Welcome to Kestrel Class!
This is the home of our Year 5 children.
Our class teacher is Miss Sethi and support staff are Miss Wright and Mrs Staples.
In Kestrel Class, we strive to build unique, independent, self-motivated and increasingly mature learners, who spend the school day happy! Our classroom is built upon respect, ambition, collaboration and resilience but most of all nurturing a deep love of learning.
Home learning
In Kestrel Class, we believe homework is essential in developing the important skills of independent learning whilst reinforcing and extending classroom learning. It helps children to develop a clear sense of responsibility and a work ethic that will benefit them beyond the classroom.
Homework is given out every week on a Friday and is due in every Thursday. A spelling grid will be given for the entirety of the half-term will be given at the start of each half-term to allow children the flexibility to complete more than one a week, if they should choose to do so. There will be a spelling test at the end of each half term. Maths homework will be given on a weekly basis and should be handed in by the following Thursday.
Children should complete a maths activity, spelling practice and independent reading (at least 3x) every week.
Love for reading
In Kestrel class we continue to place a strong emphasis on embedding a love for reading. It is important that your child reads regularly, both independently and with you, as this makes a real difference to their progress and enjoyment. It is never too late to discover the right book and develop a passion for reading, so please spend time exploring different texts with your child to find what inspires them. Your child’s reading will be monitored daily, with the number of reads recorded, and there are rewards available for those who reach key milestones.
PE
Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon
PE lessons will take place every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Please ensure that all items of clothing, especially sweatshirts, are clearly labelled. Long hair should be tied back. Earrings should be removed, for health and safety. If your child is unable to take part in PE, please contact the school office. Children should come to school in PE kit, on PE days. For this term children need to have available an outdoor PE kit including trainers.
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." – Dr. Seuss
Autumn 1 Curriculum Overview
This half term, Kestrel Class will be exploring inspiring texts including The Arrival and The Promise. Children will develop their reading fluency and comprehension skills while creating a range of written outcomes, including poetry, character descriptions and newspaper reports. Alongside this, they will build their spelling, grammar and punctuation knowledge to become more confident and effective writers.
In maths the children will focus on place value, addition and subtraction, before moving on to multiplication and division. They will develop confidence when working with larger numbers, solving problems and explaining their mathematical reasoning. Daily fluency and times table practice will continue to support rapid recall and accuracy.
In Geography, children will journey across the Western United States, exploring its varied landscapes and climates. In Science, they will learn about the human life cycle and how people change as they grow older. French lessons will focus on pets and simple conversations, while RE will explore how Hindu beliefs can guide people in living a good life. Art will involve creating collages using a range of materials, and Computing will see children planning, recording and editing their own podcasts. In PSHE, pupils will learn about rights, responsibilities and being active members of their community, while PE lessons will develop teamwork and skills through tag rugby and basketball.
Autumn Term 1
Autumn 2 Curriculum Overview
This half term, Year 5 will continue to develop key skills in English and Mathematics through a range of engaging and challenging learning opportunities. In English, children will be inspired by The Dam by David Almond and Levi Pinfold and The Bear and the Hare, using these texts to create descriptive writing and balanced arguments. They will focus on using ambitious vocabulary, figurative language, cohesive devices and formal sentence structures while continuing to develop their grammar, punctuation and spelling knowledge. In Mathematics, pupils will deepen their understanding of multiplication and division by exploring factors, multiples, prime and composite numbers, square and cube numbers, and calculations involving powers of ten. They will also build confidence with fractions, including equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions, mixed numbers, improper fractions and the addition, subtraction and multiplication of fractions, while applying their learning through reasoning and problem-solving activities.
Across the foundation curriculum, children will explore the topic of Rivers in Geography, learning about river features, processes and the importance of rivers to both people and the environment. In Science, pupils will investigate Forces, carrying out practical enquiries to understand concepts such as gravity, friction and air resistance. In RE, children will deepen their understanding of Christianity by exploring key beliefs and teachings, while in PSHE they will focus on Celebrating Differences, developing respect, empathy and an appreciation of diversity. In Design and Technology, linked to their rivers topic, pupils will research, design and build their own bridges, evaluating their effectiveness and stability. Music lessons will focus on Rhythm Builders: Exploring Rhythmic Layers, helping children develop their understanding of rhythm, pulse and performance. In PE, pupils will develop teamwork, tactical awareness and physical skills through Handball and Parkour, while continuing to build confidence, resilience and collaboration across all areas of learning.
