Class SW
Hello! Mrs Wade here. I was a WJS pupil myself (only a few years ago, of course) and now I live here (in the village, not at school) with my family, and a muppet-like dog called Dougie. Give us a wave if you see us out on a walk around Writtle!
I've worked in lots of different jobs - in politics, on music festivals and in advertising and fundraising - but teaching is by far the job I've loved the most. My favourite thing about being a teacher is being part of a close team with my class.
I'm always looking for new and exciting ways for us to explore and investigate our topics together. I love books, languages, drama, singing, poetry and art and I'm passionate about our responsibility as human beings to make the world a better and kinder place for everyone.
Our Class
Year 5 will have the following adults working with them across the week: Mrs Smith, Mrs Lalyette, Mrs Jordan and Mrs Clark.
Things to remember
PE is on Tuesday and Friday (swimming in the autumn term) so please make sure you come to school wearing your P.E. kit. Long hair will need to be tied back and any jewellery removed, particularly earrings.
Homework will be set on Thursday and will be due on Monday.
Spellings should be learned ready for testing on Monday.
Please make sure you have your Homework Diary in your bag at all times. We will use it to communicate with home and to keep your times tables record, passwords and homework instructions safe.
Autumn First Half
Space Camp
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 learn to sketch 3D shapes using shading and explore and copy the techniques of Vincent Van Gogh in his 'Starry Night' painting.
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 Stop Motion 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 old and new techniques.
In English, we'll use short films and picture books to explore storytelling and descriptive language, and we'll run our Morpurgo fortnight bookclub, to help us to analyse the makings of a good story.
Science this half term will revolve around properties and changes of materials, so be prepared for lots of messy practical experiments!
Get ready to get your groove on in PE during our dance and gym lessons; learn about Humanism in RE, and become a coding expert.
Spring First Half
Dear World
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 World'.
We will be understanding different biomes, ecosystems and how different species have adapted to live in different environments. Through weekly workshops with the Wildreness Trust, we are also investigating the impact of climate change on communities, wildlife, landscapes and habitats across the globe, and creating our own solutions to solve problems.
We will also be creating a Rousseau-inspired collaborative 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.
Spring Second 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.
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 activities, practising our tennis and cricket skills. During our French lessons, we will applying our language skills to speak about food and drink. In computing, we will be programming with Sphero and understanding computer networks. 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 where we will have a whole Viking experience day.
Summer Second Half
Top Gear
This half term we will research, design and make motorised cars, then organise our very own event to explore the future of transportation.
As well as this, we will be learning about the history of cars, 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 in the sun (hopefully), whilst we develop our athletics skills and get ready for Sports Day.