Year 6

Welcome to Year Six

Welcome to our year 6 page. Read on to find out more information about our classes.

This is a very important year, as your child will shortly take the end of Key Stage 2 tests in May, and prepare for their transition to secondary school. Our expectations of pupils are extremely high and we foster an attitude of maturity and independence. This involves the children taking responsibility for their own equipment and ensuring that they always carry their school planner with them, something which will be important in secondary school. The pace of work in year 6 is very different to the other year groups in the school; it is faster and more intense. We often practise working under timed conditions in preparation for the KS2 tests.

Attendance & Punctuality

It is vital that your child attends school regularly and is ready to line up promptly at 8.45 am. Attending school regularly and punctually are important habits that will help your child in their future working life.

Teaching & Learning

In most curriculum areas, children will be taught within whole class groups, supported where appropriate by the different adults in the year group. In maths, we split into smaller groups across the year group in order to target the work and the pace more accurately to the needs of the children. Groups are assessed on a regular basis in order to ensure we are meeting the needs of all children.

Maths

Mental maths skills are a significant part of the new curriculum and tests, and children will be required to learn all multiplication tables up to 12 x 12 at home. It is vital that they are confident with instant recall of multiplication tables and their related division facts, as this is the basis for all year 6 maths work. Telling the time is another essential skill that you can help them to learn. Many will already be able to tell the time but their understanding can be extended by looking at timetables for transport, cinemas, sporting events etc.

Reading

Our school library has re-opened, and we will be encouraging children to borrow books. We strongly recommend that children regularly read books at home; we expect children to read a variety of genres and to be heard to read aloud regularly at home. We would encourage parents to discuss texts that the children have read in order to develop their comprehension skills. A note of this should be recorded in children’s planners.

Recommended websites:

http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/Books/Children

http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/

Topic work

Autumn term

Spring term

Summer term

Water

World War 2

Global Trade

Crime and Punishment

The humanities and arts will be predominantly taught through a topic approach and cross curricular links will be made to other subjects areas such as English where appropriate.

P.E.

PE for the Summer Term will be every Tuesday and Wednesday.

All children are expected to participate in P.E, as part of the curriculum, unless the class teacher has been informed in writing by the parent/carer that due to medical reasons, the child cannot take part in the lesson. The kit consists of a plain white/yellow/blue t-shirt, dark blue/black shorts, dark blue/black jogging pants, long sleeved sweatshirt for outdoor lessons and pumps or trainers. Please note that only these items will be accepted as PE kit. Children should ensure they have them in school on P.E. days; they can remain in school from Monday to Friday if that is easier.

All children with long hair must have it tied back with a band for P.E. and no jewellery (including earrings) must be worn.

Homework

Homework activities are available on spag.com and maths.co.uk. Each child has their own personal login which is in their planner for reference.

If you wish to do a do a bit more, here are some recommended websites for maths revision:

http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage (excellent for maths investigations & puzzles)

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/ (maths zone excellent for revision of basic facts)

Planners

Each child is given a planner at the start of the academic year. Please encourage your child to take responsibility for their planner and bring it into school every day. Notes in the planners are an effective means of communication between teachers and parents; therefore if you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to write a note and remind your child to show it to their teacher. This will also be used as your child’s reading record. Please note that planners will not be checked by teachers unless children are changing their reading books, so any communication from home needs to be shown by the child.

Classroom & Equipment

School provides all the basic equipment needed for your child’s class work. These will be replaced when they are worn out, not lost. Please make sure your child’s personal property/ clothing is labelled clearly. Children are able to bring a labelled screw-topped water bottle which can be kept in your child’s class throughout the day and taken home every night. The bottle should contain plain water unless there are special dietary requirements which need to be discussed with the class teacher. We politely request that children do not bring large pencil cases into class as they do not fit into their trays.