This booklet is to tell you about the important information you need to understand the curriculum, routines and expectations of the Year 5 class. If there is any further information you need, please dont hesitate to ask throughout the year.

As children move into Year 5, they are into the final phase of their primary school career and will be part of upper key stage 2 alongside Year 6. They are expected to strive for high standards in their work and behaviour and be role models for the younger classes. A greater degree of independence is expected and the children are asked to be responsible for themselves and their own learning to a greater extent than previously.

The National Curriculum in Year 5

You may be aware that September 2014 saw the introduction of the new national curriculum for England and Wales. Amongst the changes are new end of year expectations in reading, writing and Maths for each year group which are more challenging than they were before. Below you will find the key objectives that all children in Year 5 will be expected to meet by the end of the year. If a child meets all the objectives, they are considered to be at the expected level of attainment. Any child who does not meet all the objectives will be deemed to be emerging and any child meeting objectives beyond those set for the year group is assessed as exceeding. Unless a child has a specific reason for not being able to meet the year group expectations (e.g an identified special educational need that affects their academic attainment) all pupils will be working towards being at the expected level by the end of the year.

Year 5 Reading Key Objectives

Apply knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to read aloud and to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words

Read further exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound

Attempt pronunciation of unfamiliar words drawing on prior knowledge of similar looking words

Re-read and read ahead to check for meaning.

Be familiar with and talk about a wide range of books and text types, including myths, legends and traditional stories and books from other cultures and traditions. Be able to discuss the features of each.

Read non-fiction texts and identify the purpose, structure and grammatical features, evaluating how effective they are.

Identify significant ideas, events and characters, and discuss their significance.

Recite poems by heart e.g narrative verse, haiku.

Prepare poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

Year 5 Writing Key Objectives

Transcription and Handwriting

Form verbs with prefixes.

Convert nouns or adjectives into verbs by adding a suffix.

Understand the rules for adding prefixes and suffixes.

Spell words with silent letters.

Distinguish between homophones and other words which are often confused.

Spell the commonly mis-spelt words from the Year 5/6 word list.

Use the first 3 or 4 letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both in a dictionary.

Use a thesaurus.

Use a range of useful spelling strategies independently.

Choose the style of handwriting to use when given a choice.

Choose the handwriting that is best suited for a specific task.

Composition

Discuss the audience and purpose of a piece of writing.

Start sentences in different ways.

Use the correct features and sentence structure matched to the text type we are working on.

Develop characters through action and dialogue.

Establish a viewpoint as the writer through commenting on characters and events.

Use grammar and vocabulary to create an impact on the reader.

Use stylistic devices to create effects in writing.

Add well chosen detail to interest the reader.

Summarise a paragraph.

Organise my writing into paragraphs to show different information or events.

Grammar and Punctuation

Use relative clauses.

Use adverbs or modal verbs to indicate a degree of possibility.

Build cohesion between paragraphs.

Use adverbials to link paragraphs.

Use brackets, dashes and commas to indicate parenthesis.

Use commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity.

Year 5 Maths Key Objectives

Number

Count forwards and backwards in steps of powers of 10 for any given number up to 1,000,000.

Recognise and use thousandths and relate them to tenths, hundredths and decimal equivalents.

Recognise mixed numbers and improper fractions and convert from one to the other.

Read and write decimal numbers as fractions.

Recognise the % symbol and understand percent relates to a number of parts per hundred.

Write percentages as a fraction with denominator hundred and as a decimal fraction.

Compare and add fractions whose denominators are all multiples of the same number.

Multiply and divide numbers mentally drawing on known facts up to 12 x 12.

Round decimals with 2 decimal points to the nearest whole number and to 1 decimal point.

Recognise and use square numbers and cube numbers, and the associated notation.

Multiply and divide whole numbers and those involving decimals by 10, 100 and 1000.

Multiply numbers up to 4 digits by a 1 or 2 digit number using formal written methods, including long multiplication for a 2 digit number.

Divide numbers up to 4 digits by a 1 digit number.

Solve problems involving multiplication and division where large numbers are used by decomposing them into factors.

Solve addition and subtraction multi-step problems in context, deciding which operations and methods to use and why.

Solve problems involving numbers up to 3 decimal places.

Measurement, Geometry and Statistics

Know that angles are measured in degrees.

Estimate and compare acute, obtuse and reflex angles.

Draw given angles and measure them in degrees.

Convert between different units of metric measures and estimate volume and capacity.

Measure and calculate the perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes in cm and m.

Calculate and compare the areas of squares and rectangles.

Solve comparison, sum and difference problems using information presented in a line graph.

Where a child is exceeding their year groups expectations, the national curriculum states that pupils should not necessarily move on to studying the next year groups objectives. Some of their learning would clearly involve more advanced objectives but the aim of their work would be to broaden and deepen their understanding. A good example of this would be where a child had met the Year 5 expectations in Maths before the end of the year; they would then be provided with activities and tasks aimed at applying their Maths knowledge via problem solving and using and applying tasks set at a harder level than those undertaken by the rest of the class.

Topic Learning

All classes in the school organise and teach much of the curriculum through an overarching theme or topic. This is to help unify the learning going on in the class and make links between different subjects. Years 5 and 6 will study the same topics at the same time over a 2 year cycle; this means that we can plan and work together on various activities.

We have now based our topics and themes on the Learning Challenge Curriculum. This is not a full curriculum as such, but it provides a basis for studying interesting and varied topics that will ensure good coverage of the new national curriculum content. More information can be found about it here:-

www.learningchallengecurriculum.com

Its aim is to encourage pupils to be enquiring and questioning learners with a desire to find out more for and by themselves. Therefore, there will be occasions when Year 5 children are asked to devise their own questions about a topic and find different ways to research the answers. The learning challenge curriculum uses history and geography as the drivers for the curriculum, so you will find that the Year 5 and 6 topics have a historical or geographical basis and often both.

Science

As with Maths and English, the year group expectations in Science are greater now than they were. Year 5 and 6 will have a 2-year rolling programme of Science areas to cover which will mean that all children will have been taught all the Year 5 and 6 Science by the end of Year 6. Some of the Science learning will be linked to the overall topic being studied whenever it links meaningfully to it; where it does not, it will be taught as a separate subject.

Computing

The new national curriculum has replaced the term IT with computing. This reflects the content of the curriculum which now has computer science at its core, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, and how digital systems work. To meet the requirements of Year 5, computing will be taught as a discrete subject to enable pupils to acquire the specific skills needed. In addition, opportunities will be given for children to use and apply their computing skills across the curriculum.

PE

The class will have two PE sessions every week; at the moment they are on Monday and Wednesday. Where possible, we try to have lessons outdoors unless it is a dance or gymnastics lesson. We will cover all the elements of the PE curriculum over the year. From February half-term until the end of the summer term, Year 5 will go swimming at Ilkley Pool every Monday.

RE

RE is not a national curriculum subject but it is compulsory in primary schools in England. It involves finding out about a range of world religions and exploring what a faith is and how various people locally and worldwide express their faith. At Ben Rhydding we use the locally agreed syllabus for RE from Bradford LA.

Design Technology and Art

These subjects are usually taught through the topic or theme the class is studying. In Key Stage 2 Art, pupils are taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. In Design Technology, pupils are taught to design, make, evaluate and develop their technical knowledge.

Personal and Social Education and Learning Skills

At Ben Rhydding we are committed to developing childrens personal learning and thinking skills as well as their academic potential. We feel that these skills are vital to enable pupils to become responsible, enquiring and successful citizens who can make positive contributions to a rapidly changing world. Therefore, in Year 5, learning and personal skills (such as collaborating, creativity, independence, analysis and reflection) are present throughout the curriculum and not necessarily taught as a separate, discrete lesson. All children are keeping a reflective Learning Journal in which they record their successes and achievements on a weekly basis, as well as reflecting on how they could have acted differently and what they might try doing in the future. They also set themselves personal targets and review them on a regular basis.

Languages

The study of a foreign language is now compulsory for all Key Stage 2 pupils. At Ben Rhydding, the pupils study French and we are very lucky to have Mrs Catherine Cheater every Thursday to provide high quality French teaching to the pupils. The teaching involves both spoken and written elements of the language.

Music

All pupils will follow the new national curriculum for music which includes playing instruments, reading music, singing, and understanding and appreciating different styles of music. In addition, children can choose to join the school choir, led by Mrs Lorimer and Mrs Idle. If a child chooses to join the choir, they are expected to show commitment to it and perform in regular concerts throughout the year e.g the harvest service at the church, Christmas carol concert etc. There is also a separate, weekly pop choir on Tuesday lunchtime in which children can learn to sing a variety of songs for enjoyment. Some of the children are continuing with keyboard, violin or guitar lessons they began earlier in the school. If you would like your child to start these lessons, please ask for further information at the school office.

What you can do to help your child in Year 5

There are lots of ways in which you can help your child get the most out of their learning and have a successful year.

The most crucial thing is your interest in, and support for, what they are learning. Talk about the topics they are studying and help them to find out more for themselves through books, TV, internet or even visits and days out if you can.

Encourage and support them to be independent. This means not always doing everything for them! It should be up to them to remember the right equipment on the right days and bring their PE kit to school etc. Show that you expect them to remember and be organised and support them with lists or timetables at home that encourage independence in this area.

Encourage and expect your child to read widely. Reading for enjoyment is essential and you will find that most children will persevere with reading a difficult text if they are interested in the subject matter. Also, you should help ensure that they do not always read the same type of text think about poetry, plays, non-fiction, myths, legends, comics, newspapers etc.

Do ensure that they arrive at school on time ready to learn. It is disorientating for children to arrive after everyone else has settled down and they may miss important information first thing in the morning.

Support them in using the internet safely. We have regular reminders in school to ensure that children are safe on the internet and understand what internet safety means. Further information can be found at:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/article/internet-use-and-safety/ or

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

Help your child plan to complete home learning tasks on time and return them to school on the correct day. Many of the home learning tasks are open ended so you can help your child decide how much time to spend on the particular task and how to present their learning to a good standard. If your child can get into good habits with home learning now, it will make life easier in Year 6 and into Year 7.

Thank-you for taking the time to read this information. Please do share it with your child and, if there is anything further you would like to know, dont hesitate to ask. Your child is lucky to be part of a very hard working, friendly and fun class of children and is, therefore, very well placed to have a productive, successful and happy year in Year 5.

S.Foster, September 2014