In English, we will be starting our new text “Journey to the River Sea” by Eva Ibottson. We will explore the text, both through our guided reading lessons and also our English lessons, developing both our comprehension and writing. The children will build their skills over the term to allow them to write diary entries and a short narrative from the perspective of characters within the story. We will be using the text to develop and improve our grammar skills by focusing on identifying imaginative vocabulary and techniques, as well as thinking about how we can construct complex sentences that create interest for the reader. We will look carefully at the use of adverbials within our writing, as well as the importance of identifying main clauses and subordinate clauses within a sentence in order to add more detail. The children will think carefully about the use of conjunctions to create cohesion within their writing, and we will also be ensuring we develop our accurate use of a wide range of punctuation. We will also be looking at how we can use both direct and reported speech in order to advance the plot and give more insight into the characters within the story.

In Maths we will be embedding our knowledge of the four operations and fractions. We will begin to look at some algebra, applying everything we know about the number system in order to build our skills in this area. There will be a continued focus on understanding how to solve one and two step worded problems and identifying which operations are needed. We will also start to look at shape and measure this term, thinking about the properties of both 2D and 3D shapes, as well as exploring coordinates, translation and symmetry. Throughout all of this work, we will look at how we can explain the maths that is taking place and how we can apply what we have learnt to solve problems. 

This term’s Science unit will build on children’s previous learning about how plants and animals reproduce. To start, pupils will set up a practical investigation into asexual reproduction in plants by observing growth in potatoes, ginger, and garlic. They will discover that some plants can reproduce by simply copying themselves, without needing a male or female, which adds to their understanding of flowering plants. Children will also dissect flowers to identify and examine their parts - such as the sepal, stamen, pistil, and pollen - and later dissect fruit to learn about its role in seed dispersal. This builds on their knowledge from earlier years, helping them see how fruit supports plant reproduction. The unit then moves on to animal reproduction. Pupils will learn about internal and external fertilisation, understanding why animals like fish produce more offspring than humans due to the higher risks involved with external fertilisation. They will revisit how different animals grow and care for their young, and how some offspring are born more independent than others.

In History, the children will be learning about Human Rights. They’ll start by finding out what human rights are and how the United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after World War II. We’ll look at the progress of women’s rights in Britain, learning about important figures like Boudicca, Elizabeth I, Emmeline Pankhurst, Malala Yousafzai, and Queen Victoria. The children will also learn about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and discover how childhood has changed over time in Britain. We’ll discuss Britain’s long history as a diverse country, explore immigration, and talk about issues like racial inequality, comparing the American Civil Rights movement with similar events in the UK, such as the Bristol Bus Boycott and Windrush. Sensitive topics including the Transatlantic Slave Trade will be handled thoughtfully. Finally, the children will learn about the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and belief.

In Art this term, children will explore art from Western Africa, focusing on Malian antelope headdresses and Benin plaques from Nigeria. They will discover how Malian headdresses are used by the Bamana people in special ceremonies to honour the spirit Chiwara and highlight the importance of farming. The children will look closely at how the shapes in these headdresses represent animals significant to the community. Later in the unit, pupils will learn about the Benin plaques - brass artworks made by the Edo people to decorate the royal palace in Benin City. Through these, they will find out about life in the Benin Kingdom, trade with the Portuguese, and discuss how some plaques were taken to Britain. The class will also talk about current debates on whether these objects should be returned to Nigeria, linking this to previous learning about the Parthenon Marbles and the British Empire. Throughout the unit, children will work on an extended art project, designing and making their own cardboard relief sculpture of an insect. This hands-on activity helps them understand concepts such as shape, colour, and how sculptures can be created in relief and used for a purpose, just like the artworks they are studying.



Finally, in RE, the children will be building on their previous learning about Sikhism. They will deepen their understanding of key Sikh concepts, including Gurmukh. They will learn that Waheguru is the Eternal Guru and that Sikhi is the path of active learning from the Guru. We will look at how some of the Sikh gurus strongly promoted equality and how Sikhs believe that all people are created equal from birth. Throughout the unit we will use questions and skills drawn from the human and social sciences in order to investigate the lived reality of equality for different Sikhs, with a focus on female Sikhs.