Topic: What the Dickens? 
Our learning this half term has a historical focus, as we delve into the Victorian era and the life and times of Charles Dickens. 

English 

We’ll be exploring The Odyssey (adapted by Gillian Cross) to develop narrative writing skills. Children will write diary entries, character soliloquies, persuasive proclamations, and an epic adventure story. They’ll also refine grammar skills, including using multi-clause sentences, adverbials, parenthesis, and punctuation such as commas and semi-colons. 

Reading 

Our core texts are Street Child by Berlie Doherty. Reading lessons include echo reading, fluency practice, comprehension, and rich oracy discussions around plot and character. 

Maths 

This half term, we’re focusing on decimals and volume. Children will develop fluency in adding and subtracting decimals, apply formal written methods, and solve real-life problems involving place value and number bonds. 

Science 

Our topic is Reversible and Irreversible Changes. Children will investigate materials and their properties (such as insulation, conductivity, and solubility), and explore methods for separating materials using filtration, evaporation, and sieving. 

History 

In History, we’ll study key aspects of Victorian Britain, including Queen Victoria’s reign, the Industrial Revolution, and the lives of significant individuals such as Charles Dickens, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Dr Barnardo, and William Morris. 

PSHE 

This term includes key learning around Growing and Changing, with a focus on personal identity, mental wellbeing, and staying safe in different situations, including basic first aid. 

French 

Children will build vocabulary around healthy lifestyles—foods, activities, and following recipes in French—culminating in a class survey and an end-of-unit assessment. 

Art 

The focus in Art this term is Printing, linked to our Victorian theme.