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Year 6 Blog

Year 6 blog- Almost time for Summer time!

30th March 2025Roma Bloomfield

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.

Year 6 Spring blog

7th February 2025Sabreen Parkar

Welcome to Year 6’s third blog post of the year! What a busy half term it’s been, especially with the start of our SATS boosters. We’re absolutely delighted to see so many children turning up regularly—thank you all for your fantastic support! The children have been working exceptionally hard, both in class and during their before and after school sessions. We couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and progress across all subjects. Now, it’s time for a well-deserved break! We hope everyone enjoys the half term and comes back refreshed and ready for the next challenges ahead.

ENGLISH

Reading

In our reading comprehension lessons, we’ve been diving into the thrilling world of Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. Over the past few weeks, we’ve followed the journey of fourteen-year-old Alex, who gets recruited by MI6 in quite an unexpected twist. Equipped with some fantastic secret gadgets, he’s on a mission to investigate Herod Sayle, a rather mysterious figure who’s offering brand-new Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country.

We’ve really enjoyed exploring Alex’s character and examining the intriguing personalities of others throughout the story. Making comparisons with other books we’ve read has sparked some lively discussions! Our inference skills were put to the test as we delved into the narrative, questioning the author’s choice of language. We even tackled some tier two vocabulary, and it’s been great to see everyone trying to use these words in their own writing. Our teachers have loved listening to our fluent and expressive reading – it’s truly been engaging!

Writing

Our Creative Writing Adventure!

This term in English, we dove into the fascinating world of flashbacks in our stories. To be honest, it was quite tricky trying to keep our readers hooked while making sure they knew exactly when a flashback kicked off and when it wrapped up. We also experimented with building atmosphere to really set the scene for our narratives and practised using flashback signposts—talk about a challenge!

One of the highlights of our learning was the ideas and planning party. We gathered with friends, bounced around some incredible story concepts, and struggled to pick just one to write about in the end! It was such a creative buzz! Some of us opted to use dialogue to advance our stories, while others got adventurous by switching between tenses—how clever is that?

Our narratives ran the gamut from suspenseful tales to thrilling adventures, and even heartwarming stories about friendship. A few were autobiographical-drawing upon some emotional family memories, whilst others drew inspiration from our favourite films. We published our works in a range of formats that felt personal to us: some of us typed them up, others illustrated them, and a few even made books. The absolute cherry on top was an author’s sharing lunch with Mrs Parkar—what an absolute delight!

Mapping the World: Our Latest Adventure in Geography

This term, we’ve dived into a fascinating unit of work called “Mapping the World.” It’s been a brilliant journey exploring different types of maps, from topographical and thematic to street and political maps. Each format has its own unique features that tell us something special about our surroundings.

One of the highlights was learning how to read ordnance survey maps. These maps are like treasure maps, filled with symbols and details that help us navigate the great outdoors. We spent time deciphering common symbols, which sparked some lively discussions and plenty of “ah-ha!” moments. Who knew a simple triangle could represent a hill?

To wrap it all up, we took our learning out into the field. Our outdoor adventure involved investigating various house types in our local area, and it was eye-opening! We discovered how the architecture and style of homes reveal so much about the socio-economic geography around us. It was amazing to connect our classroom knowledge with the real world, reinforcing the idea that maps are not just tools but gateways to understanding our community. Overall, it’s been an engaging and enlightening unit that has certainly piqued our curiosity!

Maths

Ratio

In Year 6 mathematics, the concept of ratios is introduced, providing pupils with essential skills for understanding relationships between quantities. The ratio symbol, represented by a colon ( : ), allows learners to express comparisons succinctly.

We have been looking at how ratios can be closely associated with fractions, as they both illustrate a relationship between two values. For instance, a ratio of 2:3 can be understood as two parts of one quantity to three parts of another. This foundational knowledge serves as a precursor to more complex applications, such as scale drawings, where pupils utilise scale factors to represent real-life objects accurately.

Understanding similar shapes is a pivotal aspect of ratio work; our students learn that corresponding sides of similar figures maintain consistent ratios. For example, if two similar shapes have a ratio of 1:2, any side of the first shape will measure half of the corresponding side on the second shape.

Pupils are also challenged with a variety of ratio problems, reinforcing their skills in practical contexts. Further, they tackle proportion problems, which often require them to determine unknown quantities based on given ratios. Through these activities, students develop a robust understanding of ratios, forming an essential component of their mathematical toolkit.

Algebra

In Year 6, our pupils are introduced to the foundational concepts of algebra, which play a crucial role in their understanding of mathematical relationships and problem-solving skills. A key component of the curriculum is the use of function machines to represent and manipulate algebraic functions.

Students begin with 1-step function machines, where they learn to apply a simple operation to an input value, yielding an output. This concept then progresses to 2-step function machines, involving two operations that help pupils develop more complex reasoning skills.

Forming expressions represents another critical skill, as students learn to construct mathematical phrases using variables. Substitution is introduced in tandem, allowing learners to replace variables with specific values, thereby simplifying expressions for evaluation.

Pupils also engage with formulae, understanding how equations represent relationships between different quantities. This lays the foundation for forming equations, which they subsequently solve; initially focusing on 1-step equations before advancing to 2-step equations, enhancing their problem-solving capabilities.

Moreover, students are tasked with finding pairs of values that satisfy given conditions, and they learn to solve problems involving two unknowns. This holistic approach equips Year 6 pupils with the essential skills and confidence required for further study in mathematics.

Decimals

In Year 6, the curriculum places significant emphasis on understanding and manipulating decimals, an essential skill that underpins many mathematical concepts and real-life applications. Pupils are first introduced to rounding decimals, a fundamental ability that allows for simplification of numerical values, enhancing mental arithmetic skills and promoting estimation.

As students progress, they learn to add and subtract decimals, which aids in grasping the concept of a decimal’s place value. This understanding extends to multiplying decimals by 10, 100, and 1,000. Such operations require students to move the decimal point to the right, fostering a deeper comprehension of the relationship between whole numbers and decimals.

Conversely, when dividing decimals by these factors, pupils experience moving the decimal point to the left, solidifying their grasp of division in a practical context. Furthermore, multiplying and dividing decimals by integers allows for essential interactions with larger datasets, which is particularly relevant in problem-solving scenarios.

An emphasis on contextualised multiplication and division of decimals enables students to apply their knowledge to real-world problems, such as calculating finances or measuring distances. Mastering these skills ensures that pupils are well-equipped for the complexity of secondary education and daily life.

Science

As part of our ongoing curriculum, we are delving into the fascinating world of living organisms. Understanding how we can arrange organisms into groups forms the foundation of our studies in biology. The term “organism” refers to any living thing, which can be categorised broadly into three primary groups: plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Classification, the process of arranging organisms based on their physical characteristics, plays a vital role in scientific inquiry. Groups of organisms that can reproduce to create offspring are classified as the same species. This methodical approach allows scientists to name, study, and discuss organisms more precisely, aided significantly by advancements in microscopy.

In exploring vertebrates—animals that possess a backbone—we can organise them into five distinct categories: mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. These categories further reveal that vertebrates can be classified as warm-blooded or cold-blooded, and they may reproduce through live birth or by laying eggs.

Conversely, invertebrates, which lack a backbone, include groups such as arthropods, molluscs, and annelids. For instance, arthropods can be subdivided into insects, arachnids, and crustaceans.

Plants, too, offer a rich field of study. They can be classified into flowering and non-flowering varieties, with flowers serving the vital purpose of attracting insects for pollination.

Lastly, we focus on microorganisms—tiny organisms often visible only under a microscope, such as bacteria and viruses. While some microorganisms can be harmful, others are beneficial, highlighting the need for us to understand how to protect ourselves from detrimental forms.

Empathy

Our value for this half term is empathy. It is vital that we explore the concept of empathy. Empathy, at its core, means seeing the world from another person’s perspective. This understanding of others’ feelings not only enriches our interactions but also plays a significant role in our emotional well-being.

Research has shown that cultivating empathy can lead to positive feelings, such as being helpful and understanding. When children learn to empathise, they are better equipped to build meaningful friendships. Establishing connections with others fosters a sense of worthiness, love, and care, while also promoting emotional stability and calmness in challenging situations.

To illustrate the power of empathy, we can look to historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi, whose commitment to understanding others’ plight was instrumental in his pursuits for justice and peace. His life exemplifies how empathy can drive meaningful change.

I encourage you to engage your children in conversations about empathy. Consider asking them how they can apply this vital skill in their daily lives. Together, let us cultivate a more empathetic community and support our children in understanding the world around them.

Yr 6 blog – Autumn 2

6th January 2025Roma Bloomfield

A great finish to a great year!

Year six have done amazingly this term. They have made heaps and heaps of progress already and we are so proud of them and the wonderful humans they are growing into. Staff are looking forward to starting our SATS booster groups in the new year. Please ensure your child knows the day, time and member of staff they are going to be taught by. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your friends and family and look forward to welcoming you all back in the New Year.

The Year Six Team

English
What an exciting term it has been for our budding authors! The children
have been truly busy bees, producing a delightful variety of texts, including
explanation texts, diary recounts, suspense stories, and some wonderfully
imaginative poetry. They’ve relished the opportunity to write for different
audiences and purposes, cultivating a real community of young writers.
We’ve taken a deep dive into the writing process, exploring an assortment
of texts, including some brilliant pieces from last year’s Year Sixes. It’s
remarkable to see how inspired and motivated the children have become,
crafting captivating and engaging narratives with an impressive range of
exciting vocabulary.

In our Author’s Chair sessions, they’ve enjoyed sharing their work and have
developed into experts at giving and receiving constructive feedback. Plus,
they’re building on their prior knowledge, exploring advanced punctuation
techniques that elevate their writing even further! To top it all off, we
celebrated with a pizza, publishing, and popcorn party! What a hoot! Here’s
to more exciting writing adventures ahead!

Reading
This term has been a thrilling journey through the world of reading
comprehension! We kicked things off with the inspiring tale of Mama Miti,
where the children explored the challenges faced by a Kenyan community
and the remarkable efforts of Wangari Maathai. This engaging narrative
sparked rich discussions about resilience and innovation.
Moving on, we dived into a fascinating non-fiction text about the Olympic
Games, which complemented our History topic on Ancient Greece
brilliantly. The students honed their skills in distinguishing between fiction
and non-fiction, learned how to summarise key parts of a text, and
identified various layout features such as sub-headings, captions, and
highlighted text.
We concluded our term with a whimsical foray into poetry, starting with the
delightful Jabberwocky. The children absolutely loved it, and we're excited to
continue our poetic exploration next term! What a fantastic reading
journey it has been!

MATHS

In maths this term we have been looking at fractions, how to convert different measures and ratio.

During our unit on fractions we have looked at equivalent fractions and how to simplfy fractions using common factors. They have learnt that when the numerator and
denominator have no common factors greater than 1, the
fraction is in its simplest form. Children have been encouraged to look for the greatest possible number to divide by, but also understand that simplification
can be performed in more than one step. The children have been taught to compare fractions on a number line. They first work with pairs of fractions where one denominator
is a multiple of the other, building on learning from Year 5. They then look at pairs of fractions where the denominators are not multiples of each other, using their knowledge of
multiples and common multiples. They have learnt to add and subtract fractions – starting with fractions of the same denominator. We have then moved on to adding and subtracting using equivalent fractions and mixed number fractions.

We have worked hard to understand how to multiply fractions by integers which is the same as repeated addition of a fraction. As when adding and subtracting fractions, the denominator does not change. When multiplying mixed numbers, children can either partition them into wholes and parts, multiplying each of them by the integer, or convert the mixed
number to an improper fraction and then multiply the numerator by the integer. They have learnt to divide fractions where the numerator is a multiple of the integer they are
dividing by, for example 3/5 divided by 3, or 6/7 divided by 2.

We have learnt how to convert measures. The children can recognise, read and write all metric measures for length, mass and capacity. This is the first time they have been introduced to tonnes as a measure for mass. They can convert between units both ways, for example from metres to centimetres and centimetres to metres. When comparing measurements with different units, they know how to convert them to the

Science

In Year 6 science, students embark on an enlightening journey into the realms of light and classification, two fundamental topics that lay the groundwork for understanding the natural world.

Light is a crucial element of our daily experiences, and understanding how we perceive it is essential. Students learn about visible light, which constitutes only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum displays a range of wavelengths, each corresponding to different colours visible to the human eye. The study of light elucidates the intricate functioning of the human eye, including its various parts—such as the cornea, lens, retina, and optic nerve—that collaborate to process visual information. Furthermore, principles of reflection and refraction are explored, illustrating how light behaves when it encounters different surfaces or mediums. This understanding also extends to real-world implications, such as light pollution, which poses a significant threat to both human health and ecological balance, detracting from our night sky and impacting nocturnal wildlife.

Equally important is the scientific principle of classification, which aids students in organising the natural world around them. Classification is the method of sorting and categorising living organisms based on shared characteristics, which provides clarity and facilitates communication within scientific disciplines. In the context of animals, students concentrate on two broad groups: vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates are characterised by their backbone and are further divided into categories such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. In contrast, invertebrates lack a backbone and encompass a diverse range of organisms, including insects, arachnids, molluscs, and annelids.

By engaging with these concepts, Year 6 students cultivate a deeper appreciation for the complexity of life and the fundamental principles of physics, fostering both curiosity and critical thinking in the process.

Topic

Our topic this half term has been all about The Ancient Greeks. We kick started this
unit with an exciting Ancient Greek day. We have been learning all about Ancient
Greek life, their governments, their influence and their impact on the modern day. In
line with this, we have been studying Greek art. We have investigated the three
different periods covered in this time: The Archaic period; The Classical period and the
Hellenistic period. We talked in detail about the differences between the eras, our likes
and dislikes and what influenced the changes during this time.

We did an art appreciation lesson about Phidias, the Greek sculptor, and evaluated his work. We have improved our drawing skills and focused on figurative drawing using sketches to plan and improve our final drawings, working on using correct proportions by sectioning the body and adding detail to finish the drawings off.

We have investigated Greek pottery and designed our own Greek pots inspired by our life story, the labours of Heracles or the Olympic games.

Off to a flying start in Year 6!

23rd October 2024Sabreen Parkar

In Year 6, we have hit the ground running! It has been a busy half term and the children have really taken all the new learning and transitions in their stride. They continue to work hard to embody our school value of Resilience by adapting to the demands and changes of Year 6 with ease and independence. They have already made so much progress and we are so proud of them all! Take a look at all the exciting things we have been getting up to…

English (Reading and Writing)

In reading this term we have been using various reading skills and techniques to enjoy and further our understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts.

We studied Skellig by David Almond which is a story about children discovering a mysterious, fantastical being in a garage and how he begins to affect their thoughts and choices in life. Work completed included: character descriptions, inference, prediction and justification of opinions. Below are examples of some of the activities we completed as part of this unit:

More recently, we have been studying a beautiful picture book called Mama Miti by Donna Ja Napoli. Through artful prose and beautiful illustrations, Donna Jo Napoli and Kadir Nelson tell the true story of Wangari Muta Maathai, known as “Mama Miti,” who in 1977 founded the Green Belt Movement, an African grassroots organisation that has empowered many people to mobilize and combat deforestation, soil erosion, and environmental degradation. Today, more than 30 million trees have been planted throughout Mama Miti’s native Kenya, and in 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

In English, we started the year with some autobiographical writing. This was a great way for our teachers to get to know us a little better. The anecdotes we shared were hilarious and really made our teachers laugh. We revised grammar skills from our Year 5 unit on biographical writing and learnt some new skills too, including: 1st person, past tense, chronological order, time conjunctions/use of cohesive devices and adverbials. Take a look at some of our autobiographies:

We have also been writing explanation texts linked to our Ancient Greek topic. We will be choosing a mythical beast and write a piece telling the reader what they are like in terms of appearance and character, what their strengths and weaknesses are and how they became what they are. Some of the beasts include: Medusa, The Hydra and The Minotaur. The grammar and punctuation skills that we have been learning to apply, include: parenthesis, causal conjunctions, cohesive devices, sentence signposts and topic sentences. Below are some of the examples of our mythical beasts that we have been writing about:

Maths

In maths this term we have been working on improving our number skills. At the beginning of the term we revisited place value. We worked on our understanding of number by recapping their Year 5 learning – exploring numbers up to 1,000,000. Understanding that place value columns follow consistent patterns – ones, tens, hundreds, then (one) thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, before reaching millions – was key. Having a strong understanding we then looked at values of digits in numbers. We used number lines to explore numbers to 10,000,000 using the unit of a million, making links to the familiar number lines to 10 and 10,000. They labeled partially filled number lines, identified points labelled on number lines and marked where a given number would lie on a number line. They learnt to compare numbers with the same number of digits, and with different numbers of digits, using their knowledge of place value columns. They presented numbers in a variety of forms and used these different representations to aid their understanding when comparing and ordering.

We have also revised addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The children have been using the formal column method for numbers with the same and different numbers of digits. They have also been practising mental strategies with both large and small numbers, using their understanding of place value. They have also been applying these skills to problem solving, choosing which operations and methods to use based on the context of the problem and the types of numbers involved. We have been using our knowledge of the times tables and familiar rules of divisibilty to help us find common factors and apply them to division calculations. We have looked at and improved our understanding of prime, cubed and square numbers which in future can help the children to solve problems with area and volume. We have spent a lot of time on mastering a method to solve long multiplication and long division calculations. The children have found this a difficult concept to understand and will need to revisit this regularly to embed these strategies.

Science

Our science topic has been Light and the children have enjoyed finding out: Where it comes from, what colour it is, how shadows are formed, how we see objects and what the main components of the eye are. The children enjoyed making periscopes, investigating the formation of shadows and using a prism to look at the colours of the spectrum.

Ancient Greek day

On Thursday 10^th October year 6 celebrated all things Ancient Greece when we were visited by Adventures Into, who put on some fabulous Ancient Greek infused activities for the children to take part in.

The day began with a breakfast of date, pitta bread, feta cheese and olive that would have been eaten back in the day. This was then washed down with a cup of wine. WHAT I hear you say. It’s ok, wine was substituted with grape flavour squash. Some children discovered new flavours that they liked whilst others tasted things that they will never taste again..

We then split into our classes and took part in three different activities:

Ancient Greek orienteering

Groups of children looked for clues set up all over the school field which linked to a given letter of the Greek alphabet. The rain didn’t hold them back and the clues were mopped up excitedly and successfully with many facts being learnt in the process.

Greek theatre

The children learnt about parts of the theatre in Ancient Greek times, who took part in the plays, some of the characters depicted and the different types of play that were written and performed-tragedies and comedies being the main examples. What the children enjoyed most was being able to create their own mythical beast out of clay and make up a back story to who it was and why it had turned into the creature it was. We had many weird and wonderful looking creations that would have looked great in an Ancient Greek mythical play.

Warfare

The children learnt about the different weapons and tactics the Ancient Greeks used in battle. Siege towers, catapults and swords were mentioned and then out came the bows and arrows. The children had the job of firing at a target with Polythemus the Cyclops on it and getting him right in his one good eye or hitting the back of the welly boot exactly where the Achilles would be. This was followed by a “battle to the death” between deadly foes using all of their fighting skills and guile to get one over on the other. Dodge ball with bows and sponge arrows-vicious or what?

The children (and staff) had a wonderful day and it complemented the work we are doing in class so well.

Black History Month

We are celebrating this important part of our history by learning about one modern black icon and one from over 100 years ago. Baroness Floella Benjamin a Trinidadian-British actress, author, presenter and politician and Walter Tull,, an English professional footballer and 1^st World War army officer.

This year we have teamed up with year 2 and each year 6 class has split in half. One half has joined the children down in year 2 and the other half has welcomed year 2 children up to year 6. It has been lovely seeing our year 6 children working patiently and helpfully with their year 2 buddies and taking part in art and drama activities. We have also looked at the impact of Walter Tull and other black footballers from the past on the modern England football team.

Outdoor learning

This year we have been provided with an allotment space to grow vegetables. The children will care for and harvest what they have chosen to grow and these vegetables will be passed to the kitchen and used in their school dinners. Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions we have not managed to get outside and plant our broad beans. However, we have managed to prep the plot so the beans are ready to be planted. We are all looking forward to getting outside and planting the beans.

Spring Has Sprung in Year 6!

31st January 2024Sabreen Parkar

Thank you for taking the time to make your way to our little space on the internet. It is hard to believe that we are already in the Spring term and it is even more surprising how quickly January has appeared and disappeared! The children ended 2023 with a hip, skip and a hop and they have brought the same energy into 2024.

We are so proud of how hard they worked last term and the progress they have made already. They have each, individually, taken Year 6 in their stride and have continued to show us what they are made of with their efforts and determination.

Perhaps the most exciting thing that has happened this year so far, is the commencing of our SATs Boosters. We were blown away by the response from parents, and we are so grateful for your support. Thank you for your patience as we got them up and running- it wasn’t an easy feat! However, the children have been amazing and so enthusiastic in their sessions, so the time and energy that went into organising them was well worth it.

We hope you enjoy reading about all the wonderful things we have been getting up to!

Mrs Parkar, Mr Omer and Miss Bloomfield 🙂

ENGLISH: Writing

This term, we have been learning how to write to advise, in the form of an “agony aunt/uncle” style letter. Writing to advise has been a totally new genre for the children, and yet they have not ceased to amaze us with their fantastic writing.

We focused heavily on audience and purpose and how this impacts our language, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary choices. Take a look at some of the words the children have learnt how to read, write and apply:

Contend	Communicate
Navigate	Advisable
Understandably	Despite
Anxious	Established/establish
Ensuring/ensure	Willing
Receiving/receive	Harmless
Adjust	Reluctant
Undoubtedly	Ought
Condition	Engage
Familiar	Consider
Regarding	Informing
Outgrow	Refrain
Relate	Apparent
Acceptable	Commendable
Beneficial	Essential
Deemed	Foremost

Just WOW! The children have really exercised the value of empathy in this unit, as they have had to read “problems” written to them and had to discuss, brainstorm and identify solutions that were sensitive and mindful of the feelings inferred from the letters. Below are some examples of the short bursts of writing they have completed in this unit. The first being: Writing to advise on what to take on a camping trip and the second being: Writing to advise a new child on what to bring to school in their packed lunch. Their final piece was writing to advise a child who was worried about their friend.

The children have been learning new grammar skills as well as constantly retrieving those that have been taught previously. Below is our success criteria for this unit; including the tools of advisory writing, and we are confident that children are able to discuss and apply these skills in their writing.

Have a look at some of our final pieces… and this was just the first draft!

ENGLISH: Reading

At the start of the term, year 6 completed a short unit on the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carrol. In lessons, we spent time:

Reading, listening to and familiarising ourselves with the poem-listening to the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch reading the poem was a highlight for the teachers.
Discussing poetic features and Carrol’s use of nonsense words and his creation of portmanteaus (go on look it up and find out what this is or even better ask your children).
Creating their own versions of the poem making up their own nonsense words and following the structure of the original

After this, we began a unit (which we are continuing presently) on Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. This is really handy, as our next unit of writing will be based on the same text.

Fourteen-year-old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country.

In our lessons we are enjoying reading the book and using our reading skills to further understand characterisation, higher order vocabulary and structure.

MATHS: Ratio

This term in maths year 6 have been learning about ratio. We have learned all about multiplicative and additive relationships.

We have looked at the connection between simplifying ratio and simplifying fractions, they both involve dividing and common factors. We learnt that ratio compares one item with another and fractions compare each part with a whole.

We used this new knowledge and applied it to scale drawings. We used multiplicative relationships and scale factors to enlarge and reduce shapes. We also applied our learning to solving ratio problems.

SCIENCE: Classification

Before moving onto Evolution and Inheritance, we have been working hard to complete our unit on Classification. The children are finding out about how scientists identify and organise all creatures into specific groups depending on certain characteristics.

They are using decision trees to help them identify and classify certain creatures and are developing their understanding of the vocabulary of classification eg vertebrates, invertebrates, organism, micro-organism, genus, species to name but a few.

Within this topic, there will be the opportunity for some field-work where we will be using the outside nature area to investigate some creepy crawlies. So Year 6 (and Mrs Parkar) WATCH OUT!

Below is a knowledge organiser that depicts all the things we have been covering, including some of the key vocabulary:

Whipsnade Zoo

To kick start our upcoming unit on Evolution and Inheritance, we were fortunate enough to visit Whipsnade Zoo, where we attended a workshop to learn all about natural selection, inheritance and the evolution of certain species. The children thoroughly enjoyed their visit and were even able to go for a lovely, quiet Winter walk around the zoo; spotting lots of animals!

GEOGRAPHY: Mapping the world

We started our unit just before Christmas, and have spent this half term continuing our learning about maps- specifically ordnance survey maps. We then planned and carried out some fieldwork in the local area. We focused on two enquiry questions: “How green is our local area?” and “How well looked after is our local area?” We focused on a range of indicators, including: litter, traffic, buildings, recreation, green spaces, up keep and garden types (to list a few). We then had a go at using Purple Mash to input this data in a spreadsheet in order to generate a range of graphs to present our findings.

Year 6 Autumn Term

30th November 2023Sabreen Parkar

In Year 6, we have hit the ground running! It has been a busy two months and the children have really taken all the new learning and transitions in their stride. They continue to show resilience and independence and we are so proud of all the progress they have already made. Take a look at all of the exciting things we have been getting up to…

Reading and Writing

In reading this term we have been using various reading skills and techniques to enjoy and further our understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts.

An example of a Role on the Wall we completed as part of our character study

Our non-fiction text was all about the Olympic Games- which linked nicely with our History topic on Ancient Greece. We learnt about differences between fiction and non-fiction texts, how to summarise parts of a text and the features used in terms of layout and design on the page e.g. sub-heading, caption, highlighting text.

Our English (writing) lessons have covered poetry, explanation text, diary writing and suspense stories.

In poetry we revised poetic techniques (alliteration, simile, imagery ) and asked the children to write a poem using a given structure.

Our explanation text was linked to our Ancient Greek topic and the children had to choose a mythical Ancient Greek beast and write a piece telling the reader what they are like in terms of appearance and character, what their strengths and weaknesses are and how they became what they are. Some of the beasts chosen were: Medusa, The Hydra and The Minotaur.

Also linked to the Ancient Greek topic, was our diary recount writing. The children were asked to create their own hybrid mythical beast and write a diary account as Greek hero Heracles, after battling their beast in his “13th Labor”.. The children learnt about the impersonal style of writing used in a diary recount and the text features which make a diary interesting to read.

We are currently coming towards the end of our unit on narrative writing. We have been revisiting suspense writing (that we did in year 5) and have been building on our grammatical and literary skills by learning to write with suspense; following a chasing/hiding plot. We have been learning how to use new punctuation, including: colons, semi-colons and dashes as well as learning how to create complex sentences involving adverbial and prepositional phrases.

Maths

This term we have been learning all about number addition and subtraction by integers, prime numbers, rules of divisibility, short and long division, multiplication of 4 digit numbers by 2 digit numbers and problem solving.

We have also started to look at fractions: Equivalents and simplifying, comparing and ordering fractions, adding and subtracting simple fractions, add and subtract mixed number fractions.

Science

Our science topic has been Light and the children have enjoyed finding out: Where it comes from, What colour it is, How shadows are formed, How we see objects and what the main components of the eye are. The children enjoyed making periscopes, investigating the formation of shadows and using a prism to look at the colours of the spectrum.

Art and History

Our topic this half term has been all about The Ancient Greeks. We kick started this unit with an exciting Ancient Greek day. We have been learning all about Ancient Greek life, their governments, their influence and their impact on the modern day. In line with this, we have been studying Greek art. We have investigated the three different periods covered in this time: The Archaic period; The Classical period and the Hellenistic period. We talked in detail about the differences between the eras, our likes and dislikes and what influenced the changes during this time.

The Archaic Period

The Classical Period

The Hellenistic Period

We have investigated Greek pottery and designed our own Greek pots inspired by our life story, the labours of Heracles or the Olympic games.

What’s coming up?

English: Writing

Our next unit of writing will be to write to advise. Children will interrogate an “Agony Aunt” style model text and identify the key grammatical skills required to successfully write to advise, including:

Revision modal verbs
Revise adverbs of possibility
Introduce the subjunctive form
Introduce colons to introduce a list
Revise paragraphing

This will then be followed by a unit of poetry based on a poem called “War Game” by Michael Foreman. The children will be revising key grammatical skills and poetic devices including:

Figurative language including simile and metaphor
Revising punctuation for clarity
Precise vocabulary and using shades of meaning (synonyms and antonyms)

Geography: Mapping the world

The unit begins by exploring what maps can tell us about the world. Pupils will learn about the different types of maps, such as physical, political, topographic, and thematic maps. They will also learn about the different purposes of maps. As pupils explore the maps, they will discover that they provide lots of information about the world around us.

Science: Classification

The unit includes a variety of investigations that enable pupils to learn how and why living things are classified into broad groups based on similarities and differences, and according to common observable characteristics. Pupils will learn how to use a key to classify species. They will research a broad range of animals and plants and come to understand why they are placed in one group and not another. As the unit progresses, pupils will learn about microorganisms and how they can be both helpful and harmful. This will give pupils the opportunity to realise that microscopic organisms can also be classified.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our first blog, we hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the new term! We hope you have a wonderful holiday and happy new year with your loved ones!

Mrs Parkar, Mr Omer and Miss Bloomfield

Year 6 Summer 1 Blog

12th May 2023Adam Omer

We would like to say thank you to all the children for their hard work and effort during the SATs week. Punctuality and attendance this week has been outstanding and I’m sure the children will have done their best to make themselves and the school proud.

Since our return to school after the Easter holidays, we have obviously been quite heavily SATs focused. The children have been working hard in our maths, reading and grammar revision lessons in readiness for this week’s tests.

In maths the children have looked at a wide range of topics including geometry, calculations, statistics, measures, shape/angle and position and direction. We have continued to practise the main four operations – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The children have been building their confidence in these areas.

In reading we have been practising SAT type comprehension questions and also started a new class reader called Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo which has been a real favourite of previous year 6 classes and has also grabbed the attention of our current year 6ites. It tells the story of a young boy stranded on a desert island and how he learns how to survive with the help of a stranger.

We have been looking at Grammar content in part of our English lessons in readiness for the Grammar SAT and revising areas of punctuation and spelling too. Tenses and the passive and active have been areas we have concentrated on (go on, look up what is meant by the passive and active).

In English we have been looking at the language of persuasion and how it is used to advertise a product. The children are currently in the process of creating a written advert for a gadget to be used by a spy.

In other areas of the curriculum

In science we have been learning about the science behind Evolution. We have studied famous people linked to the topic (Mary Anning and Charles Darwin), understood that the term evolution means changes which happen over time and that animals and plants adapt to suit the environment they live in.

Before half term,, we will be setting the children off on a homework topic based on evolution. The children will be researching some animals and creating a presentation about how they are adapted to their habitats. Look out for the details on this project homework coming home!

In RE the children have been looking at Justice and Poverty and what is meant by the terms fair and unfair. They have looked at some charities working to eradicate poverty in the world and discussed issues facing street children in different parts of the world.

In French, we have started to look at the vocabulary of Family and will be learning how to talk about our family members.

What is coming up

We will continue to work on our adverts in English lessons and continue reading Kensuke’s Kingdom in reading. Our next English writing topic will be explanation and we will be looking at strange contraptions and explaining how they work.

In maths, we are going to be working through some projects dealing with real life issues ( the one entitled Bakery interests me especially if it has anything to do with cakes! ).

In science we will be doing some practical work on electricity ( no rewiring of buildings or setting up of appliances will be happening ( : )

In French we will carry on looking at The Family and in computers we will study Spreadsheets and Coding.

Year 6 will also be preparing for their end of year presentation to parents and school which this year is entitled I’m an 11 year old Get Me Out of Here! There will be music, singing and acting from your children and maybe … the teachers.

Spring Term

27th January 2023Adam Omer

Year 6 have been busy since the start of term, working hard to improve our maths and English skills whilst also finding out about what goes on inside our bodies-particularly our circulatory system.

In preparation for SATs in May we have had intervention lessons on reading comprehension and maths every week on Tuesday and Wednesday PM

In English we have been writing our own adventure tale based on a kidnap and learning how to weave a “Flashback” into our stories. Alongside this, we have been reading the book “Stormbreaker” by Anthony Horowitz which tells the story of a teenage spy and working on improving our comprehension skills by analysing and discussing characters and actions.

Our maths topic this term has been fractions and decimals (a perennial favourite with pupils and parents alike). We have been learning how to: change improper fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa; add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions by whole numbers and other fractions and find equivalent fractions and simplify them. If that wasn’t enough, we have been learning about decimals and place value.

In science this half-term, we have completed our topic on Animals including humans, where we focused on the workings of the circulatory system-heart, lungs and blood. I can assure you that no children were harmed in the teaching of this topic!

In other areas of the curriculum, we have been revising greetings in French and in music we have been listening, appraising and singing the Carole King song, “You’ve got a friend”. In PHSE we have been looking at out strengths and weaknesses and setting goals for the future, both in school and outside.

In the remaining 2 weeks of this half-term in English, we will be: editing our Kidnapped story and producing a final piece; continuing to read Stormbreaker and interrogating the text and learning Yr 5/6 spellings weekly.

In maths we will be carrying on with work on decimals.

In science we have started a new topic on Light in which we will investigate How light travels and light sources.

Next week (30th January) we will be carrying out mock SATs in Grammar and Spelling, Reading and 3 Maths papers.

Spring 2

In English we will be working on creating a discussion text based on Stormbreaker entitled “Should children become spies”.

In maths we will be going on to look at Shape and the properties of different 2D and 3D shapes.

In science we will be continuing our work on Light where we will: carry out investigations on shadows and their sizes; look at the parts of the eye and optical illusions.

In other areas, we are carrying on with the Carole King song in music, looking at La Date – months, days and weeks in French and Dreams and Goals in PHSE.

A quick reminder that parents’ evening will be on the 28th and 29th March.

The year 6 team wish you all a fabulous February and and a marvelous March.

The Year 6 team

Year 6 Blog

9th December 2022Adam Omer

What we have been up to

We have had a busy time in year 6, what with Christmas craft morning and our trips to the mosque. Thank you to the parents that came to our Christmas craft activities session-we hope you enjoyed being back in primary school for the morning. You and your children’s handiwork will be on sale (for a small donation) at the Christmas bizarre on Friday 9th December.

The children and adults enjoyed their visit to the mosque this week. It was lovely to be able to take the children out of school for an educational visit for the first time in two and a half years. The children learnt a lot, were very respectful and behaved extremely well. Our thanks go to Mr Ali and Mr Addison for getting us there safely every day and to the imam and Sameen for guiding us so expertly around the mosque.

In English we have been writing our own suspense story based on The Spiderwick Chronicles and in the two and a half weeks before Christmas we have completed some work about the 1914 Christmas Day ceasefire between the allies and the Germans in the 1st World War. The children have written a letter as a British “Tommy” back to their family recounting the day’s events and we will finish the unit by writing a 3 verse poem based on a poem by Carol Ann Duffy (previous poet laureate).

In our reading lessons we have finished the book Skellig by David Almond and have started looking at a book called Mama Miti which is set in Kenya and is about how the people of the country helped themselves to become self-sufficient.

In maths the children have been studying reflection and translation using co-ordinates and learning about ratio and proportion and have performed well with quite a tricky area of maths.

In topic the children completed their Greek tapestry on the myth of The 12 tasks of Heracles (Greek spelling-Hercules is Roman-you learn something new every day) and evaluated their finished piece.

In science, year 6 have been studying the heart and circulatory system. They have learnt about the 4 chambers of the heart and how the heart and lungs are linked to keep our body moving.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the children have been looking at maths and reading SAT type papers. During these sessions, the children are able to talk together about answers they give to set questions and learn how to answer questions using the teacher and each other. This is a vital part of SATs preparation and will hopefully give your children the tools to do as well as they can in May.

Early Spring Term

In English we will be writing an adventure story based on the spy genre. Alongside this unit we will be reading Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz which is all about a teenage secret agent. Within this unit we will be teaching the children how to use flashback to help tell a story.

We will complete our reading work on the book Mama Miti.

In maths we will be starting a long unit on fractions, which constitutes a fairly high percentage of questions in the SAT papers so is a very important part of the maths curriculum.

In science we will continue our topic on Animals including humans by looking at the lungs, the blood and staying healthy.

In French we will be looking at the vocabulary of telling the time (which will link nicely to maths)

We hope you all have a very merry Christmas and look forward to seeing the children back at school on Wednesday 4th January 2023.

Year 6 Autumn 1 blog

14th October 2022Adam Omer

Welcome to the year 6 blog. Let’s find out what we have been up to and what we will be doing at the beginning of next half-term.

ENGLISH

In our reading lessons, we have been reading “Skellig” by David Almond. The children have been learning how characters are developed and how to identify certain themes in the book.

In writing, we wrote our own poem based on a poem entitled ” Into the Lair of Baron Jugula” and after two weeks work on that, we have just completed a unit on explanation texts where we seem to have been visited by an ogre and found out a lot about a rather mischievous creature called a boggart.

MATHS

In maths lessons, we have focused in on calculations and place value, as without a good knowledge of these areas, children will struggle with much of the SATs paper later in the year. We have also looked at algebra, which the children have coped well with.

TOPIC

Our topic this term is “Ancient Greece” and the children have learnt about where modern Greece is in Europe and which countries border it. We have also learnt about the opposing ancient city states of Athens and Sparta and the clear differences between them. We have studied the “hoplite” soldier and drawn our own pictures of them and are now moving on to find out about Heracles and his 12 tasks, from which we will then create our own mythical beast for him to battle and then write a further task for the ancient superhero.

In this subject we have been finding out about what it means to be a Muslim, and this will culminate in a visit to the largest mosque in western Europe at the beginning of December-more information about this trip to follow at the beginning of next half term.

PHSE

In the first two weeks of term, we looked at what it means to be resilient and completed a number of tasks which helped us settle into year 6 and be a good classmate.

ART

We created our own symmetrical self-portrait using proportion, line and tone and have completed art tasks linked to our topic work.

ICT

We have completed mathletics tasks and used the internet to research what life was like for families in ancient Greek times.

BLACK HISTORY

We will be looking at the life of Michael Jordan and learning about his trip to the top of his sport and what made him such a success.

So, what is coming up next half term in Year 6 I hear you cry?

ENGLISH

After half term we will be writing a suspense story. In our reading lessons we will be looking at a book called Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli which is about environmental issues in Kenya.

MATHS

We will be beginning the half term with work on measure and then position and direction.

TOPIC

We will continue our topic on Ancient Greece where we will be creating a tapestry based on the story of Heracles and his 12 tasks.

In other subjects we will look at the song Happy by Pharell Williams in Music and do some work on staying safe online in ICT.

We will be beginning our afternoon interventions in maths and reading to help with preparation for the SATs in May.

Make sure your child is keeping up with the homework set and the weekly spellings and remind them that they can always ask for help from teachers (and parents) if they need it. Also, if he/she is not confident with x tables, please get him/her to practise them.

We look forward to seeing you on the 18th and 19th October for parents’ evening.

The Year 6 team