Year 5
The Big Question – Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Miss Craggs and Miss Boddy took over Year 5 on Monday, to host a debate about lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 years. The class looked at the issues facing young people in today’s society and debated reasons for and against doing so. They used their arguments to write and deliver a speech before holding a secret ballot. The result was 15 in support and 8 against.
Welcome back to another exciting year! We hope you had a wonderful summer and enjoyed the glorious weather.
This year, Mrs Patchett and Mrs MacKay are thrilled to be working with Year 5 and Mrs Jones will continue to teach your child P.E.
Class 5 are becoming time zone experts! This term, they have been learning all about time zones around the world and how these are split into lines of longitude. Every day, the children locate two new countries in different continents on a globe and find the time, date and temperature, as well as identifying the hemisphere. They then compare this to the UK.
On Wednesday, as part of our ongoing work with the Auckland Project, Year 5 visited the Mining Art Gallery and Auckland Tower. The children studied the paintings in the gallery and asked interesting and intelligent questions about life down the mines. They then looked at coal miner artifacts and thought about how they might be used around the home and down the pit. Finally, the children had the opportunity to recreate their own etched artwork, using ink and a printing press in the style of local mining artist Tom McGuinness. As always, the children were a real credit to our school with several members of the Auckland Project staff commenting that ours was the best school visit so far!
Year 5 children harvested pumpkins from our school allotment, which they grew from seed, to make some delicious pumpkin soup. They then shared this with Year 2 and 6. The comments were very favourable! Watch this space for more home cooking using our own home grown produce.
Here is our Spring Newsletter
The Land of Neverendings
Our new book is a dazzling story about a world powered by imagination. In 'The Land of Neverendings' we enter a world of silliness where humans and their toys live on long after they have left the Hard World...
We've just started reading this book put we can't wait to share with you the work we'll be doing around it.
Science activities
Centre for Life trip.
We visited the planetarium, robot exhibition, science theatre and curiosity zone.
Shea said, "It was interesting to learn that Uranus lies on its side because scientists think something bumped into it."
"I really liked the actor robot because it could tell whether you were smiling and then gave a response!" exclaimed Josh.
We've started reading our thrilling class novel. The story is about a young girl whose dad goes missing. Can she persuade her new friends to help her find him?
An epic quest across wild Scottish highlands and islands begins, where friendships will be made and broken, lies will be untangled and the children will face danger and excitement at every turn…
We've already completed some fantastic written work based around the story so far. Take a look!
Work by the wonderful Year 5 class of 2017-2018
What we have been learning
As part of our PRIDE week celebrations in school we based our maths and English lessons on a relevant topic. In maths, we collected and analysed data about the different types of families within school and created line graphs using this data. In English, we looked at the different types of families and created our own recipes on what makes a family.
Transition Day
As a class we were invited to attend a transition day at Greenfield Community College Sunnydale Campus to experience what comprehensive school is like. During our visit we experienced a range of curriculum subjects and activities which the children will never forget. We made slime in maths, held organs in science and bounced on trampolines. We thoroughly enjoyed our Greenfield experience and we look forward to visiting other local comprehensives in the coming weeks.
What we have been learning.
In anticipation of our World Book Day celebrations we have been looking at biographies in English. We have looked at the life and successes of Usain Bolt. The children have shown particular interest in topic this half term as we have focused on world countries and the Viking invasion of Britain.
YEAR 5 MINI POLICE
As a class we were lucky enough to be selected for the Mini police programme. The club runs on a Tuesday night and helps to educate our children about appropriate social behaviour and how to be a responsible citizen. As mini police officers we have our own uniforms and in the near future we will be educating our peers about what it takes to be a responsible citizen. If you have any questions about extra-curricular opportunities please do not hesitate to ask.
In P.E we have been creating our own gymnastic routines to a piece of music. We have looked at balances, travelling and how to effectively use the apparatus. We will perform our routines to Year 6.
Our gymnastics routine
CHINESE NEW YEAR
As a school we celebrated Chinese New Year. We took part in a range of activities which focused on the story behind New Year, the symbols associated with New Year and the decorations used in celebrations.
Chinese New Year
Our work with Bowes Museum
Year 5 had the opportunity to visit Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle. We learnt about Josephine and John Bowes and more about their original home, Streatlam Castle. We created a coat of arms which is to be made out of glass. Our design represents us as a class.
You can find out more information by visiting the website. We look forward to working with Bowes Museum to complete our Arts Award.
Judo
Year 5 were lucky enough to have a taster session of Judo, they loved it. If anyone would like further information of the clubs in Bishop Auckland or extra-curricular opportunities feel free to come into school and ask. 
Prince William Award
As part of the Prince William Award, we invited parents into school to take part in activities which help to build confidence, teamwork and resilience. We would like to thank parents for their continued support.
Parents take part in Prince William Award
Autumn Term Newsletter
As a class we have been selected to take part in the Prince William Award. By participating, the children will be provided with opportunities outside of the classroom to develop; self-confidence, social skills, teamwork and decision-making abilities.
Year 5 have already visited Bowes Museum (Barnard Castle) to visit The Clockwork Garden, which is an interactive exhibition. During the visit, we looked at art inspired by Fiona Banner and other artists. The pupils had the opportunity to create their own Typography.
Weekly Timetable
- P.E every Monday morning and Thursday afternoon (Please bring in your P.E kit in on a Monday and leave at school all week).
- Reading books and reading journals to be brought in and took home daily.
- Homework to be handed in on a Monday.
- Spelling test and timetables test on a Friday (New spellings and timetables given out on the same day.
Y5 Curriculum Map
Week beginning 15th May
In Maths, we have measured reflex angles. The children had to decide who had the 'perfect' dab.
Week beginning 8th May
Our new book in English is Gangsta Granny.
On Thursday the children went to see Gangsta Granny at the Sunderland Empire Theatre with year 3 and 4. The children absolutely loved it!
In maths we have been looking at Roman Numerals. We have learnt a useful mnemonic to help us remember what each letter is worth.
I
Value
Xylophones
Like
Cows
Dig
Milk
Week beginning 1st May
The children visited Greenfield Community Primary school for a curriculum day. They investigated who had kidnapped Perrie Edwards, finding clues in each lesson.
The children had Nikki come into school on Thursday from the Prince William Award. She worked with us all morning and set us team building tasks.
Our topic in English and Geography is Fairtrade.
In English, the children have created informative posters and written a persuasive letter to the kitchen persuading them to use Fairtrade products.
In Geography, the children have explored through the use of an Atlas and iPads where Fairtrade products come from. In detail the children have focused on South America and learned the countries within it. The children have looked at the production line of bananas, coffee and chocolate in detail, learning how much profit each person within the production line earns.
The books we are looking at this term are:
Bowes Museum
We have been very lucky to have the opportunity to visit Bowes to take part in an art project. This project is in conjunction with artist Mark Clarke and author/illustrator Jessica Shepherd. The children were able to look around the exhibition and meet Jessica, the children had the opportunity to sketch and make prints of their sketches. Our final piece of work will be displayed in the gallery as part of the exhibition. More photographs of our visit to Bowes Museum to follow.
We planned, designed, created and evaluated our own space buggies!
Curriculum Map
Below is a link to our curriculum map. Have a look at the different topics we will cover over the year.
We have read the following books as a class:
