Welcome to year 6

• In Year 6 the class teachers are Mrs Epps, Mrs Pool and Mr Wright.
• We are joined by Mrs Chapman and Mrs Heal, very experienced HLTAs. We are joined by two other LSAs: Mrs Pegg and Mrs Hill, who are also very experienced.
• We work very closely with the Y5 team to ensure continuity and progression for your children.

Well done to the Class of 2019 – Have an amazing time moving to Secondary School in September.

Routines

• Many routines during the week will continue in the same way for your child.
• Collective worship
• Library
• ICT
• PE
• Break and lunchtimes
• Milk (when ordered)

Expectations

• We have high expectations of all of our children throughout the year.
• We encourage them to be the best they can be.
• We expect them to come to school ready for their lessons.
• We expect all homework to be done well and handed in on time.

Curriculum

• We cover the same subjects as Y5, extending different areas of their learning:
  • Maths, English, Guided reading, Grammar and spellings, Science, ICT, Topic, Art and DT, RE, PSHE and PE.
• As the year progresses, we encourage them to become more independent and help them to develop good work routines to equip them for secondary school.

Reading

• Reading is so important in Y6. Good writers are always good readers! It really helps your child, throughout the curriculum, if they read well and often.
• Please encourage regular reading during all holidays especially the Summer.
• Discuss texts, meaning of words in context, inference and deduction, grammar.
• Using Accelerated Reader programme.
• We do group and whole class guided reading.

Writing

• We spend a long time developing and refining their writing skills in Year 6. We further develop their grammar skills – through grammar lessons and embedding them into our English work.
• We use the Talk 4 Writing approach with big writes to apply their skills.
• We teach a lot of our history and geography through our English units

Handwriting and spellings are also taught.

Maths

• The children will be taught in their classes for Maths.
• We are liaising with Y5 staff about their Maths needs and abilities.
• We teach a combination of standard Maths lessons, Reasoning and arithmetic lessons.

We cover the following topics in Y6:

• Place value and number.
• The 4 operations.
• Fractions, decimals and percentages.
• Algebra.
• Measurement.
• Geometry (shape and space, and position and movement).
• Statistics.

The wider curriculum

• We teach a cross curricular topic each term.
• We aim to make the topics as engaging and exciting for the children as we can.
• We involve the children in planning for our topics by asking what they already know and what they would like to find out.
• We include ‘wow’ days and practical experiences whenever we can.

Homework

• Children should read every day and practise their weekly spellings.
• They should also regularly practise their arithmetic skills and times tables to aim for a quick and accurate recall of key facts.
• They will have a combination of reading comprehension and grammar homework tasks.
• We also give a self-directed set of termly homework tasks to complete.
• They will also be set a maths homework piece weekly – either paper based on set on mymaths website.
• We would like your child to spend up to 45 minutes per subject per week. 
• Please ensure that the work is neat and tidy, completed in black pen and handed in on time. 
• Do speak with your child’s teacher if there are problems. 
• English – out Wednesday, due in Monday.
• Maths – out Wednesday, due in Monday.
• Spellings – out Monday, tested the following Monday.
• Please do read with your child whenever possible – reading to them as well as hearing them – and then discuss the text. A good range of challenging books will help your child gain ideas, themes and vocabulary that will help enrich their writing and reading in class, as well as their future lives.

PE kit – all named please

Indoor

• Plain navy blue t-shirt
• Navy shorts
• Plimsolls or black trainers

Outdoor

• As above +         
• Plain blue tracksuit / joggers / sweatshirt top
• Earrings need to be removed or taped for all PE sessions.

We have indoor and outdoor sessions every week, so please ensure your child has a suitable, warm kit for the coldest winter days.

Equipment

• Water bottles – all year please.
• Pencil case with named equipment– pencils, a good quality black writing pen, ruler, small selection of colouring pencils, rubber, sharpener, highlighters and a green pen.
• Full, labelled PE kit.
• Small dictionary.
• Please send your child with a coat.

Trips and visits

• Bletchley Park
• Church visits – Christmas carol concert and end of summer term for our leaver’s concert
• Kingswood residential visit (June)
• Year 6 Games
• Sporting tournaments

Increased responsibility

• Student Council
• Head Boy and Girl KS2 representatives
• Champions
• Assemblies
• Lunchtime buddying
• Harvest deliveries
• Christmas postbox

How can you support at home?

• Regular reading (Log on to Accelerated Reader to ensure that your child has completed their quizzes).
• Support and join in with homework tasks
• Support with spelling
• Maths
• Researching our topic work more widely
• Communicate with us about any issues or concerns you have
• Providing a well-stocked pencil case
• A complete change of clothes and trainers for PE – t-shirt, shorts, tracksuit top and bottoms all labelled please.
• Good school day routines.
• Helping with homework – or at least checking what homework there is and day due in.
• Ensuring reading is happening (with Fantastics cards).
• Practising times tables up to 12×12 with the associated division facts.
• Talking about the school topics – we will encourage the children to talk rather than grunt with you!