Welcome back to the Year 6 blog. We have had had an action packed spring term as we have been gearing up to the SATs. The children have worked so hard this term, in all areas, and we are so proud of them. Boosters have been incredibly successful and we are so grateful to all the children, parents and staff who have made this possible. We are confident that the children have gained so much from these additional sessions but we are ALL looking forward to having our mornings and afternoons back! Not long to go now… Only a few more weeks until we can take a breath and let our hair down a little- that is until we start rehearsing for our end of year performance! Keep going Year 6, we know you can do it!

English

Reading- Poetry and non-fiction

This half term, in our reading lessons, we’ve been diving into the intriguing world of poetry and non-fiction. We studied a thought-provoking poem called “The British” by the late Benjamin Zephaniah. It beautifully encapsulates our vibrant British culture, portraying it as a melting pot teeming with individuals from varying backgrounds, races, and religions. What we found particularly striking is how Zephaniah discusses essential themes of equality, justice, and respect, referring to the British people as the key ingredients that make up our nation. His clever use of imagery allowed us to explore the significance of these elements in shaping society, and it’s safe to say it’s left a lasting impression on all of us!

Alongside our poetic excursion, we’ve been sharpening our reading skills. We’ve focused on inference, retrieval, and making predictions, which has been both challenging and rewarding! We’ve also delved into a range of vocabulary, exploring what these key terms mean and how they relate to our life in Britain today.

On another note, we’re currently engrossed in a non-fiction book centered around World War II, tying in perfectly with our history unit on Conflict and Resolution. The discussions we’ve had surrounding fact and opinion—especially distinguishing between fact and opinion presented as facts—have been particularly enlightening. Our efforts to tackle those tricky three-mark questions where we justify our thoughts with evidence from the text are bearing fruit too!

It’s been a busy few weeks, but our exploration of literature and history feels ever so worthwhile.

Writing – Discussions and Advice

As we dive into this half term, our young writers have been busy honing their skills in crafting discussion texts and forming balanced arguments. It’s quite inspiring to watch them embark on this journey! We kicked things off by exploring a variety of grammar skills and writing techniques. The children eagerly embraced concepts like levels of formality and passive voice, which are essential for making their writing more sophisticated. We’ve also been focusing on building cohesion across paragraphs using different devices, including handy sentence signposts.

Moreover, we’ve introduced the nuances of punctuation – semi-colons, colons, and dashes have become our new best friends! Understanding how to use subordinate clauses effectively has added an extra layer of complexity to their writing, which I must say, they’ve tackled impressively.

A particularly engaging part of this process was allowing the children to choose their own discussion questions. It’s fascinating to see them dive into topics that spark their interest. They researched passionately, weighing arguments for and against. The shift to writing formally encouraged them to explore alternative vocabulary, helping them articulate their points with a more polished touch.

Take a look at some of our thought-provoking discussion texts:

Currently, we’re having a lot of fun learning to write advice through “agony aunt/uncle” letters. The children are grasping the art of reading a problem letter, empathising with the writer, identifying core issues, and formulating thoughtful solutions. They absolutely thrived during the product goals lesson, where we identified the key language, grammar, and punctuation essential for effective advice writing.

Here is their final list of product goals and writers’ craft moves:

Recently, they practised their skills by offering advice to a hypothetical “new student” on what to pack for their packed lunch. It’s delightful to see their creativity flow, and I can’t wait to see how they continue to grow as confident young writers! Take a look at our fantastic pieces:

Science – Evolution

In Year 6 Science this half term, I wanted to share what your children have been exploring regarding the fascinating world of living things and their adaptations. Building on the foundational knowledge gained in previous years, particularly during the Year 3 rocks unit, pupils have delved deeper into how living things have evolved over time, thanks to the clues left behind in fossils.

We started by revisiting the concept of fossils and their significance in revealing the history of life on Earth. Pupils learnt that living organisms produce offspring of the same kind, but that these babies usually vary slightly from their parents, much like the differences seen when Labradors and poodles are crossed. This variation helps species adapt to their environments, a key theme for our lessons.

Throughout the unit, children discovered amazing adaptations—like the growing neck of the giraffe. Understanding these adaptations will lead us into discussions about evolution, highlighting how traits that help survival are passed down through generations. We will also be exploring how environmental changes can threaten species, with a focus on the challenges posed by climate change and habitat loss.

Children will be introduced to remarkable figures in science, such as Mary Anning and Charles Darwin, whose pioneering work has shaped our understanding of evolution. By the end of the unit, we aim for pupils to appreciate that evolution is not a matter of choice; it’s a slow process that occurs as living organisms adapt to their changing environments.

History – Conflict and Resolution

This unit is designed to expand pupil’s chronological knowledge of British History beyond 1066. This unit will give pupils knowledge of the First and Second World Wars as well as how conflict still continues in the world today. In preparation for beginning this unit and to excite pupils about the content, activities from the Discovery box can be sent home. 

The unit begins with an exploration of how the First World War began, looking at the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as the catalyst. Pupils will also understand the role of the British Empire and how it wasn’t solely Britain who fought in the war. Pupils will then learn about the people who fought in the war, understanding that Britain needed the support of the colonies and laws like conscription to build its army. This leads into the next lesson where pupils learn about trench warfare in depth. There are also option to discover the experiences of soldiers using a diary entry, and exploring the Battle of the Somme. As the unit progresses, pupils will learn about women’s roles in the first world war, how they took on the jobs that men could no longer do while they were at war, their work in the munitions factories, and how their significant contributions led to them receiving the right to vote. Pupils will learn about how the First World War ended, the signing of the armistice, and the after-effects of the war on the people of Britain. 

The unit then moves into exploring who Hitler was and how his actions led to the outbreak of the Second World War. Pupils will learn about the chronology of the war and how it was fought as well the impact on Britain. Pupils will also have the opportunity to look at the impact of the wars on their local area. As the unit progresses, pupils learn about how Britain rebuilt after the war, how the welfare state was created, and how people came from the colonies to fill the labour shortage. The unit concludes with a lesson on how countries maintain peace. Pupils will learn about how and why the United Nations was formed. 

At the end of the unit, pupils will draw all their knowledge and understanding together to answer the enquiry question: How and why did Britain fight in two world wars, and how did they change British society? Pupils should be encouraged to use the knowledge they have gained to outline the impact of the First World War and then the Second World War on Britain. They will finally conclude their thoughts about what they have learned about conflict and resolution.

Remember that war is not abstract, historical, or faraway for all children: Throughout this unit, be mindful of any pupils whose lives may have been affected by war.

Maths –  Area, perimeter and volume

 

Our recent mathematics unit centred on the exploration of areas and perimeters of shapes. This small but significant step allowed children to recap their learning from previous years by investigating the concept of area. They engaged in counting squares to find the areas of various shapes, while also discovering that different shapes could share the same area. It was fascinating to see them grasp the idea that shapes can appear different but still hold equal space—rectilinear shapes were particularly popular in these discussions.

In our lessons, children explored various methods for determining the perimeters and areas of rectangles and rectilinear shapes. One of the key aspects we focused on was comparing the efficiency of different approaches. For instance, when finding the area of a rectilinear shape, children were encouraged to consider the most efficient way to split the shape rather than opting for the same method every time. They were tasked with being vigilant while calculating unknown side lengths, necessary for determining whether to add or subtract. This analytical approach fostered deeper understanding and helped them explore scenarios where subtracting a missing part from the area of a whole rectangle might prove more efficient than counting individual squares.

We began our exploration of triangles by allowing students to count full and half squares, aiding them in calculating their areas. As they progressed, they learned to estimate the areas of triangles comprising sections of squares greater or less than half. This exercise encouraged creativity, as children ventured to create their own triangles with specific areas, reinforcing their understanding through hands-on practice.

Transitioning from counting squares to formula application marked an exciting phase in their learning. We examined the relationship between right-angled triangles and rectangles, particularly noting how a right-angled triangle with the same base and perpendicular height as a rectangle possesses an area that is half of that rectangle’s area. Consequently, children adapted the rectangle area formula to a new one for right-angled triangles: area = 1/2 × base × perpendicular height.

We explored three-dimensional shapes, specifically looking at how to calculate volume. Children learned that they could find the volume of shapes like cuboids and other prisms by multiplying the volume of a single layer by the number of equal layers. They examined the relationship between total volume, as it relates to a cuboid’s length, width, and height.

Overall, it has been a rewarding process observing children expand their mathematical horizons and develop a solid foundation in geometry.

Computing – Networks

In our computing lessons, we have been focusing on understanding computer networks and how they work. We’ve been learning about the different types of networks, such as local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN), and how they connect computers and other devices to share information. We’ve also discussed the importance of routers, switches, and servers in making sure data travels smoothly across the network. To show our understanding, the children used the program 2Chart on Purple Mash to create diagrams and charts that represent how different devices are connected within a network.