​Today, we had an exciting lesson exploring the features of rivers! We began by learning about key river terms like source, mouth, meanders, and tributaries. In teams, we matched these features to their names, and a group of three boys were the winners to complete this with the best accuracy and with the best time—well done!
Next, we used iPads to research rivers in Barnsley and England as well as Egypt and South America: the River Dearne, River Thames, River Amazon, and River Nile. We looked at how each river shows features like meanders and tributaries.
To finish, we explored the River Amazon on Google Earth, zooming in to see its features in action. It was amazing to spot the meanders and tributaries live on the map!

Today in RE, we explored the concept of commitment. We began by exploring how followers of the Buddha show commitment to their ideas, their community, and the Buddha’s teachings. From meditating to developing mindfulness and practicing compassion, we discovered how dedication shapes the lives of Buddhists and their communities.
We then turned our focus inward, reflecting on our own commitments—whether to our families, friends, learning, or making the world a better place. These discussions inspired some truly thoughtful ideas about how we can each bring more positivity and kindness into the world.
To end the lesson, we made peace lanterns, writing our wishes and commitments for a more peaceful world. This ties to a tradition followed by some British Buddhists on Hiroshima Day.

In our writing this week, we have started looking at journalistic writing.  We have linked our writing to our previous class novel 'Kensuke's Kingdom'  

This week in maths, we’ve started our new unit: division! The children have been enthusiastic learners, showing incredible focus! We have learnt new vocabulary this week such as divisor, dividend, quotient and partial quotient.
We’ve been using a range of resources to deepen our understanding. BrainingCamp has been a fantastic tool for visually partitioning numbers, helping the children see how numbers can be broken down to make division easier to grasp. We also used our trusty plastic wallets with the part-whole models to practise partitioning numbers in more practical ways.
Additionally, we have applied our learning to solve worded maths problems. Year 5 have demonstrated a great understanding of how to break down problems and use the tools and methods we’ve practiced to find solutions.
By the end of the week, we’ll be diving with remianders using the short division method – an important step that will help the children build confidence in solving division problems more efficiently.

In our art unit, we have been looking at the work of Frida Kahlo and her self portraits.  In today's lesson, we have been looking closely at the scale and proportion of a face.  We spent some time looking at where the different facial features should be on a portrait.

In RE this term, we will look at Buddhism and Judaism as part of Barnsley, the UK and the wider world, their places of worship and how they contribute to their community! We have started looking at how some followers of the Buddha work for a better world through the Karuna Trust. We learnt that Karuna is a charity inspired by Buddhist values, it works alongside the most excluded people in South Asia, overcoming discrimination with locally-led education, gender equality and sustainable livelihood projects. Our task today was to create a poster to encourage people to donate to the charity and to educate people about the work that the charity carries out. Take a look at some of our fantastic posters!

Year 5 has begun an exciting new topic all about South America! Throughout this topic, the children will be exploring fascinating geographical features, the vibrant ecosystems of the rainforest, and the ways people live and work in this incredible part of the world.

Here’s a snapshot of what we’ll be covering:

• World Geography Recap: We’ll start by revisiting the seven continents and using maps to locate South America, highlighting its key features.
• Rainforests: we will learn where rainforests are found, their unique characteristics, and their vital role in supporting ecosystems and human life.
• Deforestation and Human Impact: We'll explore the causes and effects of deforestation, as well as the broader impact of human activity on the rainforest.
• The River Amazon: Using aerial photographs, we will study the features of this majestic river and understand its importance to the region.
• Life in South America: Finally, we’ll look at how people live near the Amazon, comparing their lifestyles and land use to life in the UK, while discussing the differences between wealth and poverty in the region.

This half term in Year 5, we are diving into an exciting new adventure with Katherine Rundell’s captivating novel, The Explorer. Set in the Amazon rainforest, this thrilling story follows the journey of four children who find themselves stranded after a plane crash. As they navigate the challenges of survival, courage, and teamwork.
At the end of this half term, we’ll reflect on how The Explorer connects to last half term’s novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. Both stories centre around survival in remote environments and highlight the importance of friendship, perseverance, and respect for the natural world.
Year 5 is ready to explore!