Puffins Year 5 2024 - 2025

hutchinson@cuddington.cheshire.sch.uk

Curriculum learning Autumn 2

Welcome to Puffins class page. Here, parents will be able to see an overview of the learning that is planned for the second half of the Autumn term. We start our term focusing on our text called, 'FaRther by Grahame Baker-Smith. As we explore the book, there will be lots of writing opportunities, including an opportunity to write a settings description based on the text. Throughout the unit of work, there will be a focus on spelling, grammar and handwriting linked to the year 5 expectations in the national curriculum.

As well as this, children will complete retrieval practice - small stakes quizes for all subjects - to enhance children's retrieval of information from their long term memories, strengthening their learning. 

During our shared reading sessions, we will be continuing with our teaching sequence from Literacy Counts called, 'Ready, Steady, Comprehend,' which has been specifically developed to ensure that the children are immersed in a variety of texts and genres. This term, the children will be immersed in a plethora of texts linked to modern poetry and fiction with a focus on both fiction and non-fiction texts. In these sessions, we will be focusing on how the structure impacts the reader and how the author focuses on language and grammatical choices to influence the reader.

In History, we will be learning about the Vikings following on chronologically in time from our Anglo Saxons unit of learning in Autumn 1. We will be learning to answer the question, 'Would the Vikings do anything for money?'. Our learning on this topic will lead to high quality writing outcomes for our curriculum books.

English and Maths homework will be set on a Friday and due in the following Wednesday. These pieces of work will be handed out as a copy via class dojo for the children to complete at home and then send a photograph of the completed work back via the portfolio tab. Please work with your child to ensure that their homework is completed on time as the work set consolidates learning from the week and allows children a further opportunity to practice the skills that they have learnt. 

Our PE lessons will take place on a Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. Please ensure that your child has their PE kits with them in school at all times so that they can participate in all of their PE lessons. These lessons are a compulsory part of their curriculum and greatly benefit not only their physical but their mental health and well-being.

At Cuddington, reading is seen as a fundamental skill that activates children's imaginations, makes them curious about the world they live in, develops their language and listening skills and has a positive impact on their social and emotional wellbeing. There is growing research evidence that shows there is a positive relationship between reading frequency, reading enjoyment and attainment (Clark 2011; Clark and Douglas 2011 and Twist et al 2007). As a result of this, we understand the importance of regularly reading with your child. In UKS2, we advise that you read 15-20 minutes per day with your child, no matter their proficiency level. Whilst listening to your child, try to ask them questions about events that have happened so far, characters thoughts and motives and to make accurate predictions based on the text as well as the meanings of pieces of vocabulary with in the text. 

Throughout the term, the children will be allocated their own reading books and library books that they will be allowed to take home with them.  If you require any new reading books, then your child can ask the teacher who can allocate new books for them to read.

To keep up to date with what is happening in our class, make sure you regularly check our school's Twitter (X) and Facebook feeds.

Should you have any queries, please feel free to contact me using the email address at the top of the page. 

Here's to an exciting term in Puffins class!

Mr Hutchinson

Year 5 Teacher

Mathematics and Modern Foreign Languages Lead