St. Catherine's Class 2025 - 2026
Welcome to St. Catherine Class
Year 5 and Year 6
Class Teacher: Mrs Fairman
Our Summer Term Learning:
The Vine and the Branches
Branch 5: To the Ends of the Earth
English - Reading
Daily reading is a key priority in primary school and we actively encourage children to read as much as possible at home to help further develop their fluency and comprehension skills. Every child will be able to bring home a banded reading book from school. These will be assigned to children by their class teacher following a short reading assessment. These can be changed regularly in school. Every child is also encouraged to have a 'Reading for Pleasure' book.
Within our Whole Class Reading lessons, we will be exploring a variety of texts within a variety of genres. This will give children plenty of opportunities to practise their reading comprehension skills and learn about new things.
Our current class novel is 'A Kind of Spark' by Elle McNicoll.
English - Writing
There will also be further opportunities for extended writing which develop skills across a range of genres.
Maths
In Maths, we follow Power Maths. This allows children to develop their fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills.
During this half term, our topics are:
Decimals and Percentages
Throughout the week, children are given many opportunities to practise their arithmetic skills.
Link to support with arithmetic skills: https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/486/Y6-Arithmetic-Practice
Science
Our Science topic for this half term is Light. Throughout this unit, children will practise using a variety of scientific skills to help them learn:
Light travels in a straight line.
Light travels from light sources to an object and then to our eyes, allowing us to see.
A transparent object lets all light through.
A translucent object lets some light through.
Prisms allow us to see the colours that make white light.
Light reflects off opaque and translucent objects.
Shadows cast the same shape as their object.
Opaque objects block more light than translucent objects.
The Human Eye is made up of the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina and optic nerve.
History
This half term, we will be exploring:
How did industry change Britain?
Within this unit, the children will learn more about the Industrial Revolution and the changes that occurred within Britain at this time. They will examine a range of historical sources, including images, artefacts, written accounts and data, to build a deeper understanding of key developments such as industrialisation, urbanisation and working conditions. Through careful questioning and discussion, they will learn how to identify bias, compare viewpoints and evaluate the reliability of different sources.
As their knowledge grows, pupils will use the information they gather to analyse key themes and draw their own conclusions, developing important enquiry skills. They will be encouraged to pose their own questions, plan simple investigations and present their findings in a variety of ways. Throughout the unit, children will also make links between past and present, considering how the Industrial Revolution has shaped modern Britain and reflecting on the lasting impact of technological and social change.
Geography
This term, we will be exploring:
How could we make our local area more environmentally friendly?
Within this unit, the children will investigate how we could make our local area more environmentally friendly. The class will begin by exploring the impacts humans have had on the environment (both positive and negative). The class will then research and investigate the most environmentally friendly countries within the world, make comparisons between different countries and look at how they are ranked before learning about landfills and the importance of recycling.
Art
Within this unit, the children will develop their skills in using a managing different art medium effectively. They will learn different techniques that can be used when working with watercolour paints and explore how to layer different colours and textures and experiment with how to create different moods within their abstract art piece.
Music
Music sessions will be delivered by Amasing music tutors.
PE
Our P.E. day for this half term is Thursday. Children should come to school in their kit.
All kit must be clearly labelled, and appropriate footwear must be worn. Jewellery, including earrings, must not be worn during P.E. days. School hoodies and jogging bottoms can be purchased online with school uniform.
Personal Development
At St Luke's, RHE is taught using a scheme created by 'Ten:Ten'. Our first topic is Created to Live in Community. This explores the individual’s relationship with the wider world. Here we explore how human beings are relational by nature and are called to love others in the wider community through service, through dialogue and through working for the Common Good.
Communication
Messages will mainly be sent using School Spider; please turn on notifications for the app so that you are alerted to new messages/emails. I am always happy to discuss any worries, concerns or general queries you may have. Please feel free to send an email or make an appointment through the school office.
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Our Learning for Autumn Term:
The Vine and the Branches
Branch 1: Creation and Covenant
This term, the children will learn about the life of Moses, focusing on his encounter with God in the burning bush and the giving of the Ten Commandments. They will reflect on how these commandments, given to the freed Israelites, were a source of guidance and freedom, and how Jesus later summed them up in the call to love God, others, and ourselves. We will also explore virtues—faith, hope, love, prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—and how these help people of all faiths and none to live well, make good choices, and build strong relationships.
English - Reading
Daily reading is a key priority in primary school and we actively encourage children to read as much as possible at home to help further develop their fluency and comprehension skills. Every child will be able to bring home a banded reading book from school. These will be assigned to children by their class teacher following a short reading assessment. These can be changed regularly in school. Every child is also encouraged to have a 'Reading for Pleasure' book.
Within our Whole Class Reading lessons, we will be exploring a variety of texts within a variety of genres. This will give children plenty of opportunities to practise their reading comprehension skills and learn about new things.
Our current class novel is 'Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
English - Writing
Our focus text for this half term is: Star of Fear, Star of Hope.
Throughout the unit, children will work towards mastery the Mastery Keys outlined below.
Mastery Keys (Year 5)
Use fronted adverbials (Y4)
Use expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely
Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials
Commas after fronted adverbials (Y4)
Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to punctuate direct speech (Y4)
Mastery Keys (Year 6)
Use expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely (recap from Y5)
Use passive verbs
Link ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices
Integrate dialogue to convey character and advance the action
Maths
In Maths, we follow Power Maths. This allows children to develop their fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills.
During this half term, our topics are:
Place Value
Four Operations
Throughout the week, children are given many opportunities to practise their arithmetic skills.
Science
Our Science topic for this half term is Evolution and Inheritance. Throughout this unit, children will practise using a variety of scientific skills to help them learn:
Fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
Fossils provide information about where and when living things inhabited the Earth.
Charles Darwin helped us understand more about natural selection.
Living things can change over time to adapt to their environment.
Evidence has shown that natural selection is how human evolution has occurred.
Inherited traits are passed genetically by a parent.
Offspring inherits traits from parents and grandparents.
History
This half term, we will be exploring:
Ancient Maya - What were the achievements of the Ancient Maya civilisation?
Within this unit, the children will discover the achievements of the ancient Maya civilisation. They will explore where this is on the timeline, linking with prior learning before using primary and secondary resources to research more and further their knowledge to support them in drawing conclusions.
Geography
This term, we will be exploring:
'Where does our energy come from?'
This term, pupils will learn about different types of energy, how it is produced, and how countries use and trade it. They will explore renewable sources, such as wind, solar, hydropower, and tidal, which come from natural resources and don’t run out, as well as non-renewable sources like oil, gas, coal, and nuclear, which are limited. Pupils will also consider the importance of sustainability—using resources responsibly—and look at how different countries, including the UK and the United States, rely on and trade energy, with a focus on the shift towards renewable energy.
Art
This half term, we will explore the skill of 'Drawing'. Using Edvard Munch's 's work as inspriation, the children will develop their drawing skills focusing on using light and shade as well as looking at one and two point perspectives.
Music
Music sessions will be delivered by Amasing music tutors.
PE
Our P.E. day for this half term is Thursday. Children should come to school in their kit.
All kit must be clearly labelled, and appropriate footwear must be worn. Jewellery, including earrings, must not be worn during P.E. days. School hoodies and jogging bottoms can be purchased online with school uniform.
Our swimming sessions are Tuesday afternoons.
Personal Development
At St Luke's, RHE is taught using a scheme created by 'Ten:Ten'. Our first topic is Created and Loved by God. This unit explores the individual. Rooted in the teaching that we are made in the image and likeness of God, it helps children to develop an understanding of the importance of valuing themselves as the basis for personal relationships.
Communication
Messages will mainly be sent using School Spider; please turn on notifications for the app so that you are alerted to new messages/emails. I am always happy to discuss any worries, concerns or general queries you may have. Please feel free to send an email or make an appointment through the school office.