Year 5

Learning Link: The Final Frontier

The Spring term is another exciting term where we will build on the firm foundations from Autumn in all the subjects.  We will be exploring space and sci-fi themes in English and Science, taking a wild ride with water in Geography and developing our use of multiplication, division and fractions in Maths.  The term will culminate in a performance by the whole year group of The Passion.

St Kea:

Mr Kitcatt – mrkitcatt@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk

St. Philippa:

Miss Pedlingham – misspedlingham@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk

Curriculum Newsletters for Autumn, Spring and Summer can be accessed here as they become available

The Curriculum Evening Presentation can be accessed here

Year Group reminders

Week Commencing: Monday 26th January 2026

Week B

Monday: New spellings and test.  PE for both classes.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:  PE for both classes

Friday: Marking CGP Workout 4 and set Workout 5. ‘Break the rules day’ to raise money for our Busenya partnership school. School council mentors and teachers have shared the six ‘special rules’ which can be broken on this day only. There will be more details in this week’s newsletter and donations of £1 will be made available to pay on Scopay. Children can break any of the ‘special rules or a combination of all of them if they would like to.

Cold weather: Please can you send children into school with gloves and hats to wear during break, lunch and PE Lessons please. Base layers for sports are appropriate on PE days and ideally would be Navy blue in colour. School tracksuit trousers are to be worn in the winter to replace PE shorts.

Looking further ahead:

• Monday 9^th February - Safer Internet Day Parent Session (Breck Foundation)
• Tuesday 10^th February - Face to face parent consultation meeting
• Tuesday 10^th February - Safer Internet Day
• Thursday 12^th February - Stargazing Evening
• Friday 13^th February - Safer Internet Day workshop (Breck Foundation)
• Monday 16^th – Friday 20^th February - Half Term

Reminders:

We will be spot checking children’s uniforms, please make sure they are named as well as water bottles and snack boxes.

Homework

Monday: New spellings to learn +  5 sentences using 5 of the words.  Due 02.01.26

Monday: Four reading questions from your homework diary

Friday: CGP - Spring Workout 5. Due 06.02.26

Reading for Pleasure

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

RE

Galilee to Jerusalem

To revisit the Ten Commandments and link them to the New Law and how God invites His followers to help build the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

English

Writing

To use persuasive writing to advertise a theme park ride - continued

To accurately describe a theme park ride in detail using persuasive language. Include vivid imagery and sensory details to captivate an audience.

Master Readers: Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic

Monday:  Whole class reading of text

Tuesday: Book Club

Wednesday: Modelled comprehension

Thursday: Independent comprehension and review

Friday:  Edit and review and read

Focus vocabulary this week: hernia, pleasantly, imitation, looted, plaid, negotiate

SPAG

Spelling:

To spell words with silent letters

Grammar

To include persuasive vocabulary:

Maths

MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION

To divide a 4-digit number by a 1-digit number with and without remainders.

Science

FORCES

To explore how water-resistence affects moving surfaces.

Art

SCI-FI ART

To explore the work of Peter Thorpe and how he used Space to inspire his rocket pictures.

Computing

CRUMBLE

To connect and program a microcontroller in a simple circuit.

SYSTEMS AND SEARCHING

To explain that computers can be connected together to form systems.

Geography

WATER MANAGEMENT

To understand the causes and dangers of flooding, and how these are managed and prevented.

French

We are learning to say I am thirsty and ask for a drink (definite/indefinite articles).

Music

This week we will explore music of the Baroque and Classical periods, and learn some of the major composers of the era.

PE

Gymnastics

Create and perform sequences using apparatus, individually and with a partner. Suggest ways sequences could be improved. Use canon and synchronisation, matching and mirroring when performing.

Tag Rugby

This unit allows children to apply invasion game skills to a new sport. They will learn to throw a rugby ball in a backwards pass movement, track and evade opponents and dodge to create space and scoring opportunities.

Badminton

Holding the racket and adjusting to the length vs tennis rackets when serving and returning.

In badminton they outwit an opponent by placing an object away from an opponent to make it difficult for them to return.

Learning for Life

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS - part 2

Self-talk session

How can what we think affect our feelings?

To explore how you can talk positively about yourself.