A new term!

Please join us on Thursday 5 September for our Open Evening. This will be a brilliant opportunity to meet the team and find out a little bit more about our pastoral and academic provision in Year 5 and the wider Prep school. Individual parent consultations will be taking place later in the term, on Thursday 14 November.

In Year 5 children should be spending 25-30 minutes per subject per week on prep, with the presentation and effort maintained as in all class work expectations. In addition, we do expect the children to maintain focus on their weekly spellings and times tables, by completing any activities and strategies set. Your children should continue to read aloud at home with an adult and bring an age-appropriate reading book into school daily. We do have a variety of reading books in class and weekly library visits continue. Please do encourage your child to read a wide variety of genres to help widen their vocabulary choices.

We appreciate your continued support in allowing your children to complete their homework as independently as possible.

The pupils will be given a Prep diary, which they must bring to school each day. This is where they should record all prep and any daily notices. Prep diaries can also be used for home/school communications, and where you should sign each time you read with your child. House points awarded will be recorded here each week, and diaries will be checked by the Year 5 Team and signed off weekly.  A house point is awarded each week for correct diary use.

A Subject Topic & Skills Grid giving an overview of what the children will be covering this term will be sent on Friday 13th September.

As the children enter Year 5 and 6, parents will be giving lots of thought to their child’s educational pathway, and considering how best to prepare them for their ISEB Common Pre-Test, as well as their future Senior School. It can all feel rather daunting if this is your first time going through this stage, but we are here to help. Even if you have been through it with older children, it is important to consider each child’s unique identity when beginning to map the best path for them and prepare them for success.

On Thursday 26 September at 8:30am, our Educational Pathways Coach, Mrs Lauren Martin, will be holding a ‘Selecting a Future School’ Information Session for Year 5 parents to share details of what you can expect, and is on hand throughout the remainder of your child’s time at Pennthorpe to help ensure a successful transition to Senior School. We hope to see you there!

Later in November, Mrs Martin will invite parents to meet with her individually to discuss your child’s educational pathway in more detail.

At morning registration Form Tutors will complete a quick ‘wellbeing’ check with the children using our familiar emoji structure. In Year 5 your child will be assigned to a member of the Year 5 Pastoral Team, who will hold regular ‘Champion’ sessions where informal discussions can take place regarding any matters relating to school and general wellbeing.

The Pennthorpe PSHEE/RSE curriculum will continue to be delivered in an age-appropriate manner during all pastoral slots on your child’s timetable. Please contact Form Tutors, in the first instance, should you have any specific questions regarding curriculum content and/or feedback.

Year 5 will be covering the following topics in the Autumn Term:

Healthy Relationships – Healthy friendships, respect (oneself and others), stereotypes (gender, race, religion), bullying, discrimination, marriage and family life.

Mental Wellbeing – Mental health and emotional wellbeing, managing challenges, seeking support (self and others), the difference between gender identity and biological sex.

Our bespoke SHOOTS -Wellbeing scheme this term will focus on developing and maintaining ‘resilience’ and ‘leadership’ skills.

On Thursday 7 November, Year 5 will join Year 6 to test out their skills when they participate in a variety of exciting tasks and challenges during our on-site ‘Resilience Day’.

On Friday, the Year 5 children will enjoy a Beach Day Out.

And the highlight of the Year 5 calendar is always our residential trip to High Ashurst, which will take place at the beginning of October. Parents are invited to an Information Evening on Thursday 19 September at 4:15pm.

In Years 5 – 8 pupils must have their own fully stocked pencil case, including the following items:

• Pencils
• Rubber
• Pencil Sharpener
• Blue Fountain or Handwriting Pen (not biro)
• Purple pen (a purple biro is fine – children will use this to refine and perfect their work)
• 30cm ruler
• Coloured pencils
• Glue stick

Children should also have their charged laptop with them in school each day.

Drop off is at 8:15am on the Terrace or in the Drop off zone, for registration at 8:20am. Children arriving earlier should be booked in for breakfast from 7:30am or join our Early Birds in the Sports Hall or Courts from 8:00am. Children should not enter the Clock Block earlier than 8:15am. Core lessons begin at 8.30am.

Pick Up is at 4:00pm at the front of school, unless your child is staying for Prep when pick up will be 5:00pm at the front of school. All children must ‘blob out’ with the member of staff on duty before they leave the school site.

If you would like your child to join us for breakfast, or stay beyond 4:00pm for Hobbies or After School Supervision / Supper Club, please book this via the Portal, or contact extendedday@pennthorpe.com for assistance.

As well as your pocket-sized diary, parents can also view the Autumn Term calendar via the website and Parent Portal.

Please do have a look through and pop important dates in your diary.  Of course, sometimes plans need to be updated, and so any changes will be updated on our electronic calendar and communicated to you as soon as possible.

The key events for our Year 5 parents include:

• Parents are invited to our Prep Open Evening on Thursday 5 September between 7:00-8:30pm.
• The Year 5 children have a Beach Day Out on Friday 6 September.
• Year 5 Parents are invited to a High Ashurst Information Evening on Thursday 19 September at 4:15pm.
• Individual & Sibling Pupil Photographs are scheduled for Tuesday 24 September.
• We will be a hosting a Year 5 ‘Selecting a Future School’ Parent Information Session on Thursday 26 September at 8:30am.
• The Year 5 Residential Trip to High Ashurst departs on Wednesday 2 October, returning on Friday 4 October.
• We will be hosting a PSHEE & RSE Tea & Talk for Years 5 – 8 Parents on Friday 4 October after drop off.
• There will be a Pupil Wellbeing Tea & Talk for Parents on Thursday 10 October.
• Thursday 7 November is Years 5 & 6 Resilience Day.
• Our Whole School Remembrance Service will be held on Monday 11 November at 10:30am.
• Year 5 All Subject Parents’ Evening is scheduled for Thursday 14 November.
• Our Carol Service in the Chapel @ Christ’s Hospital for Families of Pupils in Year 1 – 8 is on Tuesday 10 December.
• Carols Around the Tree takes places on Thursday 12 December at 4:00pm.
• Friday 13 December is the end of term with school finishing for Year 5 children at 12:00pm.

Children can wear either summer or winter uniform until half term, after which all children should switch to winter uniform.

Please make sure your child’s uniform is labelled with their name, as it does make it a lot easier to reunite lost items with their owners.

Children are expected to wear smart uniform each day:

• All children should wear their blazers coming to and from school.
• Clean black school shoes (if a child needs to wear trainers, for example where their school shoes have been misplaced, please make the form teacher aware)
• Shirts need to be long enough to tuck in.
• Earrings – one plain stud only. No hoops. The child needs to be able to take the earrings out independently for PE and Games lessons.
• No necklaces.
• Plain wristwatch, no smartwatches to be worn.
• All shoulder length hair tied up with a plain hairband or small school coloured scrunchie or headband.

Whilst the sun is shining, please apply sun cream to your child at home, before the beginning of their session as we will be outside as much as possible. We cannot provide sun cream in school so it is essential that children bring this in themselves.

All PE and Games kit should be brought in to school on a Monday morning and should be taken home for washing at the end of each week. All children require a mouthguard and shin pads for lessons, as well as competitive matches. They will not be allowed to participate in lessons or matches without these items, as this poses significant risk to the children.

The Year 5 Team will be conducting a complete kit check at the beginning of term.  This will include wellies, waterproof trousers, school play coat, water bottle and sports kit.

It is important that the children understand the importance of looking after and organising their own property, especially as they are now in Year 5. Please support this at home, by ensuring your child uses their independence and organisational skills to ensure they have what they need in school each day and take care of their belongings (especially their laptops!).

If you have any uniform requirements, please place an order via our website here. You can also book an appointment at the Uniform Shop by contacting uniform@pennthorpe.com or drop in during the times below:

• Monday 8:30am – 9:30am
• Tuesday 3:30pm – 4:30pm
• Wednesday 3:30pm – 4:30pm
• Thursday CLOSED
• Friday 8:30am – 9:30am

For the first half of the Autumn Term the girls will be switching to hockey and boys will be switching to football. A full kit list is available here, and all branded items can be ordered through Blueblood

Girls:

• Games kit
• Shin Pads
• Gum shield

Boys:

• Games kit
• Shin pads
• Boots

Please do not park in the drop-off lanes at the front of school if you are coming past the gates to drop your child into school, or collect them from one of the school buildings. These lanes are intended for dropping-off only!

Instead, please park up in the car park, or find a safe place to park on the neighbouring roads (being considerate of our neighbours, especially with regards parking near to junctions or driveways).