Drake Class

Welcome

Hello and welcome to Drake Class!

My name is Mrs Fraser, and this will be my first year of teaching at Northgate. I have previously worked at three other local primary schools in the Futura Trust over the last seven years. I am thoroughly looking forward to getting to know your children and helping them progress in their educational journey.

As well as myself, the Drake Class Team also includes Mrs Murdoch, a HLTA, who will be teaching the children on Tuesday and Friday afternoons whilst I complete my planning. We also have Mrs Curtis and Mrs Marker who will be there to support the children.

I am very much looking forward to the year ahead and would like to thank you in advance for your support. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions. You can do this via the class email address: drakeclass@northgateprimaryschool.org.uk or by calling the office.

Mrs Fraser

Barton Hall Residential Information

Year 5 and 6 will be going to Barton Hall on residential on Monday 22nd September 2025 to Friday 26th September 2025. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Here is the PowerPoint from the Camp Meeting that took place on Thursday 4th September 2025.

Camp Information PowerPoint

The Natural History Museum Trip

On Thursday 11th June 2026, Year 5 will be visiting the Natural History Museum. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me via the class email (as above) or the school office. Please note, the class email inbox will be checked on a Friday only.

Please click the link below for a copy of the letter that was sent out on Wednesday 22nd April 2026.

Natural History Museum Letter

Learning in Drake Class

Summer B

The Curriculum Overview for Summer B can be found here.

The Knowledge Organiser for Summer B can be found here.

Summer A

The Summer Term Newsletter for Summer A can be found here.

The Curriculum Overview for Summer A can be found here.

The Knowledge Organiser for Summer A can be found here.

PSHE – Healthy Me

In PSHE, Drake Class have been learning about how to stay healthy, with a particular focus on the risks associated with smoking and vaping. As part of this unit, the children worked collaboratively to explore how cigarettes and vapes are advertised, marketed and sold, as well as the laws surrounding their use. As a class, we discussed the effects of vaping and smoking on the body and reflected on how common these products have become, helping pupils to make informed and healthy choices.

British Science Week 2026

During British Science Week, Drake Class explored the theme ‘Curiously Close’. We spent the week learning about magnification, creating our own magnifiers from plastic bottles and discovering why observing things up close is so important in science. The children also took part in an engaging STEM workshop led by science teachers from the local college, which helped to deepen their curiosity and understanding of the world around them.

World Book Day 2026

For World Book Day 2026, Drake Class explored the book Somebody Swallowed Stanley by Sarah Roberts, a powerful story about a plastic bag mistaken for a jellyfish by a sea turtle, highlighting the impact of plastic pollution on marine life. Our focus question for the day was “Is plastic ever helpful?”, which led to thoughtful discussion and debate. In English, the children wrote argument texts, and in Art they created detailed line drawings of jellyfish inspired by the story.

Drake Class Enterprise

This half term, Drake Class took part in a series of Themed Fridays to raise money for their class trip to London in the Summer term. The themed days included Anything But a Bag Day, Break the Rules Day, Yes Day, Wacky Hair Day and Pyjama Day.

The children embraced each theme with enthusiasm and creativity, fully rising to the challenge. All money raised will go directly towards the cost of our class trip to the Natural History Museum in Summer B.

Spring B

The Curriculum Overview for Spring B can be found here.

The Knowledge Organiser for Spring B can be found here.

Interhouse Bench Ball

On the last day of term, Drake Class took part in the Interhouse Bench Ball event. The children thoroughly enjoyed the games and demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, consistently supporting and encouraging one another throughout the competition. They also showed impressive resilience, responding positively even when their team did not win a match.

It was a wonderful way to end the term, and we are very proud of how well the children represented their houses.

English – Debate

In English, the children have been learning how to write an argument text. To support their understanding of how to present a formal argument, they took part in a structured debate on the question: Should animals be kept in zoos? The class was divided into two groups — one arguing for and the other against.

The children shared a wide range of strong, thoughtful opinions and were able to clearly verbalise their views, offering well‑reasoned points to support their arguments. It was wonderful to see them engaging so confidently in discussion and using their developing skills so effectively.

Parental Engagement – Viking Shields

This term’s Parental Engagement Activity was Designing a Viking Shield, linked to our history topic on The Vikings. It was wonderful to see so many parents, carers, and siblings joining us for the session. The atmosphere was fantastic, and it was clear that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience — with some adults taking their shield designing extremely seriously!

We were treated to a range of brilliant and imaginative designs, and it was lovely to watch families working together so creatively. Thank you to all the adults who were able to attend and support the children.

Art – Giacometti Sculptures

Once the children had created their wire armatures for our Giacometti‑inspired sculptures, their next step was to cover them with a special plaster material called Modroc. The children carefully tore small pieces of Modroc, dipped them into water, gently squeezed out the excess, and then wrapped them around their wire frames. They had to ensure each piece overlapped so that no gaps appeared once the material had dried.

This stage of the process was both challenging and very messy, but the children showed fantastic resilience, focus, and determination throughout. We then left the sculptures to dry for several days before they were ready to take home.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed working with the Modroc and exploring this exciting new technique.

Special Visitor

In Art this half term, we are designing and making sculptures inspired by the work of Alberto Giocametti. As part of this learning, we have made our armatures for our final sculptures. To help us understand the importance and function of an armature, Nick from ‘A Load of Old Scrap’ came into school to speak to the class. He also brought along a couple of sculptures for the children to see. Nick also helped the children to create their own armatures from wire, which was quite tricky!

The children asked some very interesting questions and really enjoyed learning more about sculpture from someone who makes them for a living.

Drake Class would like to say a big thank you to Nick for taking the time to come in and speak to us.

PSHE

In PSHE, we have been thinking about our dreams and goals. As part of this we have been exploring different jobs and their salaries, learning about how to keep track of money and researching our dream jobs. The children have been fantastic in thinking about the skills they will need to achieve their dream careers. We have discussed a wide range of jobs, from an Astronaut to a Footballer!

Spring A

The Spring Term Newsletter can be found here.

The Curriculum Overview for Spring A can be found here.

The Knowledge Organiser for Spring A can be found here.

Christmas Party!

Drake Class had an amazing time at their festive party! We kicked things off with an interactive quiz, where teams competed for sweet prizes. Next came a hilarious twist on pass the parcel, featuring festive glasses, oven gloves, and dice—more prizes for the winners! Then it was time for the delicious food—thank you so much for your generous donations! After eating, the fun continued with a lively game of Pin the Nose on Rudolph, boys vs. girls, with sweet treats for the winners. The atmosphere was full of laughter and festive cheer, and everyone had a fantastic time!

Christmas Lunch

We all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas lunch together! The class team and pupils shared a festive meal with Christmas songs playing in the background, creating a joyful atmosphere filled with excitement. The room was bright with a dazzling array of Christmas jumpers, adding to the fun and festive spirit. It was a happy, joyous opportunity to eat together and there were smiles all around.

Forest School

Year 5 had an amazing afternoon at Forest School! They practised fire-lighting skills, toasted marshmallows, made delicious s’mores, built dens, crafted nature crowns, enjoyed hot chocolate, and even shared campfire songs. The children showed fantastic fire safety knowledge, curiosity, and creativity throughout. It was a wonderful experience that everyone thoroughly enjoyed!

Sorting Materials in Science

In Science, we’ve been exploring materials and their properties through hands-on investigations. In one exciting lesson, the children worked in small groups to sort a tray of mixed materials using only limited resources. They applied their knowledge creatively, designing and making their own tools to separate the materials. The results were fantastic—brilliant ideas, clever inventions, and excellent teamwork! Everyone succeeded in the challenge and had great fun along the way.

Making Pizzas

In DT, the children had a fantastic time designing and making their own pizzas! The process began with tasting a variety of pizzas to discover their favourite toppings and sauces. They then created their own designs, carried out market research using questionnaires, and refined their ideas based on feedback. Finally, they rolled up their sleeves and made their pizzas, practising key cooking skills such as kneading, chopping, slicing, grating, rolling, and spreading. Everyone was incredibly proud of their delicious creations—and the smell was amazing!

Pomegranate Tasting

Our Whole Class Reading text this term is The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf—a heart-warming story about friendship, kindness, and understanding as a group of children welcome a refugee into their classroom. In one memorable part of the story, the protagonist buys a pomegranate for Ahmet, which sparked curiosity among our pupils. Many wanted to try one themselves, so we all had a taste! Most of the children loved it—and some even asked for seconds! It was a wonderful way to connect our reading to real-life experiences.

Willow Workshop

During the Autumn term, the children took part in two exciting Willow Workshops to create a sculpture for the Willow Heritage Arts Trail. They learned the traditional craft of weaving willow into different shapes, making individual pieces that will form a fantastic final sculpture of a weaving loom surrounded by figures. All the children thoroughly enjoyed the workshops, and several proved to be naturals at willow weaving! This artwork will be proudly displayed near our school, complete with an information board, as a lasting tribute to the Bridgwater Workhouse that once stood on our site.

Autumn B

The Curriculum Overview for the Autumn B can be found here.

The Knowledge Organiser for Autumn B can be found here.

King Square War Memorial

Our History learning took us on a fascinating journey into the impact of World War One on Bridgwater. A highlight was our visit to the War Memorial in King Square, where the children showed outstanding respect and curiosity. Together, we explored the importance of memorials and what they represent, sparking meaningful conversations and reflections. Each child chose the name of a fallen soldier to research in our next lesson—a task that inspired real engagement and empathy.

Inspired Leader Training

Our Year 5 pupils proudly completed their Inspired Playground Leader Training—a fantastic day filled with fun and teamwork! In the morning, they mastered a variety of playground games, learned how to adapt them for different ages and abilities, and explored strategies for positive conflict resolution. The afternoon was even more exciting as they put their new skills into action with KS1 classes. The children loved every moment, and we’re thrilled that almost the entire class signed up to become Playground Leaders! They will now take turns at lunchtimes to lead games and inspire active play across the school.

Science

In Science, we have been learning about gravity. We set up an experiment to test how we could affect the time it takes a pendulum to stop swinging. We completed the experiment in small groups, with each group changing a different variable. Some changed the length of the string, and some changed the mass of the pendulum. We recorded our results in a table.