Year 5 explored the effects of air resistance and discovered how streamlined objects experience less drag. Children were given a selection of materials and asked to develop their own key investigation questions, such as “Does the size affect how high it flies?” or “Does the material affect how high it flies?”

As part of their enquiry, pupils identified their independent and dependent variables, and discussed how to ensure it was a fair test. They then designed and created launchers using plastic bottles and tested how high their paper models could fly.

To ensure accuracy, each result was measured three times, allowing the children to compare data and look for patterns. Throughout the session, pupils demonstrated great resilience, excellent teamwork, and a strong sense of scientific curiosity.

Year 5 had an exciting and eye‑opening morning taking part in a Money Workshop delivered by Jared from The Money Charity. The session introduced the children to key financial vocabulary—taxes, finance, budget, sterling—and helped them understand what these terms mean in everyday life.

One of the highlights was a price‑estimation activity. Children were asked to guess the cost of everyday items that adults regularly buy, as well as things they might want themselves. Their reactions were priceless: a loaf of bread estimated at £4.10 (actual price £1.40) and a pack of 16 Andrex toilet rolls guessed at £3 (actual price £11.50). The toilet roll reveal caused absolute outrage!

To finish the workshop, the children were given an imaginary £450 to plan a party. They had to think carefully about budgeting, guest numbers, food, drink, decorations, and entertainment. It was a brilliant opportunity to practice real‑life decision‑making.

Afterwards, we asked the children what they thought of the session. Their reflections say it all:

“I like it because we get to learn about money and what adults think about money too.” “Stuff is expensive.”

A fantastic workshop that left Year 5 more informed—and a little more shocked—about the cost of living!

Year 5 had an exciting day diving into the world of renewable and sustainable energy. Pupils explored how climate change and greenhouse gases are affecting our planet, and discussed why switching to renewable energy sources is so important for our future. Using their new knowledge, they then put science into action by designing and building their own working wind turbines. Using a simple gear system, the children experimented with blade shapes, angles, and efficiency to generate movement. It was a fantastic hands‑on project that combined creativity, engineering, and environmental awareness—well done, Year 5!

During Online Safety Day, Year 5 explored the importance of creating safe and secure passwords. We discussed how strong passwords help protect our personal information and keep our online profiles secure. Together, we identified a set of rules we should all follow: use a mixture of characters, keep passwords private, avoid obvious names or words, and change them regularly.

 

 

On Friday 9th January, Year 5 took their angle exploration to a whole new level, turning the classroom tables into a geometric pattern. Using strips of masking tape, pupils designed their own unique line patterns, each one filled with opportunities to spot and classify angles.

Once their patterns were complete, the class set to work identifying acute, obtuse, and right angles hidden within their designs. It was brilliant to see how quickly they began spotting relationships and discussing what made each angle type different.

The highlight came when they put their newly learned protractor skills to the test. With determination and resilience, pupils measured each angle with accuracy, checking, comparing, and refining their results like true mathematicians.

 

Winchester Science Museum

Year 5 had a fantastic visit to the Winchester Science Museum on the 8th January.

The children showed great motivation and aspiration as they explored the museum, particularly enjoying the hands‑on exhibits linked to sound, light and space. Their curiosity and independence shone through as they investigated each activity and discussed their discoveries with one another.

During the Star Seekers workshop, the children learned how satellites work in space. They explored which materials might be most suitable and tested their ideas using heat lamps and thermometers, demonstrating real scientific resilience as they refined their predictions. We also investigated light refraction and how light travels, experimenting with laser mazes and using mirrors and beam splitters to direct beams of light.

A highlight of the day was our visit to the planetarium, where we were fully immersed in the galaxy. The children showed wonderful respect as they listened and learned about the planets in our solar system and explored some well‑known constellations.

It was a brilliant day of learning, discovery and teamwork, and we were incredibly proud of how Year 5 represented our school.

We created our own 'hanging' Christmas decorations from foliage that we foraged from the school grounds. We took cuttings from evergreen trees, such as our conifer and laurel. Hopefully, you can find a nice spot to hang these at home. They smell great too - we even added some seasonal herb cuttings from our flowerbeds!

At Forest School, Year 5 children excitedly learnt about the French method of semaphore, using colourful flags to signal letters across the field. This engaging, historical form of communication sparked their creativity and teamwork, as they crafted messages and connected with one another in a fun, interactive way.