Birthplace of Shakespeare

The children of 5W went on a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon two weeks ago. While there, they did not just take in the sights and enjoy the day out. They were learning all about the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

This knowledge was then put to the test yesterday when all of Year 5 as well as selected children from Years 3 and 4 took a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. The children from 5W were our tour guides and they were very impressive. They were clearly knowledgeable but what was most impressive was the confidence they led the groups around with.

Along with being tour guides with the children from our school, 5W also shared their knowledge with members of the public, all of whom were very impressed with them.

Take a look at our children being tour guides. 

 Some of our children had to dress up in traditional clothes to conduct their part of the tour. We think they looked fantastic.











All of the children had a fantastic time learning about William Shakespeare, his history and some of the plays he wrote. We had the opportunity to perform our own 'mini' versions of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Once again Welford impressed.

 

Year 5 Children trying to learn the names of 5 of Shakespeare's plays they did not know before.

Superb Swimmers

Giving the children access to a broad curriculum in very important to us at Welford and P.E. plays a vital role in their lives. The children have the opportunity to learn how to swim over a term and Year 5 have just started their lessons. Already they are making fantastic progress. I am really pleased to see how hard they are working to ensure they learn how to swim.

There are a wide range of abilities across Year 5 but it is really impressive the amount of progress each child has already made. From those children who didn't seem to enjoy the pool, now happy to fully submerge their faces - to those who were already comfortable in the water refining their technique making themselves more efficient swimmers.

Swimming is an essential life skill so the quicker the children learn, the better which is why we are so pleased that the children are making such quick progress.

Conscience Alley

We are beginning to look at persuasive writing across Year 5. To link it with our topic, we thought we'd have a go at a Conscience Alley. This is where the children line up and try and persuade somebody in role to do something. As our topic is Tudors, we thought we'd try and persuade King Henry VIII to either divorce or stay with Catherine of Aragon.


The children came up with some very interesting points and compelling arguments but the children who acted as King Henry were unable to agree on a decision. What do you think he should have done?

Musical prodigies?

We are very lucky at Welford to have opportunities where we can learn musical instruments. In Year 5, both classes are beginning to learn how to play the keyboard and we've started really well. After several weeks of teaching and practise, the children have already learned how to play several notes in a tune. Here is a short clip of one of the pieces we are learning.

The Truth Matters

Why does the truth matter?
This question was put to the children of Year 5 and they responded brilliantly. They were all very aware of why it is important to tell the truth and the consequences if the truth is not told.

From this understanding, the children had to produce a drama highlighting why they should always tell the truth. These mini dramas were entertaining, accurate and informative, teaching each other the answer to the original question in an interesting way. Above all there was very little adult support in this activity, showing the children's independence once again.

We love to express our creativity in Year 5 and drama provides an excellent opportunity for us to do so. It allows children to show off talents that may otherwise be hidden, and we have some very talented children. I would love to upload videos of the performances, unfortunately they were so entertaining the camera work would have been very shaky. Instead, enjoy these stills.

Science Investigation

We like to encourage the children in their independence in Year 5. To promote this, the children were split into groups, given a scientific question and equipment that might help and left to come up with their own investigation. One group were investigating magnetism. They came up with an interesting experiment where they discovered, not only which objects where magnetic, but also how easy the materials were to attract. This group had some excellent results and accurate conclusions were formed.
The other concepts being investigated where: whether materials conduct electricity, the flexibility of materials and the transparency of materials. All of the groups came up with experiments which led to appropriate conclusions.

What was most interesting was the way each group challenged themselves. They all managed to start sensible experiments, however once they had found an original set of results, they independently pushed themselves further. For example, the group experimenting with transparency ordered their materials depending on levels of light allowed through, but also looked at the effect of multiple layers on transparency.
Well done Year 5, we were really impressed.

Engaging and exciting reading

There is an important focus throughout our school on encouraging children to read. In Year 5, we have tried to create an inviting environment that will encourage children to read. They are given opportunities throughout the day to spend time in our Class Library areas and are heavily encouraged to take books home. We have recently stocked up the library with new and interesting books which the children are excited to read, both in and out of school. We really hope that the children use our library and carry on reading at home.