The children have now completed their first term in Year 5 and are set on their journey through term 2. They have built independence in organising themselves and shown excellent understanding of their learning. Below I have provided an overview of some slight changes and areas which you may be able to assist your child with.

POWer Projects

I would like to thank you all for the effort in helping with your children’s POWer projects. It was great to see the variety of approaches to completing projects and the clear enjoyment that the children got from this. This term our Quest topic is ‘Wild Waters’.

English Homework

This term we will be continuing the ‘CGP Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling’ book for English homework. Please can I ask you to encourage your child to check their homework before submitting it, particularly for non-negotiable spellings and punctuation. The homework is related to our learning in class and where relevant children are given helpful sheets to bring home. I would also recommend the following books:

Maths Homework

As we have now learnt a good range of the Year 5 curriculum, we will now move on to Homework Book 4 (if your child has not already done so). There may be questions in this book which the children find tricky. If this is the case, please encourage your child to be resilient and ask for help prior to the hand in day.  Below are some useful books and websites.

Spelling / Word Up

Spelling will continue as in the previous term. The children have shown a great ability to learn their spellings and use the words in context.

Times Tables Rockstars

There has been some great progress in times tables which is really supporting the children during their maths lessons. Just as a reminder, Times Tables Rockstars is the method by which we ask children to practise times tables at home, although other methods can be used in addition to this, and this will be the way that times tables homework is judged within their report.

Reading

Thank you for your support with reading at home. The levels of nights read has generally been outstanding. As we have had some queries from parents, below is a reminder of expectations for nights read.

The children should read a minimum of 5 nights per week.

If they read 6 or 7 nights, they will be rewarded with team points.

If they read less than 5 nights, they may (depending on the circumstances) be asked to stay in at break times to read

Children will also be rewarded with certificates at the end of each long term.

Secondary School

No doubt, at present you are considering options for secondary schools, including going on school visits. Many of you will be considering grammar school as an option, and in some cases this may be the correct choice for your child. However, it is worth considering all options and ensuring that the choice you make is the right one for your child. If you would like to discuss options for your child, I am happy to advise on how your child is doing academically to give you an indication of whether this is a suitable route for them.

If you do decide to go down the grammar school path, it is also worth considering what would happen if your child was to fail the 11+. Nationally, the majority of children who sit the exam fail. As your child’s school, we are able to appeal this before parents can. However, this will be dependent on their school work being of a suitable standard. This includes, but isn’t limited to, valuing school homework above any tutor work, the presentation and quality of all their work, and their attitude towards their learning within class.