By Mrs Crawford-Smith (IB PYP Coordinator)

During the afternoon on Friday 6th September, Year 5 took part in their first school trip of the year, a local walk of the river and the surrounding area! We were incredibly fortunate to be able to walk in the glorious sunshine, taking in the landmarks and sights of our surrounding area. Upon their return, the pupils were challenged to draw a visual representation of their journey. It was interesting to see what each of them had observed and remembered, and which landmarks had stuck in their mind – the ice cream van featured in a number of the maps and drawings! The walk was the perfect way to round off their first week in Year 5, and gave a lovely opportunity to talk to and learn from their class teacher outside of the classroom. 

The excursion was inspiration for their new Unit of Inquiry - Where we are in place and time. Over the course of this half term, the pupils will be inquiring into the Central Idea, ‘Exploration leads to new connections and understandings of the world.’ We will be learning about the function of maps, investigating why people explore the world and will be considering the consequences of exploration. The trip has sparked some rich discussions throughout the year group and has led to the pupils posing some thought provoking questions, such as, ‘Who decides where a town starts and ends?’ and ‘Are the colours and symbols on a map the same across the world, or are they different in different countries?’ Through the lens of function, change and responsibility, we will be exploring these questions and more in their Inquiry lessons.