Swans

 Welcome to the Swans

 We are the Year 5 class team:

Mrs Leach – Class Teacher

Mrs Adair - Teaching Assistant

Email contact 

SLeach@sharnbrookprimary.beds.sch.uk

For SEND contact Mrs Wildman

sendco@sharnbrookprimary.beds.sch.uk

  Year 5

Swans

Summer Term 2025

PE lessons return to a Tuesday and Friday for the duration of this term. Children are to come dressed in their PE kits on these days.

Please refer to the weekly timetable for further details of specific lessons and times.

Homework is compulsory and includes reading daily at home, one of these sessions should be to an adult. This should be for a minimum of 20 minutes and all reading should be recorded in the reading diary.  Children should also be working on their timetable knowledge through TTR for a minimum of 25 minutes throughout the week and completing the assigned spelling tasks on Spelling Shed.  Some of these spellings will be tested in our weekly spelling test, which will be held on a Monday.  With spelling and timetable work, little and often is a much better approach than doing it all in one sitting, as this aids long term memory. One longer piece of homework will be set on a weekly basis. The children have been provided with a reading a homework diary, please sign the books at the end of each week to acknowledge that you have seen the homework which has been set.

Healthy Snacks may be brought in daily to eat at morning break.

Water Bottles may be brought in each day and kept with the children throughout each lesson. Water bottles will need to go home daily to be cleaned and refilled.

Pencil Cases:  All pupils should have their own stationery for lessons and all writing will be in blue pen. In pencil cases children will need: a blue ballpoint pen, a graphite pencil, a ruler, a rubber and a sharpener (pencil crayons and felt tips are optional). It would also be helpful to have a small glue stick, pair of scissors, a compass and protractor. Please make sure your resources fit into one pencil case.

Curriculum
ENGLISH

In the first half of the term, our English lessons will be inspired by The Paper Bag Prince by Colin Thompson. Through this engaging story, children will explore themes of caring for the environment and community. They will develop their reading comprehension skills, expand vocabulary, and use the book as a stimulus for a range of writing activities, including character descriptions, diary entries, and persuasive letters. The story’s rich illustrations and powerful message will encourage thoughtful discussion and creativity across the curriculum. 

In the second half of the term, our English lessons will be based on 'Radiant Child' by Javaka Steptoe, a beautifully illustrated biography of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Children will explore the life and creativity of the artist, using the text to inspire a range of writing activities such as biographies, poetry, and responses to art. The book’s vibrant language and artwork will support rich discussions around self-expression, diversity, and resilience, helping to develop both comprehension and writing skills in meaningful and imaginative ways.

MATHS

Throughout this term we will be covering blocks on Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, Decimals and Fractions, Measure and Data, Multiplication and Division.

ART and Design

The Swans will have their art and design lessons with Miss Gingel on a Friday afternoon.

GEOGRAPHY

In Geography this term, children will explore the key question: 'Would you like to live in a desert?' Through this topic, they will learn about the physical features, climate, and wildlife of desert environments around the world. Pupils will compare life in the desert to their own surroundings, developing map skills and using geographical vocabulary to describe different places. This enquiry-based approach will encourage curiosity and critical thinking, as children consider the challenges and unique aspects of living in such an extreme environment.

HISTORY
This term in History, children will be learning about life in The Stone Age. They will explore how early humans lived, hunted, and gathered food, as well as how tools, homes, and communities developed over time. By examining archaeological evidence and historical artefacts, pupils will gain insight into how people’s lives changed from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic period. This topic will help children understand chronology and build a foundation for thinking about how human societies have evolved through time.

SCIENCE

In Science this term, the focus will be on biology, with children learning about the human life cycle. They will explore the different stages of development from birth to old age, including key physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. Through discussion, diagrams, and scientific vocabulary, pupils will gain a deeper understanding of how humans grow and change over time. This unit will be taught with sensitivity, encouraging questions and supporting children in developing a respectful and informed understanding of the human body.

In the mornings Swans will be expected to walk independently to the classroom from 8.40; a member of the Swans team will be in the room to greet them from this time and the children will be expected to complete their morning work. The children will be dismissed from the classroom at 3.20pm. The children have been told that they must return to the classroom if an adult that they are expecting to meet them isn’t on the playground, ie they are not to just walk home. Please reinforce this with your son/daughter. If your son/daughter is going to be walking home independently, please communicate this in their reading/homework diary or by dropping me an email.

Mobile phones: We recognise that some pupils may need to/wish to bring a mobile phone to school if they are walking to or from school by themselves. All phones need to be named and turned off once on school grounds. In the classroom they will be collected and placed a secure box, the children will collect their phones prior to leaving the classroom at 3.20pm. If pupils have phones out in the classrooms they will be confiscated and a parent will have to collect it from the office. No phones will be allowed on any school trips or visits.

As always, please don’t hesitate to ask if there is anything you are unsure of or require further clarification on.
Mrs Leach and Mrs Adair