Year 5
Welcome to Year 5!
Hello and a very warm welcome to Year 5!
We are thrilled to begin this exciting new chapter with your child. Year 5 is a year of growing independence, confidence, and discovery. Mrs Baldock, along with our dedicated school support staff, will be guiding and supporting your child every step of the way.
Our classroom is a place where both children and parents are valued. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Daily essentials your child needs to bring to school include:
- A coat
- Water bottle
- Snack and packed lunch (unless they are having a school dinner or ordering toast)
Communication Between School and Home
If you wish to speak to Mrs Baldock, feel free to pop in after school. Alternatively, messages can be passed on via Mrs Staveley. We’re here to work in partnership with you.
Learning Behaviours
At Daresbury Primary School, we recognise that the children of today will face significant challenges in the wider world. That’s why we place a strong emphasis on developing positive learning behaviours. We focus on nurturing key skills such as collaboration, active listening, curiosity, independence, and the ability to reflect on one’s own learning — all of which are essential for future success.
Our whole school community follows three core rules: Be Kind, Be Ready, and Be Safe. All children are encouraged and supported to uphold these values in everything they do.
House Points and Rewards
Children can earn house points throughout the day for positive behaviour, effort, and homework. These points can be awarded by any staff member or through Seesaw.
Special Awards:
- Special Mention – 3 pom poms
- Wall of Success – 1 pom pom
- Mathematician of the Week – 1 pom pom
- Reader of the Week – 1 pom pom
If rules or expectations are not followed, we follow a clear and restorative behaviour policy:
- Reminder of the rule
- Verbal warning (1:1)
- 2-minute reflection with an adult
- Reflection time equal to age (e.g. 9 minutes) – parents informed
- Repair and Restore conversation with the teacher
Homework
Homework will be uploaded to Seesaw every Friday at 3:15 PM, and is due by the following Thursday.
- Homework will consist of two short weekly tasks: Maths and SPAG, or Reading.
- It will always be linked to what has been taught in class and designed to be completed independently.
- Homework should take 30–60 minutes.
- Children should also spend:
- 10 minutes a day on Times Tables Rock Stars
- 10 minutes a day practising their spellings (available on Seesaw)
Mrs Baldock monitors homework completion and may occasionally assign short additional tasks or optional challenges to support or extend learning. These are communicated via Seesaw.
Please reach out if homework becomes a struggle – we’re here to help, not stress!
Reading
In KS2, reading logs will be recorded on Seesaw.
We encourage you to:
- Read with your child regularly
- Ask questions about what they’re reading (e.g. characters, plot, vocabulary)
- Comment in their reading log at least three times a week
Children are encouraged to change their reading book as soon as they finish it.
Reading VIPERS:
We use Reading VIPERS to develop comprehension skills:
Vocabulary, Infer, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, Summarise
You can find example questions on the school website to support discussions at home.
Reading participation is monitored throughout the year, and Seesaw will be used to send half-term reading progress and targets.
P.E.
During Spring Term, Year 5 will have PE on:
- Thursday (with Coach Craig)
- Friday (with Mrs Baldock)
Children should arrive at school in their PE kit on both days:
- White logo or plain T-shirt
- Black shorts/joggers
- White or black trainers
Seesaw
Seesaw continues to be a central part of life at Daresbury! It’s used for:
- Homework
- Daily learning updates
- Sharing your child’s experiences and progress
Feel free to like and comment on your child’s posts – they love seeing your support!
Need help using Seesaw? Just ask Mrs Baldock.
School Meals
Children can either:
- Order a hot school meal
- Bring a packed lunch
Each term, the school dinner menu is sent out via Seesaw. Please review this with your child as alternatives are not available (except for dietary requirements). If your child doesn’t like the options that day, please send them with a packed lunch.
Birthdays and Treats
We love celebrating birthdays! However, we kindly ask that no sweets or cakes are brought into school. We are a Healthy School and aim to reduce pressure on parents to provide treats for others. Thank you for understanding and supporting this.
We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead in Year 5, filled with learning, growth, and fun. Thank you for your continued support – we can't wait to see your child shine!
Mrs Baldock and the Team at Daresbury Primary School.
How to help your child
Here are some websites that you may find useful to support your child's learning.
Maths
http://www.ictgames.com: Fun and exciting maths and literacy games available.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/numeracy.shtml A BBC website with all maths topics covered.
http://www.mad4maths.com/ Fun maths games for children and advice section for parents
http://www.mathszone.co.uk/ Lots and lots of games and tools to help your child with maths at home.
http://www.teachingtables.co.uk/ Fun games to support the learning of times tables. Table Mountain is recommended and can be played in demo mode.
https://www.myminimaths.co.uk Lots of arithmetic practice for all areas of Maths
https://www.mathsframe.co.uk Maths games and
English
https://www.literacyshedblog.com/uploads/1/2/5/7/12572836/ks1_reading_vipers.pdf
Reading VIPERS guidance.
https://www.pobble365.co.uk a picture a day that your child can talk or write about to let their imaginations soar.
https://www.spellingframe.co.uk Spelling rules practice for each year group.
Please always ask if you want anything to support your child at home.
