Welcome to Year 5 – Hawthorne

Miss Mason

Learning Update

Year 5 have been enjoying The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, an exciting historical detective story about two brave girls who work together to solve crimes in eighteenth-century London. As part of their learning, they have been using powerful adjectives to create a vibrant theatre advertisement that captures the drama and intrigue of the book. They have also written descriptive diary entries in the first person, using expanded noun phrases to bring the characters’ thoughts and experiences to life. In addition, Year 5 have been practising using conjunctions to give clear reasons when creating a detailed detective action plan inspired by the adventures of Lizzie and Belle.

In Science, we have started our exciting new topic all about Earth and Space. We explored the solar system and looked closely at how the planets orbit the Sun in their own paths. We also learned the order of the planets from the Sun and created memorable mnemonics to help us remember this sequence. Everyone enjoyed drawing their own solar systems, complete with colourful planets and detailed orbits. One fascinating fact we discovered is that a year on Mercury is only 88 Earth days long because it is the closest planet to the Sun!

In Maths, we have been continuing our work on fractions, focusing especially on adding mixed numbers. To do this, the children first add the whole numbers, then add the fractional parts, and, if the fraction becomes improper, they convert it into a mixed number before combining everything for the final answer. They have also been using their previous skills, such as creating equivalent fractions in order to find common denominators and simplify their answers. In addition, Year 5 have been practising other key skills from the White Rose Maths fractions unit, including comparing and ordering fractions, converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers, and finding fractions of amounts. These skills have helped them feel more confident when tackling more complex fraction problems and explaining their mathematical reasoning.

In Art, we have started to make our own Taotie, which are ancient Chinese mask-like designs commonly found on bronze vessels from the Shang Dynasty and believed to hold symbolic or protective meanings. The children used clay to carve out their own taotie patterns into a mould, carefully shaping the intricate details before pouring casting plaster into it to create a solid replica. This artwork links brilliantly to our History topic, as the Shang Dynasty often used taotie designs in their art and craftsmanship. All of the pieces have come out beautifully, and the children are now excited to paint them for their final creations.

Please keep an eye out on Google Classroom this week for their new piece of homework linking to our new DT project.

In the following weeks we will be learning:

• Literacy: Using formal tone and phrases to write urgent letters and action plans
• Maths: Fractions
• Science: How do we know the Sun is at the centre of the solar system?
• DT: Exploring and creating pneumatic systems

Autumn Term 2025

Click on the links below to see what the children in Year 5 will be learning in the Autumn Term.