Welcome to Year 5!

Welcome to Year 5! We are delighted to welcome all of our children and families to the new school year. Year 5 is an exciting and important year as the children become increasingly independent, take on greater responsibility for their learning and prepare for the challenges of Year 6.

We are looking forward to a year filled with exciting learning opportunities, new experiences and plenty of opportunities for the children to develop their confidence, resilience and independence. We encourage children to take pride in their work, challenge themselves and always try their best.

🍂 Autumn Term Learning

We have lots of exciting topics planned for the children this term!

🔬 Science – Space

In Science, we will be exploring Space. The children will learn about the Earth, Sun and Moon, investigate the movement of the planets and develop their understanding of the Solar System.

🏔️ Geography – The Alps

In Geography, our topic is What is life like in the Alps? Children will explore the location and physical features of the Alps, investigate the climate and landscape, and learn about what it is like to live and work in this mountainous region.

🇪🇸 Spanish – Greetings and Introductions

In Spanish, we will begin the year by learning greetings and basic introductory vocabulary. Children will practise introducing themselves, asking and answering simple questions and developing their confidence in speaking Spanish.

⚔️ History – The Vikings

In History, we will be learning about the Vikings. Children will investigate who the Vikings were, where they came from, why they travelled and settled in Britain, and the impact they had on British history.

🕘 School Times and Entrance

• School opens: 8:35am
• Registration: 8:45am
• Children should enter school through the doors between the Year 2 classrooms at the front of the building. This is the same entrance the children used in Year 4.
• Collection: 3:15pm
• At the end of the day, children will be collected from their classrooms, which are located between the Key Stage 2 middle playground and the Reception base.

Please ensure that children arrive promptly each morning so that they are settled and ready to learn by the start of the school day.

📚 Homework and Home Learning

Homework will be set every Thursday and should be returned by the following Wednesday. Homework will usually be English or Maths based and will reinforce and practise learning that the children have completed in school.

Children will also have a reading book and reading record. We expect children to read at home at least four times each week. Regular reading is incredibly important for developing fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and a love of reading. Please encourage your child to talk about what they have read and share their thoughts and opinions about their book.

A copy of the children's weekly spellings will be sent home so that they can practise them regularly. We particularly encourage children to practise their spellings three times a week using a range of strategies, such as:

• Look, Cover, Write, Check
• Writing the words in sentences
• Using Spelling Shed
• Having a spelling test at home
• Finding patterns or rules within the words

We also encourage children to regularly access Spelling Shed and Times Table Rockstars to strengthen their spelling and times-table knowledge. Developing these basic skills through short, regular practice will help children to become more confident and fluent in their learning.

🏃 PE Days

PE takes place every Monday and Tuesday.

Children should come to school with their PE kit on these days. Our PE kit consists of:

• Blue or black shorts or trousers
• A plain white, blue or yellow T-shirt

Please ensure that PE clothing is clearly named.

🍎 Break-Time Snacks

Break-time snacks are not provided by school, so children should bring a healthy snack each day.

Suitable snacks include:

• Fresh or dried fruit
• Vegetables
• A healthy cereal bar

Please avoid chocolate, sweets and other highly sugary snacks.

🥜 We Are a Nut-Free School

Southfields Primary School is a nut-free school. This is an important safety measure to help protect children and adults who may have severe allergies.

Please do not send nuts or products containing nuts into school, including in packed lunches, snacks or food brought in for special occasions.

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone in our school community.

🎒 Personal Belongings

Please help us to ensure that children bring only the items they need for school each day.

• Please label all clothing and personal belongings clearly with your child's name. This includes school uniform, coats and PE kits.
• Children should bring a fresh water bottle every day, clearly labelled with their name.
• Please ensure children bring a coat suitable for the weather. The British weather can be unpredictable, so children should be prepared for rain, cold weather and warmer days throughout the year.
• Toys and personal entertainment items should not be brought into school. This includes fidget toys, footballs, Pokémon cards, Squishies and similar items. If these items are brought into school, they will be kept safely by the teacher until the end of the school day and returned to the child at home time.
• Mobile phones should not be brought into school.

We appreciate your support in helping us to keep the classroom focused, organised and ready for learning. Having the correct equipment and leaving toys and personal items at home helps children to settle quickly and make the most of their learning time.

🌟 Looking Ahead

Year 5 is a wonderful year of learning and growing. We want our children to become confident, independent learners who are curious about the world around them and proud of their achievements.

We are very much looking forward to working with you and your children this year. Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can make Year 5 a happy, successful and memorable year for everyone!