Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to a new academic year! I hope that you and your families have had a restful break over the holidays.

It is an absolute joy and privilege to be teaching your children for another year in Year 5. Naturally, there can be mixed feelings and a sense of trepidation when beginning a new academic year; however, the children made a really positive start this week and have been full of enthusiasm about the year ahead!

PE will be held on Monday with Mr Bain/Mrs Hunter and on Fridays with Mr Bain. The children will also have an outdoor learning session on Friday so please provide your child with appropriate clothing for the day, such as waterproofs and wellies. Many leave a pair of wellies and outdoor shoes in school to allow them to go on the field even as the weather becomes more unsettled. Children can continue to come into school wearing their PE kit on these days.

Last year was a year full of wonderful learning, trips and experiences which were fanstastic and the plan is to ensure that Year 5 is an enjoyable and exciting year as we watch the children continue to mature and grow. During Year 5, it is important for us to support and encourage a growing sense of independence and self-discipline which will help them feel successful, prepared and confident as they move into year 6 and beyond.

I will post details, updates and friendly requests throughout the year using Class Dojo; however, if there are any specific questions that you may have at any point, or you have any concerns or important information, please don’t hesitate in sending me a message on Class Dojo or emailing me at shunter@stoke-climsland.cornwall.sch.uk

Our project this term is ‘What was life like in Tudor Britain?’ We will be using historical enquiry skills to develop our knowledge of the following:

• A primary source is an original document from the period being studied that has not been changed in any way. It was created by someone with direct knowledge of the event studied.
• A secondary source is a document or a record that was not written at the time of the event. A secondary source relies on a primary source for information.
• Evidence can be used to interpret history
• Periods of history that came before the Tudors: the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and the Normans.
• Henry VII and Elizabeth of York were Henry VIII’s parents.
• Henry VII was King of England from 1509-1547.
• He married 6 times to get a male heir.
• He used portraits of himself to portray himself as a powerful king.
• He founded the Church of England in order to get a divorce.
• Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII and the mother of Elizabeth I.

For additional subject-specific detail about this half-term’s curriculum, please see the separate project map, which will follow shortly.

Buckland Abbey Trip

As part of our history project, I am in the process of planning a trip to Buckland Abbey to explore life their during Tudor times and how it changed. Provisional date is 9th October – please keep a look out for more information.

Porthpean Residential

Year 5 have the opportunity to visit Porthpean for a one night residential trip which is likely to be at the end of April 2025. Please see letter which will come out as paper version next week and I will post on Dojo soon with more details and please return the slip attached.

Supporting your child at home

Reading is possibly the single-most important activity your child can do to improve achievement in school, across a range of curriculum subjects. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between regular reading for pleasure and mental wellbeing. Please encourage your child to read for a minimum of 10-15minutes (ideally half an hour) at least 3 times a week. It is ideal if you are able to listen to your child read and/or discuss what they are reading.

Time Tables - The importance of knowing these and being able to recall them rapidly cannot be overstated. Secure knowledge of the times tables facts (and the related division facts) up to 12 x 12 underpins the majority of the Year 5 and 6 Maths curriculum, and working on these can really boost progress and fluency. If your child if not yet confident with their times tables, please support them in learning and practicing them. Each child has a personal login for Times Tables Rockstars and I would highly recommend regular practice using this website. Please follow the following link to log in. https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school/student

It is also excellent if you can help your child to make use of ‘real world’ Maths. Encourage them to use their mental maths to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers in everyday life; discuss weights and measures when cooking and help them to develop the skills to tell the time both using an analogue clock and a digital 24 hour clock We are looking forward a year full of exploration, learning and fun.

All the best,

Mrs Hunter and the Year 5 Team