This half term, Chinook Class will be travelling across the globe - exploring the frozen extremes of the polar regions all the way to the lush, vibrant world of the tropical rainforest. Through science, geography, English and the arts, children will discover how climate, environment and living things are beautifully interconnected.

In English, pupils will start by studying rainforest‑inspired poetry, exploring how language can create mood and communicate powerful messages. Later, they’ll apply their scientific understanding to write clear and detailed explanation texts about animal life cycles, using technical vocabulary, factual information and labelled diagrams.  We will also continue to read our class book 'Bigfoot Mountain'.

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In Maths, Year 5 children will be learning about decimals and percentages. They will:

• Order, compare, and round decimals to three decimal places.

• Learn about percentages as decimals and fractions.

• Explore perimeter and how to calculate the area of shapes.

Year 6 children will consolidate their understanding of decimals, fractions, and percentages. They will:

• Complete work on decimals and reinforce key concepts.

• Make connections between fractions, decimals, and percentages.

• Apply their knowledge to problem-solving activities.

In Science, pupils will investigate how different animals and plants survive and thrive in contrasting biomes. They’ll learn about life cycles—from mammals growing from live young, to amphibians transforming from tadpoles, to birds hatching from eggs—and explore how these survival strategies link to the habitats they belong to.

Our Geography work focuses on climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts. Children will examine how natural resources such as water, food, minerals and energy are distributed across the planet and compare the physical and human features of a rainforest environment. They’ll begin to explain how climate shapes the way people live, work and use the land.

Through Art, children will be inspired by artist Nolan Stacey, learning to use line, tone and mark‑making to create textured animal drawings, finishing their pieces with expressive multicolour wash backgrounds.

In Computing, pupils will become game designers—planning, creating and evaluating their own computer games using sprites, features and gameplay elements.

Our PSHCE learning explores the theme ‘Healthy Me’, with age‑appropriate discussions on healthy choices, friendships, peer pressure, body image and emergency first aid.

In PE, children will develop their dance skills through Bollywood and Line Dancing, building routines with partners and groups. Year 6 will be learning how to play dodgeball, focusing on teamwork and hand to eye coordination, while Year 5 continue to develop confidence and skill in swimming.

Across all subjects, children will deepen their understanding of our diverse world - from the icy habitats of the sub‑zero regions to the vibrant ecosystems of the tropics - developing curiosity, creativity and global awareness.