This term, we will be learning about…
English
This half term, we will be writing our own setting descriptions based on Gnomeo and Juliet. To do this, we will be using all the figurative language we have been working on the previous half term, as well our new focus of building a variety of sentence structures.
We will then be looking at Grimm Stories, which are fairytales written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the 19th century and have been adapted for children. We will be paying particular attention to The Bremen Town Musicians, Tom Thumb and Briar Rose. The children will be writing their own version of one of these stories.
We will be visiting Treetops Library every week on a Tuesday where we will learn new library skills and be able to change our books once we have finished reading them and completed a quiz.
Reading:
Our Reading this half term, will be closely aligned with our writing where we will be exploring narrative. We will be focussing on the skills of summarising and predicting.
Pupils all have access to MYON: a fantastic website that allows pupils to access a range of fiction and non-fiction books where they can complete an Accelerated Reader quiz on them when they are finished. Click here to go to the MYON website.
To go directly to the Accelerated Reader website where you can take quizzes on books you have read at home, click here.
Spelling:
In spelling, we will be recapping phonics and learning our new Year 6 statuatory words for this half term. We will then move on to prefixes and identifying the rules for using -ible, -able, -ibly and -ably.
Our spelling words for this half term are:
Please make sure your child practises their spelling words daily to ensure that they can spell the range of statutory words by the end of Year 6.
Maths – Four operations and Fractions
This half term we are revising formal written methods for multiplication and division. We will apply these skills in a variety of contexts including reasoning and problem solving. We then turn our attention to fractions, ensuring that we have a solid understanding of this concept before looking at calculating, simplifying, adding, multiplying and dividing fractions.
Arithmetic and fluency will focus in each of our daily maths lessons, focusing on improving speed and accuracy when recalling and applying our mathematical understanding. Where children need further support, they will have arithmetic focus questions as part of their homework. Where relevant, they will be given out as part of the lesson on a Tuesday and should be returned to school completed by the following Friday.
Each week we will have a dedicated lesson that focuses on applying a variety of skills within reasoning and problem-solving contexts.
We will be continuing to encourage many of our pupils to continue with their times table practice on Times Table Rockstars, which will help to support their development of these skills. Click here to access TTR!
Children regularly have access to SUMDOG which is a game that they can also access at home. This helps to reinforce the concepts learned in school – the children really love this and we enter competitions throughout the year too! Click here to access SUMDOG!
If you are unsure about what your child should be practising at home, please do contact your class teacher for support.
Topic – Travellers of the World!
During this term, year 6 will be modern day explorers. During their travels around the world, they will discover a new island never seen before by humans. They will be learning lots about this new island and will collect information needed for a travel journal. This unit will require them to build on their knowledge of the human and physical features of a location as well as incorporating their map skills in order to draw their own sketch map of the location. In addition to discovering an island, they will find out about three diverse explorers in our history. These explorers are likely ones they have never heard of but will hopefully their stories will inspire them!
Topic – Living on the Edge
In our next unit of Topic, we will be delving into the world of natural disasters. We will begin this unit with a drama workshop which will hook the children in and immerse them in the language included in our unit. It will also support their basic understanding of how volcanoes and earthquakes occur. We will then begin focusing on the physical and human features of this unit including how volcanoes and earthquakes positively and negatively impact on humans and their use of land.
The outcome for this topic will be a non-chronological report based upon a natural disaster of their choosing. Using a range of sources of information, the children will research their natural disaster and complete a report which aims to inform others.
Science – Light
In science, our next unit is light. The children will learn about lines of travel and how objects can block light, how light helps us see and explore different ways to demonstrate that light travels in straight lines.
The working scientifically skills we will be working on are:
- Report findings from enquiries including casaul relationships
- Reflect on investigations, identifying anomalies, and make suggestions for improvements
- Present findings choosing the most appropriate way
To conclude the unit, the children will create a puppet show of Goldilocks and the 3 bears using puppets and lights.
RE – Prophecy – The Christmas story and the Magi
In RE, we are exploring the concept of prophecy. In this unit, we will explore the meaning of the word prophecy and learn about the role of a prophet, contextualising this within the Christian faith. Our outcome for this will be creating our own prophecy that could appear in the Bible, with an accompanying short story, showing this prophecy coming true.
French – At School 
In our new unit of learning, we will be focusing on school. We will learn key vocabulary that allows us to discuss the subjects that we might study and practise key phrases that will allow us to share our preferences of these subjects. We will also learn how to tell the time in French so that we can add further detail to our speaking and writing.
As an outcome, we will record an explanation of our timetable at school and include some preferences. This will then be shared with our secondary schools at a later date!
French – At the Weekend
Our second unit of French will focus on describing what we have done at the weekend. The children will learn how to say different activities and will share their opinions of these activities. The final outcome for our unit will be a letter where the children share what they have done. They will then practise their speaking skills by reading this aloud to a group before then completing a listening task based on what they have learned.
We will also continue to practise our pronunciation using Physical French Phonics by Sue Cave.
Children can access games on Language Angels at home! Here they can revisit previously learnt vocabulary to help them retain it for future use. Click here to access the Language Angels website, then login.
This is also a great website: Duolingo
Music – Samba
The first unit in music is Samba. As an explorer, year 6 will encounter many different cultures around the world and have the opportunity to experience their music. Their outcome of the unit is to compose their own Samba carnival music and include an introduction explaining how their music links to the Samba style based on what they have learnt.
Computing –
In the next computing unit we will be exploring Excel. The children will learn many useful skills such as entering data and formulae, ordering and presenting data, solving problems and budgeting for a party! This will also like to the skills they have learned in their PSHE unit on finance.
The outcome of this unit will be for the children to design their own spreadsheet for a specific purpose of their choice.
Art – Landscape Sketching
Linking to our explorers topic, we will be creating a landscape sketch. To do this, we will take inspiration from one of the greats, Thomas Cole. We will be considering Cole’s use of perspective when designing, creating and evaluating our own sketches. In order to create our own masterpiece, we will practice a range of sketching techniques which show a range of perspectives and will carefully select these when producing our final piece.
Art – Fauvism Painting – Landscapes
In Art, our unit moves from sketching to painting. We will be exploring the art style of Fauvism and the work of Andre Derain, Henri Mattisse and others before creating own very own painting of a natural disaster. In order to achieve a successful outcome, the children will explore and experiment with water colours and poster paints, a wide variety of brushstrokes before designing, creating and evaluating.
DT – Food Technology – Adapting Recipes
The next unit in DT moves from wood to food. This unit has a hook of interest with a visit to Woodhorn farm to understand how food is processed. As part of this trip, the children will get to see a real-life dairy farm as well as having the opportunity to make their own butter and taste fresh strawberry and chocolate milkshakes.
Following this, the children will learn what makes food nutritional, the use of colours on food packaging, how to use ratios when cooking for many people and how to edit a recipe to appeal a particular audience.
Once this is complete, the children will be taught how to safely use kitchen utensils such as knives before preparing and making our very scones. These will need to be adapted to suit the consumer based on their dietary requirements.
PSHE – Finance
The aim of this unit is to help children gain an understanding into the world of finances. We will be having a visit from ambassadors from HSBC, who will be talking to the children about budgeting and spending. They will also briefly talk about online scams, which links in with our Computing unit. The children will take the role of a financial advisor, where they will make their own information leaflet that gives advice on how to manage money.
PSHE – Stereotyping and extremism
Our next unit in PSHE is all about stereotyping and extremism. The children will learn about what stereotyping is and how it may have a negative effect on someone’s behaviour, understand what is meant by someone having prejudiced or extremist views and know when, where and how to seek support.
The outcome of this unit will be presenting information on how to spot stereotyping and extremism and how to seek/give support. The information can be presented in any way the children see as suitable for the general public to view.
PE – REAL PE and REAL Gym- Social Cog
In our next PE units of the year, we will develop the social skills related to sport and activity. We will be identifying strengths and weaknesses and understanding where we are with our own learning. The fundamental movement skills we will be improving are coordination through ball skills and agility by developing our action and response. In gym, we will focus on using hand apparatus and low apparatus.
PE kit
PE is on Thursday and Friday. Please arrive at school in your PE kit and remain in this for the day.
Thursday’s is Outdoor PE. Unit 1 will focus on Personal Skills.
Friday’s is Indoor PE. Unit 1 will be Real Gym.
Below is the extract from the letter sent out at the start of term indicating the correct PE kit for Real Gym lessons:
“Each class will be taking part in Real Gym until February and these will take place in their indoor sessions. As always, the safety of our children is paramount and to ensure this remains I wanted to remind you all of our PE uniform policy:
Children must wear the correct PE uniform during Real Gym sessions; black shorts, leggings or ‘skins’ and a white tee shirt. Children cannot wear tracksuit bottoms or sweatshirts during Real Gym sessions. As we are asking your children to wear their PE kit into school, they could still wear tracksuit bottoms/sweatshirts to school in the winter months over their shorts and tee shirt. They can still wear tracksuit bottoms or sweatshirts during their outdoor PE session.
No jewellery can be worn during Real Gym sessions, this includes any earrings, even studs. If your child cannot remove their own stud earrings for these sessions, I would ask that you do not send them into school wearing them on their Real Gym days.
Watches cannot must not be worn so we ask you not to send your child in with a watch on their Real Gym days.
During Real Gym sessions, your child will be asked to remove their shoes and socks as this will increase their grip on the equipment greatly. If there is a medical reason why you would like your child to not go barefoot, please discuss this directly with their class teacher.
Our PE uniform for Real Gym sessions is based on advice by the British Gymnastics governing body and is designed to ensure your child is as safe as possible during their exciting Real Gym sessions.”
To clarify, Real Gym sessions are indoors and are on a FRIDAY. Real PE lessons are outdoors, which are on a WEDNESDAY, and children can wear loose tracksuit bottoms and sweatshirts on this day.
Dates for the Diary!!!
Trips, Workshops and Experiences
Monday 6th November – 6AH Farm Trip
Tuesday 7th November – 6JH Farm Trip
Wednesday 8th November – 6LH Farm trip
Tuesday 7th November – 6LH class assembly
Monday 13th – Thursday 16th November – Anti-bullying week
Tuesday 14th November – 6AH class assembly
Friday 17th November – INSET Day
Tuesday 21st November – 6JH class assembly
Monday 27th November – INSET Day
Tuesday 28th November – Volcanoes and Earthquakes workshop
Monday 15th January – INSET Day
Monday 13th May – Thursday 16th May – KS2 SATs Week
Monday 24th June – Friday 28th June – Fairthorne Week
Monday 8th July – INSET Day
Wednesday 24th July – INSET Day
Homework
Your child will receive homework from their class teacher every Wednesday and it will be due the following Tuesday.
This will include:
- Maths homework revisiting/revising concepts
- English SPAG homework
- Spellings
- Times tables practice – if required
Mrs Bellamy’s focus group has additional homework to complete.
If the children do not complete their homework in that week, they will be given the opportunity to catch up in their own time.