Off With Her Head 

Across the entire spring term (Terms 3 and 4), Year 5 explore Tudor Britain in 'Off With Her Head'. The children gain insight into where the Tudor era sat within British history, how the Tudor period began and which significant monarchs ruled England during this time period (particularly Henry VIII and Elizabeth I).

In English and Reading, we will finish our first text, The Nowhere Emporium, before moving onto a variety of William Shakespeare's plays, including A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet. Children will take part in roleplay activities and create newspaper articles about the unfortunate fire that burned down the Globe in London. 

Our exploration of the Globe Theatre links our first text (The Nowhere Emporium) with our next DT project of the year: Set Design. During this project, we develop our understanding of how we can create mood and dramatic effect by manipulating lighting, background and objects on stage. Children will choose some of their favourite scenes from Ross MacKenzie's narrative to bring to life on the stage of their own scale models of the Globe.

During Term 4, Year 5 will be visiting Ufton Court near Reading. Here, we will immerse ourselves in the Tudor lifestyle by taking part in different workshops: exploring how to use a flint and steel, build protective fencing for shelters and communities, create a bow and arrow, and participate in a roleplay to explore Tudor crime and punishment. Pupils always take a lot for this trip; it has always been a highlight for staff too!

Off With Her Head: Knowledge Mat