Magpies 2024 - 2025

Welcome to Magpies Class

We are a Year 4/5 class who are taught by Mrs Whittaker

This is what we will be learning about in the Spring term:

Maths:

Y4:

Multiplication & Division:  Factor pairs, Multiply and divide by 10 and 100,  Related facts – multiplication and division, Multiply and add, Informal written methods, Multiply 2‐digits by 1‐digit,  Multiply 3‐digits by 1‐digit, Solve multiplication problems, Basic division, Division and remainders, Divide 2 and 3- digit numbers,  Correspondence problems, Efficient multiplication

Measurement:  Measure in km and m, Perimeter on a grid, Perimeter of rectangles and rectilinear shapes, Find missing lengths, Perimeter of regular polygons,

Fractions:  Count beyond 1, Partition a mixed number, Number lines with mixed numbers, Compare and order mixed numbers, Convert mixed numbers to improper fractions, Convert improper fractions to mixed numbers, Equivalent fractions, Simplifying fractions, Add and subtract two or more fractions, Add fractions and mixed numbers, Subtract from mixed numbers,  Subtract from whole amounts, Problem solving – add and subtract fractions, Fraction of an amount,  

Decimals:  Tenths and hundredths as fractions and decimals, Divide 1 and 2 digit numbers by 10 and 100.

Y5:

Multiplication & Division:  Multiply up to 4‐digits by 1‐digit, Multiply 2‐digits (area model), Multiply up to 4‐digits by 2‐digits (long multiplication), Divide 4‐digits by 1‐digit, Divide with remainders, short division, Solve problems with multiplication and division,

Fractions:  Multiply unit and non-unit fractions by an integer,   Multiply mixed numbers by an integer, Fraction of an amount, Finding the whole,

Decimals and Percentages:  Write decimals up to 2 decimals places, Equivalent fractions and decimals, tenths, hundredths, thousandths, Order and compare decimals, Round decimals, Equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages

Measurement:  Perimeter of rectilinear shapes, Perimeter of polygons, Area of rectangles and compound shapes, Estimate area

Statistics:  Read, draw and interpret line graphs, Read and interpret tables, Timetables – reading

English:

We will develop our reading and writing skills across a range of genres and text types using high quality texts. 

The children will write a biography and a diary based on our study of Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine.  After half term, we will be reading The Errand by Leo La Fleur and using it to inspire our writing of a cliffhanger story and an instruction manual.

Science:

Properties of materials:  

During this interesting unit, the children will investigate the ways in which materials can be changed and recovered using evaporation, filtering or sieving. Through the lessons, they will understand the differences between solids, liquids and gases and how materials can be mixed and dissolved, and reversibly and irreversibly changed.

Living in Environments:

Children will become more familiar with the plants and animals in their local and wider environments. They will learn how to identify a range of British plants and animals, and how to classify organisms, including the use of classification keys. They will also consider why organisms live in different habitats and the impact, both positive and negative, that humans can have on environments.

History:

Ancient Sumer:

The children will learn about the early civilisation of ancient Sumer, use their geographical skills to locate where in the world Sumer was and explore why it was such a unique location. They will also have the opportunity to learn about different aspects of life during the ancient Sumerian period, including what it was like to live in a city state and how Sumerian inventions had a lasting influence on the wider world. In addition to this they will learn about the religious beliefs and practices of this ancient civilisation and analyse a range of artefacts and evidence.

Geography:

All Around The World:

During these lessons, children to take a closer look at where the countries of the world are located, and some of the ways geographers describe locations. They will learn to locate and describe places using longitude and latitude, and find out about some of the important lines that delineate specific areas of the Earth - the Equator, the Hemispheres, the Poles and the Tropics. Finally, by looking more closely at the lines of longitude, children will develop their understanding of time zones.

Computing:

Scratch, Questions and Quizzes:

In this unit about Coding with Scratch: Questions and Quizzes, children will learn what a quiz is and the features that make them exciting. They will then create their own multiplication quizzes on Scratch, using a variety of Scratch blocks. The children will have the opportunity to experiment with adding various effects to make their quizzes more visually appealing and interactive. The unit is completed by the children creating a competitive multiplication quiz, creating variables and using Sensing and Operators blocks.

Strategic Searching Online:

Children will learn to use search engines with increasing efficiency. They will learn how to refine their searches using various techniques, such as using Boolean operators and using keywords. Children will also learn to look for clues to decide if a website can be trusted and whether the information presented is reliable. They will also learn how search engines work and how their search returns are ranked in a particular order. Finally, children will begin to learn how to get a web page towards the top of a returned search and will evaluate a web page based on search engine optimisation criteria.

Art:

Sculpting Vases:

The children will develop a greater mastery over modelling clay. They will explore a range of different everyday containers made from different materials and leading onto examining the vases of artists and craftspeople, and develop control over a range of tools and techniques.

Design and Technology:

Funky Furnishings:

Children will research, analyse, design, make and evaluate a cushion cover, using their developing knowledge of and skills in a variety of sewing techniques for joining and decorating fabric.

Religious Education:

Pilgrimage to the River Ganges:

The children will learn to describe a Hindu ritual that happens at/in the River Ganges and explain why this is important and significant to the Hindus taking part in it

The Gospels:

After half term, the children will be learning to name all four Gospels and say why their accounts of Jesus’ life might differ.  They will be able to describe an event that occurs in more than one Gospel and say what a Christian might learn from it.

Music:

In the Past:

The children will learn to play a Renaissance dance from notations; compose a fanfare; and understand simple musical structures.

Food and Drink:

The children will combine expressive use of the voice with physical movement; respond to sound with visual signals; and perform sequences of sounds matched to visual sequences.

Musical Theatre:

Children will learn about the history of musical theatre; identify features of musical theatre; place types of musicals accurately on a timeline; and identify character songs and action songs.

M.F.L.:

On The Move:

The children will learn to develop their conversational skills via some new topics: transport, direction and movement. They will learn to conjugate the high-frequency verb ‘to go’ and use it in context.

Physical Education:

The children will have two P.E. sessions. Indoor PE will be taught on a Monday. In this term children will be taking part in Dance lessons about The Romans and Carnival of the Animals. Outdoor PE will be taught on a Thursday. Lessons will include a variety of skills and knowledge taught by Mr Richards.

On these days, the children will need to come to school dressed in their P.E. uniform: navy shorts and light blue t-shirt; navy tracksuit and light blue t-shirt. No logos or football kits. Trainers should be plain black. All long hair should be tied back and earrings should be removed.

P.S.H.E.:

Y4:

Safety First:  In this unit of work, children will consider what it means to take responsibility for their own safety. This will include the decisions they make and how they can stand up to peer pressure in a range of situations. They will learn about everyday risks, hazards and dangers and what to do in risky or dangerous situations. They will also learn about road, water and rail safety and dangerous substances: drugs (including medicines), cigarettes and alcohol. Children will look at first aid, exploring how to deal with common injuries and what to do to respond to emergency situations.

VIPs:  This unit, entitled VIPs (Very Important Persons), will focus on relationships we have with our VIPs. It will look at friendships, how friendships are formed and maintained, and the qualities of a good friend. The lessons will then move on to disputes and bullying and will address strategies for coping with each of these.

Y5:

Think Positive: This unit is designed to help children further develop their understanding about thoughts and emotions, both positive and negative. The lessons centre around themes such as the links between our thoughts, feelings and emotions, making good choices and mindfulness and applying a growth mindset approach to life.

Digital Wellbeing:  This unit is inspired by the idea that it is important to understand and have digital wellbeing. Children will consider ways they can use the Internet positively and how they can look after their wellbeing while being online. Children will learn about potential risks of being online and when using digital technologies as well as strategies to stay safe and to get help. They will also learn about online relationships and what a respectful and healthy online relationship looks like, as well as signs of an inappropriate online relationship and ways to get help. The benefits and risk of social media will also be explored, as well as how social media can be used responsibly. Children will also learn how to recognise what online bullying looks like and how to help make it stop. Finally, the concept of ‘fake news’ will be explored with children learning how to be able to tell if something online is reliable or not and what they can do to stop the spreading of unreliable information.

Homework:

Maths: Maths homework will be set via Class Dojo on a Friday to be completed by the following Wednesday. We ask for all children to continue to access Times Table Rockstars online to practice and improve instant recall of key multiplication and related division facts.

English: English homework will be set via Class Dojo on a Friday to be completed by the following Wednesday. We ask that the children also engage frequently with Spelling Shed to practise their spellings.

Reading: At Weston, we encourage children to develop a lifelong love for reading. We ask for children to read regularly at home to adults and to themselves. Reading is fundamental to the wider academic and personal development of children and the need for children to read widely from a broad and challenging range of texts continues to be important. Children will be provided with quality texts appropriate for their age and ability.