What a brilliant first week back we’ve had in Year 5! It has been full of energy, creativity, and lots of exciting learning as we dive into our new theme for the summer term: Traders and Raiders.

The children have jumped straight into our new topic with great enthusiasm, especially when exploring our gripping class text: The Viking Boy by Tony Bradman. This action-packed blend of historical adventures tells the story of Gunnar, the son of a Viking chieftain, living peacefully on his family steading with his mother, father and their people – until they are raided by Skuli and his Wolf Men, who raze his home to the ground and take his father's life. Gunnar swears an oath to avenge his father's death and save his mother from Skuli – but first he must run to save himself. Murderous raiders, hand to hand battles to the death, mythical flying wolves and a relentless sea journey to the Land of Fire and Ice... Unknown to Gunnar, his life has been foretold, and he finds he has a destiny greater than his own story. Year 5 have made some fantastic predictions already and have been collecting lots of subject-specific and rich vocabulary to use in their upcoming character and setting descriptions.

In art, we’ve been getting stuck into designing our Traders and Raiders book covers. The focus has been on Viking longboats – and we’ve looked closely at their amazing details to inspire our own striking designs.

We were also lucky enough to be visited by Warwick County Council for a brilliant workshop all about recycling, sustainability, and how we can each do our bit to help protect our planet. The children asked thoughtful questions and came away with some great ideas on how to make greener choices at home and in school.

To top off a great week, Year 5 had a Virtual Reality (VR) experience that brought our learning to life in the most exciting way! The children loved exploring virtually and seeing history come alive right before their eyes.

Well done, Year 5 – you’ve made a fantastic start to the term.