The Vile Victorians Take Over Year 5!
Gruel, hand caning and children climbing up chimneys… Yes, you guessed it, our theme this term has plunged us into the grimy yet fascinating world of The Vile Victorians!
After exploring the invention of the steam engine, children quickly realised how dramatically the Industrial Revolution transformed Britain, turning peaceful countryside into bustling, smoky cities almost overnight. Towering chimneys filled the air with pollution, spreading disease and contaminating water supplies, leading to frequent outbreaks of cholera and typhoid.
A highlight of our learning was our visit to Big Pit, where pupils travelled 90 metres underground to experience first-hand what life was like for Victorian miners. The children were amazed, and a little shocked, to learn that youngsters their age once spent long, exhausting days in cold tunnels, working six days a week with little food or safety. It was a great reminder of how fortunate we are today to live in a world where education is free.
Collaborating with Lliswerry Primary School made our learning even more exciting! We exchanged thoughtful questions and detailed answers about our visit to Big Pit, and our Year 5s rose brilliantly to the challenge. As an extra activity, we shared some of our digital creativity, using Adobe Generate Image to bring our descriptions to life through AI-generated artwork.
Our exploration of the Victorian era continued as we became history detectives, investigating the question: Who was Queen Victoria and why is she remembered? We uncovered intriguing facts, like the fact she was just 18 when she became Queen, survived seven assassination attempts, and began the British tradition of decorating Christmas trees! Using a range of historical sources, pupils then wrote detailed biographies of her extraordinary life.
In English, we’ve been captivated by ‘Street Child’ by Berlie Doherty, a moving story that paints a vivid picture of Victorian life. One highlight was our Conscience Alley drama activity, where pupils helped the main character, Jim, decide whether to stay in the workhouse or risk escaping. This task helped children to develop empathy and critical thinking, preparing them to write persuasive, balanced arguments later on. We also created powerful “You Are…” poems about the workhouse, packed with metaphors, concrete and abstract nouns, and rich vocabulary.
Our virtual workshop about the great Victorian engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, inspired a wave of budding engineers! During our S.T.E.M bridge-building challenge, we discovered that triangles really do rule when it comes to strong designs.
As October marks Black History Month, we celebrated the achievements of influential Black figures throughout history. One of our favourites was Pablo Fanque, the “Greatest Victorian Showman,” whose life and success amazed us all. To explore diversity further, we took part in an inspiring Braille workshop, learning how this unique system of reading and writing opens up access and opportunity for people with visual impairments.
We also participated in a thought-provoking session with Show Racism the Red Card, where pupils handled important topics with incredible maturity. Alongside this, our interactive Bible Studies with Rachel encouraged reflection and discussion through creative storytelling.
Finally, our Year 5 Reading Challenge is in full swing! It’s fantastic to see so many pupils racing through books from home and our class library, eagerly reaching their next checkpoints and rewards.
Well done Year 5, you have been so enthusiastic about all the learning we have completed so far. Have a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing you all for the new half term, full of more exciting activities!
