Welcome to Mercury class 2025-2026

Summer Term 2026

Welcome to Year 5. The Year 5 team are Mrs Barnes, Mrs Williamson, Mrs White and Mrs Appleton .

Year 5 is a brilliant year in which we develop our independence, resilience and perseverance! We are really looking forward to an exciting year learning together.

The most important way that you can help your child is to read with them.

Have a look at this great website for inspiration for books you may like to read: https://www.booksfortopics.com/year-5

An atmospheric and beautifully worded story by Katya Balen, which transports the reader to feel at one with nature.

Ghostlines is set on the island of Ayrie, where Tilda is at her happiest. She thrives in nature, loves exploring and breathes in every moment of the wilderness. Living in a small and tight-knit community, Tilda is intrigued when a new boy, Albie, arrives. Tilda spends all of her efforts showing him the hidden treasures of the island, but to no avail, as he misses living life in the city.

Despite his reluctance to be friendly, they explore a nearby haunted island and strike an unexpected friendship.

Readers will find themselves absorbed in the cleverly crafted descriptions of the wild, while also rooting for the characters within. It is hard not to fall in love with Tilda and her determination to show everyone the importance of bonding with nature.

Science

This term in science, we are looking at the human life cycle, focusing on how our bodies change and develop from birth to old age.

After May half term, we will be looking at the properties and changes of materials. We will be discovering which reactions are reversible and which are irreversible…things may get a bit messy!

 

Maths   

This term, we are looking at shape, including angles and how we can use protractors to measure and draw different types of angles.

We use resources from  White Rose Education. We will cover Place Value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division and fractions. Times Tables Rockstars is a very important part of our learning in Year 5.

We will also spend focused time on maths fluency, which means quick and accurate recall of facts. Please support your child with any opportunities to build fluency and confidence. You can use online games such as these:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zd2f7nb/articles/zn2y7nb

English

Writing- We use Jane Considine’s ‘The Write Stuff’ when we learn to write. We will write across a wide variety of genres including narrative, fiction and poetry.

 

 

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SPELLING

We  use  Emile spelling  which is a comprehensive, progressive and detailed scheme for teaching and learning spelling effectively.https://emile-education.com/

History

Get ready for the Groundbreaking Greeks! We will take a step back in history to the time of the Ancient Greek world, starting off with the Minoan and Mycenaeans and progressing to the Hellinistic and Classical periods. On our way, we will learn lots about Greek culture, philosophy, the arts and mythology. We can’t wait to share what we have learned at our Parent Presentation day in July.

Art and Design   

This project teaches children about paper crafts, papermaking and collage techniques, including paper, fabric, mixed media and photo collage. They use their learning to create a final piece of small-scale, mixed media collage. We will look at the work of Clare Youngs.

Clare Youngs is a collage artist, who makes colorful and playful artworks from cut paper. Each piece of paper used is hand painted or printed with textures and pattern work and then cut and pieced together to make the finished piece.

Design and Technology- Architecture

This project teaches children about how architectural style and technology has developed over time and then use this knowledge to design a building with specific features.

Religious Education

What is the great significance of the ‘Eucharist’ to Christians?

How did Buddha teach his followers to find enlightenment?

 

PSHE  SCARF ( SCARF – Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship)

Me and My Relationships

Valuing Difference

Keeping Safe

Growing and Changing  Rights and Respect

Being my Best

Music

We use the Dorset Music Service’s Charanga curriculum to listen to, appraise, improvise and create music using instruments and singing.

 

French
We will use Language Angels to study French.

Our unit will be At School.

Physical Education

Cricket and summer Athletics

 

Outdoor Curriculum

This term we will be den building. Building Dens Den types;  Tripod (small)  Hard surface dens .

• Using tarpaulins alongside nature to create shelters: tipi, wedge, a-frame  Purpose of shelters: Shade (are you protected from the sun?)
• Shelter (does it keep the water off?) Team challenge (protect the animals/ teddies/selves)
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Year 5 are excited to be taking part in the Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award ths year. This is a fully resourced leadership and character education programme that empowers pupils to learn and practise key leadership skills and character virtues and to transform their communities through social action.

We will be focusing on the school and global units this half term, using our Write Stuff unit ‘KICK’ to campaign for fair trade footballs in all schools, that are produced without using child labour.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Mercury class by visiting our class Dojo.