Year 5 Handbook

Pupils in Year 5 who are going ‘straight home’ must sign out from the Reception playground (next to the ATP) between 16:05-16:20. Pupils staying past 16:20 must be collected from the Dining Hall.

If your child is going home with another adult, then please inform your child’s form teacher or the school office.

We are delighted to offer Long Stay to those who require it. If your child is not signed up for an activity through our co-curricular programme, they will go into the Junior Dining Hall where they are able to do their Prep. Your child will need to inform their Form teacher in the morning at registration to be added to the list. If your plans change during the day, please inform the School Office on 0118 9871810 so our lists can be updated, and your child informed of the change of plans.

Long Stay care is free of charge for pupils in Juniors.

Our Breakfast Club runs daily from 07:30 to 08:15, with the last serving at 08:00. This is a supervised session in which children are offered a selection of hot and cold items. Breakfast is charged at £5.15 per day and will be added to fee invoices at the end of the term.

If you plan to use Breakfast Club on a regular basis, you can book via SOCS booking system. Breakfast Club also welcomes casual diners and you may drop your child off in the Dining Room any day without prior booking.

Breakfast Club will commence on the first day of term.

Snack

During the morning, all pupils are provided with a wholesome snack, which might include a rice cake or a piece of fruit.

Whilst it is not encouraged, pupils are permitted to bring a healthy snack from home, provided it contains STRICTLY NO NUTS. Chocolate, crisps and sweets are not permitted.

Additionally, pupils should bring a labelled water bottle, already filled, to school each day.

Our pastoral ethos has the pupil front and centre, whilst also helping them see that they are part of something bigger than any one individual can ever be.

We create an environment in which we can combine support and safety with allowing our pupils to experience life as it is going to be – imperfect. We want them to be challenged, we want them to step outside their comfort zone, we want them to experience winning, and we need them to experience losing. All children at some point will find these moments difficult to navigate. We want our pupils to feel heard and as such will always look to empower them to express how they are feeling.

Our school values are discussed during Collects (assemblies), PSHE and in conversations around the school. This helps instil our ethos into our pupils and ensures our community thrives. Wellbeing is not a stand-alone activity within Juniors – it is part of everything we do.

How is pastoral care implemented within Juniors?

Our pastoral structure is very much aimed at giving support and clarity to both pupils and parents as to who is there to help in any given situation. Each year groupis led by one of our Heads of Year. These Heads of Year oversee your child’s personal journey throughout the year and as such will have the time to forge strong and trusting relationships with parents and children alike.

Heads of Year are supported by form teachers, who are your child’s ‘constant’; their everyday person who they can go to about the littlest thing, and whom they can check in with most regularly. Your child’s form teacher helps the pupils see themselves as part of a small team whilst also celebrating their own personal achievements and interests.

From a parental point of view, the form teacher is the first port of contact and will usually be the most suitable person to support you with any day-to-day enquiries. We also have an amazing team of non-teaching staff who are very much part of your child’s support network. Everyone has your child’s best interest at heart and works tirelessly to create a comfortable, safe, enjoyable environment.

We request that parents wanting to arrange a meeting with teachers please email the relevant member of staff in the first instance, requesting the meeting. The member of staff will respond within 24 hours (not including weekends) and suggest suitable times to meet. On the day of the meeting parents will need to sign in a main reception, where the relevant teacher will come and meet them. If a concern is urgent, we request that the parents notify a Head of Year on duty during 08:00 – 08:15 at drop off who will then be able to create actions as necessary.

We politely ask that unless a meeting has been arranged, parents do not come up to classrooms, especially in the morning, as form teachers are required at these times to support their classes. There is opportunity for more informal ‘check ins’ at the end of the day in the Reception playground at ‘straight home’ sign out.

Pupils will be taught predominantly in their mixed-ability form groups, except for Maths and Games.

A single lesson lasts 30 minutes but most of the subjects are taught in double lessons lasting an hour.

Your child will be allocated to one of our four ‘Houses’ when they join Juniors. The Houses are named: Lake, Marlborough, Park and School. These Houses form the platform for much of school life, from competitions, both academic and sporting, fundraising and performances.

Meet the Crosfield Juniors House Team

Mr Ben Keepax
Lake House Lead

Email: benkeepax@crosfields.com

I am pleased to introduce myself as the Lake House Lead at Crosfields School. With a passion for school life and a commitment to being an excellent role model for the children, I bring energy, enthusiasm, and approachability to this role. The house system at Crosfields is at the  heart of our community, fostering a strong sense of belonging and encouraging community spirit. I am genuinely excited to work with your child and contribute to their growth and development within our vibrant school community.

Mr James Wright
Marlborough House Lead

Email: jameswright@crosfields.com

I am proud to lead Marlborough House and play a part in such a valued aspect of life here at Crosfields. Our House system is central to nurturing a strong sense of belonging and shared identity, encouraging every child to feel known, supported and motivated. I am dedicated to fostering an environment where pupils can enjoy new opportunities, celebrate achievements and develop together. I very much look forward to building positive relationships with the pupils and working closely with them to help Marlborough House thrive.

Mrs Elizabeth Ganpatsingh
Park House Lead

Email: elizabethganpatsingh@crosfields.com

I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of House Lead for Park. I believe that the house system is fantastic for building a strong sense of community across the Junior year groups and I’m especially keen to see the older members of our House setting a great example for the younger pupils. I’m looking forward to cheering on Park in the interhouse competitions and the bake-offs!

Miss Summer Knight
School House Lead

Email: summerknight@crosfields.com

I am excited to be starting my role as House Lead. I have a real passion for sport and look forward to bringing energy and enthusiasm to house events, helping to build a strong sense of community and pride. I believe the house system at Crosfields plays a vital role in creating a positive school experience, and I am keen to be another trusted person pupils can come to within their house. I am passionate about supporting pupils to build confidence and express this throughout their school life, while creating lasting and meaningful memories, and having a lot of fun along the way.

Black Crosfields rucksack 

This should be brought to school every day, along with your child’s school library book and reading record, as well as their school planner. Your child will be provided with a tuff bag to put these in. Please also provide your child with named headphones that they can leave in school and use with their devices.  

Pencil Case

From Year 5 pupils are allowed to bring their own pencil case. In order to access the curriculum, pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 are required to have the following equipment:

• blue handwriting pen (no biros please)
• green editing pen
• pencils
• ruler
• glue stick
• rubber
• pencil sharpener
• protractor
• wired headphones

Water bottles  

Pupils should bring a filled, named water bottle to school each day.

PE/Games bags and Swimming Kit 

Bags should be brought to school when needed. A pair of trainers should remain in school for lessons and breaktimes. Swimming kit should only be brought into school on the days it is needed for lessons. This information will be shared with you at the Welcome to Year 5 meeting at the start of the term. 

Forest School clothes 

Pupils will have Forest School sessions throughout the year, with Mrs Hills. This is done on a class rotation. All pupils will be provided with Crosfields waterproof jackets and trousers for these sessions but should also have their school tracksuits to provide extra warmth in the winter. They will also need a pair of wellington boots or walking boots, or old trainers  that will stay in school during this enrichment. You will be notified when these are required in the Week Ahead.

Pupils in Year 5 have specialist subject teachers for all classes in rooms designed for the subject such as Science Labs, Design Technology Workshops, Theatre and Art Studios. Within the timetable, a weekly Enrichment slot allows pupils to take part in activities such as Forest School, Enterprise, robotics, mindfulness and cookery. 

Our curriculum is designed to develop a child’s love of learning within the subjects that they are taught. Subject specialists and our Curriculum Leads ensure this enthusiasm for the subject carries through from the content taught to the trips and competitions children take part in. Our curriculum allows for a real focus on the individual, with small class sizes, regular teacher feedback and access to specialist teaching. Giving all pupils an opportunity to shine is hugely important to us and activities such as class performances allow small groups of children to perform in front of a theatre audience and gain great confidence in doing so. Music concerts, school council, orchestras, choirs, sports teams and academic awards all contribute to success in areas of interest to the child.

In Year 5, each week pupils will be given one piece of Maths and English prep (homework), as well as reading and practising their times tables. This prep will be completed on the Century learning platform or on paper. The prep will be set by the teacher on Teams and in class and pupils will record the assignment and due date in their prep diaries; all prep is set on a Tuesday and due in on a Monday morning. 

Each term, pupils will also receive optional prep from humanities, language and Art subjects. Pupils will be able to choose from a selection of creative and research-based tasks that will support and deepen their learning in these subjects. 

All subjects are tested throughout the year in a variety of ways. Our assessment programme includes online testing that requires no preparation, as well as in-class written tests which take place throughout the year to assess the pupils on a specific topics and provide them with regular feedback. 

For Year 5, more formal school assessments take place in the Summer Term. Pupils will receive an exam timetable, and revision lists in advance with dedicated revision lessons taking place in the week prior to the assessments. 

At Crosfields, we believe reading for pleasure really matters. We know that children who enjoy reading and read regularly do better at school and are happier, healthier, and more socially aware. We also know how important it is that they find the ‘right’ book – a book they want to read and have chosen themselves. That is why we have produced guides from which Year 3 to Year 6 can choose and we have reading challenges both in term time and during the holidays.

In Juniors we encourage pupils to read widely and often through the Accelerated Reader scheme with the incentive of becoming a Word Count Millionaire and being rewarded with certificates for 250,000, 500,000 and 1 million words, they will also receive a badge. 

In recognition of effort and determination to improve reading skills, we award Reading Champions half termly.

As part of a weekly designated library lesson, pupils can make use of our well-resourced library. The Librarian, Mrs Emma Booth, is on hand to offer advice if a pupil doesn’t know what to read. There are staff recommendations, and peer to peer recommendations. We have author and illustrator visits to inspire pupils to create their own stories. Visiting authors help to empower children to read for pleasure and be more creative in their writing.

During morning and lunch breaks the library is open to all children in Juniors and offers a welcoming and comfortable place to read books or catch up on current affairs through newspapers and magazines.

The library is also open before school and some mornings during form time. A timetable will be shared at the start of the academic year.

Music and Drama

At Crosfields, we have a thriving music department offering instrumental groups and several choirs with a range of performance opportunities throughout the year for both soloists and large and small ensembles.  All pupils receive two music lessons as part of their weekly curriculum, taught by a specialist music teacher, which include lots of singing and playing through exploring a wide range of topics. 

We run a Junior Orchestra for players of Grade 2 level and above, a String group, a Guitar Ensemble, a Brass Quartet, a Harp Ensemble and a Piano Trio. There are separate choirs for Boys and Girls ( non-auditioned) and a mixed auditioned Chamber Choir for those who wish to further develop their choral singing. We take our choirs to perform at the prestigious Woodley Festival of Arts and Drama, competing  against other schools in our local area and we have a substantial number of individual and group performers from Crosfields who take part. In the Summer Term we hold our annual House Music competition, with categories for soloists, bands and whole House singing. We also enter the nationally run ISM competitions and, in the past, have had pupils reach the finals in Oxford. 

Individual instrumental lessons are available to all the pupils for an additional fee. We have a strong team of music teachers, teaching a variety of instruments.The lessons are 30 minutes and take place in the main music school. We also hold many informal concerts throughout the year which are an ideal opportunity for new or developing players to perform with their instruments. 

Parents are always warmly invited to watch our events. 

Performing Arts

Children will also take part in a dedicated one-hour Drama lesson each week, designed to build confidence, creativity, and communication skills in a fun and supportive environment. Through engaging activities such as role-play, improvisation, and performance practice, pupils will have the opportunity to develop their expressive abilities while working collaboratively with others. 

Children in Year 5 and 6 will be offered the opportunity to audition for the Junior Production. This exciting experience allows them to showcase the skills they have developed in class and, if selected, to perform as part of a live production. Participation in the Junior Production provides valuable performance experience and helps to further nurture a love for the performing arts. 

We encourage children to take part in local events such as the Woodley Festival and as they provide a fantastic opportunity to develop confidence and performance skills; children are fully supported in their preparation through our after-school club. 

We run an exciting co-curricular programme which offers a range of activities for pupils to take part in. The programme is delivered by both teachers and external providers. Hence, there is a mixture of paid-for activities and sessions which are offered at no cost. Parents are asked to book these online with their child. We recommend that pupils should have no more than one after-school activity on any given day.

Some sessions do have a maximum number of places available. If a session is oversubscribed, the activity may either be run on rotation or children picked through a ballot for the available places.

If you have any further questions, please refer to Co-Curricular information in The Hub section of the school app or email SOCS@crosfields.com.  

When can I book?

A notice will be sent via the school app listing all the activities available and when the sign-up window opens. This happens about 2 weeks before the start of term in September, and at the end of the Autumn Term and Spring Term. Parents new to Crosfields will receive their login to the SOCS website during the first week of term but will be able to register for activities through Admissions.

Towards the end of the Spring Term, Year 5 will spend three days and two nights at Grittleton Adventures in the Cotswolds. Pupils take part in a variety of exciting indoor and outdoor activities, including climbing, low and high ropes, zorbing, bushcraft, and team challenges. Set in the beautiful grounds of Grittleton House, the trip is designed to build confidence, teamwork, and independence in a safe and supportive environment. With experienced instructors and excellent facilities, our pupils enjoy learning new skills, making lasting memories with friends, and developing resilience; all while having lots of fun. It’s a fantastic opportunity for personal growth beyond the classroom. 

When Crosfields’ pupils reach Year 5, they continue to experience opportunities to play weekly fixtures against other schools. In Year 5, external matches for the major games happen on Wednesday afternoons. The major sports we play fixtures in are: Football (boys and girls), Hockey (boys and girls), Rugby (boys), Netball (girls) and Cricket (boys and girls).

Parents are invited to watch all fixtures, whether they are home or away. Please ensure you look at SOCS for all the fixture details, the dates will also be on the school calendar.

The aim, wherever possible, is to provide a fully inclusive match day program, in which all pupils participate. However, due to the number of teams available at other schools, this is not always possible, and when required, squad rotation does occur to enable participation. The higher-ability teams are chosen on merit and pupils earn selection for higher teams through progress, effort, and performance.

Swimming fixtures are also continued in Year 5 and occur on Thursday afternoons with swimming squads running before school. There are also limited external competitive opportunities in cross-country, basketball, badminton, tennis, and athletics.

Each week, Year 5 pupils will have an hour PE lesson, an hour swimming lesson, two 60-minute games lessons, and a games afternoon where we play fixtures.

Girls   

At the start of the academic year in September, girls may wear either the summer or winter uniform, depending on the weather. From the October half term onwards, all girls are required to wear the winter uniform, consisting of the tartan skirt with a white open necked blouse for Juniors.   

In the Summer Term, girls must wear the summer dress with short, ankle-length white socks. Some girls choose to wear cycling shorts under their dresses. These must be either black or white.  

Boys   

Boys usually wear shorts throughout the year with long grey socks but from October half term until the end of the Easter term, boys may wear long charcoal trousers. During the Summer Term, boys are expected to wear charcoal shorts with the long, grey, Crosfields socks.  

Junior boys and girls wear their blazers every day and the boys wear a school tie all year around.  

For safety and practicality, children should wear shoes that fasten securely with laces, buckles, straps or Velcro. Slip‑on shoes are not suitable. Shoes should be polishable.  

Hair and appearance: 
Hair should be neat, tidy and off the face, with natural colours only. Extremely short or fashionable styles, such as Mohican styles, undercuts or shaved lines are not permitted. Hair that is longer than shoulder length must be tied back. Hair accessories should be simple and in school colours. Bandana-style headbands, flowers or bows are not appropriate for school.  

Jewellery: 
For safety reasons, decorative jewellery is not permitted in Juniors. Earrings should not be worn to school and must be removed during the school week. Ear piercing should take place during the long summer holiday.  

Religious items: 
The school supports pupils in meeting religious requirements, and distinct religious symbols may be worn. Where necessary for health and safety, items may need to be covered or removed during certain activities.  

For further information about uniform, please refer to our School Uniform Policy.

Our school uniforms are supplied by Stevensons. You can find the specific uniform you need using their new search feature. You can also set up an account by creating a profile and adding your child’s information.

We also have a school shop on site, which is open each week during term time. The shop coordinator can be contacted by telephoning the main school office. The on site school shop stocks second-hand items and is open each Wednesday during term time between 15:30 and 16:30. However, if you are looking for a specific item and cannot attend during this time, please email shop@crosfields.com and one of the dedicated team will have a look for you.

For all items purchased through the school shop, the proceeds go directly to the bursary fund and we ask for donations for any selected items.

In order to maximise teaching time on specific days, pupils arrive and/or leave school in Crosfields’ PE/Games kit.

New parents should buy the items as listed below. Current parents do not need to buy new items, but as your child grows out of clothes and you replace them, please replace with new garments as detailed below. Trainers can be any colour, although please stay away from garish colours and ensure a non-marking sole. Please can football boots have a Velcro strap, unless the pupil knows how to tie shoelaces. Football boots are worn for Cross-Country, Football and Rugby.

The items with an asterisk are branded and must be purchased from our nominated partner, Stevensons or the school shop. Other items may be purchased unbranded.

Summer and Winter Uniform

Summer Uniform

(worn first half of the Autumn term and all of the Summer term)

NB: Pupils wearing the trousers/shorts uniform will wear shorts throughout the year, with the option of wearing long trousers between October and February, if the weather is cold.

Swimming Kit

PE and Games Kit

Forest School

Art Overall

Optional items

Additional Items