Year 5/6

Welcome to the Year 5/6 page.

Our Year 5 and 6 classes, consisting of Lobsters, Swordfish and Stingrays, are designed to create a vibrant, mixed-age learning environment. These classes share a spacious, collaborative working area that promotes teamwork and creative exploration. Additionally, we have a dedicated spare classroom for tailored interventions, focusing on meeting the individual needs of every child.

The children also have access to a secluded garden area, which they help to care for, fostering responsibility and a connection to nature. We take great pride in our exciting and practical curriculum, which not only provides students with essential knowledge of the world around them but also equips them with valuable skills for the future.

While we adopt a mixed-age class setup, core subjects, such as Reading and Maths, are taught in discrete year groups to ensure that all learning objectives are fully covered and that each child's specific needs are met. This structure allows us to provide a balanced, targeted approach to education that supports all learners.

Meet the Team

We are proud to have a dedicated team, committed to supporting the learning of our children:

-         Lobsters: Mrs Robinson (Class Teacher/Wider Leadership Team) and Mrs Hart (Class Teacher)

-         Swordfish: Mrs Chilcott (Class Teacher)

-         Stingrays: Mrs Rutherford (Class Teacher)and Miss Gilbert (Class Teacher/Wider Leadership Team)

Support Staff:

-         Mrs Brown (HLTA)

-         Mrs Washbrook (HLTA)

-         Mrs Welch (Teaching Assistant)

-         Mrs Trezise (Teaching Assistant)

-         Mrs Bridges (1:1 Teaching Assistant)

-         Mrs Goodinson (1:1 Teaching Assistant)

-         Mrs Tuttle (1:1 Teaching Assistant)

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Learning Enquiries – Our Curriculum

Learning enquiries in the Year 5/6 curriculum play a crucial role in helping children engage deeply with a variety of topics. By structuring both long and short enquiries, the curriculum allows for a balanced approach, where they explore key concepts in depth while also broadening their understanding through a range of subjects.

Long Enquiries: These are in-depth, multi-faceted topics that span a half term or longer. They provide ample time to explore the subject from different angles and make cross-curricular connections.

Short Enquiries: These are typically more focused topics or themes that can be explored within a few weeks. They our allow children to dive into specific aspects of a larger theme or subject, supporting rapid development of key skills.

Trips and Visitors: Where possible, trips and visitors are planned to enrich the enquiry process by providing real-world connections to the topics being studied. For example, a visit to a local museum (Brixham Battery when studying WWII), the local environment (visits to the harbour to look at architecture) or inviting a guest speaker such as a scientist or historian can deepen students' understanding and make the learning more tangible.

Cross-Curricular Links: The integration of subjects like reading, writing, and maths with the main enquiry topic ensures that children develop a wide range of skills. For instance, while studying the environment (a geography topic), students can be involved in reading about climate change (reading) and writing persuasive arguments about the importance of protecting the planet (writing).

This approach not only encourages a deeper understanding of the subject matter but also fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills among children. By making learning engaging and interconnected, it allows our children to be better equipped to see the relevance of what they are studying in the world around them.

For a detailed overview of our Year A and Year B curriculum topics, please look at the long-term plans provided.

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Year 6 Residential:

Each year, the Year 6 children are invited to attend a 3-day,2-night residential in Plymouth where they spend a night ‘Sleeping with the Sharks’ at Plymouth Aquarium and two days taking part in adventurous activities, like bell-boating and archery, at the Mountbatten Centre. This residential trip is a great way to develop confidence, teamwork, and essential life skills while offering a memorable experience that children will cherish.

Overall Intent:

In Year 5 and 6, our goal is to cultivate an educational environment where children not only develop a strong academic foundation but also grow into confident, responsible, and empathetic individuals. Through initiatives like Bikeability, the Civic Award and various leadership roles—such as Play Leaders, Citizenship Council members, Library Monitors, IT Monitors, and Assembly Monitors—children are encouraged to take on responsibilities that enhance their character and life skills. These experiences promote teamwork, leadership, and a sense of community, ensuring that our children leave primary school as lifelong learners, capable global citizens with high aspirations and a well-rounded outlook on life.