Badger Class
Years 5/6
The Summer Term of 2025 will see Badger class learn about various natural disasters and extreme weather phenomena that occur around the world. From rumbling volcanoes and mighty earthquakes, to icy blizzards and swirling tornadoes, this topic will see our class journey to the most dangerous and fascinating corners of the world. We will be finding out how these natural events happen, how people survive and adapt, and what we can do to stay safe. We will also be looking closer to home at coastal erosion that is happening here in Norfolk and the impact that has on our local community.
Badger Dates for the Diary!
- Wednesday 23rd April - Summer 1 term begins
- Friday 25th April - YEAR 5 swimming
- Friday 25th April - Forest School (afternoon)
- Tuesday 29th April - Interhouse Netball
- Tuesday 29th April - PE
- Friday 2nd May - YEAR 5 swimming
- Friday 2nd May - Forest School (afternoon)
- Monday 5th May - May Bank Holiday - SCHOOL CLOSED
- Tuesday 6th May - PE
- Friday 9th May - YEAR 5 swimming
- Friday 9th May - Forest School (afternoon)
- Monday 12th May - Thursday 15th May - SATs week
- Friday 16th May - YEAR 5 swimming
- Friday 16th May - Forest School (afternoon)
- Tuesday 20th May - Sports Day (afternoon - weather permitting)
- Friday 23rd May - YEAR 5 swimming
- Friday 23rd May - Forest School (afternoon)
- Friday 23rd May - Last day before half term
- Monday 26th May - Friday 30th May - Half Term - SCHOOL CLOSED
- Monday 2nd June - Summer 2 term begins
- Tuesday 3rd June - PE
- Thursday 5th June - KS2 Maths workshop 1pm-3pm
- Friday 6th June - YEAR 6 swimming
- Friday 6th June - Forest School (afternoon)
- Tuesday 10th June - PE
- Wednesday 11th June - Friday 13th June - Thorpe Woodlands
- Friday 13th June - Swimming for anyone not attending Thorpe Woodlands
- Friday 13th June - Forest School afternoon for anyone not attending Thorpe Woodands
- Tuesday 17th June - PE (and reserve Sports Day afternoon)
- Thursday 19th June - KS2 Maths workshop 1pm-3pm
- Friday 20th June - YEAR 6 swimming
- Friday 20th June - Forest School (afternoon)
- Tuesday 24th June - Interhouse Rounders
- Tuesday 24th June - PE
- Thursday 26th June - KS2 Maths workshop 1pm-3pm
- Friday 27th June - YEAR 6 swimming
- Friday 27th June - Forest School (afternoon)
- Tuesday 1st July - Interhouse Cricket
- Tuesday 1st July - PE for Year 6 only
- Tuesday 1st July - YEAR 5 to Northgate to watch Wizard of Oz (1pm-3pm - more details to follow)
- Friday 4th July - YEAR 6 swimming
- Friday 4th July - Forest School (afternoon)
- Monday 7th July & Tuesday 8th July - TNHA Transition days (TBC)
- Tuesday 8th July - PE for anyone not on transition
- Tuesday 8th / Wednesday 9th / Thursday 10th July - Wayland Transition days (TBC)
- Wednesday 9th July - Summer Discos (details to follow)
- Friday 11th July - YEAR 6 swimming
- Friday 11th July - Forest School (afternoon)
- Friday 11th July - Ashill Fest for Badger class only (details to follow)
- Monday 14th July - Reading Reward Trip
- Tuesday 15th July - PE
- Wednesday 16th July - Year 6 trip to Pleasurewood Hills
- Thursday 17th July - Leavers Service AM
- Friday 18th / Monday 21st & Tuesday 22nd - Northgate Transition Days
- Wednesday 16th / Thursday 17th / Friday 18th / Monday 21st & Tuesday 22nd July - Whole School Transition
- Wednesday 23rd July - SCHOOL CLOSED FOR SUMMER
Useful Information
PE
PE will only be on a Tuesday
each week for Badger class and this will be led by Mrs Grigg. Please note the first PE lesson for Summer will be TUESDAY 29th APRIL 2025.
Please ensure your child arrives to school already dressed in their kit on this day, and that they are dressed suitably for the outdoor weather forecast. Earrings should be removed by the child before P.E (please note that adults in school are not permitted to remove earrings for your children). Children who, for whatever reason, cannot remove their own earrings should (ideally) be sent to school with some tape so that they can cover these themselves. In the event that you don't have any tape at home, we will provide some micropore tape so that they can do this before taking part in PE lessons.
Swimming
After the Easter holidays, Years 5 and 6 will be attending Dereham Pool for swimming lessons during the summer term. The slot is Friday mornings and will begin on Friday 25th April 2025
(please note this is the first Friday when we are back at school) when children will be put into groups appropriate to their ability.
This year we have decided to split Year 5 and Year 6, in order to reduce the impact on learning in the classroom but equally smaller, more focused groups for swimming. We’ve also found that with teaching swimming in Year 3 and 4 as well, the children are generally very competent swimmers by this stage. So the sessions will be as follows:
Year 5:
25th April, 2nd May, 9th May, 16th May, 23rd May (5 sessions)
Year 6:
6th June, 13th June*, 20th June, 27th June, 4th July, 11th July (5 sessions) *the session on the 13th June will be for anyone in Year 5 and 6, who is not attending the residential.
The swimming sessions will be taken by staff from Dereham Leisure Centre, as well as Mr Gooch and Mrs Broadbear.
When the children are in school, instead of swimming, Year 6 will be taught by Mrs Thornhill and Mr Creasey, in readiness for their SATs. After half term, Mr Creasey will be teaching Year 5.
A few things to remember for swimming:
- Please ensure children bring their swimming kit, towel and underwear in a bag.
- Any school based inhalers will be taken by staff.
- Like in previous years, the normal rules apply in that girls must wear a one-piece costume and boys can wear either trunks or sensible swimming shorts.
- The children must not wear jewellery of any description and should not bring talcum powder.
- We would also remind parents that children should not bring any aerosol sprays, such as antiperspirant, as these can be dangerous in a crowded changing room.
- Transport will be paid for by school.
- Please note that if your child has a verruca this does not prevent them from going swimming. You can, if you so wish, provide them with a verruca sock to wear but this is not essential.
- Earrings are not allowed and should be removed before swimming or not worn at all.
- If your child wishes to wear goggles, please can you fill in the attached slip that was on the letter that was sent before Easter and we will pass this onto the swimming instructor.
Homework
Homework will be set on Monday and will be expected in by the following Monday in order for it to be marked. Your child will receive revision booklets which they will work through in preparation for end of year assessments. Marking will usually take place during a focused session, whereby we can discuss the questions, look at ways of responding and address any that posed difficulty. They are only required to do 1 test
in each booklet per week. Weekly spellings
will also be given out on a Monday, and a test will be given the following Monday.
Reading
Reading Records
are checked regularly. We aim for children to read at least twice each week to an adult, but children should be encouraged to read every day. Please sign reading records to indicate this and send them back with your child on a Monday & Thursday
so we can monitor their number of reads. There will be a reading track in class for your child to complete.
In the first half of the Summer term, we will be reading 'Everest - The remarkable story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay' by Alexandra Stewart. This is the breathtaking story of how two very different, yet equally determined, men battled below-freezing temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds and death-defying ridges to reach the top of the world's highest mountain. Badger class will find out how the coming together of a small-town beekeeper and former yak herder turned them into two global heroes, as well as the impact made by hundreds of men and women who helped them achieve their goal. Badger class will be reading through this story with the intent to write their own narrative that builds suspense and tension, a fact-file about Everest, a diary entry in the role of Hillary or Tenzing amongst other types of writing.
We will continue our writing journey in the Summer term by focusing on setting descriptions based on Everest as well as settings around volcano eruptions before writing a non-chronological report about Pandora and using part of the film clip to support this.
Please find a range of external links to support your child's learning at home.
Topic boosters and past papers with video tutorials to help target specific areas.
SATS
Handy tips and literacy and math activities that you and your child can work on together...
