safe on line. They watched films to show how phones and computers had developed over time. They considered how online activity can have a positive impact and make a difference.
The children used counters to aid the understanding of the reasoning behind the process of short division.
We discussed leaders we were aware of which included and talked about how Jesus used the scriptures as the basis for his teachings. We read the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed is another word for happiness. We reflected on the question Does the Sermon on the Mount of any relevance in today’s world? We responded with role play set in a modern day context. Groups could relate to ‘Blessed are the peacemakers… merciful… persecuted’
The children learned how to play a back hand shot and applied the skill in a short game.
Using a scaled down set of measurements, Year 5 modelled the distance of the planets from the Sun. They were posed the question: Is there a pattern - the closer to the Sun, the smaller the planet?
A big thank you to Mrs Paice who visited Year 5 to tell them about the beliefs and practices associated with Hanukkah. The children were told the story of the Maccabees and the rededication if the temple. They learned about the significance of oil and light. There was an opportunity to play a traditional game using a driedel.
As part DT, Year 5 tasted plain scone and then planned what further ingredients they would like to add. Move over Heston Blumenthal, there were some new ideas for the perfect scone. They then made and sampled their products.
Pupils learned about how to reduce the amount of code by making it more efficient. Then, they created a simple game.
After studying the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur in English, Year 5 thought about how much of it was true. They considered evidence such as artefacts, frescos and buildings.
As part of out science topic Properties and Changes of Materials, the children carried out a test to answer the question 'Does the temperature of the water affect dissolving?'
The children took it in turns to run and collect an addition calculation and work it out using mental methods. Their team mates had to remain active while this was going on - start jumps, jogging on the spot etc - and then checked it was correct. Back in the classroom they ranked the calculations from smallest sum to largest.
The children progressed from plucking strings to using a bow. It takes a bit of practice to master a bow hold.
Inspired by Kara Walker, pupils carved design into a tile, choosing whether to make it a negative or positive (challenge level) image. They then used paint and rollers to make a print.
After finding out about the causes of flooding, Year 5 pupils acted in the role of town planners. They decided where to site different amenities on a flood plain and give reasons for their decisions.
In science, pupils investigated the purpose of an insulator. At first, they thought the over mitten would get warmer inside over time. However, they were surprised to learn that there was very little difference in temperature.
In our PE topic - Outdoor Adventure Activities - Year 5 are learning about how to improve teamwork through better communication and support. In this activity, listening skills were very important.
Year 5 enjoyed a fantastic day consolidating their learning about rivers by identifying the features in real life during a visit to the Lea Valley Park. They undertook a river speed survey and observed the wildlife. It was our great fortune to be visiting on the day a rare breed of bird - a bittern- had arrived. We were able to observe it from the bird hide.
In, arguably, the most important lesson of the year, the children worked collaboratively to explain the SMART rules. The rules provide them with clear guidance on how to keep themselves safe online.
The sandpit came in useful for Year 5 geography this week. After studying how a river changes during the course of its journey fro source to mouth, the children made and labelled models to show what they had learned.
In DT this week, Year 5 are working on blackwork techniques to create a bookmark. Blackwork is believed to have been brought to England by Catharine of Aragon in Tudor times and was used to embellish and strengthen collars, cuffs and hems. Modern blackwork uses the old techniques but is usually more colourful, as you can see from our works in progress.
There's been a murder!!!! King Duncan has been murdered. Year 5, in the role of investigating officers, wrote a police report about the crime scene.
After learning about climate zones, the pupils used a serious of clue cards to find out about the climate experienced by a number of cities in North America.
In athletics, Year 5 pupils were learning techniques to throw a shot and discus.
Pupils were given statements about the Viking invasion. Their task was to decide how the threat of a Viking take over of Britain increased or decreased with each subsequent event.
In preparation for their performance, Year 5 learnt a piece that involved plucking the strings.
Year 5 rose magnificently to the STEM challenge to build a moving crane from Knex. In the space of only one hour, they produced some inventive prototypes. For this difficult task, the PRIDE learning behaviours were present in abundance - resilience in particular. All the children were able to identify what they would improve on next time. Congratulations to the worthy winners, Sophie and Myah and runners up, Layla, Evie-Grace and Noah. Many thanks to our governor and STEM Ambassador, Emma Richardson for running the workshop.
Year 5 enjoyed a lesson in yoga from Happy Little Yogi during which they learnt about the benefits of using breathing techniques to calm themselves down.
Year 5 children had an excellent day at Airbus. They made their own moon phases boxes and enjoyed an interactive show about Newton's laws of motion involving a bed of nails!!!! In addition, they saw the latest prototype of the Exo Mars Rover and found out what it investigations it is being designed to undertake. A fun time was spent in the activity room. Hopefully, this has inspired the next generation of scientists. The support of our parent helpers was much appreciated.
Year 5 designed a fair ground ride and wrote Crumble programs to control the model they built. They made their model rotate and repeat light sequences.
This half term, Year 5 have been learning how cams work and planning their own models of moving animals. This week was the final build. Year 5 were very pleased with their outcomes.
Year 5 have been learning about mapping skills. They studied contour lines on a map and learnt that they denote the height and gradient of a slope. They made their own models to translate 2-D lines into 3-D.
In music this week, we learnt about Gustav Holst. In spite of his Germanic-sounding name, he is actually a British composer who was born in 1874 and died in 1934. Holst wrote a suite of music about the planets. We listened to one of his compositions and tried to work out which planet it represented. Many of us were correct with the guess of Mars. We had to think about the colour and shapes the music made us imagine whilst listening to it. We then drew spacecraft inspired by the music.
Year 5 have been using coding to change the colour of a light and the speed and direction of a motor. They have programmed controlled loops to make a continuously repeated action.
Year 5 embraced World Book Day with a host of tremendous costumes. We read 'The Mousehole Cat' and chose different ways to respond to the story: diary entries, letters and poems.
We used counters to understand how formal division relates to grouping and what the exchanges mean. Then, we progressed to drawing it ourselves before using the short method alone and applying it to problem solving.
Year 5 learnt how to identify how to spot whether someone had stopped breathing. They learnt how to safely administer the recovery position, perform CPR and use a defibrillator.
Year 5 employed a travelling motif when performing to the track 'Space Man' by Sam Ryder using a parachute to suggest movement.
In PE this week, Year 5 did a variety of table tennis activities to help them to learn how to serve and how to carry out a rally whilst following the rules.
In art this half term, we are looking at the work of David Hockney. We carried out independent research as part of our home learning and added these facts into our illustrated biographies. Later in the term, we will be creating our own piece of art in the style of Hockney.
Today was the first dance lesson. Pupils danced a morning getting-up routine.
This week, Year 5 made scones as part of their DT Food module of learning. Earlier in the term, pupils had tasted a basic scone and then came up with their own ideas to make improvements and add flavour and texture to the basic recipe. Some of the variations included: cinnamon, banana and raisins; cheese, paprika and chilli flakes; and apple, lemon and cinnamon.
We created a webpage and then simulated a key word search. Points were given for the appearance on the word in headings, paragraphs and links. We considered what improvements we could make to improve the ranking of our page.
Students from Oaklands College delivered workshops based on our history topic The Ancient Greeks. Pupils learned about Greek gods through a series of activities. The session culminated in a drama performance that included song, dance and comedy and historical content such as The Trojan War.
Using cubes, we explored how to make cube numbers such as 8, 27 and 64.
After reading Theseus and the Minotaur, Year 5 role played being the conscience of Theseus and gave reasons why he should or shouldn't leave Ariadne on Naxos. Pupils walked down conscience alley and listened to the argument for both sides.
Year 5 took part in a workshop about nutrition and breakfast. They learnt that our bodies need fuel in the mornings. Using pedal power, they created electricity to activate two different blenders containing different combinations of fruits. They then sampled the smoothies.
Year 5 were set a challenge to build a balloon buggy as part of a science/maths/DT day. Measuring skills were put into practice as well as their ingenuity in designing a sturdy but smooth running vehicle. As with many design projects in the real world, it didn't always go to plan. However, all the class got to test out those that worked successfully.
Year 5 started the lesson by completing a follow-me loop card activity whereby the children had to find a match for an answer and a question about rivers. Then, after learning about the causes and effects of flooding, they acted in the role of town planners deciding where to allocate amenities such as recreational spaces, residential areas, schools, factories etc on an area of land in a flood plain.
In art, we looked at the work of print-maker Edward Bawden as inspiration for making our own prints using polystyrene tiles.
We tried out different thicknesses of lines and shapes to see what would create the best effects. We used both positive and negative printing techniques.
Following on from investigating electrical conductors and insulators, Year 5 investigated thermal insulators. Using a planning chart, they devised a test to answer the question 'Which material is the best insulator? A prediction was made following the examination of different materials on a cold surface. Then, temperature readings were taken every 5 minutes.
Year 5 spend the day learning about rivers first hand, after studying the course of a river in the classroom, during a visit to the River Lee. They identified and meander and tested their theory about where the water was flowing fastest by carrying out some research using a special instrument to measure speed. They were lucky enough to time a visit to the lock to coincide with a barge passing through. The class were a credit to the school, with the Lee Valley Park staff leader commenting, "This is the best group we have had for a long time."
This week, Year 5 had their first violin lesson. They met their teacher, Miss Humphries, and played some musical games. They were then taught the names of the various parts of the violin; how to open the violin cases and hold the instruments safely and the correct posture for playing. At the end of the lesson, Miss Humphries treated us all to a rendition of "Hedwig's Theme" on her violin which is 150 years old!
After watching a film and reading a text, the children sequenced the journey of a river. Then, they created a model and labelled the key features.
In DT, we have been looking at blackwork which is a type of embroidery popular in the Tudor times. These days, it is used to decorate items or create pictures. We looked at a variety of modern blackwork patterns to help us create our own designs, which we drew on graph paper and then stitched. Once we had completed our stitching, we folded the edges and used a running stitch to secure the folded edges to prevent fraying.
In maths, we started to look at 2D representations of 3D shapes, which are called nets. We went into the playground and drew around a variety of cuboids with chalk, making sure we included all six faces, to create our own nets.
We were given an angle and had to find the diagram it matched with. For the next angle, we had to try to remember if we had already seen the diagram in another part of the area. Otherwise, we had to visit each cone until we found it.
We used the clues in a statements about cities and towns in North America to work out which graph and photograph illustrated its climate. We then considered which place we would most or least like to live and why.
Year 5 engineers took part in a Knex STEM challenge to design a bridge with moving parts and then were given an hour to build it. The children demonstrated resilience, perseverance and determination. Congratulations to William and Amelia whose bridge will go forward to the county competition. Many thanks to Emma Richardson, a Trotts Hill governor, who delivered the workshop.
Today, Year 5 marked the Queen's Platinum Jubilee by dressing in red, white and blue and researching some significant events of her 70 year reign. In art, inspiration was taken from Georgia O'Keefe to paint flowers in keeping with the royal celebrations.
We have been observing the lifecycle of ladybirds. Meanwhile, we have spotted eggs, larvae and pupae on the trees in the school grounds. In English, we are comparing the lifecycles of dragon flies and ladybirds.
We have practising patch and point balances and rolling transitions. Today, we transferred our skills to the equipment and composed group sequences.
We looked at how some plants can reproduce without the need for a male or female sex cell. We wrote a leaflet encouraging this as a way to save money while getting more new plants.
In DT, Year 5 have been designing and building animal automata: a moving animal model. The brief was two create a moving animal through the use of axels and cams to raise awareness of endangered species. Year 5 enjoyed using tools including saws and glue guns to create their projects. We then evaluated our success and discussed how issues were resolved and what we would do differently if we had to do it again.
As part of our Earth Day activities, we used natural materials to create pictures. We didn't pick anything but used what had landed on the floor.
For Arts Week, Year 5 performed two dances to an audience of parents. In the classroom, we participated in a 'Dance of the Day'. In a drama workshop, Mr Driver encouraged us to use our senses when conveying a story. This was useful when writing our mystery and suspense stories.
After carrying out research about a selected mountain or mountain range, we presented our knowledge in the form of a leaflet aimed at tourists.
Year 5 have been very active this week. In maths, we raced to grab fractions on the playground, and, to support Red Nose Day, we undertook some physical challenges in the hall.
We investigated halves, quarters, thirds and sixths using strips of paper. We identified which fractions were equivalent. Using our strips, we generated a variety of number sentences.
After discussing that weight is a measure of gravitational pull, we used force meters to measure the weight of mystery masses. Part of the task was to select the most appropriate instrument. When the masses were revealed, it was discovered that 1 N = 100g.
In the yoga session, we learned about the importance of belly breathing rather than shallow breathing. We used this breathing technique when seated and created balances. We made sure that we pulled our belly button in an up in order to protect the back. We practised meditative sequences.
For home learning, the children were tasked with researching a planet. They had to cite their sources of information and avoid plagiarism by writing facts in their own words. There were some excellent PowerPoint presentations which showed off technical skills that are out of this world.
In PE, the children learnt about positioning when defending, in the midfield or as a forward in hockey. They honed the skills and then applied them in match play.
Year 5 are currently studying the work of David Hockney in their art lessons. This week we looked at a colour wheel and talked about the way he uses contrasting colours in his painting. We then chose from a selection of Hockney's landscapes and tried to re-create them using poster paints.
Year 5 had a fantastic time at the STEM Discovery Centre at Airbus in Stevenage. The children learnt many facts about the planets. They viewed the testing site for the Mars Rover and learnt about all the considerations the engineers had to make when building the different prototypes. They made moon boxes to help understand about the phases of the moon and enjoyed learning about electricity, forces and other scientific ideas in the activity room.
The children were very excited for our first dance lesson in Year 5 and at the prospect of having it indoors instead of outside. All the class participated in a solo freestyle inside the 'circle of confidence'. Mr Sapsed introduced some new dance steps to the sounds of Little Mix. It was amazing how quickly they could pick up the fast-paced choreography.
We enjoyed a maths and science activity day. After playing with different materials and seeing how they move by pushing, throwing and blowing, we discussed questions we could investigate about what might affect the movement of a material cut into the shape of a fish. Each group composed their own question - some children tested different materials the fish was made of, others investigated the force of the flapping while some used different objects to flap the fish. We used cross-curricular maths and science skills to record our results
There was a bath bomb factory in Year 5 this week. After learning about chemical reactions, we investigated how to make the best bath bomb. Each group chose a question. Some children were interested in whether the colour affected the fizz, while others tested the type of acid, the brand of bicarbonate of soda or the amount of each ingredient
We have been exploring the origins of democracy through role play. After discussing that our MPs are selected after a national vote, we went back in time to consider the reasons in favour and against the building of the Parthenon in Athens after the defeat of the Persians. After the discussion, we voted. Pericles won the argument and it was agreed that a magnificent temple would be built.
We discussed how light has significance in several religions. Then, we read the the story behind the Jewish celebration of Hannukah and looked at the Menorah. We learned about the game played by children using a dreidel.
Having tasted scones made to a basic recipe in our last DT lesson, we added extra ingredients to make our own scones. Apples and raisins were a popular choice, several groups added glacé cherries to their basic mixture and one group added cheese and garlic. We weighed, measured, cut, chopped, grated, squeezed, mixed, kneaded and rolled but best of all - we ate! We all agreed our scones were better than the basic recipe.
After exploring a ready made data base, we worked in groups to create our own databases about Ancient Greek gods and goddesses.
We started by using Cuisenaire rods to represent stories and then used letters and symbols to describe the rods. We drew story sketches and then composed our own scenarios. In the following maths lessons, we used bar models to represent the problems.
Year 5 investigated the speed of dissolving. Each group composed their own question for investigation such as
Does the colour of the solute affect the speed of dissovling?
Does the type of solvent affect the speed of dissolving?
The solute used was Skittle. The children observed or measured the size of the Skittles as they dissolved.
Hopefully, all parents understood why we had drawn all over our fingers today. We were learning how to hold a bow and the markings on our hands helped us to position our fingers correctly - it's not as easy as it looks! In addition, we were instructed how to use the correct posture when playing.
Year 5 put in a show of stamina and strength during the Trotts Hill Fun Run with some children running more than 6 laps of the school. Others took a more relaxed pace but the aim of the game - to raise funds - was a shared purpose. Well done to all for the huge effort and whole class participation.
We cheered the school up no end with our bright display of yellow to raise money for the Young Minds mental health charity. In the classroom, we celebrated what we are, what we have and what we can. We participated in 'rainbow breathing' designed to energise us for the challenges of the day ahead.
After studying the artist Kara Walker, we designed and made our own tiles for printing.
On a beautiful day, Year 5 visited the River Lee. The staff at the centre were very impressed by our knowledge of how a meander is formed and we were able to consolidate our learning by seeing the features first hand. We made field sketches of the river and the lake. In the afternoon, we were issued with binoculars and were able zoom in on cormorants, Canada geese and other birds.
This week, we have been rounding. Some children found using a part-whole model whole model before drawing a number line very useful in order to identify the multiple before. Others progressed to writing their own problems.
We were given a number of clues in order to find out a mystery number. First, we tested different numbers randomly but realised that this would take too long. We then looked more closely at the clues and realised that the solution had to be a multiple of 7. We used our knowledge of multiples to find which number would satisfy all the statements in the clues. Some of us used counters or a number square, while others drew the problem.
We learned about how a the course of a river changes from source to mouth. After a sorting and labelling activity, we made our own models and labelled the different features. Unfortunately, there was a flood in some river basins and the features were washed away!