7 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3RR
Year 5 - Forest and Sage
Welcome to Year 5.
Our Teachers are Mrs Bland and Miss Holdstock and our Teaching Assistants are Mrs Yiu and Miss Felgueiras.
9th October 2026
In Year 5, we are well and truly in the swing of things now as we wrap up Week 6, and it has been another busy week in class.
First up, swimming has resumed. The children did a fantastic job getting back into the pool, but we are still in need of a few extra parent volunteers to help accompany Forest class on our weekly sessions. If you have an hour or two to spare on a Friday afternoon and are able to lend a hand, please do get in touch with us, as your help makes these trips possible.
In maths, we have been sharpening our calculation skills by tackling the pyramid method for both multiplication and division. While in English, we have brought our unit on the Ancient Greek Olympics to a close. The children worked hard to finish their non-chronological reports, showing off brilliant historical knowledge alongside fantastic, informative writing.
A huge highlight of our week was taking part in an exciting national event: a Guinness World Record reading challenge happening across the UK. We love reading in Year 5, so we jumped at the chance to try and help break a world record!
Finally, as autumn rolls in, the weather is certainly getting a little cooler. Please remember to send your child into school with a fleece, jumper, or coat each day so they can stay warm during outdoor play and breaks.
2nd October 2026
Welcome to this week's Year 5 blog! It has been another busy and exciting week across both of our classes.
In maths, we have been diving into the world of decimals. The children have been working hard to understand place value, comparing decimal numbers, and converting between fractions and decimals. Our English lessons took us back in time to ancient Greece, where we have been researching and writing about the original Olympic Games. The children loved learning about the different events, the rules, and how the ancient games compare to the modern Olympics we watch today.
In design and technology, we carry on painting our moving toys. The children have put a lot of effort into designing a variety of backgrounds, and adding a splash of color has really brought their mechanisms to life.
Finally, we had a fantastic computing lesson with Eduthing. The children learned to code model trains using different coloured tiles to make them move in specific directions, change speed, and perform actions. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and problem-solving skills in action during such a hands-on activity.
25th September 2026
It has been another productive week in Year 5, filled with learning, lively debate, and memorable moments both inside and outside the classroom.
In maths, the children have been grappling with negative numbers and sharpening their rounding skills. They have worked hard to understand how numbers move past zero on number lines, as well as mastering the rules for rounding.
Our English lessons have reached an exciting climax as we finished our class reader, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Inspired by the story, the pupils turned their attention to writing discussion texts addressing the crucial question of whether Origami Yoda can truly predict the future or if it is all just 'a hoax'. The class produced some wonderfully structured arguments, weighing up the evidence with impressive critical thinking.
History took a hands-on turn this week as we explored the Ancient Greek Olympics. To bring the topic to life, we headed outdoors to run our very own Year 5 Games. A special thank you must go to Ms Bland, who took on the role of announcer and demonstrator with great spirit, guiding the children through the events and keeping everyone thoroughly entertained.
We rounded off the week on Friday by celebrating Languages Day. The children arrived dressed to represent different flags from around the globe. To make the day even more special, we were fortunate enough to welcome a guest parent who gave a brilliant presentation on Spain, sharing insights into Spanish culture, language, and tradition. It was a wonderful way to broaden our horizons and celebrate the diverse world around us.
18th September 2026
Last week we kicked things off by heading down to the pool to get everyone in the water. Today is extra special as they had their very first proper swimming lesson, and it will be fantastic to see everyone building their confidence in the water. Speaking of swimming, we are still desperately looking for parental volunteers to help accompany Forest Class to their sessions. We have not had any offers yet, so if you have a spare couple of hours and can lend a hand, please do get in touch with us as your support makes a huge difference.
Back in the classroom, the children have been unleashing their creativity as we dive deeper into our history topic on the Ancient Greeks. They have started drawing out the designs for their Ancient Greek mechanical shoe boxes, which are beginning to look brilliant. Our history and oracy lessons are both still focused on the Ancient Greeks too, leading to some brilliant discussions.
In maths, our main focus this week has been place value. The children have been working hard to master understanding numbers up to 1,000,000 and how digits hold their value, laying a really solid foundation for the rest of the term.
On a lighter note, the Origami Yoda craze is still going strong in Year 5! The children absolutely love the story. It has been lovely to see them so enthusiastic and working together.
12th September 2026
Welcome to the first blog post of the term! I cannot believe we are already at the end of week two, but the children have settled into Year 5 brilliantly and we have had a fantastic couple of weeks getting stuck into our new topics.
Our English has had a Star Wars feel to it as we have started reading The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. The class loved following the story, so much so that we decided to try our hand at making our very own origami Yodas. It was a test of fine motor skills, but everyone persevered and we now have a brilliant fleet of paper Jedi Masters to go home.
In history, we have stepped back in time to learn all about the Ancient Greeks. We have been exploring when this fascinating civilisation existed on a timeline and discussing how their ideas still influence our world today. On top of that, we have just started planning our design and technology projects, and the children are already full of inventive ideas that I cannot wait to see come to life over the next few weeks.
Outside the classroom, In P.E, we are focusing on tennis this term, so we have been working hard on our movement, racket control, and keeping our eyes on the ball.
It has been a busy, fun-filled start to the year and I am so proud of how well the class have adapted to the expectations of Year 5. Thank you for all your support at home already, and check back soon to see what else we get up to this term!