Year 5 2025 - 2026

Welcome to the Year 5 class page! 

We are delighted to welcome you to Year 5. Your teachers this year are Miss Culver and Miss Lloyd, with Mr Wall supporting as our teaching assistant. We are really excited to see everyone back and can’t wait to enjoy a fun and successful year of learning together.

On this page, you’ll find:

• Information about our current topics
• News and updates on special events
• Homework expectations and guidance
• Useful links to support your child’s learning at home

Homework

Homework is an important way for children to consolidate and build on their learning in school.

• Reading: Every child has been given a reading book and home reading record. These must be brought into school every day. By Year 5, children are expected to read at home at least five times a week, recording this in their reading record. While children can fill in their own records, we encourage parents to listen to their child read as often as possible.

• Learning apps/ Other homework: From Thursday, all homework tasks will be set electronically. Pupils have already been given their login details to access our school learning apps at home. If your child does not have access to a device, please inform their teacher so that paper-based work can be provided instead. Pupils can use Lexia to develop their reading skills, while Mathletics and Times Table Rockstars support practice in maths and times tables. They also have a Spelling Shed login to practise spelling, alongside their weekly spelling list. In addition, children also receive knowledge organisers in school based on the foundation subjects. Knowledge organisers are documents that set out the key information, facts, vocabulary and concepts that children are expected to learn and remember for each topic. They help pupils understand what they need to know and support them in revisiting and consolidating their learning over time. Homework will be set based on these knowledge organisers, so we encourage children to use them at home to practise and revise the information they contain.

Below is a table of the suggested amount of homework children should be completing each week. We hope that doing homework little and often can become part of your routine at home. Please get in touch with your teacher if your child doesn’t know how to log in to any of your accounts.

PE

PE is every Wednesday. Children should come to school in appropriate PE kit (white t-shirt, shorts and trainers). This term we will be focusing on net and wall skills.

This half term we will be learning about: 

Our Learning This Half Term

Writing: In English, the children will be studying a book called Cosmic. Through this text, they will be developing their reading and writing skills, with a particular focus on using expanded noun phrases to add detail and description, accurately punctuating and writing speech, and using prepositional phrases to show position, direction and time. These skills will be practised through a range of reading, discussion and writing activities linked to the text.

Reading: In reading, the children will be studying a non-fiction text called Dragonology, where they will focus on developing key reading skills such as retrieval, inference and understanding vocabulary in context. Our class novel is Cosmic, which will also support their English learning as we explore character traits, make inferences and discuss how authors develop characters throughout a story. Please ensure that children continue to read at home regularly and that reading records are signed weekly.

Maths: We are continuing with multiplication and division we will then move onto fractions, graphs, and problem solving. Fluency in times tables is essential, so regular practice on Times Table Rock Stars is strongly encouraged, alongside Mathletics.

Helpful links for practising maths topics:

• Place Value
• Addition & Subtraction
• Multiplication & Division
• Geometry
• Position & Movement
• Measurement
• Area & Perimeter
• Fractions
• Decimals
• Statistics

Foundation Subjects

Science – Earth and Space
In science, the children will be learning about Earth and Space. They will explore the movement of the Earth, Moon and Sun, and learn how these affect day and night. Pupils will also investigate the planets in our solar system, understand their key features, and explore how gravity helps to hold objects in place. Learning will be supported through practical activities, discussions and investigations.

Music – African Drumming
Year 5 will continue their weekly drumming workshops with our specialist percussion teacher. They will learn about rhythm, tempo, and ensemble performance while exploring African musical traditions.

Religion & Worldviews – Judaism
We will be exploring Jewish beliefs and practices, with a particular focus on Passover and its importance within Judaism. Children will learn about the story of Passover, its key traditions and symbols, and how Jewish families celebrate this festival today. As part of this topic, pupils will explore how Passover helps Jewish people remember their history and express their faith.

PSHE – Being my best
Our PSHE unit, Being My Best, focuses on helping children understand how to look after their physical and mental wellbeing. Pupils will learn about healthy lifestyles, setting personal goals, recognising their strengths, and developing resilience. The unit also encourages children to make positive choices and understand how these contribute to their overall wellbeing.

Spanish – Shopping
In Spanish, children will be learning about shopping. They will develop vocabulary linked to shops and items they might buy, and practise asking and answering simple questions, such as buying items and asking for prices. Pupils will continue to build confidence in speaking and listening through role play and short conversations.

Computing – Game creator
In computing, children will be creating their own games. They will learn how to plan, design and program a simple game, considering characters, rules and scoring. Pupils will also develop their problem-solving skills by testing, debugging and improving their games as they work.

Geography – The Alps
Children will study the Alps, learning about where they are located in Europe and the countries they span. They will explore the climate and weather of the Alpine region, as well as the different plants and animals that live there. Pupils will also consider how the environment is affected by human activity, including tourism, and how these impacts can be managed and reduced.

Contact

If you have any questions or need support, please contact your child’s teacher via email:

• 5C@ashburymeadow.manchester.sch.uk
• 5L@ashburymeadow.manchester.sch.uk

We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Miss Culver & Miss Lloyd