Our Team 2026-27
Teachers: Mr S. Potts, Mr E. Langhorn, Mrs J. Jackson and Mrs T. Gresty
Teaching Assistants: Mrs L. Lowther and Mrs K. Bentley
Class Governors: Lisa Blackband and Rafit Younis
Welcome to Year 5
Dear Parent/Guardian
Over the academic year your child will enjoy a rich variety of interesting and exciting topics.
Our autumn term begins with the topic To Infinity and Beyond. Initially we will focus on the planets with an exciting hands-on trip to Jodrell Bank Observatory. We will look at the space race and the history of man landing on the moon. We will read George’s Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking in book club. We will look at the moon phases and lots of science.
What’s So Great About The USA is our spring topic where we will focus on some geographical skills. We will look at Martin Luther King’s fight for equality and use his I Have A Dream speech to inspire our writing. We will also look at and native American settlements and their culture. During the spring term we will be going to the Robinwood Activity Centre for a weekend of adventure and fun. This trip is exclusive to our year group and is a great experience that we are sure the children will never forget!
In the summer term, our topic will be Ancient Egypt. We will be finding out about the Ancient Egyptians, their beliefs and the role that Pharaohs played in society. The children will research the construction of the pyramids and find out why the Valley of the Kings was built. We will have a history day to travel back in time to experience life as an Ancient Egyptian.
Here’s to a busy, fun-filled and challenging year!
Your Year 5 teachers.
Welcome to Year 5
Please select the document below.
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Welcome to Year 5 Presentation September 2026 | [pdf 695KB] |
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Annual Curriculum Planning
Please select the document below.
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Year 5 Curriculum Map | [pdf 578KB] |
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Autumn Term First Half 2026
Autumn Term Second Half 2026
TBA
Autumn Term Home Learning Challenges
At Knowsley Junior School, we know that children achieve their best when home and school work together. This year, we have developed our approach to home learning, informed by research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).
Our home learning activities are designed to be purposeful, manageable and enjoyable, reinforcing classroom learning, encouraging regular reading and helping children practise key skills. We encourage children to complete activities little and often, developing their confidence, independence and positive learning habits.
Please encourage your child to take part and use their school planner to record, share and celebrate their learning at home.
Learning happens everywhere. By working together, we can help our children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive.
Reading Home Learning Challenges
- Draw a scene from The Iron Man or your current book, adding two sentences beneath explaining what the character is thinking or feeling.
- Read a short non-fiction page, children's news article, or website and write down 3 interesting facts you discovered.
- Spot 3 new, interesting, or tricky words in your reading. Copy the sentences they appear in and find out what they mean.
- Read one page or short chapter aloud to an adult, sibling, or pet, making sure to use a clear and expressive voice.
- Turn a chapter or scene from your reading into a simple 4-box comic strip showing the beginning, middle, and end.
- Write 3 simple quiz questions about the book you are reading to test a family member or friend.
Writing and Spelling Home Learning Challenges
- Choose 3 or 4 words from the Year 5/6 spelling list (e.g. ancient, develop, curious, accompany) and use each in a sensible sentence.
- Write 3 - 4 bullet points about a famous space scientist, astronaut, or figure from history you have learned about.
- Write 4 - 5 sentences about something you enjoyed, learned, or achieved this week, remembering neat capital letters and full stops.
- Write 4 clear, numbered steps explaining how to make an easy healthy snack or meal (like fruit salad, toast, or astronaut trail mix).
- Write 3 sentences describing a scene or your morning routine, starting each with a time or place adverbial (e.g. Across the dark sky,... or Before breakfast,...).
- Pick 3 everyday words (such as said, big, ran) and find 3 more ambitious alternatives for each to up level your writing.
Maths Home Learning Challenges
- Spend 10 - 15 minutes on TT Rock Stars or write out your target times table (e.g. 6s, 7s, 8s, or 9s).
- Check a digital clock or phone at 3 different times of the day and write down both the 12-hour (e.g. 4:15 pm) and 24-hour time (16:15).
- Write down three 5 or 6 digit numbers (e.g. 24582, 72054 or 29547 and partition them into hundred thousands, ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones.
- Pick any 4-digit number and write down what happens to the digits when you multiply and divide it by 10 and 100.
- Write down and solve 3 column additions using 4-digit or 5-digit numbers, remembering to carry/regroup carefully.
- Write down and solve 3 column subtractions using 4-digit or 5-digit numbers, remembering to exchange correctly.
Personal Development Home Learning Challenges
- Pack your school bag, planner, reading book, and pencil case independently the night before school (and check your PE kit is ready).
- Think about what makes a supportive friend. Tell an adult or write down two ways you showed kindness, sharing, or fairness this week.
- Speak to a family member for 1–2 minutes about your favourite hobby, book, or space fact using a clear, confident voice.
- Help an adult in the kitchen by following simple steps to prepare a healthy snack, breakfast, or sandwich safely.
- Have a go at a new activity, task, or food that you felt slightly nervous about, showing a positive mindset.
- Choose one regular daily job to take responsibility for all week (e.g. setting the table, pairing socks, feeding a pet, or sorting recycling).
To Infinity and Beyond!
Children will use their knowledge of Russia and learn about the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the USA, exhibited in the Space Race. They build on their learning in year 3 about the structure of the Earth and how night and day occur, applying their knowledge to the Moon, the planets and the seasons respectively. The identification of hemispheres leads children into learning about the significance of latitude, longitude, time zones and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn which are introduced during the last year 5 topic around the USA. The children’s consideration of Stravinsky prepares them for critiquing Holst and constructing their own composition. The skills gained via the construction of a labyrinth in year 3 are utilised during the creation of 3D framework ‘lunar buggy’.
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School Learning Zone - Earth and Space |
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School Learning Zone - Time Zones |
How can we rediscover the wonders of Ancient Egypt?
Year 5’s Ancient Egyptian topic helps to develop our children’s sense of chronology, having previously studied the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. They continue to cultivate their understanding of how these civilisations were interlinked and the importance of structures across different periods (Stonehenge, Parthenon, Pyramid of Giza and Mayan pyramids in year 6). They will study the importance of the River Nile, drawing on the geographical and scientific lessons from Waterworld in year 4. They study ancient and modern maps and have the opportunity to gain understanding of the conditions, processes and interactions that explain features and distributions, patterns and changes over time and space.
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School Learning Zone - Ancient Egypt |
What’s so Great about the USA?
Timetabled in the summer term to incorporate Independence Day (4th July), year 5’s study of the USA involves close examinations of persecution; segregation and Native American exploitation. This prepares children for their first year 6 topic which involves exploring the causes and events of World War Two. The context of events in the wider geopolitical landscape of the space race is made explicit, linking Russia and To Infinity and Beyond. This topic introduces the North American continent, allowing children to apply their geographical skills to locate states, cities and other physical features using maps at different scales. They deepen their understanding of the hemispheres, and use their knowledge of climate zones from year 4 to plot the USA and provide explanations as to how Native Americans were affected by their surroundings. The impact of settlement by outside influences can be compared to the invasion of Britain by a number of aggressors. The use of symbolism in Native American art and design continues themes examined in Russia’s St Basil’s Cathedral, hieroglyphics, Greek artwork and cave paintings. This will be revisited when looking at Mayan temples.
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School Learning Zone - The Civil Rights in America |
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School Learning Zone - Oceans and Continents North America |
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School Learning Zone - South America |
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School Learning Zone - Native Americans |
Year 5 Topic Skills and Knowledge
Year 5 Science Skills and Knowledge
Year 5 continue to develop their Science Skills, Healthy Eating and Digestion and Earth and Space. Children identify organs and the digestive system while learning about the solar system, planets, the moon, day and night and seasons. In the spring term, they study Forces and Properties and Changes of Materials, investigating gravity, friction, air and water resistance, reversible and irreversible changes, and separating mixtures. In the summer term, the topics are Life Cycles and Animals including Humans, covering plant and animal life cycles, human development, and milestones from conception to death.
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Earth and Space Learning Outcomes | [pdf 289KB] |
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Earth and Space Topic Mat | [pdf 287KB] |
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Healthy Eating Learning Outcomes | [pdf 203KB] |
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Healthy Eating Topic Mat | [pdf 197KB] |
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Forces Learning Outcomes | [pdf 222KB] |
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Forces Topic Mat | [pdf 200KB] |
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Keeping Warm Learning Outcomes | [pdf 285KB] |
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Keeping Warm Topic Mat | [pdf 275KB] |
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Life Cycles Learning Outcomes | [pdf 207KB] |
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Life Cycles Topic Mat | [pdf 204KB] |
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