Sycamore Class
Teachers: Miss Rich
PE days for the Autumn term: Wednesday and Friday
Year 5 Classroom
This half term our English learning will be focused around a variety of Greek myths and then a poem by Walter De La Mare called 'The Listeners'. Our class book this half term will be Skellig by David Almond which we will use to help develop our fluency and comprehension skills.
In maths we will be focusing on place value and looking at numbers to 1,000,000. We will also regularly practice our arithmetic skills and mental strategies for all four operations.
Our main topics will be the Ancient Greeks in History and Earth and Space in Science. In DT we will be designing and making our own flatbread and hummus before tasting and evaluating it.
Our PE days will be Wednesday and Friday.
Please ensure your child wears their full PE kit to school on these days. Long hair should be tied back, and jewellery (including earrings) must be removed for safety.
Homework and new spellings will be handed out every Friday and should be completed and returned by Wednesday. Homework tasks are designed to reinforce what we have been learning in class and provide additional practice. Should you need any help or have any questions, please come to me or Miss Poulton and we would be happy to help you.
Regular reading at home is vital to your child’s progress. Please encourage children to read every day and note this in their reading record. We check reading records weekly every Monday, and any support you provide at home makes a significant difference. Please could you also ensure your child brings their reading book into school every day, as we will regularly read in class and record progress in reading journals.
Thank you for your continued support.
Miss Rich
Homework
Challenge and Aspiration Project
To engage and extend learning across all year groups, each topic is accompanied by a Challenge Question, several Project Options (consistently 3–4 choices per topic), and an outline of the higher level thinking skills involved.
Each project is designed to challenge pupils with creative, analytical tasks that promote higher-order thinking. The projects can be pursued independently at home (as optional challenges) or integrated in class for enrichment; teachers can provide feedback at school to support development. We also include cross-curricular subject links to highlight how each challenge connects to broader learning areas (e.g. Art, Computing, History, Science). Pupils are encouraged to choose one project per topic to explore in depth.
Spring 1: Journey Around the World – Longitudes and Latitudes
Challenge Question: How can we use lines of latitude and longitude to locate places on Earth, and what surprises might we find when comparing locations around the globe?
Project Options (choose one):
1. Coordinate Treasure Hunt: Create a “treasure hunt” game using latitude and longitude coordinates. Choose 5 world cities or landmarks and find their lat/long coordinates (e.g. London ~ 51.5°N, 0°; Nairobi ~ 1°S, 36°E; Tokyo ~ 36°N, 140°E etc.). Write each as a clue like “Find the city at 1°S, 36°E” (answer: Nairobi). Provide a blank world map (which you can draw or print) and mark the answers on it after the game. You might give this quiz to classmates or family. Also, for each location, write one interesting fact that might hint at the place (for example: “At 51.5°N, 0°, you’d find a famous clock tower and the River Thames”). This game makes you practice reading coordinates and learn geography trivia.
2. Same Latitude, Different Places Photo Album: Pick a latitude line (for example, the Equator (0°), 30°N, or 60°N) and find 4–5 different places around the world that lie close to that latitude. For instance, at around 30°N: Houston (USA), Cairo (Egypt), New Delhi (India), Shanghai (China) are all roughly along that line. Gather or draw a picture representing each place (skyline, landscape, famous site) and create an album or poster. Under each picture, write a sentence or two about the climate or environment (30°N might be desert in Egypt, humid in Houston, etc.) and one cultural or geographic fact. Conclude with a note on how places at the same latitude can be very different due to other factors (altitude, oceans, etc.).
3. Globe-Maker Craft: Build a simple globe that shows latitude and longitude lines. You could inflate a balloon and use a marker to draw the equator, tropics, prime meridian, and a few other key latitude lines (maybe every 30°) and longitude slices. Mark and label the continents roughly to scale. Alternatively, use a styrofoam ball or a papercraft template. When finished, use your globe to “demonstrate” to a family member how to read off coordinates (point to a spot and estimate its lat/long). Write a short reflection on what was challenging about translating the flat world map to a round globe (you’ll notice things like how far apart lines are at different points).
Spellings to Learn in Year 5
Curriculum Overview - Autumn Term
sycamore class curriculum overview autumn term2 2025.pdf
Recommended Reads in Year 5
sil y5 and 6 recommended reading list.pdf
Parents Year 5 Autumn Curriculum Meeting
year 5 welcome morning 2025.pdf
School Visits
In Year 5 we visit the West End in London to watch The Lion King in the Spring term. This links to our PSHE curriculum and supports us to think about the importance of treating everyone with respect and kindness. We also visit Chatham Green Wilderness Foundation in the Summer term.
![Review:] THE LION KING, Lyceum Theatre, London. – The Theatre Reviewer](https://theatrereviewerblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_1396.jpg?w=1400)