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Red Kite - Y5/6
Welcome to Red Kite!
We are a year 5/6 class and you will find us in the second classroom from the main entrance, in the KS2 corridor.
Classroom LocationsOur teachers are Mr Tozer (Mon-Thurs) and Mrs Hatcher(Fri); our teaching assistants are Ms Sara Clifford and Mrs Khatri.
If you have any questions, you can email the teacher at
FPSredkite@palladianacademytrust.com
 Mr Steve Tozer, Red Kite Teacher |
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 Mrs Sara Clifford, Teaching Assistant |
 Mrs Emma Khatri, Teaching Assistant |
TERM 5
Term 5 has flown by and we were finally blessed with some nicer weather for our Forest School sessions, which the children were particularly grateful for. Our topic of ‘We are Botanists’ saw us start the term by planting cuttings to see what we could grow. We looked at how plants reproduce in science before progressing to studying the life cycles of some animals too. Our class read was the children’s classic ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ and in English we made use of a non-fiction text called ‘The Green Planet’. The children were fascinated to watch some extracts from the BBC series of the same name. In maths, we reviewed a wide range of topics in preparation for the upcoming assessments. Of course, term 5 is the time of the year when the year 6 children sit their SATs and so there were changes to the normal routine. I think most enjoyed their SATs breakfast and I was proud at the way that they focused and gave the best of themselves throughout. During this time, the year 5 children spent some time on a ‘This is your Life’ project and were able to reflect on their achievements, both in and out of school, up to the present day. In art, we looked at the work of an artist called Etel Adnan and used her simplistic style to think about colour mixing, shape and landscape design. The children progressed to replicating their artwork in DT, using materials and sewing skills in preparation for our art gallery event at the end of term. Red Kites have enjoyed developing their rounders skills this term and have shown a good team ethic, respect and encouragement throughout the lessons. We were also fortunate to have a full morning of internet safety learning in week 5. The presentation was insightful and educational and I hope the children have taken the time to think carefully about their digital footprint. Lastly, we were all so fortunate to enjoy a memorable trip to London. It was a long but unforgettable day and the pupils were a credit to the school. They were fascinated to visit The Houses of Parliament, to learn about its history and to see where The Queen had recently lain in state. We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed some time in St James’ Park watching the soldiers on parade before walking past Buckingham Palace to the theatre. ‘Wicked’ was an amazing spectacle which the children (and adults) thoroughly enjoyed. It will be over to year 6 to put on a similarly memorable show next term!
TERM 4
Term 4 has been another busy term jam-packed with great learning opportunities and events. Our topic of ‘We are Historians’ has seen the children finding out all about crime and punishment and how this developed through the different stages of British history. Our class read of ‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes enabled the children to learn a classic poem then rewrite it as a narrative story, incorporating vocabulary from the original text and their own descriptive details and ideas. Red Kites particularly enjoyed researching some real-life highwaymen and women and trying to separate the facts from the fiction. In science, we followed up our week on electrical circuits learning from term 3 with some investigation writing. The children made hypotheses; created fair tests; used observational skills and recorded their conclusions. In art we experimented with graffiti techniques and focused on the artist Keith Haring, using his contemporary style to create some similar fantastic and colourful designs. Red Kites have enjoyed being able to use our new yoga scheme of lessons this term. They have tried to improve their flexibility and an ability to control their breathing in order to feel calm and focused. In addition to this, they developed their volleyball skills and progressed on to playing some small team games. In the last week of term, the class PSHE lessons were based upon autism awareness and the children (and adults) spent time thinking about what makes all of us individual and special. In the last week of term we revisited the Easter story in RE and the week culminated with our traditional egg-rolling competition. Finally, let us not forget: the chance of playing in the snow; the school disco, and (for year 6) a trip to Bath for the tag tails tournament! We look forward now to some sunnier weather and a host of exciting opportunities in the summer term.
TERM 3
Term 3 has flown by but Red Kite Class have achieved so much in a short space of time. Our class read of ‘Moon Bear’ by Gill Lewis has driven much of our learning this term and the children have been captivated by the story and some of the environmental issues which are explored in the narrative. The children worked specifically on writing a persuasive letter against bear bile farming and they formulated some really effective arguments. In Geography we looked at different biomes across the world and explored how animals and plants adapted to survive in these different environments. In art we had fun completing symmetrical animal images using a range of mediums. The children have enjoyed creating their own ‘stomp’ type dances this term, using body percussion and working collaboratively in preparation to perform their piece in front of an audience. In addition to this, they developed their basketball skills and progressed on to playing some small team games. In the last week of term, the focus was on internet safety and ensuring that the children were able to talk about their online experiences, communicating any concerns when appropriate. They also combined their Science and DT learning by designing and building sensor pad alarm systems using their knowledge of electrical circuits. The term culminated in a virtual Q and A session with Gill Lewis, the author of Moon Bear. The class compiled some thought-provoking questions for Gill and she was able to share her creative ideas and techniques, hopefully inspiring some future authors in the process. All in all, it was a highly successful and memorable term.
| Term 2 |
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After the half-term break, the children came back to school to an exciting new topic: ‘We are Voyagers.’ In Red Kite Class, we looked in depth at The Solar System. We investigated such things as the sequence of the planets, the moon phases and seasonal changes. Our class book in Term 2 was ‘Sky Hawk’ by Gill Lewis, a brilliant story about nature and friendship. We spent time researching different birds of prey and wrote non-chronological reports to present the information. The children also wrote some great poems, using birds of prey as their inspiration. Continuing with the theme, in DT, the children created wooden bird mobiles. They learned new skills and showed teamwork and perseverance when things became challenging. In this term, to their credit, Red Kite also braved some rather cold and wet Forest School sessions. In November, some of the year 5 children were involved in a fantastic operatic performance of ‘Moon Hares’ at The Wiltshire Music Centre. To finish the term we had a themed Christmas week where the children enjoyed Christmas crafts and carol singing at the church. They also considered how Christmas traditions might relate to the original nativity story. A happy and healthy Christmas break is well-deserved! |
| Term 1 |
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We started the year by focusing on and establishing routines and expectations. The children worked hard towards improving their presentation and being consistently organised and ready with the correct equipment. Our topic was ‘We are Investigators’ and we spent time discovering the ancient Mayan civilisation and learning about their lifestyles and beliefs. In science, we studied inheritance and evolution and investigated how offspring vary from their parents. Our English lessons were based upon the fantastic book ‘The Girl of Ink and Stars’ by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. The children produced some focused narrative and diary writing, adapted from the plot and characters in the story. In DT, we created and painted some interesting clay masks in the style of The Ancient Mayans. The obvious highlight of Term 1 for year 6 was the residential trip to Plas Pencelli. The children showed resilience and courage by successfully partaking in a number of outdoor activities, such as caving, climbing and canoeing. In September, all of the children were excited to be able to visit The Bath Literature Festival where they met Jennifer Killick, a renowned children’s author. All in all, it was a very busy but fun-packed term. |
Documents
| RedKite |
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| Long Term Plan 2022 23 Y56 |