Friendship was the theme for our recent Year 5 assembly. We introduced this idea by saying hello to all of our friends in other classes in a variety of different languages. We then asked the question: what does friendship really mean? We received some great answers back form the other school pupils, and then added to these by offering up some ideas as to what friendship means in Year 5.

We have been writing and developing our own friendship poems during literacy lessons. We wanted the pupils to make their poems as personal as possible, and to describe the emotion that they feel from having close friends around them at Michael Faraday. We shared a selection of these during our assembly, and then finished by asking the other pupils to consider how important their own friendships are.

You can watch a short section of our Year 5 assembly in the video above.

Friendship was the theme for our recent Year 5 assembly. We introduced this idea by saying hello to all of our friends in other classes in a variety of different languages. We then asked the question: what does friendship really mean? We received some great answers back form the other school pupils, and then added to these by offering up some ideas as to what friendship means in Year 5.

We have been writing and developing our own friendship poems during literacy lessons. We wanted the pupils to make their poems as personal as possible, and to describe the emotion that they feel from having close friends around them at Michael Faraday. We shared a selection of these during our assembly, and then finished by asking the other pupils to consider how important their own friendships are.

You can watch a short section of our Year 5 assembly in the video above.

Year 5 have been combining their history research with ICT skills to produce a series of PowerPoint presentations all about the Ancient Greeks. We have been researching this particular historical period in great detail, and learning about Greek culture, food and lifestyles.

The focus in our ICT work has been to create a successful presentation that is able to put across a point clearly and informatively. This seemed liked the perfect opportunity to combine the two subjects!

All of the content for the presentations was research and then put together by the pupils. We offered support about where to look for images, and how to sequence these with the words. As you can see from the video above, this was also a great exercise in giving our Year 5 pupils confidence in their own presentation skills.

Year 5 have been combining their history research with ICT skills to produce a series of PowerPoint presentations all about the Ancient Greeks. We have been researching this particular historical period in great detail, and learning about Greek culture, food and lifestyles.

The focus in our ICT work has been to create a successful presentation that is able to put across a point clearly and informatively. This seemed liked the perfect opportunity to combine the two subjects!

All of the content for the presentations was researched, and then put together by the pupils. We offered support about where to look for images, and how to sequence these with the words. As you can see from the video above, this was also a great exercise in giving our Year 5 pupils confidence in their own presentation skills.

A selection of our Year 5 pupils recently performed a stunning rendition of an original piece of music that they have composed independently during a school assembly. The four young musicians were first introduced to the ukulele during our weekly Year 4 music lessons. With expert guidance from Lorraine, the pupils learnt about different chords and variations in strumming technique.

The interest and enthusiasm was so high that the pupils continued to play the ukulele in a Year 5 after school club. Our playing ability has developed to such an extent that four of the musicians felt confident enough to compose their own original piece of work.

A song called Rollercoaster was played during our assembly. The lyrics reflect the highs and lows of growing up and getting on with our family and friends. The musical sequence was written specifically to match the themes that are presented in the song.

This was such a success in the Key Stage 2 assembly that an encore was called for! Our four musicians then answered some questions that were put to them by other pupils. Autographs were even asked to be signed! You can find out much more about the project in the video above.

As we approach the final term in Year 5, we have asked the pupils to reflect for a short while on all that they have achieved, and more importantly, what they want to achieve ahead of Year 6 in September. In literacy that has meant reviewing our reading targets, and then suggesting new areas for improvement and solutions as to how we can achieve this.

Examples included making more use of the dictionary or thesaurus, editing and correcting our own work or adding in more punctuation to give excitement to our stories. This is a major focus for Year 5 between now and the end of the summer term. We will be continually looking back on these targets and making sure that we try and stick to them.

As we approach the final term in Year 5, we have asked the pupils to reflect for a short while on all that they have achieved, and more importantly, what they want to achieve ahead of Year 6 in September. In literacy that has meant reviewing our reading targets, and then suggesting new areas for improvement and solutions as to how we can reach these.

Examples included making more use of the dictionary or thesaurus, editing and correcting our own work or adding in more punctuation to give excitement to our stories. This is a major focus for Year 5 between now and the end of the summer term. We will be continually looking back on these targets and making sure that we try and stick to them.

Year 5 welcomed some very special visitors into our school this week as Michael Faraday continues to develop as a place in which to learn new languages. A class of pupils from a school in Clichy near Paris came to experience life in a South London School.

Pupils throughout the school have been focusing heavily on French language work. With expert tuition from Joanna, we are starting to build up our French vocabulary, as well as to learn more about different cultures and experiences.

Our friends from Clichy school wasted no time in settling in at Michael Faraday. All Year 5 pupils were partnered up with a French guest. Using our knowledge of the French language and culture, we explored more about our friends, finding out about their school, home life and general interests and hobbies. No surprises to know that football, computer games and pop music featured highly!

Letters were exchanged between the two different schools, so that our guests from Clichy could take away a reminder of their visit to Michael Faraday. We are hopeful of the opportunity to return the favour and for our Year 5 pupils to visit France! But for now, you can find out more about the special Anglo- French relations in the podcast below.

We are proud at Michael Faraday of the many other language learning opportunities that are taking place around our school. We have just started a new partnership with our nearby friends from the Walworth Academy. An after school club has been set up to teach Michael Faraday pupils Latin. Pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 participate, learning Latin greetings and the male and female structure of the Latin vocabulary.

In other language related news and the school recently had a visit from a visiting party of Norwegian teaching professionals. Our visitors wanted to see how an English outstanding school operates. The feedback was very positive – our Norwegian friends were impressed with the displays on show, adding that they have never felt so welcome!