Welcome to Kestrel’s Class page.

Class Teacher - Mr Crone

Teaching Assistant - Miss Beresford

Spring Term

Geography/History – What a Wonderful World

Pupils will be:

• Identifying key physical and human characteristics of places in the UK and North America.
• Describing how physical features, such as mountains and rivers, are formed.
• Explaining how physical features, such as mountains and rivers have had an impact upon the surrounding landscape and communities.
• Exploring similarities and differences between the two regions studied.

English

In English we will be reading and taking inspiration from two books: Freedom Bird and Queen of the Falls.

Freedom Bird tells the story of an enslaved brother and sister, Millicent and John, on a North Carolina plantation. They hold onto tales their parents told them about ancestors who could fly away to freedom. A mysterious, wounded bird appears one day, and as they shelter and care for it, it inspires them with the courage to plan their escape to the West. 

Using themes including of hope, courage, the power of dreams, the pain of slavery, and the universal desire for freedom the children will be writing a first person narrative from Millicent’s perspective.

Queen of the Falls details the true account of Annie Edson Taylor, a 62-year-old widow and charm school instructor, who, facing financial difficulties, decides on an audacious plan to secure her future: to be the first person to go over the thundering Niagara Falls in a custom-built wooden barrel.

The children will be writing a news report about this feat.

Science

Living Things and Their Habitats unit, which focuses on the life processes of reproduction and the varied life cycles of animals and plants.

Core Curriculum Objectives

The unit aims to ensure pupils can:

• Compare Life Cycles: Describe the differences and similarities between the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect, and a bird.
• Reproduction Processes: Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals, including both sexual and asexual reproduction. 

Key Learning Topics

• Animal Life Cycles: Students study specific examples such as the metamorphosis of butterflies and frogs compared to the live births of mammals like humans or kangaroos.
• Plant Reproduction: Learning how plants reproduce through seeds (sexual) and methods like tubers, bulbs, and cuttings (asexual).
• Naturalists: Pupils often research the work of famous naturalists and animal behaviorists, such as Sir David Attenborough and Jane Goodall, to understand how we study the natural world.

Important Notes for parents

PE will take place every Monday (with Mr Rowe) and Wednesday (with Stockport County) this term. Please can you ensure your child comes to school in their PE kits (school PE kit is white or t shirt or polo shirt, black shorts, leggings or tracksuit bottoms, red jumper or cardigan and trainers). Please ensure long hair is tied back and jewellery is taken out or covered.

Forest School for Kestrels will be on Thursdays 5^th and 12^th February.

Year 5/6 Statutory Spellings 

Below is a list of spellings all Year 5 children should read and write by the end of the year. These words are sent home as part of their spellings each week. Please help support your child's learning by practising these at home. 

Contact/Class Dojo

At Abingdon Primary we use Class Dojo which is embedded within every year group. We use Class Dojo to engage parents by sharing photos and videos of exciting moments in the classroom. It is also an effective way for teachers and parents to communicate.

At Abingdon Primary, each child has their own Times Table Rockstars account which they can use to help them learn the multiplication tables. It is essential that they use this every week in order to improve their skills and the speed of their recall. 

Important dates to remember:

Half Term: Friday 13th February - Returning Tuesday 24th February

Break up for Easter: Friday 27th March - Returning Monday 13th April