Staff
Falcons
Teachers - Miss Curtis (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays) and Mrs Brown (Fridays)
Teaching Assistants - Mrs Gainey and Miss Burchill
Kestrels
Teacher - Mr Mead
Teaching Assistants - Mrs Gainey and Miss Burchill
Please note: On a Thursday, both Mr Mead and Miss Curtis are out of class. Your children will have Forest School, PE, Art or RE on a fortnightly basis.
Hello everyone! We are so excited for the next academic and we all feel privileged to spend your final year in Primary School with you. We have lots of exciting opportunities coming up over the next year so keep your eyes peeled for any communications from the office and your class teacher. This year, our PE days will be on a Tuesday with your class teacher and on a Thursday with Bristol Sport so please ensure you are in your PE kits on these days. You can wear your Leavers hoodie on PE Days but the rest of the time you need to be in full school uniform with your tie. You will also have Forest School alternating Thursdays so please ensure you have waterproofs/spare clothes and wellies in school.
Summer Term 1- Pollution
This term we will be finishing our Pollution topic by looking at how we can make a change in our local area. Please note the week commencing 13.05.24 KS2 SATs will be taking place. Please see the parent SAT presentation that was emailed out for more details. Please, if you have any concerns about your child, come and speak to us and we will do all we can to support your child and yourself.
For the final part of our pollution topic, we will be conducting a survey and analysing results to come up with strategy to help improve pollution in Staple Hill. The final week of term is the whole school STEM Week- keep your eyes peeled for some ‘out of this world’ work. Within art, we will continue to look at Plastic Pollution by Rob Aspire and using collage to create pieces of art. Our maths focus at the start of this term will be properties of shapes and classifying angles. We will then be using the remaining weeks of term to revises and cover previous content in preparation for SATs. Within English, we will be completing lots of short burst writing on a range of books to showcase the skills we have acquired this year. We will be starting the term looking at Paradise Sands and re-writing part of the story, writing our own version and a recount based on the book. We will then look at The Golden Cage and be writing a survival guide and persuasive speech. We will then revisit Phillippe Petit and write instruction on crossing the tower. Within French, we will continue to explore vocabulary relating to ‘At The Café’. Our RE Key question will be looking at Green Religion and what religion says about looking after the planet. Within PSHE, in the run up to SATs, we are going to look at nerves and anxiety and making sure we can go into these feeling proud and confident. Within PE, we will be completing a new Commando Joes unit. Computing will focus on networking and looking at how computing systems function.
Spring Term 2- Bristol At War/Pollution
For the first half of this term we will be finishing off our ‘Bristol At War’ topic. For the final three weeks we will then start our ‘Pollution’ topic which built around the theme ‘Saving our Planet’. Our key text for the first half of the term will be ‘The Man Who Walked Between Towers’ which tells the real-life story of Phillippe Petit who tight-roped walked across the Twin Towers. We will then be looking at persuasive speeches by Greta Thunberg for the second half of the term.
For the final part of our WW2 topic, we will be looking at the impact of the war on England and Bristol and conducting a local study. We will then start our Pollution topic by looking at types of pollution and energy in our local area. Within art this term, we will be using oil pastels in the style of John piper to finish our Blitzed building. We will then be looking at Plastic Pollution by Rob Aspire and using collage to create pieces of art. Our maths focus at the start of this term will be percentages and then perimeter and area and we will be ending the term by looking at position and direction. Within English, we will be writing a balanced argument on whether or not Phillippe Pettit’s punishment was fair. We will then be writing our own persuasive speech to convince a choice of people to reduce plastic waste. Within French, we will be exploring vocabulary relating to ‘At The Café’. Our RE key question will continue to explore ways in which we can reduce racism. Within PSHE, we will look at emotions and how these can impact others around us. Within PE, we will be continue to study skills within Netball. Computing will focus on handling data and using spreadsheets on Google Sheets.
Spring Term 1- Bristol At War
Our topic this term is called ‘Bristol At War’ and it is built around the theme Acceptance and Kindness. Our writing key text for the first three weeks will be ‘Rose Blanche’ a story of a girl named Rose living in Nazi Germany. Our reading text and writing text at the end of term is ‘Letters from the Lighthouse’ by Emma Carrol. It tells the story of Olive and Cliff who are evacuated to Dev
on after a near-miss with an air raid that caused them to lose their sister, but when secret codes start appearing, is there more to the lighthouse than they first thought?
Our topic is a history topic based around World War 2 nationally and in Bristol and as part of our story-based teaching approach, we will be listening to series of World War 2 broadcasts. Within history, we will be exploring factors that led to WW2, key events and developing our skills as historian. Within DT this term, we will spend the first three weeks looking at rationing and designing and baking our own rationed biscuits that we think would be marketable in the 1940s. For the final three weeks of term we will be studying Make-Do and Mend and be creating our own product from something old. Our maths focus at the start of this term will be ratio and proportion before we move on to look at algebra and decimals at the end of the term. Within English, we will be writing an recount from different points throughout Rose’s journey in the book focusing on developing our sense of character. For the final 3 weeks, we will be writing a historical narrative focusing on a Blitz night focusing on describing atmosphere and mood. Within French, we will be exploring vocabulary relating to school life. Our RE key question will explore ways in which we can reduce racism. Within PSHE, we will be looking at our identity as a class and thinking about stereotypes we may have. . Within PE, we will be studying skills within Netball. Music will continue to follow Charanga looking at the song ‘A New Year Carol’. Computing will focus on web design and using Google Sites to design our own website.
Our topic is a science topic based around the work of Charles Darwin and as part of our story-based teaching approach, we will be following Darwin on his voyage. Within science, we will be exploring how evolution occurs and looking at the role inheritance plays within this. We will also explore classification and explore taxonomy and the work of Carl Linnaeus. Within art this term, we will spend the first two weeks looking at remembrance art and creating art for to celebrate and remember those lost in war. We will then look at the book 'Moth' by Isabel Thomas and refine our drawing skills. Our maths focus at the start of this term will be the four operations focusing on long division and order of operations before moving on to fractions. Within English, we will be writing an alternative ending to a fairy-tale focusing of building character and setting through description and maintaining consistency in tense. We will then be writing a non-chronological report on our very own dragon. Within French, we will be exploring vocabulary relating to fruits and vegetables. Our RE key question will continue to explore whether we should express our religion in art and architecture or in charity and generosity. Within PSHE, we will be looking at the JIGSAW puzzle piece 'Celebrating differences'. Within PE, we will be looking using Commando Joes. Music will continue to follow Charanga as well as prepare us for our Christmas concert and Computing will focus on creating 3D models on Tinkercad.
We will be starting the term with a week-long project focusing on our identity. We will be looking at who we are and who we want to be in order to build deep relationships with each other. All of our learning will be heavily PSHE/Art based and we will be using two books to teach this. The first book 'Caged' is a wordless picture book that we will be analysing and inferring the deeper meaning. We will also be reading 'She Heard the Birds' to explore our personal values and where they can take us in life.
For the rest of term, after camp, our topic will be 'Light Up Staple Hill' and is a science and DT unit of work. Within science we will be learning how we see; the parts of the eye and the role reflection plays in this. We will also be looking at how light can change and be manipulated resulting in the visible colour spectrum and refraction. We will also be taking a look at the work of Isaac Newton and his discoveries. Within DT, we will be looking at light engineers at Longleat's Festival of Light with hopes with might be able to hold our own festival of light. We will be designing and constructing our own willow lanterns based on market research we have done prior. Our maths focus at the start of this term will be place value before moving on to look at the four operations. Within English, we will look at revisiting and consolidating a range of previous skills in a range of short burst writing. We will be using two texts for this. The first text is called 'Pansy Boy' which tells the journey of learning to love yourself for who are and ties in nicely with our identity work at the start of the term. The second book is called 'Can You See Me' which has such a powerful message about realising who you are and how empowering the can be. Within French, we will be exploring vocabulary relating to our life at school and revisiting key French phonetics. Our RE key question will explore whether we should express our religion in art and architecture or in charity and generosity. Within art, we will look at refining our sketching skills within Pansy Boy. Within PSHE, we will be looking at the JIGSAW puzzle piece 'Being Me' and will look at our goals, rights and democracy. Within PE, we will be looking at fitness and stamina. Music will continue to follow Charanga and Computing will focus on Computing systems and networks.
Please note: From the week commencing 11th-16th September we will be having a block of swimming lessons in the afternoon. Please sneure your child has their swimming kit everyday and that their consent form has been returned.
Mill-on the Brue:
Our school residential will tak palce 18th-22nd Septemeber- please make sure you have returned your child's medical form ASAP if not already returned.
Outdoor Activity Centre | Outdoor Education Centre | Mill on the Brue
Homework expectations:
Reading is such an important life skill - we expect your child to be reading at least 5 times a week. Please sign and date on the yellow card inside their lovely new reading records. If you are struggling to find a 'good book', please ask us. We would love to recommend one to you. There is also a reading map on our classroom windows that gives you some suggestions.
Times tables is a crucial skill that will help your child gain confidence and mastery in maths- please regularly practise these at home. See some links below of ideas on how to do this.
https://www.timestables.co.uk/
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/maths/primary-multiplication-division/help-with-times-tables/
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
There is no expecation to practise spellings at home and there will be no weekly spelling tests in school. If you wanted to practise spellings, please see the Year 5/6 statutory words. If you have any concerns about spelling feel free to come and chat to us!
Visits:
Useful websites:
Light - Year 5-6 / P6-7 Science Collection - Home Learning with BBC Bitesize - BBC Bitesize
Place Value, Maths Games for 7-11 Years - Topmarks