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 is like life in the Alps?

This term, our Year Five children will be learning all about what life is like in the Alps.

Amazing Alps!

Have you ever seen a picture of tall, snowy mountains that seem to touch the clouds?

Those might be the Alps — one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world!

Where Are the Alps?

The Alps stretch across eight countries in Europe!

These countries are:

• France

• Switzerland

• Italy

• Austria

• Germany

• Slovenia

• Liechtenstein

• Monaco

That’s a lot of countries! The Alps form a huge arc across central Europe, and they cover around 1,200 kilometres (that’s almost the same as travelling from London to Spain!).

How Were the Alps Made?

Millions of years ago, two massive plates of the Earth’s crust slowly pushed against each other.

When they collided, the land crumpled and rose up — forming mountains.

That’s how the Alps were born!

Even today, the Alps are still growing very slowly as the plates keep moving.

What’s the Weather Like?

The weather in the Alps changes a lot depending on where you are:

• In the valleys, it can be warm and sunny.

• On the mountain tops, it’s cold, windy, and snowy — even in summer!

Because of the snow, the Alps are perfect for skiing and snowboarding in winter.

Who Lives in the Alps?

People have lived in the Alps for thousands of years.

Some families live in small villages high in the mountains, while others live in busy towns in the valleys.

Farmers keep animals such as goats and cows. In summer, animals are taken up into the high meadows to eat the rich grass — this is called transhumance.

You’ll also find some amazing wildlife, like:

• Ibex – a type of wild goat with long, curving horns

• Chamois – a fast mountain antelope

• Marmots – cute, furry creatures that hibernate in winter

Why Are the Alps Important?

The Alps aren’t just beautiful — they’re also very important!

• They provide fresh water for millions of people.

• They’re home to lots of plants and animals that live nowhere else.

• They attract tourists who come to ski, hike, and enjoy nature.

Tourism brings money to the area, but it can also cause problems like pollution and damage to the environment. People are working hard to protect the Alps so they can stay special for the future.

Fun Facts!

 The tallest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc, on the border of France and Italy. It’s 4,808 metres tall!

 The word “Alps” comes from a Latin word meaning “high mountains.”

 You can travel through the Alps by car, train, or even cable car!

Click on the picture and see if you can answer the following questions:

1. How many countries do the Alps stretch across?

2. What are two of the animals that live in the Alps?

3. What is the name of the tallest mountain in the Alps?

4. What do farmers take their animals up into the mountains to do in summer?

5. What are two popular winter sports in the Alps?

Reciprocal Reading

Our New Reciprocal Reading Book: Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

We are very excited to share our new reciprocal reading book — Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo! This wonderful adventure story is full of mystery, courage, friendship, and survival. Even more excitingly, it’s also been made into a film, so you'll be able to see how the story comes to life on screen (at home) after we’ve read it together.

🏝️ Story Synopsis

Kensuke’s Kingdom tells the story of a boy named Michael who sets off on an incredible sailing adventure around the world with his parents and their dog, Stella Artois. Everything is going wonderfully until one stormy night, Michael falls overboard and finds himself washed up on a deserted island.

But the island isn’t as empty as it seems…

Michael soon discovers that he’s not alone. An old man named Kensuke has been living there for many years. At first, Kensuke wants nothing to do with Michael, but slowly, the two begin to form a strong and heart-warming friendship. Together, they learn from one another, share stories about their pasts, and find ways to survive — all while wondering if Michael will ever return home.

This story explores themes of friendship, survival, respect for nature, and understanding across cultures. It’s moving, exciting, and thought-provoking — the perfect book for group discussion!

Questions to Think About

1. How do you think Michael feels when he first wakes up on the island?

2. Why do you think Kensuke wants to stay hidden at first?

3. What do Michael and Kensuke learn from each other?

4. How does nature play an important role in the story?

5. If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you and why?

6. How do you think the film might be different from the book? What might it show more clearly?

Maths

🧮 Our Maths Learning Journey

Here’s what we’ll be learning in maths this half term!

🧮 What We’re Learning in Maths This Term

✨ Addition and Subtraction (1 week)
We’ll be solving real-life problems that need adding and taking away. We’ll think carefully about which method to use and why — becoming confident problem solvers!

✖️➗ Multiplication and Division (2 weeks)
We’ll be exploring how numbers are connected!
Children will learn about multiples, factors and prime numbers, and practise spotting patterns in numbers.
We’ll also multiply larger numbers (up to 4 digits!) and learn how to multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1000.

📏 Measurement (2 weeks)
We’ll be working with different units of measure — from millimetres to metres, and millilitres to litres!
We’ll also compare metric and imperial units, like centimetres and inches.
Children will measure the perimeter and area of shapes and even estimate the area of irregular ones.

🍰 Fractions (1 week)
We’ll be learning how some fractions are equivalent — they look different but mean the same thing!
We’ll also explore mixed numbers and improper fractions and practise changing between the two.

Answer the following questions:

Addition and Subtraction (1 week)

1. I have 245 marbles and I give 128 to my friend. How many do I have left?

2. There are 432 children at a school event. 215 are in the hall. How many are outside?

3. Solve this step-by-step: 156 + 289 – 123 = ?

4. Create your own addition or subtraction problem using numbers from your classroom.

Multiplication and Division (2 weeks)

Multiples & Factors:
5. List all the factors of 24.
6. Which of these numbers are multiples of 6: 12, 18, 25, 30?
7. Circle the prime numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Multiplication & Division Practice:
8. Multiply 234 × 6 using a written method.
9. Divide 456 ÷ 8.
10. Multiply 4,321 × 12 using long multiplication.
11. Divide 5,000 ÷ 100.

Measurement (2 weeks)

1. How many centimetres are in 5 metres?

2. A bottle has 2 litres of juice. How many millilitres is that?

3. Draw a shape and work out its perimeter.

4. Find the area of a rectangle that is 7m long and 3m wide.

5. Estimate the area of an irregular shape in your classroom.

Fractions (1 week)

1. Write two fractions that are equivalent to ½.

2. Change the improper fraction 7/4 into a mixed number.

3. Change the mixed number 2 3/5 into an improper fraction.

4. Add these fractions: 1/2 + 3/4 = ?

🌟 English: The Lost Happy Endings by Carol Ann Duffy 🌟

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

This story is about a young girl named Goldilocks—but not the one you might know from the fairy tale! In Carol Ann Duffy’s book, Goldilocks discovers a world where happy endings have been stolen. It’s up to her and some magical friends to help the characters from fairy tales get their happy endings back.

The story is full of magical creatures, funny moments, and exciting adventures. It also teaches us about kindness, courage, and the power of words and stories.

📝 Fun Facts

• Carol Ann Duffy is a famous poet and writer, and she has been the Poet Laureate of the UK.

• This book takes inspiration from classic fairy tales, but with a fun, modern twist.

• The story shows that everyone deserves a happy ending and that sometimes, you need a little bravery to make things right.

❓ Questions to Think About

1. Who is your favourite character so far, and why?

2. Why do you think the happy endings were lost?

3. How would you help the characters get their happy endings back?

4. Which part of the story made you feel happy, sad, or excited?

5. Can you imagine your own “lost happy ending”? What would it be?

🎬 Did You Know?

There are also illustrations and some parts of the story are so magical that it feels like watching a film!

Science

This term we are learning about: Materials: properties and changes.

Our unit outcomes are:

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?