The Year 5 Team

Curriculum Overview

This week in Sussex 5:

Week beginning 26th January 2026

Dear parents and carers,

We desperately need a parent helper to walk the children to and from swimming on Tuesdays from half term to Easter (6 weeks)  Please could you contact the school ASAP if you are able to help.

In maths we have been applying our multiplication and division skills to problem solving and reasoning.  We're good at deciding which initial sum we need to do, but find understanding some of the questions tricky to understand.  We have been practising reading the questions carefully, including going back and rereading to check whether we've answered ALL the question.

We are researching British garden birds this week and learning the features of a fact file so that by the end of the week we can put all the pieces together to create a fact file about British garden birds.  The children love creating real pieces of writing, including pictures and diagrams.

In science we have continued learning about life cycles, comparing different mammilian life cycles, and in reading we have been comparing reptile and amphibian life cycles.  We are going to be dissecting daffodils and planting bean seeds this week as we study sexual and asexual reproduction in plants.  

We have started creating our maps in Linked Learning, by adding paper mache to the map - this week the paints are coming out!  Photos to follow

The children's confidence is growing in swimming as they are now used to the routine of going again.  I hear some very good reports of their abilities and achievements already.

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