Class Teacher: Mrs Whillock (Monday - Wednesday) and Mrs Cruchley (Thursday and Friday)

Teaching Assistant: Mrs Phillips

Class Governor: Mr R. Arthur

PTFA Link: Mrs Powell

Year Five Topic: What caused the Battle of Evesham?

The Battle of Evesham

This half term, Year 5 will be travelling back in time to learn about the Battle of Evesham, an important event in medieval England.

What was the Battle of Evesham?

The Battle of Evesham took place in 1265 between King Henry III and a group of powerful barons led by Simon de Montfort. They were arguing about who should have power in England and how the country should be ruled.

Who was Simon de Montfort?

Simon de Montfort was a noble who believed that the king should listen to others and not rule alone.

Did you know?
Simon de Montfort helped create one of the earliest parliaments, where people could have a say in how the country was run.

Why did the battle happen?

The barons were unhappy with King Henry III because they felt he:

• Made unfair decisions

• Spent too much money

• Did not listen to advice

This disagreement eventually led to fighting.

What happened at the Battle of Evesham?

The battle was fought near the town of Evesham. King Henry III’s son, Prince Edward, led the king’s army and defeated Simon de Montfort.

⚔️ Key fact:
Simon de Montfort was killed during the battle, and the king regained control of England.

Why is the Battle of Evesham important?

Although Simon de Montfort lost the battle, his ideas about fairness and sharing power lived on.

Key fact:
The Battle of Evesham helped shape the future of Parliament and democracy in England.

What will we be learning?

During this unit, we will:

• Ask questions about the past

• Learn about cause and consequence

• Use historical sources to find out what happened

• Place events in chronological order

Reciprocal Reading

This half term in Year 5, we will be using reciprocal reading to help us understand our class text, Wonder by R.J. Palacio.

Reciprocal reading helps us become active readers who think carefully about what we read, talk about books and explain our ideas clearly.

Story Synopsis

Wonder is about a boy called August (Auggie) Pullman, who was born with a facial difference. After being homeschooled for many years, Auggie starts school for the first time in Year 5.

The story shows Auggie’s experiences at school and how he learns to deal with challenges, friendships and unkind behaviour. It is told from different characters’ viewpoints, helping us understand how people can see the same situation in different ways.

Questions to Think About#

🔮 Predict

• What do you think will happen when Auggie starts school?

• How might other children react to Auggie?

• What clues has the author given us about future events?

❓ Question

• Why is Auggie nervous about starting school?

• How do other characters treat Auggie at different points in the story?

• Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from different viewpoints?

🧩 Clarify

• Are there any words or sections you found tricky?

• What does “facial difference” mean in this story?

• Why might some characters behave unkindly?

📝 Summarise

• What were the main events in this chapter?

• How have the characters changed so far?

• What is the most important message in this part of the story?

Key Vocabulary

We will be learning and using these key words:

• Facial difference – a condition that makes someone’s face look different

• Empathy – understanding and sharing how someone else feels

• Perspective – a way of seeing or thinking about something

• Acceptance – welcoming others for who they are

• Bullying – repeated unkind behaviour towards someone

• Resilience – being able to cope and keep going when things are hard

• Friendship – a caring and supportive relationship

🌟 English: Arthur and the Golden Rope by Joe Todd-Stanton 🌟

We are excited to start reading The Lost Happy Endings by Carol Ann Duffy, a magical story full of adventure, hope, and a little bit of mischief!

Click on the picture above to hear the story.

📖 About the Story

Arthur and the Golden Rope follows young, bookish Arthur Brownstone in a Norse myth adventure where the giant wolf Fenrir extinguishes his village's vital fire; he journeys to the land of the Viking gods to find help, leading him to team up with Thor, who tasks him with creating a magical Golden Rope from rare ingredients (like a cat's footfall and mountain roots) to bind Fenrir, proving the unlikely, quiet hero can save his home and become a legendary figure in his family's history

📝 Fun Facts

• It is based on a Norse myth: The story is a retelling of the Norse myth of the binding of the monstrous wolf, Fenrir, who is the son of Loki.
• The hero is an "unlikely" type: Arthur is a small, curious, bookish boy from an Icelandic town, not a typical muscular warrior, proving that even a small person can be a hero.
• The story has a narrator within the book: The tale is framed by a modern-day character, Professor Brownstone, who reveals Arthur is his ancestor.
• The book is a blend of styles: It comfortably straddles the line between a traditional picture book and a graphic novel, making it appealing to a wide range of young readers.
• The artwork is highly detailed: The book is known for its "sumptuously illustrated" pages and double-page spreads, including a particularly detailed illustration of a massive, teetering library in the gods' hall.

❓ Questions to Think About

1. Which character(s) can you relate to and why?

2. How do you think the story will end?

3. What values does Arthur show in the tale?

4. What is the moral of the story?

Science- Earth and Space

By the end of this unit, pupils will be able to:

Describe the geocentric and heliocentric models.

Name and describe the shape of celestial bodies.

Describe the orbits of celestial bodies in the Solar System and name the force that keeps them in their orbits.

Describe the orbit of the Moon around the Earth and its phases.

Explain how day and night occur.

Explain how the seasons occur.

Explain how a sundial works.

List some of the uses of satellites and explain why space junk poses a problem to them.

When working scientifically, pupils will be able to:

Pose and identify testable questions about the movement of the celestial bodies in our Solar System.

Use a model to represent the Solar System.

Design and draw a table to record data on moons.

Accurately draw day and night and seasons diagrams.

Calibrate a sundial using a compass and torch and use it to measure time.

Analyse patterns in temperature data for the Earth and use them to predict temperature values for the Earth in the future.

Our class author is Michael Morpurgo. 

Click on the picture of him to see his website.

Have you read any of his books?

Which book is your favourite?