Year 5
Autumn 1 2025
Welcome to Year Five!
What an exciting time we’ve had getting to know each other and getting used to our new classrooms, increased responsibilities and routines.
We have launched two main topics for the term already – Rivers and Materials.
Rivers
To begin our River topic, we had great fun working collaboratively and creatively to generate mixed media 3 D plans of the course of a river, showing our understanding before we begin to learn about how rivers really work! We had a go at labelling our models with some of our key words for this half term.
Materials.
We have been looking at the properties of different materials and conducting experiments to see what different materials have in common. We tested different materials to see which ones would dissolve in water and which ones would not. We made detailed observations, and recorded our results before classifying them into soluble and insoluble. We especially enjoyed seeing how a vitamin C tablet dissolves!
Skills Progression Day
We had a brilliant time taking part in Skills Progression Day! The focus was on teamwork, cooperation, and developing key PE skills through a variety of fun team games. We worked together to solve challenges, encouraged one another, and showed fantastic sportsmanship throughout the activities.
It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they learned the importance of communication, resilience, and supporting each other.
Summer 2
At the end of Summer 1 term, the whole school enjoyed a brilliant Arts Week based around the theme of ‘Climate Unity’. Each child worked with the wonderful local artist Sian Storey to create the beautiful local wildlife murals which now adorn the big, blue storage container on the bottom playground.
This week, Year Five stepped back in time and held a ‘World War Two Day’. The costumes were amazing – thank you so much for your support, Year Five families! To start the day, we baked some wartime biscuits (using carrots as natural ration free sweetener). Then we learnt about what life in Overton was like during the war years and what made our village history so special and unique during this period (The Bank of England Staff evacuating here; the Lordsfield Boys Camp for evacuees from the coast; the war artist Michael Ford and the Italian Prisoner of War Camp at Laverstoke). The children found it really interesting. The afternoon was spent creating some super Blitz silhouette artwork. We also watched some original Pathe cinema newsreels to keep up to date with war events and even experienced an air raid!
Continuing our Science topic on Forces, Year Five had a great day out at Paulton’s Park in Summer 1 term. First, we attended two Workshops – one to investigate how forces affect a theme park and its rides; the second to create circuits to power and light up some spinning fairground rides. After that, each class hit the rides and enjoyed swirling, spinning and rattling around together – experiencing the power of forces at first hand. The children were a pleasure to take around the park and we all had loads of fun, whilst embedding our science learning.
Summer 1
Our Summer term history topic is World War II and we have had a fascinating time so far investigating and learning more about Evacuation. We shared our own Evacuee’s suitcase contents and discussed what the children might pack to take with them and how it would feel to be have been an evacuee.
This week we set the children a research task where in small groups they had to research and present their findings on four areas of life on the Home Front during the war:
- Make Do and Mend (including Dig for Victory and rationing)
- Entertainment (including fashion)
- The role of women
- Volunteering (including Home Guard / ARPs etc)
Each group was allowed to present their findings as they chose and the saw some high quality and informative PowerPoint presentations; information posters and mini dramas created to educate us.
Summer term has seen the launch of our Forces topic (supported by the eagerly anticipated trip to Paulton’s Park
next week!) We have learnt about balanced and unbalanced forces and held an investigation into gravity involving weighing objects to identify their weight and mass using Newton Meters. We have also created parachutes and launched them over the mezzanine floor in the library to find out which one had the greatest air resistance!
Spring 2
The stars of the stage in Year Five have had a very dramatic time! After much rehearsal time, both classes performed their incredible versions of Romeo and Juliet to packed houses at The Haymarket in Basingstoke. Extremely complementary (and well deserved) reviews were received and the children all agree it was an amazing experience. In fact, they’d love to do it all again!
In addition to all this drama, we enjoyed a great World Book Day - dressing as our favourite characters and sharing our favourite books with each other.
We have launched our new topic – European Volcanoes and Earthquakes – and have been really enjoying finding out about Volcanoes and what devastation they can cause. We are currently studying the terrible eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD and the damage wreaked on Pompeii. The children are fascinated and are creating some stunning, colourful cartoon strips which chronologically tell the story of August 23rd 79AD.
Spring 1
How thrilling 2025 has been so far! First of all, we have launched our Shakespeare productions of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and have cast the roles after auditions took place. We are very excited to begin rehearsals this week and will have a Theatre Workshop with real life Theatre Director on Monday January 27th.
In Science, we are learning about Lifecycles and our first lesson was about plant reproduction. The children were completely engaged in dissecting real flowers so they could identify at first hand all the reproductive parts they had just learnt about.
We have also begun a Design and Technology project involving bread. This week we conducted a taste survey to identify which breads are the most popular. White was the winner in both classes! The children have designed their own flavoured, shaped bread rolls and we will bake them later this term.
A large proportion of Year 5 will join tens of thousands of other singers in a visit to the O2 for the Young Voices concert this week. They are very much looking forward to this amazing experience. We will let you know how it goes!
This term, the children are loving the opportunity to learn new and improve existing cricket skills, with their coach, Steph!
Autumn 2
The second half of Autumn term has gone off with a bang… and that’s not just because of the fabulous School Fireworks display! The children have been busy with our Science topic – Materials – and conducted an experiment using insulating and conducting materials to see how long they could retain the heat in a container.
We have also created some beautiful monoprints using rollers and printing inks.
On Remembrance Day, we studied the history behind the day and observed the two minutes silence at eleven. Prior to this we made a stunning poppy display with words of respect and gratitude for those who have made such a huge sacrifice for us.
This term we have been studying the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings. We have learned about why these settlers came, where and how they lived and worshipped. The Viking raid on Lindisfarne was studied in depth and some fabulous comic strips were created to retell the gruesome story. Topics of particular interest were chosen and the research undertaken was presented as information posters.
The culmination of the children’s learning was a project where they were challenged to research and creatively present their findings. A stunning array of longships, longhouses, artistic drawing of Gods /Goddesses / themed boardgames and sagas was produced and proudly displayed to the school and visiting parents this week.
As we reach the end of such a busy and exciting term, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and look forward to working with you again in 2025!
