Year 6
6M is taught by Mrs Martin and 6F is taught by Ms Faux. They are supported by Lea, Chanpreet and Teresa. They can be contacted via year6@earlsfield.wandsworth.sch.uk
Summer 2024 Update
Welcome back everyone for our Summer term.
We hope you had a lovely Easter and are ready for our last term in primary school. Year 6 has a lot of exciting opportunities to look forward to. Their transition to secondary school is a big part of this term and we will have different PSHE lessons and separate interventions to support your child in navigating through this unique time.
This term we have a range of school trips and exciting opportunities we have organised. The trips will support the learning that is happening in the classroom, especially the trip to the Globe Theatre. As always, if you would like to volunteer for any of our trips, look out for the Parentmail request in the weeks before and we will be in touch with you with further details.
In English, we will soon be immersing ourselves in Macbeth. The children will be writing play scripts, taking on the role of characters and exploring the language Shakespeare used. We will then be reading our final text.
We encourage you to be writing at home with your child, keeping a journal or free writing to promote the use of vocabulary and invigorate their imaginations. This supports the precision of their handwriting and to jot down ideas and stories they may want to develop. Also recording any new vocabulary they learn when reading in their pupil handbooks is a great way to expand their vocabulary.
Whole class guided reading sessions will continue in the summer term, with the students using the book “Ghost” as our focus text. We will continue focusing on the reading VIPERS to refine and practice the different reading strategies that all students are familiar with. All students should be reading at least 15 minutes a night, either independently or with an adult. On the school website there is a link to recommended books and The Reading Treasure Chest books. If you would like any help with choosing a book please email the year 6 email address and we will be able to help you with this.
In Maths this year, the students have worked very hard on deepening their knowledge in place value, algebra, ratio, the four operations and measure. At the beginning of the summer term, the students will complete their learning on statistics and shape before consolidating, revising and strengthening their maths skills to ensure when transitioning into secondary school they are equipped with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.
We will be continuing to use the White Rose Maths program and the talking homework will continue to make a link between school and home.The summer term is also a great time for the students to explore their mathematical capacities through open-ended investigations. We are planning on taking this concept out of the classroom and create a fun and enriching maths experience that draws reflections with problem solving in the world outside of the school.
In Topic, Year 6 has now finished World War Two. We have read excellent texts and immersed ourselves in the historical context through museum visits and our Home Front Workshop, which all students, parents and teachers thoroughly enjoyed.Our topic focus for the summer term is Geography- Why is America so amazing? The global learning skills they will develop over the term are: Evaluate media and other sources for bias and stereotypes and range of voices and perspectives, keep our mind open to new ideas, use active listening skills, explore multiple perspectives and alternative visions of the future and challenge viewpoints which perpetuate inequality and injustice. They will be locating the countries in North and South America, use geographical terminology, assess the climates in different countries and identify physical and human geographical features. They will finish the topic by creating a project, demonstrating their knowledge of Native Americans.
In Science, we will be learning about Evolution and Inheritance. Understanding the nature of adaptation, natural selection and the contributions of great scientists is what makes this topic a real highlight of the Year Six Science curriculum.
In the second half of the Summer term, we shift our attention towards our production. This is a very exciting and significant part of the year and we are very much looking forward to starting our preparations on this. You will hear from the year six team once we have the plan in place.
Homework
• We will be continuing to use Doodle Maths and Doodle English. This year, we are looking to really emphasise the students’ time on Doodle English to positively influence their spelling and grammar recall. The aim is for students to keep their status in the green, or to be going online and completing their tasks at least three times per week. All students who reach streak milestones are celebrated during Good Work assemblies on a Friday.
• Times Table Rock Stars will also continue to be promoted, especially where students need to strengthen their knowledge.
• Pupil handbooks are to be brought in on a Monday to add the new spelling words and have the spelling test and brought in signed on a Friday for their weekly reflections.
• When we begin practising for our school production, students will be given their lines to remember and practise at homeReminder for projects:
The students are encouraged to present one project a term. We have seen some amazing examples of home learning that support what we have been doing in the classroom. As always, the students will share their projects in the last week of the half term. Try and encourage your children to be as creative as possible by making things such as 3D models, dioramas, posters or coding. We love seeing Google Slides but it is always fascinating to see their learning in a whole other way!We value your support and encourage you to continue to work alongside your children at home. If you have any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to email our Year 6 address.
Spring 2024 Update
Welcome back everyone for our Spring term.
We hope you had a lovely break over the Christmas period and feel rested and ready for a big term in Year Six. The students can expect a big shift in focus now towards preparation for SATS
(W/B 13th May). Of course though, there is so much more for the students to enjoy in the Spring term.
We say goodbye to our topics on Rivers and the Maya and look forward to a whole term history-based topic on World War Two. In early January, we are visiting the fantastic Imperial War Museum, where the students will be seeking out a wealth of information about the events of the war and the human stories that live on today. This is a perfect launch of a very powerful topic. In the second half of the Spring term, we will be having a ‘Homefront Workshop’ in school, where the students will be asked to come to school dressed up in old-fashioned, evacuee, World War Two styled clothes.
Please could you support your child’s understanding of World War Two by engaging in conversations at home and asking about our current lessons. Key questions are always on ‘Talking Homework’.
In Science, we will be focusing on two new topics: Living Things and Their Habitats and Animals Humans and Blood. For the second topic, we will be dissecting a lamb’s heart and learning about the features of a heart. This is an excellent opportunity for the student’s to appreciate how we look after our bodies and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
In our English lessons, we are linking our Power of Text topics with World War Two; Rose Blanche and Letters From the Lighthouse (both texts are based on children’s experiences in the War - from two very different perspectives).
As was the case last term, guided reading lessons will focus on thought provoking texts which aim to challenge the student’s views of the world and as young readers; the language, grammar and structure. Please continue to support your child with these texts. It is crucial that you take the time to hear them read where you can - and remember to ask questions and test their comprehension. Continue to fill in their reading log with them at least 3 times a week.
As we prepare them for their SATS, reading is vital. We will be conducting more SATS practice rounds and our focus on VIPERS style questioning is paramount
(Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explain, Retrieve, Summarise). As usual, the children will be completing an extended piece of writing each week. They will be very aware of their next steps. Please can you ask them what this is and encourage them to think about how they can achieve these goals.
In Maths throughout Autumn we focused heavily on place value and number. Following this we reviewed the four operations, fractions and converting measurement. We start the Spring term with ratio, algebra, decimals, percentages, area, perimeter, volume and statistics. Shape will be covered in the first week of the Summer term.
We follow the White Rose Maths program. Remember to keep an eye on the weekly ‘Talking Homework’ as it will provide you with guidance for how we teach the Maths topics.
Year 6 can also look forward to continuing with their specialist subjects and are very lucky to have a number of fantastic specialist teachers as usual: AM Sports Coaches (PE), Gym, Madam Clarke (French) and Mr Hopcraft (Music).
Dates to Remember:
Wednesday 17th January- Trip to the Imperial War Museum
Wednesday 31st January- Year 6 parents evening (3:30pm-8:00pm)
W/B 5th February- Mental Health Week
Tuesday 6th February- Internet Safety Day
Half Term- W/B 12th February
Thursday 7th March- World Book Day
W/B 11th March- Science Week
Thursday 21st March- Homefront Day in school (dress up)
Thursday 28th March- End of term at 2:45pm
Homework
- We will be continuing to use Doodle Maths and Doodle English. This year, we are looking to really emphasise the students’ time on Doodle English to positively influence their spelling and grammar recall. The aim is for students to keep their status in the green, or to be going online and completing their tasks at least three times per week.
- Times Table Rock Stars will also continue to be promoted, especially where students need to strengthen their knowledge.
- ‘Talking Homework’ will continue to be provided through Google Classroom. Please make sure that your child clicks on the ‘Turn In’ button by the following Tuesday so the teachers know that the task has been completed.
We value your support and encourage you to continue to work alongside your children at home. If you have any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to email our Year 6 address.
Key Learning
You can find out about our approach to all our subjects through the curriculum page but the headlines for the year group are below.
Reading
Children can maintain positive attitudes to reading and understanding by:
- I can read age appropriate books that are structured in different ways and read for a range of purposes
- I can increase my familiarity with a wide range of books including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions
- I can identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
- I can learn a wide range of poetry by heart
Children can understand what they read by:
- I can identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
- I can discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader
- I can participate in discussions about books building on my own and others' ideas and challenge views courteously and with clear reasoning
- I can summarise the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph
- I can provide reasoned justifications for my views
Writing
Writing
- I can write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting language that shows good awareness of the reader (eg. The use of the first person in a diary; direct address in instructions and persuasive writing)
- I can describe settings, characters and atmosphere in narratives
- I can integrate dialogue in narratives to convey character and advance the action
- I can select vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect what the writing requires eg. using contracted forms in dialogues in narratives, eg. using passive verbs to affect how information is presented, eg. using modal verbs to suggest degrees of possibility
- I can use a range of devices to build cohesion (eg. conjunctions, adverbials of time and place, pronouns, synonyms) within and across paragraphs
- I can use verb tenses consistently and correctly throughout my writing
- I can use the range of punctuation taught at key stage 2 mostly correctly
- I can use semi-colons, colons and dashes to mark the boundary between independent clauses [for example, It’s raining; I’m fed up]
- I can use a colon to introduce a list, semi-colons within lists and bullet points to list information
- I can use hyphens to avoid ambiguity [for example, man eating shark versus man-eating shark, or recover versus re-cover]
- I can use inverted commas to indicate speech
Spelling
- I can spell most words correctly from the year 5 and 6 list and use a dictionary to check the spelling of uncommon or more ambitious vocabulary
Handwriting
- I can maintain legibility in joined handwriting when writing at speed
Greater depth (working above the expected national standard)
- I can write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting the appropriate form and drawing independently on what I have read as models for my own writing (e.g. literary language, characterisation, structure)
- I can distinguish between the language of speech and writing and choose the appropriate register (I can recognise that certain features of spoken language - e.g. contracted verb forms, other grammatical informality, colloquial expressions, long coordinated sentences - are less likely in writing and be able to select alternative vocabulary and grammar)
- I can exercise an assured and conscious control over levels of formality, particularly through manipulating grammar and vocabulary to achieve this.
- I can use the range of punctuation taught at key stage 2 correctly and, when necessary, use such punctuation precisely to enhance meaning and avoid ambiguity:e.g. semi-colons, dashes, colons, hyphens
Statutory spellings
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|
interfere interrupt language leisure lightning marvellous mischievous muscle necessary Identity develop |
recommend relevant restaurant signature sincere soldier stomach sufficient suggest twelfth variety vegetable vehicle yacht |
neighbour nuisance appreciate accommodate opportunity parliament persuade physical prejudice privilege profession programme pronunciation queue recognise |
symbol system temperature thorough rhyme rhythm sacrifice secretary shoulder average community immediate |
Maths
In Maths we follow the White Rose Hub. You can find out more about White Rose through our dedicated maths page
Science
Living things and their habitats
Topics
What impact do humans have on our rivers and oceans?
What was the impact of World War 2 on London?
Homework
We set homework in Key Stage 2 in the following ways:
- Spellings - bring handbook to school as usual
- Guided Reading - bring handbook to school as usual
- Literacy and Topic - Google Classroom
- Talking Homework - Google Classroom
- Maths - TTRS (Times Tables Rock Stars) and Mathletics
Students without digital access will get paper copies (need to return book)
You can access our guide to google classrooms or if you have any technical or password issues please email techsupport@earlsfield.wandsworth.sch.uk
Days to remember
| Day | Activity |
| Monday |
Spelling Test (set the week before) New spellings sent home |
| Tuesday |
Talking homework turned in on Google Classroom Wear PE kit to school |
| Wednesday | |
| Thursday |
Wear PE kit to school Talking Homework uploaded to Google |
| Friday | Pupil handbooks brought into school for weekly reflection and for teachers to sign the back where adults have ticked and signed. |
| As frequently as possible but at least x times per week | Reading, Time Tables Rockstars and Doodle Maths and English |
Other things you need to know
| School Uniform | Packed Lunches & Snacks | Contact Us |
