United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 5 English
A comprehensive Year 5 English curriculum focusing on the transition from literal understanding to nuanced interpretation. Students explore complex narratives, persuasive rhetoric, and technical precision to become versatile communicators and critical readers.
Worlds of Wonder: Narrative Craft
Students analyze how authors build immersive settings and complex characters in classic and modern fiction. The unit emphasizes the use of figurative language and structural choices to impact the reader.
Exploring how descriptive language and expanded noun phrases create a sense of place and mood.
Investigating character motivation through dialogue and action rather than direct statement.
Examining how authors manipulate time and sequence to build tension or provide backstory.
The Power of Persuasion
An exploration of rhetorical devices and structural techniques used in speeches, advertisements, and opinion pieces. Students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion while crafting their own arguments.
Identifying and using techniques such as the rule of three, rhetorical questions, and emotive language.
Developing critical literacy skills to identify bias and evaluate the reliability of different sources.
Practicing the art of public speaking through structured debates and formal presentations.
Information Architects
Focusing on non-fiction texts, students learn to organize complex information using appropriate layouts and technical vocabulary. This unit covers reports, explanations, and instructions.
Using subheadings, bullet points, and glossaries to improve the clarity and accessibility of information.
Developing subject-specific lexicons and using precise verbs to explain processes clearly.
Writing clear, concise instructions using imperative verbs and chronological markers.
Poetic Patterns and Performance
A deep dive into poetic forms and literary devices. Students explore how rhythm, rhyme, and imagery create emotional resonance and meaning.
Mastering figurative comparisons to create vivid mental images for the reader.
Exploring the structural elements of poetry and how they influence the reading experience.
Focusing on the oral tradition of poetry and the importance of voice, pace, and gesture.
The Mechanics of Meaning
Developing advanced grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills to ensure writing is accurate and cohesive.
Using cohesive devices and adverbials to link ideas across paragraphs and sentences.
Learning to use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis and clarify meaning.
Investigating word roots, prefixes, and suffixes to decode and spell unfamiliar words.
Dramatic Dialogues
Students explore the conventions of playwriting and performance, focusing on how dialogue and stage directions drive a narrative.
Understanding the layout of scripts and the purpose of stage directions versus spoken lines.
Developing confidence in speaking and listening through unscripted drama activities.
Transforming a narrative passage into a dramatic scene for the stage.