Year 6
Class 6D is taught by Emma Duncombe and 6G are taught by David Gibbons. They are supported by Chanpreet, Christina, Yvonne, Teresa and Veni.
Year 6 teachers can be contacted via year6@earlsfield.wandsworth.sch.uk
Autumn 2025 Update
Hello and welcome back to school for the Autumn term. We hope you had a wonderful summer break and are ready for some exciting new topics and books this term. We are looking forward to an exciting year, one that the children will end their Earlsfield journey with.
In English lessons, we are looking forward to reading two CLPE Power of Reading books. We will begin with Kensuke’s Kingdom and Ballet Shoes in Syria. Over the course of the term, we will be focusing on our spelling rules, learning and revising grammar terms that we will then embed within writing tasks. The children will be exposed to a variety of genres across both books to challenge and develop their writing voice. Within Year 6, there will be discussions about the language choices that the author has used, the deliberate layout and structure of texts and using these elements to enhance writing skills. The children will follow the learning journey throughout the week to support a successful Big Write by the end of the week. Year 6 children will develop their editing skills to improve their vocabulary choice, include a range of sentence types and to be critical thinkers when evaluating their own writing.
In Maths throughout Autumn, we are focusing heavily on Place Value and Number. When this topic is sufficiently mastered, we move to the four operations before a double fractions block at the end of the Autumn Term. It is important to note that within every lesson, the children will be exploring their understanding through fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Children are highly encouraged to manage their time and effort so that they can reach the challenge task by the end of the lesson. This will help them in the transition to secondary school.
Times Tables will of course continue to be an integral part of the fluency and heavily driven within the homework program.
In Topic, Year 6 will be learning about Rivers. The focus question for the term is: What impact do humans have on our rivers and oceans?
The specific articles this topic links to within the UNCRC are:
Article 24 - You have the right to the best health care possible, safe water to drink, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help you stay well
Article 28 - You have the right to an education.
The children will be exploring what they can do to protect their environment. To support their learning, we will be visiting Teddington lock this month.
In Science, our focus will be on Light and Dark and then Electricity. The children will be exploring these topics through a range of scientific enquiry-based lessons. There will be a range of investigations and opportunities for the children to embrace their curiosity and develop new skills.
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, Madame Clarke (French) and Mrs Hancock (Music).
Guided Reading will remain in the same format as last year with four, 30-minute sessions a week. Written tasks will all be completed within the lesson, but children will be expected to continue to fill in their reading record in their handbook. These will be checked by the teachers on a Friday. Weekly spellings will also be shared in these handbooks every Monday. Please encourage your child to read and practise their spellings regularly.
Homework
- We will be continuing to use Doodle Maths and Doodle English and welcome your support despite Doodle now not being compulsory.
- Times Table Rock Stars will also continue to be promoted, especially where children need to strengthen their knowledge.
- Record daily reading - the title and pages read and any comments e.g. summarising what you read or any focus areas for next week.
- ‘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.
Trips
In Autumn One, we will be visiting Teddington Lock. 6D will go on Monday 6th October and 6G will be going on Monday 13th October.
We always welcome parent volunteers on our trips. If you are interested, please look out for the Parentmail requesting support.
In Autumn Two, we are welcoming Mr Dilly to deliver a Maya workshop in school. The specific date will be shared with families closer to the time.
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 |
New spellings sent home Spelling test the following Monday |
| Tuesday |
Talking homework turned in on Google Classroom PE taught by AM Sports (wear PE kit to school) |
| Wednesday | |
| Thursday |
PE Classes alternate Gym and PE (Wear PE kit to school) Talking Homework uploaded to Google |
| Friday | Pupil handbooks to be brought (signed by parents) a |
| As frequently as possible but at least 3 times per week |
Reading Time Tables Rockstars (Optional) Doodle Maths and English (Optional) |
Other things you need to know
| School Uniform | Packed Lunches & Snacks | Contact Us |
