Class HA
Mrs. Ashton has been at Writtle for quite a few years now. She has taught in every year group and this year she continues teaching Year 4.
Mrs Ashton looks after Geography and History. at Writtle. She is also Curriculum Lead which means she puts all the topics together to form our curriculum, which she loves to do. She enjoys hearing about the things that you like about our curriculum and things that you would change.
In her spare time Mrs Ashton loves to travel and visit places. Her favourite place in the world is Canada. This year she went to Norway and experienced life on the Norwegian Fjords. Tis involved boats and waffles. Monty is her dog and she loves taking him for walks especiallywalk on the beach. She likes to hunt for sea glass which she uses in her jewellery making.
Mrs Ashton also loves taking photographs and she can be seen snapping everything from plants to people to landscapes.
One of her favourite hobbies is to visit London on a Sunday when it is quiet and have a wander round the streets of London, spotting all the landmarks. She also loves a good musical. She doesn't need any excuse to sing along!
Monty her Schnoodle, is now 3 and a half. He is a good paddle boarder and loves swimming. He loves walking with Mrs Ashton and the two of them can be found reading a good book ( honestly, he loves reading) and eating afternoon tea together on their walks!
Our Class
Mrs Ashton - Class Teacher
Mrs Holloway will be with us as our class LSA. She likes a good detective novel and loves to go for big walks with her dog - Reggie. You might see her around the village!
Things to remember
PE - will be swimming in the first half term on Fridays.
Our other PE slot is on a Tuesday morning.
Homework - will usually be given on a Thursday and will be due in on the following Tuesday.
Spellings will be tested on a Monday.
Autumn First Half
Mission to Mars
This term, we will be exploring the history - and future - of space travel. We'll ask questions about why countries and individuals long to explore the 'final frontier' and we'll think about what it takes to become an astronaut as we complete activities and gain stamps in our Space Passports.
Our class English text is the brilliantly funny 'Cosmic' by Frank Cottrell Boyce. We'll use drama, sketching and journal-keeping to improve our critical thinking and comprehension skills, as we follow Liam and Florida's ridiculous journey to the other side of the world... and then the universe!
In Science, we will learn about the movement of planets and other bodies around the Solar System and investigate constellations and what makes night and day. We'll be asking you to tell us what you want to know about space, and we'll investigate together.
In PE, the theme is 'Outdoor Adventures' and in RE, we'll explore Humanism and the Big Bang Theory. In French, we'll practise our conversational skills; we'll learn coding skills in Computing, and in Art, we'll explore the techniques of Vincent Van Gogh in his 'Starry Night' painting and create our own masterpieces.
We have a busy term ahead, full of fun activities, so buckle up ready for blast off!
Autumn Second Half
Lights! Camera! Action!
During this topic we will be using different techniques to create our very own animations, exploring the effects of camera angles, music, sound, special effects and lighting.
We'll explore the history of film, illustration and animation, and have a go at creating our own 'moving pictures' using a variety of techniques.
In English, we'll compare film and graphic novel exerts from the novel 'Hugo' to explore storytelling and descriptive language. Through Selznick's novel, we will travel to 1930's Paris and discover the mystery surrounding Georges Méliès.
Spring First Half
Ancient Egyptians
This half term we are travelling back in time discover the world of Ancient Egypt. Here we will learn about the importance of the River Nile and investigate the mysteries of Tutankhamun's tomb. We will learn all about the Pharaohs and write our own messages using Hieroglyphics.
We will also learn about Egyptologists, such as Howard Carter, and write some diary entries in role.
Get ready to test your flexibility and skill in PE during our gym lessons; learn about Buddism in RE; brush up on your French speaking skills; become an coding expert in Computing and become a scientist investigating solubility, separating mixtures and reversible and irreversible changes.
Spring Second Half
Dear David
This half term, Year 5 will be studying our world and the living things that inhabit it along with the causes and effects of climate change through our topic, 'Dear David'.
We will be understanding different biomes, ecosystems and how different species have adapted to live in different environments. We are also investigating the impact of climate change on communities, wildlife, landscapes and habitats across the globe, and create our own solutions to solve problems.
We will also be creating a Rousseau-inspired collaborative rainforest collage, biome shoeboxes and learning how to draw animals. In English, we will explore non-chronological reports in depth, and to understand the features of documentaries and advertisements.
In Maths, we'll be using our times tables to reason and problem solve with fractions and decimals. In French we will be learning about how to speak about different animals. In RE we will be learning about Christianity and the importance of Easter.
Summer First Half
Raiders
This half term, we are learning all about the Vikings. We will be using our enquiry skills to find out, who the Vikings were? What was life like for the Anglo Saxons before the Vikings invaded? How did they live and how did their legacy affect Britain?
In Maths, we will be learning about decimals and percentages, and linking this topic to our knowledge of fractions.
During our Science lessons, we will be learning about how humans change and develop, including the changes in puberty. In RE, we will be learning about Christianity in the community. PE will involve lots of fun outside in the sun (hopefully), whilst we develop our athletics skills and get ready for Sports Day. During our French lessons, we will applying our language skills to speak about food and drink. In PSHE, we will be discussing puberty and the changes that happen as we grow older, but also how to keep ourselves healthy as we go through these changes. Finally, we will be getting very creative during our art lessons, inspired by the Anglo-Saxons and myths from Viking times to create dragon eye sculptures.
We will also be visiting Layer Marney Tower where we will have a whole Viking experience day.
Summer Second Half
Top Gear
This half term we will research, design and make motorised vehicles, then organise our very own event to explore the future of transportation.
As well as this, we will be learning about the history of vehicles, sketching our designs from different perspectives and researching how to market our cars. Throughout the process, we will be creating e-books to document our cars’ journeys from design to creation.
In Maths, we will be continuing with our geometry topic, looking at the properties of shape and position and direction. Finally, we will be re-visiting measurement and learning to understand how to convert between different units of measure and volume.
In Science, we will be learning about forces. We will be learning about gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction, and investigating the perfect parachute. We will be using our computing skills to help us to advertise our cars, as well as creating e-books. In Geography, we will be learning all about trade and how countries import and export different commodities and utilise their trade links. PE will involve lots of fun outside activities, practising our tennis and cricket skills.