Term 4 

Indian Tigers have continued with their topic of Sow, Grow and Farm, exploring agriculture and land use and the factors that affect framing and location.

English

Our main focus for this term has been diary writing. Adopting a Talk for Writing approach, the class has been looking at the features required for diary writing, including tone and correct tense. Much of the discussion has been on the different narrative of a story and a diary and how they differ in their content. The focus of the writing has been how an informal tone and emotive language can be applied to a diary and how the writer employs opinion and reaction. This allows the children to apply their personality to their writing.  We have also looked at the constructs of writing such a piece by exploring dilemma and resolution. The children have also been encouraged to share their ideas and offer each other constructive feedback on ways to edit and improve.

Maths

This term maths has primarily focussed on fractions, decimals and percentages. They have been looking at how fractions are represented as part of a whole as well as how to calculate equivalent fractions as well as how to convert mixed numbers and improper fractions. Calculation has included finding fractions of a whole amount in addition to the addition and subtraction of fractions, whole numbers and mixed numbers.

Further to this, the children have been looking at the relationship between fractions, decimals and percentages, developing their understanding of how they are linked. They have identified decimal place value and how tenths, hundredths and thousandths can be expressed as a decimal, fraction or percentage.

Science

As part of our topic, Indian Tigers have been studying food webs and life cycles. They have explored how living things depend on each other for food and survival, beginning with simple food chains such as plants being eaten by herbivores, which are then eaten by carnivores. Through discussions, videos, and creative activities, the children have developed an understanding of key terms like “producer,” “consumer,” and “predator.”

In addition, the class has been investigating life cycles of different animals. They have learned how living things grow and change over time, identifying stages such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death. By linking food chains with life cycles, pupils are beginning to understand how ecosystems work as a whole. They are developing curiosity about nature and learning to appreciate the balance that exists in the environment. This topic has also supported their scientific vocabulary, observation skills, and ability to explain processes clearly.

Geography

In recent lessons, the children have been learning about agricultural land use and how land is used for different types of farming. They explored the difference between arable farming (growing crops) and pastoral farming (raising animals), and discussed why certain types of farming are suited to particular environments. The children also considered how factors such as climate, soil, and location influence land use.

Alongside this, the class has been developing their map skills. They have learned how to read simple maps, use keys and symbols, and understand basic features such as roads, fields, and rivers as well as using grid refences to locate farming locations. The children have also practised identifying different land uses on maps and linking them to real-world examples.

P.E.

This term, children have developed their skills in both football and handball. In football, they have focused on dribbling, passing and maintaining possession, as well as understanding basic tactics such as positioning and teamwork. In handball, pupils have learned how to pass and catch accurately, move into space, and applying strategies during small-sided games. Across both activities, there has been a strong emphasis on communication, cooperation, and fair play. The children have shown great enthusiasm and have made excellent progress in building confidence, improving coordination, and working effectively in collaboration.

Year 5 were also lucky to receive a visit from Adrian Crust, a community coach from the Kent Cricket Foundation. The children were provided with opportunities to practise fielding, catching, throwing and batting. These sessions, as well as incorporating further skills were also fun activities which were thoroughly enjoyed.

Term 3 

This term in Indian Tigers, we began our exciting new topic, ‘Sow, Grow and Farm’. To introduce the unit, we explored different types of land use across the United Kingdom, focusing on agriculture; including how these are best suited to a location and what the various farming methods are as well as the food webs to be found in various habitats.

Maths:
In Maths, we recently completed our unit on fractions. This included adding and subtracting fractions with the same or equivalent denominators, mixed numbers and improper fractions, as well as multiplying integers by non-unit fractions. We have now moved on to short division, using our knowledge of multiplication facts when dividing amounts and being able to express remainders.

English:
In English, we researched how allotments contribute to land use and explored the many benefits they provide to communities across the country. Using our research, we wrote detailed non-chronological reports covering topics such as physical and mental wellbeing, historical significance, and rules and regulations. We are now learning about the key features of diary writing and are planning to write our own diary entries.

Science:
In Science, we have been learning key vocabulary related to life cycles and exploring the meaning of these terms. We have also started investigating the different stages within life cycles and can identify the phases of these processes.

Computing:
In Computing, we have begun developing our skills in evaluating and creating videos. We started by learning about different shot types, which included close-ups, mid-range shots and long shots as well as a variety of camera angles. This enabled us to create engaging and effective content.

Term 2 

As a class, Indian Tigers have approached their learning this term with diligence and enthusiasm. Children have demonstrated an increased interest in their studies and have made strong progress across the curriculum.

English:
This term, children explored the concept of time travel and created imaginative narratives centred on being transported back to the Shang Dynasty in Ancient China. Their creativity was evident in the many thoughtful and engaging ideas they developed. In developing their writing skills, children focused on producing vivid and atmospheric pieces of work. They incorporated a range of grammatical and stylistic features, including fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases, similes, metaphors, and subordinate clauses. As a class, handwriting has shown significant improvement, with children demonstrating increasing care and consistency in their presentation.

Mathematics:
In Mathematics, children studied several key areas, including multiples, factors, prime numbers, square numbers, and cube numbers. A strong understanding of multiplication facts proved particularly beneficial in supporting their learning. More recently, the class has focused on fractions, developing confidence in converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers. Children have also strengthened their understanding of equivalent fractions and have begun to apply this knowledge when adding fractions and mixed numbers.

Physical Education:
This term, children participated in two different sporting activities. In basketball, they focused on developing skills such as creating space and improving shooting accuracy. In addition, they took part in a range of Outdoor Adventure Activities (OAA), which required teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking. Coordinating ideas and forming clear plans during fast-paced games proved challenging at first; however, children gradually recognised the importance of both effective communication and attentive listening in achieving success.

Topic:
In their topic work, children continued to study the Shang Dynasty, learning about the role of religion in Chinese society and how it influenced daily life. They also explored the work of craftsmen and how materials such as silk and jade were used creatively. A visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum enriched this learning experience, providing children with the opportunity to see artefacts made from silk and jade firsthand, deepening their understanding of the period.

Term 1 ,2025-26

This term, Indian Tigers have worked very hard and made a great start to Year 5. Our topic of ‘Dynamic Dynasties’ has focused on the civilisations of Ancient China.

English:

In English, our focus has been on narrative poetry. We began by exploring a traditional Chinese folktale and then looked at a poem that had been adapted from that story. We then read a second Chinese folktale and used it as inspiration to create our own poems. We also enjoyed learning the poems through actions and role play, which helped bring the stories to life. Throughout the unit, we worked on using figurative language—especially metaphors and similes—to strengthen our writing. The children produced some excellent poems, some of which were shared during celebration assemblies. We look forward to building on this next term.

Maths:

This term, our work in Maths has centred on understanding place value in numbers up to five digits. We explored the value of each digit and practised rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and even 100,000. The children learned a helpful rounding rhyme to support their understanding, and we used plenty of concrete resources to make the concepts clearer. We also built on our addition and subtraction skills, tackling multi-step problems that really challenged our thinking.

History:

In History, our topic Dynamic Dynasties has linked beautifully with our English work and will continue into next term so we can explore it in greater depth. We began by constructing a detailed timeline of the major Ancient Chinese dynasties, which helped us understand how each period fits into the wider history of China. Our main focus this term has been the Shang Dynasty, where we examined a variety of fascinating artefacts. The children learned about oracle bones and how they were used in divination ceremonies to seek guidance from ancestors. We are now looking forward to our trip to the V&A Museum, where we hope to discover even more about this remarkable period of history.

P.E:

This term, we’ve been developing our skills in tag rugby and indoor gymnastics. In tag rugby, the children have shown great perseverance and teamwork as they learned how to pass, move into space, and evade members of the opposing team. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow with each session. During indoor gymnastics, the pupils have been exploring counterbalance and tension, working carefully with partners to create stable and controlled shapes. They have also been practising balances, jumps, and rolls, linking movements smoothly to form short sequences. The children should feel very proud of their effort, focus, and positive attitude throughout.

Term 6 2024-25

Year 4 have continued our studies on Ancient Civilisations by focusing on the history of Ancient Egypt. Now that we have studied two ancient civilisations, we have noticed their similarities and differences. A highlight of the term was visiting the British Museum. We saw lots of artefacts from Ancient Sumer and Ancient Egypt and it really brought our learning to life.

English:

We have created two main pieces of writing this term inspired by our History work. Firstly, we learned about the Egyptian process of mummification. Once we understood the process, we wrote this as a set of instructions. The class set the instructions out with an equipment list, a method with numbered steps and used specific topic vocabulary. After we finished our set of instruction, we moved our focus to persuasive letters. We studied some examples before drafting our own to the British Museum. We came up with reasons as to why the British Museum should return the Rosetta Stone to Egypt. We set this out as a letter to try to convince them. We have written some very persuasive letters.

Maths:

We began Term 6 with our long-awaited multiplication check. The class have worked hard all year on learning their times tables and I am very proud of their effort. The majority of the class scored highly with some even getting full marks. This hard work will really pay off in their understanding of Year 5 Maths.

More recently in Maths, we have studied fractions. The class have learned to convert improper fractions to mixed numbers. They have learned how to add and subtract fractions and are starting to apply this knowledge to reasoning problems.

Other news

In Art, the class enjoyed learning about sculpture and each child created their own statuette. Our figures were inspired by Sumerian statuettes. Firstly, the children made a wire armature to help create a sturdy framework. Next, they sculpted the clay around this framework to make a human shape. When they dried, we painted them.

We enjoyed having a second trip this term when we visited the synagogue. This trip helped consolidate our RE work this year about Judaism. The class were able to ask lots of questions and see real objects they had learned about in lessons.

As part of Jubilee University, we learned about First Aid. The class learned how to call for help in an emergency using the acronym ‘LIONEL’ to pass on key information. They learned how to put someone in the recovery position if they lose consciousness, how to tie a sling to keep an injured arm from further damage and how to help if someone is choking.