Year 5

This week in history, the children learned about Richmond Park and its significance during World War I, making meaningful local links to their learning. They explored where the Royal Parks are located across London looking at a satellite map and discussed why these green spaces were important during the war. The children also learned about the Poppy Factory in Richmond, exploring its history and ongoing significance. They created mind maps to capture their understanding, showing great curiosity and thoughtful connections.

In English, the children have been doing some truly fantastic work in our new unit, The Piano. They have shown great maturity in their writing, using emotion to build atmosphere and carefully weaving together direct and reported speech to explain flashbacks. This has been a particularly tricky piece of writing, moving between past and present tense and writing consistently in the first person, but the children have risen to the challenge. The creativity and depth of ideas have been wonderful to see. They have now published their final piece of work for 2026, and the teachers are extremely proud of their efforts.

In reading, we finished War Game by Michael Foreman. The children discussed the key events of the story and continued to practise important inference and comprehension skills, showing a strong understanding of the text and its themes.

In maths, the children have completed their fractions unit. To help consolidate their learning, we played a quiz to practise retrieval of all the skills they have learned, which they thoroughly enjoyed. We also took part in some festive “Christ-maths” games as a gentle and fun way to wrap up the term before starting a new topic in the spring.

In science, the children learned about time zones, a challenging concept that they approached with enthusiasm. They linked this new learning to their prior knowledge and learnt about Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and its link to the Greenwich Meridian Line. Using an interactive world map, as a class, the children investigated the time in different countries and then explained their understanding clearly in their books, alongside a carefully coloured time zone map.

In RE, the children took part in a circle-time reflection lesson, looking back at all the learning from the unit. They wrote thoughtful reflections responding to the question, “Does it matter what people wear and eat?” showing respect, maturity, and a strong ability to consider different viewpoints.

In DT, the children created their bridge designs, and it was wonderful to be able to do this with the support of our parent volunteers. Thank you so much for giving your time, it truly made the experience possible. The children loved the session and are already excited to do more DT in the spring term.

As the term comes to an end, we are incredibly proud of how hard the children have worked since September. They have achieved so much: completing assessment weeks with confidence, putting on an amazing class show, taking part in performances, sporting events, and so much more. They should be very proud of themselves!

DT Photos

   

   

   

                 

   

          

PE Pictures

   

  Elfridges fun

            

          

        

w/b 05.01.26	w/b 12.01.26
Spelling rule: Creating nouns using -ity suffix   Key words: community curiosity ability visibility captivity activity eternity flexibility possibility sensitivity	Spelling rule: Creating nouns using -ness suffix   Key words: happiness hardness madness  nastiness silliness tidiness childishness willingness carelessness foolishness

 

Key Messages: 

• 23.01.26 - Open classroom (3:15-3:45)

• 30.01.26 - International day

• 04.02.26 - Young Voices concert at Wembley Arena KS2 choir

• 10.02.26 - Safer internet day

• 10.02.26 - Y4-6 Swimming Gala

 

 

Year 6

This term has flown by, and we are incredibly proud of how hard the children have worked during their first full term in Year 6. They have shown maturity, determination and a positive attitude towards their learning, rising to the higher expectations of Year 6. They thoroughly deserve a well-earned rest over the Christmas break and we look forward to welcoming them back in January, ready to hit the ground running. 

We have also reached the end of several exciting topics this term. In science, the children explored evolution, learning how it works like a family tree and discovering how living things are linked through common ancestors. In history, we examined the legacy of World War II and how it brought about significant changes in Britain, including the creation of the NHS and the development of council housing. In DT, we completed our birdhouse projects, with almost every design evolving along the way as the children’s creativity took them in new and imaginative directions. And how can we forget about the incredible ‘Elf Day’ where we helped spread Christmas cheer, supporting KS1 by teaching dances and songs and even helping Santa to hand out presents! The commitment was exceptional and the costumes were brilliant! 

Finally, we would like to thank all families for your continued support throughout the term, particularly with learning and homework at home. As we move into the new year, there will be an increase in the intensity of both classwork and homework as we prepare for SATs. For now, we wish you all a restful and enjoyable Christmas holiday. Happy Christmas from all of the Year 6 team!

   

                                 

 

w/b 05.01.26	w/b 12.01.26
Suffixes    referring  referred  referral  reference  referee  preferring  preferred  preference  transferring  transference	Words with the long /e/ sound   siege  niece  grief  chief  fiend shriek  believe  achieve convenience  mischievous

 

Key Messages: 

• Expected entries for the reading records over the holidays is a minimum of 5. 

 

Key dates:

• Friday 23rd January 2026 - Open classrooms 
• Friday 30th January 2026 - International Day