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Year Class 5
Teacher: Mrs A Horton BA (Hons)
I have a degree in English & History from De Montfort University and then did PGCE at Bishop Grossesteste College in Lincoln. I am subject leader for Multicultural education and Music. I also lead work with the school council.
2008 News (updated September 2008)
Hello to everyone and welcome to Year5! Looking at my register for this year I see many surnames that are familiar, as I believe that I have taught about a third of the year group's older siblings in previous years. Whether you are an ‘old' face or indeed a new one I would like to take this opportunity of welcoming you and your child into year 5.
A little bit about myself… this will be my fifth year of teaching, and my third in year 5, and all of them at Burgh! My specialisms are English and History and I am responsible for Music and Multicultural Education throughout the school and also I lead the school council. I am married with three children, 20, 18 and 13, so know, all too well, what it is like to be a parent, with all the anxieties that go along with it. I am looking forward to forming a partnership with you and your child so that we can make year 5 a good and progressive learning experience. It is a busy year with lots of exciting things happening throughout which will bring new experiences and challenges for your child, and of course, it is an important year, the penultimate before your child leaves Burgh School, so we will be looking forward to, and getting ready for, the next stage in your child's education.
In addition, this year the whole school will be teaching to a new creative curriculum. Which means that the childrens learning will be linked as much as possible through a central topic. The overall topic for the whole school for Term 1 is ‘Through the Ages' and for Term 2 ‘Machines'. In year 5, I have linked the two terms and hence our topic will be ‘The Victorians'. As such your child will be learning about Victorian life and some Victorian inventions between now and Christmas.
What is different this year is the linking of the subjects, so you will find that your child is learning about DT through looking at Bridge designs (linked to Brunel), and then making their own bridge. Similarly, Science (Earth, Sun and Moon) will be linked to what the Victorians knew about the universe and inventions of the telescope, and later, after half term, your child will be investigating how light works through making Victorian magic lanterns. Music will be linked to Holst's ‘Planet Suite' with some composition work and then, later in the term, to the role of the Victorian music hall. Art will be linked to Victorian inventions and machines and printing, and again, later in the term, to puppetry and a Victorian puppet theatre. The humanities of History and Geography will be taught by looking at Burgh through Victorian times, especially the railway and the Victorian use of the railway. Also your child will learn about the British Empire and through this, the geographical placing of countries, and some of their key features. Towards Christmas your child will be exploring what a Victorian Christmas would have been like. In ICT your child will learn how to make a PowerPoint presentation on the changes in the railways between Victorian times and today and also to use animation to create their own moving machine. In PSHE we will cover many issues including, social and class status, the slave trade, attitudes towards others and stealing.
Literacy will be linked over the entire two terms and the children will have the opportunity to read ‘Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, much of your child's Literacy work will come from this book, starting with setting and character and, later in the term, moving on to explanatory texts, play scripts and stories from other cultures. Also your child will read some Victorian poetry and, as a consequence, write their own poems.
Maths will be taught discreetly except where explicit links can be made (for example using measures to find out distances between countries in the British Empire or comparing populations and creating graphs and charts).
Games and PE – All of the children will be studying Multi Skills this term. In addition we have Lara from Skegness Grammar School coming in to teach hockey. All the children will get chance to take part in this, with one half of the class taking part up to half term and the other half taking part after half term. Your child will be told in class which group they are in.
All children will need both indoor and outdoor PE kits . Outdoor kits should consist of suitable warm clothing (either a tracksuit or warm jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt, different to their normal classroom attire. In addition, your child will need a pair of trainers for playground use – plimsolls are not suitable for outdoor use). I would ask that both kits (indoor and outdoor) are brought to school on a Monday morning and taken home for washing on a Friday afternoon.
Homework - Homework will be given out on a weekly basis. This term, due to my PPA time being on a Friday afternoon, I will be giving out homework on a Thursday. I usually expect homework to be returned on Monday morning, giving me time to mark it, if appropriate, or to be in school for use in lessons, if research based. On occasions I may ask for homework to be given in at a different time but your child will always be informed if this is the case. The best policy is, unless I state otherwise, homework is to be brought in on a Monday . Completed homework should be either written straight into the homework book, or, if on an activity sheet, completed and stuck into the book at home. As the year progresses your child will build up a record of their homework; this becomes a nice memento when they leave Year 5.
I am very much looking forward to working with you and your child this year. Year 5 is a hard-working year, with plenty of concentrated focus needed, but we have some exciting topics to study and, as ever, along the way there will be lots of fun I am sure!
If you have any concerns at all do not hesitate to make an appointment to see me.
Mrs A. Horton (Year 5 Teacher) |
