Miss Fernyhough: Flame Class Teacher (Monday to Wednesday).
2/6
Mr Gude: Gingko Class Teacher.
3/6
Mr Tye: Trumpet Tree Class Teacher.
5/6
WELCOME
to the
YEAR 5 and 6 CLASSES:
Flame, Gingko and Trumpet
Mayor Making Ceremony
2025
Just before half-term, The Grove once again had the honour of being invited to the annual Mayor making ceremony at the Guild Hall. Charlotte, Zoya and Loveday (photographed) were all selected by the Year 5 and 6 teachers to attend the occasion following a Totnes poetry competition. All three girls produced some beautiful poetry and did a wonderful job of reading their compositions in front of everyone in the Guild Hall. Afterwards, they were treated to a super buffet to celebrate the day.
Year 5 Residential
2025
Trip to Plymouth University
This half-term, we have had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Plymouth University campus and give the children a taste of what further education looks like in the local area.
Included in the trip was the chance to get up close to a variety of invertebrates before embarking on a full tour of the campus. The children also got to take a close look at the oceanography facility, viewing the wave-making machine and the university's current work on producing sea-based wind energy. To finish the day, the children also got to design their own ideal university course!
Tree Planting at Sharpham
This spring term, year 5 and 6 have been given the fantastic opportunity of planting sapling trees out at Sharpham. Flame have already been out to do their planting, and Gingko and Trumpet will follow along soon.
This is a brilliant opportunity for the pupils to do their part in looking after the planet, creating a legacy for generations that come after them. More photographs will follow shortly!
Residential 2024 Y6
English
In English this half-term, the children will be sharpening their writing skills by writing in different genres. Now that we are approaching the end of the year, post SATs, the year sixes will have their writing assessed to run alongside their maths and reading results when they arrive in July.
As English is very often used to 'write through' the topics we study in science and the humanities, the half-term will begin with a non-chronological report where the children will create/design their very own imaginary animal. This will include providing facts about its habitat, discovery and diet. Writing in this manner couples fun and imagination while children get to incorporate elements of their science learning centre around classification and evolution.
To complete the writing phase, the year 5s and 6s will then create a diary entry and final narrative based on what they have been learning in Chile as part of our geography topic. We are really looking forward to reading what this gifted cohort come up with!
Freewrites/Creative Writing
Throughout the six weeks of this second summer half-term, the children will be given the opportunity to 'freewrite' on a weekly basis.
This might entail them being given a photograph to write a story about, or a non-fiction task where they might have to create a report on an animal (for example).
The freewrite is designed to help children maintain their skills in writing and enable them to become better writers as they prepare for the transition to secondary school.
In maths this summer term, the children will be revisiting some of the areas of maths that they have been studying since September. This incorporates a good deal of retrieval practice and allows pupils to go back over things that they may have forgotten.
These areas will include:
- place value
- rounding
- multiplication/division skills
- fractions (particularly addition and subtraction of fractions with different denominators)
- BODMAS (order of operations)
While year 6 prepare for their end of term leavers' performance, year 5 will sit a short maths assessment to allow the teachers to determine their progress ahead of report writing.
Geography:
Chile
Having already studied the home countries this year, the children will now have the opportunity to take a look at a country on a different continent - Chile.
Throughout the topic, the children will practise their skills in working with atlases (both on and offline) in order to learn more about Chile and its place in the world. Areas of learning will cover the following:
- Atlas work
- Knowledge retrieval on previously learned facts - e.g. continents, oceans, compass points/directions
- Chilean cultures and customs
- The resources that are produced in Chile
As mentioned in the above English section, much of the what the children learn in this topic will be showcased in their learning logs.
Anne Boleyn and Henry
1/6
Anne Boleyn and Henry
2/6
Anne Boleyn and Henry
3/6
Anne Boleyn and Henry
4/6
Anne Boleyn and Henry
5/6
Anne Boleyn and Henry
6/6
This half-term's art sequence will be based on the African-American sculptor, Kimmy Cantrell. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Kimmy is famous for his imperfect sculptures based on fish, still life and masks. Originally inspired by African art, Kimmy has produced a multitude of different designs.
As part of the art sequence, the children will get to design their own Viking style mask using the same techniques adopted by Kimmy in his own artwork. We look forward to seeing these colourful results very soon!
Personal Social Health Mental Economic
PSHME (Personal, Social, Health, Mental, Economic) is colloquially known as 'Team Grove' here at the Grove School.
This half-term's learning will include the following aspects:
- How to plan a healthy meal.
- How to maintain good dental health.
- How to benefit from and stay safe in the sun.
- How to respect that habits can be both healthy and unhealthy.
- How to recognise early signs of physical or mental ill health.
Science
Our science sequence in upper key-stage 2 this spring term will be Properties of Materials.
This will include looking at the three states of matter (although the children have been keen to know more about plasma as the fourth!).
The science sequence will look at how materials change states and while conducting fair testing experiments/investigations to see which materials change according to their surroundings, and which don't. Additionally, the children will also look at the behaviour of molecules in different conditions and research which changes are reversible and which are irreversible.
Religious Education (R.E.)
Religious Education at The Grove
Our RE topic in Year 5/6 this year is 'Why do Christians Believe Jesus was Holy and Loving?'
Along the way, children will be reminded of some of the facts they've already learned about Christianity, while discovering new facts with regards to the different biblical accounts of who Jesus was, what he did and what he means to Christians.
Children will study:
- The prophecy of Jesus' birth, dating back to the writings of the Old Testament.
- The Christmas Story
- What the words 'Messiah and Saviour' actually mean in terms of Jesus' impact on the world.