Oak Class – Years 5 & 6
The children of Oak Class embody the values of the school, work incredibly hard to succeed, and achieve great things. They are a delightful bunch of young people, and it is clear to all who pop into the classroom, that they are destined for great things and bright futures. They truly are using our small school to make a BIG difference! I welcome you warmly to the Oak Class Webpage.
Welcome to the 2023-2024 Academic Year
Dear Parents and Carers of children of Oak Class
This is the web page for Oak Class, the oldest class at Dundry CE Primary.
Welcome back! This page explains briefly what to expect for your child this year. As always, if you need more information or you have questions, please do not hesitate to talk to me at the end of the school day or to contact me via Dojo. For a weekly synopsis of what we have been up to, please do check the Dojo feed.
Our class team:
This year we have a fabulous team surrounding your children to provide the best possible learning support. Teaching staff consists of myself (Mr. Wyatt) teaching Monday- Thursday, and Mrs Armstrong teaching every Friday. Teaching assistance is provided by Mrs Perrett for the mornings only on Monday – Thursday, and Mrs Legana. Specialist sports coaches will also be teaching Year 5 PE sessions on a Friday while Year 6 Swim at Backwell.
Our learning this year:
On this webpage you will soon find a link to our long term plan for 2023/24 which details all of the curriculum learning which will take place this academic year.
During Term 3, the topic will be Mountains and the Water Cycle where we will immerse ourselves in the human and physical geography that makes up mountains and the unique water cycle process. To summarise what subjects we will be studying this term, and what the focus of that study will be see here:
- Maths – Fractions
- English – Formal Speeches/ Monologues/ Scientific Reports (on the Water Cycle)
- Science – Light
- RE – Christian Gospel
- Computing – Vector Drawing
- PSHE – Dreams and Goals
- Art – Monet and the Impressionists
- PE – Dance
- Reading – Wonder by RJ Palacio
- All this including much, much more!
Home Learning:
It is really important that children spend some time at home each week consolidating their learning at school and it is helpful if they have a quiet space to do so. You can find a copy of our Home Learning Expectation on the policies section of our website. In our class the expectation is:
- Daily reading (most important homework).
- A Maths arithmetic sheet which will be stuck into a school homework book.
- Spellings to learn.
- Chanting of times tables.
All homework will not be ‘random’. It will be based on something we have done this week and the aim is for it to take no longer than thirty minutes to complete. If it does, stop and write me a note to say it has taken that time. Year 6 pupils will receive extra pieces of homework in SATs Buster books which are due for delivery soon.
Homework will be set on Thursdays and due in on Wednesdays.
Spellings:
Spellings will be set in termly blocks, and there will be one test per week on a Friday on that week’s words. The words will be linked through their spelling rule, or they will be ‘red words’ which are statutory spellings from the Year 5 and 6 word list. We will practise these words daily in class.
Spellings for the term will all be given out on one sheet with times tables attached. Spelling and tables tests are on Fridays.
Reading books:
Without a doubt, reading as often as possible is THE thing which will make the greatest difference to your child’s education. In Oak Class, we value immensely the contribution that reading makes to your children’s lives and so it permeates much of what we do.
In class we will read daily and talk about books regularly. Much learning will be presented in textual form, and we will work hard with your children to improve their fluency and comprehension.
In Oak Class, children will take an online multiple choice quiz to determine what book level would be most closely matched to their reading ability. This comes in decimal form, e.g. 4.5. Children will read their own ‘4.5’ book, then take a small book quiz in school when it is finished. If they score 80% of the questions right, then they move up to the next decimal level (4.6 in this instance.) Word counts will be collectively added together from everything that your children read, and a league table exists in class where children can win prizes with the more words that they read.
Daily reading is obviously incredibly beneficial, but we understand that lives are busy. So, using the Reading Records as evidence, every child that reads 4 times or more in a week will receive a raffle ticket which goes into a hat. Each half term, a random ticket is drawn from the hat with the winner receiving a £5 book token!
Reading records will be collected every Monday to allow staff to check on the progress of each child in their home reading – it is essential that each child has their reading record in class on this day.
Below in the FAQ section, there is further information and a video to support you as parents to help your child read.
Times Tables:
By the end of Year 4 (and throughout Years 5 and 6) the national requirement for times tables is to be able to know them all (up to 12 x 12) and be able to recall them within 5 seconds. Once the class has settled in, we will start weekly tables tests to showcase this skill and I will inform you as to the times tables we will be working on in that week.
PE:
Our class will have PE lessons every Tuesday and Friday. Your child should come to school wearing their PE kit on these days. Please ensure your child has the proper PE kit and is wearing suitable footwear.
Swimming will take place on Friday afternoons later in the school year for Oak Class.
Playtimes:
Children will need a coat in school every day as we will try to go out to play at break times as often as possible – there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes! When the sun is out, as it typically will be now that the Summer break is over, sun cream and a sun hat will be required.
Trips, visitors and experiences this year:
We already have lots of exciting experiences planned, and many more in the pipeline! This term we will be taking part in Year 5 Away Day at Mill on the Brue, and Year 6 will be taking part in the annual trip to the Bristol Life Skills centre. I am also conducted initial research into the idea of having some Vikings come and visit the school!
Letters with full information about these visits will be sent home prior to each trip.
Assessments this year:
There are some assessments this year that are statutory. This year, if your child is in Year 6, they will undertake SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) on the week commencing 13th May 2023.
These are nothing to worry about, we will ensure that the children are ready and prepared for the tests. More information about these will be available nearer the time.
All children will undergo tests three times a year for us to check on their progress and identify any learning gaps that need filling.
Sharing our learning:
Our class Dojo Story will be updated weekly for you to be updated as to our ‘goings-on’ in-class as will our newsletter. You can also share any extra learning that your child completes at home through their Dojo Portfolio.
Each term a class will share their learning with the whole school in an assembly and you’re invited to join us. Our class sharing assembly is in Term 2 and you will be updated as to the date and time nearer the event.
We will have two parents’ evenings this year, one in November and one in March and our end of year reports go home in July.
How you can get involved:
We welcome parental involvement in whatever ways you can offer – particularly if you would be happy to listen to readers! If you are able to come into school to help, you will need to undertake a volunteer induction and have an enhanced DBS check – but then you’re free to help! We also really need you to support our PTA. You can help by attending the meetings where decisions are made, joining the committee or simply by turning up to events.
Communication:
As a school we have an ‘open door policy’. It is always best to talk to us straight away if you have any worries, concerns or questions. I am available in the classroom after school most days, or you can make an appointment via ClassDojo. Dojo is a very easy way to contact me. I operate ‘quiet hours’ but will get back to you as soon as I can. Our school newsletter is the main form of communication between school and home and it is essential that you take some time to read this each week. Lots of useful information about our school can also be found on our website. To inform the school about absences, illnesses, appointments, or anything else of an official nature please do so by contacting Mrs Harrison in the office. Her email address is office@dundry.com and she is also available on Classdojo.
For further information on this year, or simply to put a name to a face, there is a small meeting after school on Tuesday 12th September at 2:45pm where I will be able to answer any questions you may have and complete a small presentation which goes over the basics of this letter before you pick up your children from school that day.
I am very much looking forward to teaching your child this year and becoming a small part of your wider community,
Thanks, as always, for your continued support,
Mr. Wyatt
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any COVID restrictions in place at school?
Not currently. Day-to-day school life is functioning as usual.
How can I contact the school?
For non-urgent communication or generic questions Class Dojo can be used to communicate with Mr Wyatt (Monday – Thursday) or Mrs Armstrong (Friday). For more pressing communications, sharing of key information (such as going home arrangements), for urgent communication or for communications of a more serious nature, please email the school at office@dundry.com. Of course, all parents are also welcome to speak to me after school.
Are there spellings to learn?
Yes. This term these spellings will be sent home to be tested on Friday of each week. These will usually follow a certain spelling rule which once learned should help complete most of the spellings correctly.
How often should my child read?
As often as possible! The school will reward those who read over four times a week with a raffle ticket which goes into a hat. At the end of each term, one raffle ticket per class is drawn with the winner being given a £5 Amazon voucher.
How can I help my child with reading at home?
Even though our children in Oak class are older and can mostly read fluently, there are still ways in which we as adults can help them to improve their reading skills. In this video I share some of the strategies we use in school that will hopefully help you too at home.
What times tables should my child know?
All of the times tables between 1 and 12 should be known off by heart. These are tested on Friday alongside the spellings.
Will SATs take place this year?
Yes they will on the week commencing 13th May 2024. A parent meeting for this will take place in the new year for the Year 6 parents.
Is there any homework?
Yes. Homework will take the following form:
- Daily reading (most important homework).
- A page from a homework practice book once every two weeks based on Maths or English. (These books are currently on order).
- A small homework to revise something we have learnt in our topic once every two weeks. (These will be completed in a purple workbook which will come home with the children.)
- Chanting of times tables.
As it stands, h0mework will be set on a Thursday and due in on the following Wednesday.
What is our current topic?
We are currently studying the Anglo Saxons and Vikings between terms 1 and 2.
Useful Links to Extra Independent Home Learning
These are recommended, high quality learning resources which we will use in school, but are available for your use anytime at home for additional learning when required.
