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 Spring Term 2025

Welcome to the Year 5 (Swans). 

PE lessons will take place on a Tuesday and Friday. Please come dressed in your PE kit on these days and ensure you have your water bottle filled!  As the term moves on please also keep an eye on the weather forecast; ensure you bring a suitable rain coat/jacket for outdoor PE and I would also recommend a change of socks and shoes if the forecast is wet.  (Shoes could be your school shoes, please don't feel you have to purchase two pairs of trainers) 

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

For the first half of the term, our English studies will be inspired by the captivating text 'Arthur and the Golden Rope', where we will embark on a journey to write our own mythical stories, drawing on imagination and adventure. In the second half of the term, we will explore the fascinating story 'The Darkest Dark' by astronaut Chris Hadfield, using it as a springboard to craft a short biography that celebrates the achievements and dreams of this remarkable individual.

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

This term, we will dive into the question, "Why do oceans matter?" as we explore the vital role oceans play in our world and how they have changed over time. With a special focus on the Great Barrier Reef, we will investigate the impacts of climate change and pollution, learning how these challenges affect marine life and what we can do to help protect our planet's most precious ecosystems.

HISTORY
This half term, we will be learning all about Henry VIII, one of England's most famous kings! We’ll explore his life, his six wives, and how he changed the country forever by creating the Church of England. Through stories, activities, and discussions, we’ll discover what life was like in Tudor times and why Henry VIII is such an important figure in history.

SCIENCE

This term in science, we will explore two exciting topics! During the first half term, we will investigate the properties of materials, discovering how they feel, look, and behave in different situations. In the second half term, our focus will shift to biology as we learn about the fascinating life cycles of plants and animals, understanding how they grow and change over time.

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