Welcome to Class 6
Welcome to the new school year! We hope you are ready for your new start to Year 6.
Our PE day is Tuesday. You will have 2x hours of PE with our specialist coach. Please remember to bring your trainers to school every day – this will enable us to take part in our Monty Mile safely.
Literacy
In Literacy this term we are beginning with our Speaking and Listening unit. We will be learning the skills needed to make a successful presentation and then presenting our information clearly to the rest of our class. Later in the term, we will be reading two war themed texts. A picture book called ‘Rose Blanche’ by Roberto Innocenti and a ‘life-enchanting’ novel by Judith Kerr named ‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit’. Our Monday lessons will continue to be reading inference lessons to ensure our comprehension skills continue to develop well. Tuesday – Friday our lessons will include a range of both reading and writing skills. We will work up to a ‘big write’ where children will be expected to produce a longer piece of writing that includes the skills and features they have been taught. There are some exciting new literacy themes to encounter and we hope the Year 6 pupils are as keen as we are to get reading our new books!
Maths
In maths, we will begin by focusing our learning on place value. We will learn to read and write numbers beyond tens of millions as well as learning to compare and order increasingly large numbers. Later, we will move onto the core topics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This is where the majority of our Autumn term will focus. Later, we will progress onto two units of Fractions. The first being comparing, ordering, adding and subtracting fractions and the second being multiplying and dividing fractions. These elements of maths are crucial to the Year 6 curriculum and we will spend time revisiting and revising much of the Autumn core learning.
Science
In Science, our topic is Living Things and Their Habitats. We will be learning about biodiversity and how we can classify living things, looking closely at the work of Carl Linnaeus. We will create our own branching keys and record the results of scientific studies using charts and graphs. We will be using a wide range of scientific enquiry types. Later in the term. we will be studying Animals Including Humans, looking in more depth at the Human Circulatory System, the impact of diet, exercise and drugs as well as learning about how nutrients and water are transported through the body. We will continue to explore the work of important scientists.
Geography
In Geography, we are learning about Forests. We will be asking questions such as: where are the world’s forests and what are they like? We will also be looking at our local area, specifically at the comparison of Flatts Woods and The Stang Forest. We will use maps and key information to make comparisons and think geographically. We will continue to explore how our forests are changing as well as looking at what can we do to protect our forests and woodlands in the UK. We look forward to sharing our work with you later in the term.
History
In History this term, we will be asking: How did the North East support the war effort and what impact did this have on our wider local area? We will look into the great work of women during WWII, focusing on their achievements as munitions workers at the Aycliffe Factory. We will also look at the RCAF and how they came to be stationed at RAF Goosepool (now Teeside Airport). We will also look at the social impact of the war and how it changed peoples lives including: the effects of rationing, blackouts and how life changed after the war ended.
Physical Education
Our PE day is Tuesday. You will have 2x hours of PE with our specialist coach. Please remember to bring your trainers to school every day – this will enable us to take part in our daily Monty Mile safely.
Art
When our ‘Creative Half Term’ begins in October, we will be learning about the drawing skills needed to produce a skilful piece of art. We will be looking at the work of illustrator Pauline Baynes and how she created depth, texture, tone and pattern. We will also be looking at Sculpting with plastic to create poppies, taking inspiration from artist Dale Chihuly.
Design and Technology
It is very exciting in DT this term as we will be working within the unit of Textiles. We will be combining different fabric shapes (including computer-aided design) and creating our own patterns to sew. Later in the half term, we will design, review, produce and analyse a product. We look forward to making our own product choices and sharing our results with you soon.
Music
In Music lessons, we will begin by learning the traditional WWII song ‘Keep The Home Fires Burning’. We will focus on singing with expression and perform our song to the rest of the school. Later in the term, we will ‘doodle with sound’ and create ‘song fragments’ before having the opportunity to compose and produce our own full songs.
French
In French this term, we will begin with a phonics review. We will revise colours, numbers, days, months and adverbs before looking at comparing and contrasting Francophone countries. We will later recap country names and simple geographical features.
Outdoor Learning
Year 6 outdoor learning sessions will take place on a Friday afternoon. Please remember to bring suitable footwear (wellies/walking boots) and a waterproof coat. As the weather turns colder, you will need to be prepared with gloves, a hat and additional layers of clothing!
