The Year 5 Team

Curriculum Overview

This week in Sussex 5:

Week beginning 12th January 2026

Dear parents and carers,

In maths, we have been learning the long multiplication  method, including multiplying 4 x 2 numbers.  Most of us have got it now, as long as nothing changes!  Lots of practice has been necessary and we're really understanding that quick recall of times tables facts REALLY helps with speed of solving the question.  Please keep practising times tables at home to help with this.  The children began dividing using the bus stop method - short division - today and most understood.  Again, speed or times tables recall is really important.

The children are enjoying our book, Twitch and have many theories and solutions about what is happening and who is the baddy!  We have done some linked learning by creating cardboard birds to help us engage further with the text and all the children have had a go at using binoculars to spot any birds in the school grounds (sadly not many!)  We will be going on a welly walk on Friday afternoon around the school site to have a go at tracking and making signs for each other to follow.  Please could your children have their wellies in school so they can go on the grass.  They don't need full Forest School clothes as we won't be outside for long.

We will be making 3D maps next week, using papier mache so will need lots of newspaper - please send it into class any day, up to next Friday.  Thank you.

In science the children have been  learning about the stages and processes of life cycles of different animals.  They have learnt about vertibrates (and the 5 catagories withing vertibrates) and invertibrates.

We got VERY wet walking to swimming yesterday - please ensure your child has a coat with a hood for the walk as we often get wet as swimming is in the winter this year!  Lots of the children wanted to change into PE kits and trainers after swimming as their shoes were wet so please ensure they have their PE kit in school as well as their swimming kits!

The children's other PE lesson will be on Thursdays with Mrs Nash this term.

Mrs Townshend and Ms Walker.

Please find the home learning at the top of this page.  

Spellings are set on a Wednesday for testing on the following Wednesday.

Times tables will be tested on a Friday - this week we will be testing  6 times table and 16 times table.  Next week ( 23rd) it will be the 7s and 17s.

A typical week in Sussex 5

Home Learning

Spellings 

Multiplication Tables

Weekly practise of multiplication tables is vital in supporting mathematical development. Below is a chart of the 36 essential facts to learn. This is especially helpful for children who are almost fluent.

Times Tables Rockstars! 

To keep practising the multiplication taught in class, and challenging yourself to keep the ones you already know fresh, don’t forget to log into your Times Tables Rockstars account. 

https://play.ttrockstars.com/

Challenge yourself to beat your score and build your knowledge as you become a Rockstar!

Please ask your class teacher if you need replacement log in details.

To continue to learn times tables, this website is useful:

Times tables games - Learn them all here!

Reading

Children should bring their Accelerated Reading Book to and from school each day. When they have finished reading, children are asked to complete a quiz before changing their book. 

https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/6704864

Parents please log your child's reading on the BOOM reader Parent Portal or by using the BOOM reader parent app on your tablet/mobile no more than once a week.

boomreader.co.uk/parents

Spelling

The link below will take you to the spelling scheme we are working from in school.

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/english/primary-spelling/

This document contains spelling strategies that are used in class, and can be used at home to aid learning new words:

Southborough's Spelling Strategies