English

English

This term, Year 5 will be using the beautifully written and illustrated text The Lost Happy Endings by Carol Ann Duffy as the focus for our Pathways to Write learning. The story follows Jub, a magical girl whose job is to deliver “happy endings” to bedtime stories—until a wicked witch steals them. The book is rich in imagery and language, making it perfect for developing the children’s vocabulary and creative writing skills.

Through this unit, children will:

• Explore descriptive language, figurative devices, and character development

• Learn how writers build atmosphere and tension

• Practise key grammar skills including expanded noun phrases, dialogue, adverbials, and varied sentence structures

• Write their own extended narrative inspired by the themes and style of the book

• Take part in drama, reading comprehension, and vocabulary-building activities to deepen their understanding

The unit encourages pupils to think creatively, make inferences, and experiment with language, helping them to become confident and imaginative writers.

Mastery Keys are the key skills and learning objectives children work towards in our Pathways to Write scheme. They outline the specific writing skills—such as grammar, vocabulary, structure and creativity—that pupils need to master in each unit. The Mastery Keys listed below show the exact skills your child will be developing and help you understand what they are working towards in their writing.

Mastery Keys:

• Use modal verbs and adverbs to show degrees of possibility

• Use relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, or that

• Create cohesion within and across paragraphs

• Use a range of fronted adverbials with accurate punctuation

• Use expanded noun phrases to convey detailed description

• Integrate dialogue to advance the action and develop character

• Select precise vocabulary and figurative language to build atmosphere

This term, the children will be reading Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. The story is set during the Second World War and follows Willie Beech, a young evacuee who is sent from London to live with Tom Oakley, a kind but reclusive widower. As the two form an unexpected bond, Willie begins to experience safety, friendship and happiness for the first time.

Through this powerful and emotional story, pupils will explore themes such as friendship, resilience, family, and the impact of war on children. The book provides excellent opportunities for rich discussion, character study and historical understanding, while also supporting empathy and thoughtful reading.