This week, in English, the children wrote their autobiographies, showcasing their unique stories and experiences. The children shared personal memories from their early lives, their family, friendships and significant moments. They also highlighted their talents, passions and achievements, reflecting on milestones such as awards, hobbies, or special events. To enrich their writing, the children organised their writing using subtitles to guide the reader, used time connectives, and a first-person narrative. This task allowed them to celebrate once again their individuality while developing their skills in structuring and presenting a piece of non-fiction writing. It has been a pleasure reading their beautiful autobiographies!
In PSHE, the children deepened their understanding of discrimination and its injustice. They explored historical examples through the inspiring stories of Rosa Parks, Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson—women who faced significant challenges and overcame barriers in the fight for equality. The children empathised with individuals who have been, and continue to be, subjected to injustice, including racism. They expressed their learning and feelings through thoughtful acrostic poems on the theme No to Racism. As a Rights Respecting School, the lesson connected to key articles from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphasising every child’s right to be treated equally and fairly (Article 2), to be free from discrimination (Article 30), and to have their voice heard (Article 12).
During their early morning work, the children explored the first six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Clean Water and Sanitation. They discussed actions they could take to support these goals and designed their own creative logos to represent them. This work tied with their PSHE lesson on children’s rights, reinforcing the connection between the SDGs and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, such as the rights to education, health, and equality.
In Maths, the children worked on identifying and classifying different types of shapes, focusing on quadrilaterals, triangles and polygons. They explored the properties of various quadrilaterals such as squares, rectangles, parallelograms and rhombuses, learning to recognise their unique characteristics, like sides and angles. The children also investigated triangles, classifying them based on their angles (right-angled) and sides (equilateral, isosceles, and scalene). In addition, they worked on classifying other polygons, understanding terms like regular and irregular polygons, and identifying the number of sides and angles in each shape. These lessons helped the children strengthen their geometry skills and develop a deeper understanding of the properties and classifications of different shapes.
In Geography, the children explored the population and culture of Greece today. They examined key aspects such as historical monuments, languages spoken and cultural practices, gaining a deeper understanding of Greece as a modern, vibrant country with a rich cultural heritage. The children started researching landmarks in the capital city – Athens, Greek foods and things to do, so that they can create an informational and interesting travel guide for potential visitors.
In PE, the children worked collaboratively in groups to create and present their own engaging warm-up routines, featuring a variety of stretches and exercises to enhance flexibility and readiness for activity. They demonstrated their routines to the class with confidence and enthusiasm, highlighting their creativity and teamwork. Additionally, the children worked on their shooting skills in basketball and explored when to pass, dribble or shoot.
On Thursday, the children thoroughly enjoyed a festive highlight of the week—the annual pantomime. Bursting with laughter and excitement, they enjoyed the lively performances. It was a joyous occasion that brought the class and school together and added a magical touch to their day.
Our Year 5 scientists have been exploring the wonders of the Amazon rainforest, learning about the unique plants that grow there and how indigenous tribes use their knowledge of these plants for medicine, health, and well-being. This week, the children were introduced to Richard Evans Schultes, a renowned ethnobotanist who spent 10 years living among Amazonian tribes, studying and preserving their knowledge of rainforest plants. Inspired by his work, the children became ethnobotanists themselves, creating their own fictional rainforest plants. They considered where their plant would grow, what it would look like, and how it might be used — whether as medicine, food, tools, or for another purpose.
