Mobile Phones
We understand that some of the children have mobile phones as they walk to and from school on their own, we must stress though, that mobile phones should be turned off once your child has entered the school grounds. The phones should then be given to a member of staff so that they can be securely put away during the school day and returned at the end of the day.
Homework
Homework will normally be given out on a Friday to be returned the following Wednesday for marking. The homework provided is given to support and consolidate pupils’ learning from that week. It is used to check understanding of topics covered and helps us identify areas of learning that need further development. If your child needs extra support with their homework please contact a member of the Year 5 team (ideally at the end of the school day or via email).
Spellings
Spellings will be given to pupils on a Monday and tested the following Monday. These spellings will cover the Year 5 and 6 spelling curriculum. It is important that pupils are learning their spellings and we ask that you support your child with this. Spelling is a big part of the Year 5 assessment. 20 marks are dedicated to the spelling test within the GPS tests and children’s spelling is also taken into account within the GPS paper. In addition to this pupil’s spelling is taken into account when the overall judgement is given for writing.
Home Reading
In Year 5 children are given opportunities to change their reading books and we expect them to be independent enough to identify when they need to do this. If children are using the whole school reading books, we ask that they collect them on a Monday and return them on Friday. Free readers can changes books from the class reading area. It is essential this year that your child reads as frequently as possible to build their stamina for reading and we are looking for children to read at least three times a week at home – this should be recorded in their home reading record so they can get a house point. We understand that parents/carers live busy lives but any time you can spare to listen to your child really would be extremely beneficial. Any children who do not read at home will have the opportunity to do so on Friday lunchtimes to catch up on their reading. If your child has a book ‘on the go’ at home, they are welcome to bring it to school to read at independent reading time. Please also ensure that your child brings their home reading in a book bag rather than a rucksack as we have limited space in the classrooms for storage.
PE
Indoor PE: this takes place on a Monday afternoon for both classes. It is important that children have the correct, named kit for this: a white or blue plain t-shirt; black or blue shorts and black pumps.
Outdoor PE: this takes place on a Wednesday afternoon for both classes. It is important that children have the correct, named kit for this: a white or blue plain t-shirt; black or blue tracksuit bottoms; a plain black or blue sweatshirt and a pair of trainers. A member from Sports UK will take both PE sessions.
We are asking that on the days of PE, children bring the correct PE kit with them. They will change for PE before the lesson.
Water Bottles
To enable your child to have a drink of water we would encourage a named water bottle to be brought into school. Try to ensure your child’s bottle is a non-spill bottle. Bottles should be taken home daily to be cleaned.
Uniform
Please ensure that your child has the correct uniform (named so that it can be easily returned if lost), including black school shoes. Trainers are not a part of the school uniform and we ask that black shoes are worn. If your child does not have black school shoes they will be given black pumps to wear through the day. Children can wear trainers at playtimes and lunchtimes but these must be changed back to school shoes ready for returning to lessons.
Sanitiser
There are sanitiser stations outside every class and at all entrances to school. We will be reminding children to wash their hands regularly and sanitise their hands as often as possible. If children wish to bring their own sanitiser, this can be kept in their trays.