We can hardly believe it, but we have now entered the final term of Year 5. The children have made an excellent start to our exciting new topic, Traders and Raiders.

In English, Year 5 began exploring the new class text, Viking Boy by Tony Bradman. Before reading, the children made thoughtful predictions about the story based on clues from the cover, title and blurb. We then enjoyed reading the mysterious Norn's Prophecy, which serves as the prologue to the novel. The children learnt about the purpose and effect of a prologue and discussed how it can create suspense and intrigue for the reader. Inspired by this, they went on to write their own imaginative prologues, showcasing some excellent descriptive language and creative ideas.

In History, we began our learning about the Anglo-Saxons by investigating why they invaded Britain. The children explored the different push and pull factors that encouraged migration and settlement, considering both the challenges people faced in their homelands and the opportunities that Britain offered. They also examined maps to identify the areas of Britain that the Anglo-Saxons settled and eventually controlled.

In Art, we turned our attention to Viking longboats and the impressive dragon-head carvings that decorated their bows. The children studied a variety of designs, paying close attention to the intricate details, patterns and craftsmanship. They then used their observations to design and create their own Viking-inspired dragon heads, producing some fantastic and imaginative artwork.

In Computing, we have started our new unit on stop-motion animation. The children explored the work of the famous animation studio, Aardman Animations, learning how beloved characters such as Wallace and Gromit are brought to life. They analysed the techniques used by animators before having a go themselves, carefully moulding characters and objects from playdough and moving them in small increments to create the illusion of movement. The children quickly discovered that stop-motion requires patience, precision and creativity!