Year 6

Year 6

Year 6 is an exciting year at Thornbury Primary School as we encourage the children to be more responsible and independent in their learning. This year is important in beginning to prepare the children for the transition to secondary school. There is a focus on team building and working co-operatively with their class members. We strongly believe that these skills are vitally important in helping pupils become ready for secondary education and beyond. If you would like to contact your child's class teacher, you are welcome to talk to them at drop off and pick up times or contact them at the school email address. 

General Information

What do I need to bring to school? 

School Bag:

All children require a school bag which they will need to bring every day.

Water bottle:

All children to bring a clear plastic, medium sized, bottle of water. Please can we ask for no metal bottles. 

Fruit & Snack:

All children in Year 6 are invited to bring a piece of fruit from home for their morning playtime snack if they wish. On Fridays, we are happy for this to be a fruit-based snack (yoghurt covered raisins etc) as an end of week treat.

Milk: 

If you would like your child to have a carton of milk at snack time, please order this through www.coolmilk.com. 

Important information

PE Days:

‍Tuesday and Wednesday

Reading:

In school, we complete a range of reading activities throughout the week, including having a class book/s ongoing and a weekly book club session. The focus for these are continually extending the children’s sight vocabulary, developing reading fluency and comprehension of texts read. We are passionate about children developing a love of reading; we ask that families read with, hear their children read or encourage their child to read independently for the equivalent of approx. 1 and ½ hours weekly. We also value parent/ carer comments and parents signing their child’s reading diary. In KS2 the children should be regularly reflecting on the books they read in their reading diary.

Home Learning: 

Home Learning will be sent home every Friday and will need to be returned the following Wednesday. Home learning will be a mixture of Maths, Literacy and Spellings. 

Spellings:

Spellings will be given on a Friday and be tested the following Friday.

Beat Your Score/Numeracy Ninja: 

If you wish to practise at home, ‘Beat Your Score’ sheets can be found on the right side of this page. 

Online Resources: 

You will find your login details for the following site at the front of your reading diary. 

My Maths: www.mymaths.co.uk

Times Tables Rockstars: www.ttrockstars.com

Spelling Shed: www.spellingshed.com

Language Angels: www.languageangels.com

Curriculum- Yearly overview of topics

Topics Covered Throughout the Year:

• Autumn Term: Just Like Me, Just Like You (diversity) / The UK and Beyond
• Spring Term: Exploration and quests / Civilisations
• Summer Term: Civilisation

Autumn Term:

Our first Topic this term is ‘Just Like Me, Just Like You’. This is a whole school project where we discover the importance of looking after our mental health. This work will continue in our PSHE sessions where we will be learning about understanding the importance of rest, how we can relax, embracing failure and staying healthy. 

In History this term we will be focusing on our exploration theme, making links with our science units. In the first part of the term, we will be focusing on Charles Darwin and Carl Linnaeus completing a comparative study. We will also be investigating their life events and contributions to scientific advancements. 

In Autumn 2, we will be looking at Ernest Shackleton and his expedition to the Antarctic. Looking at his voyage on The Endurance and his tale of perseverance and survival

In Geography this term we will be looking at the Equator, Prime of Meridian, Tropics, and how the world is split into different time zones.

In Art we will begin the year by exploring the artist Anatol Knotek. He uses powerful vocabulary to create typography portraits. We will be exploring how to use pressure and overlapping to create tone.  

After half term, our Topic is ‘The World’. Here we will be learning about foods around the world and different regions in the UK. 

In Design Technology we will be designing, creating and evaluating pizzas. 

In Music, we will be singing and performing sea shanties using a range of instruments such as: drums, xylophones and chimes.

In PSHE, we will be learning about families and relationships. We will explore the importance of respect and building friendships, family life (including change and loss) and challenging stereotypes. We will help other children in our community by writing and reading letters to Foundation children to spread our knowledge and understanding of building relationships. 

In RE, we will be looking into whether the Christian belief of Creation and Scientists’ beliefs are conflicting or complementary. We will do this by exploring the Story of Genesis, Cosmology and theories of Evolution by scientists like Charles Darwin. We will also understand why some people believe in God, and why others do not. 

In Science, we will be learning about adaptation and evolution. We will explore how different animals are adapted to their environment and the role that evolution plays in supporting animal’s survival. We will further this understanding by creating our own animals and discussing how they are adapted to a certain environment. We will also be learning about the scientist Charles Darwin, and the discoveries he made.

In PE, we will be learning about hockey, practicing controlling the ball using hockey sticks, communicating within a team and developing defending tactics. We will also have Outdoor and Adventurous Activity (OAA) sessions, where we will have to work as a team to solve problems, communicate efficiently and develop navigational skills. In Autumn 2, we will move onto basketball, learning how to dribble correctly and when it is necessary pass, and we will practice these skills in games. We will also learn different components of fitness including speed, stamina, strength, co-ordination, balance and agility.  

In RE, we will find out about what it means to be a Muslim in Britain today? 

In Computing, we will be learning about Computer Science and how information is communicated and delivered.

Spring Term:

In Maths this term we will be focusing on ratio, algebra, decimals, fractions, decimals and percentages (one combined unit), area, perimeter and volume and statistics. There will also be arithmetic consolidation throughout this term.

In Literacy Spring 1 we will be writing our own narrative poems based on ‘The Highway man’ with our independent write focused on ‘Macbeth’. Following on from this we will then be looking at ‘The Alchemist’s Letter’ (a literacy shed short) - this will be a chance for the children to write their own ending and instructions for how to use the Alchemist’s machine.

In Spring 2 we will be looking at a range of texts such as ‘Where my Wellies take me’ a beautifully illustrated book with both poetry and a story intertwined throughout. We will be using this to write a recount about a trip the children have experienced.

In History this term, we will be focusing on our civilisation theme, drawing on our knowledge learnt about other civilisations. We will focus on how the Mayans live, what they eat, what they believe in and finally what happened to them. Finally, we will look at their legacy and what we have to thank the Mayans for.  

In Geography this term we will be focusing on Geography –  

Locating the World’s countries and continents, identifying capital cities, key physical and human characteristics of all European countries including Russia, North and South Americas. In Spring 2 we will be focusing on Africa and researching further into fair trade starting with it’ definition and what it means to be a fairtrade country.

In Art, we will begin with our sculpture unit. Here we be exploring Mayan artefacts and creating our own tiles using embellishments. 

In DT we will be creating our own structures focusing on the design, make, evaluate process. These will be linked to our geography units based on famous landmarks.

In Science, we will begin the Spring term by building on our prior learning of materials. We will deepen our understanding, completing experiments to test different materials. In Spring 2, we will learn about light, discussing how it travels in straight lines and that we see objects due to light reflected into our eyes. We will also investigate the formation of shadows. 

In PSHE, we will be covering the topics ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Safety and the Changing Body’. During ‘Health and Wellbeing’ we will be exploring and creating resilience toolkits and physical and mental health concerns. In safety and the changing body, Year 6, we will be covering physical and emotional changes, conception and pregnancy and childbirth. 

In RE, we will be learning about Hinduism. We will understand why Hindu’s strive to be good. Additionally, we will be exploring what Christian’s believe Jesus did to ‘save people’. 

In Spring 1 PE lessons, we will be learning various skills and tactics needed in football and playing tournaments involving these. We will also have a gymnastics unit, where children will use their knowledge of compositional principles (variations in level, direction and pathway, how to combine actions) to build sequences. In Spring 2, we will begin to prepare for sports day, practicing for the various events we will compete in on the day. We will also learn all about Bhangra dance, focusing on timing, formations and direction.  

In music this term, we will discuss what it means to compose and take this a step further using notation to write our own songs and perform. This is a collaborative unit, and the children get to work in small groups to both compose and perform.

In computing this term, we will be looking at programming with a focus on variables particularly in games. In the following half term, we will be focusing on an introduction to spreadsheets.

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Summer Term:

In Maths this term we will be completing units on Shape, position and direction and our final unit will link to Y6’s Enterprise project. This will focus on cost and profit, graphs and putting our learning from this year in a real-life context.

In Literacy Summer 1 we will be reading Holes using this as a stimulus to write character descriptions and diaries – this will be then followed by Kensuke’s kingdom.

In Summer 2 we will be looking at a range of texts such as: Varjak Paw (an adventure narrative), a poetry unit based on ‘The Lost Words’, finishing with non-fiction writing based on The Atlas of Imagined Islands – (leaflets, brochures, persuasion).

In History this term we will be consolidating our learning journey taking ownership of our research as historians. The end project will be the children picking an historic unit they have learnt before and using the historic skills to delve further and represent their findings in a presentation (verbal, online, written etc.)

In Science, we will be learning about animals, including humans. We will explore the changes as humans develop to old age, before learning about the circulatory system. We will recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way that our bodies function.  In PSHE, we will be covering Citizenship and Economic Well-being. This will include exploring democracy, rights and responsibilities and diversity in Citizenship, and attitude towards money (including keeping money safe), gambling and careers in Economic Well-being. 

In RE, we will be learning about why is the Torah so important to Jewish people? 

In DT we will creating our own creating our own mechanisms, this will be linked to our scient unit on electricity.  

In art we will be exploring the work of William Morris, and the children will also get to create their own prints. They weill use the art skills to aid them in this process with a final evaluation of their work.

To begin our PE in the summer term, we will be learning about the roles of strikers and fielders in a rounders match and understand and apply different tactics. In handball sessions, we will explore the rules of handball and combine skills to successfully play games and tournaments. To finish the year, we will be learning how to correctly use a range of shots in tennis to keep a continuous rally going and play successfully against an opponent. We will also be learning about cricket, developing bowling accuracy and batting skills.

In computing this term, we will be looking at creating media (3D modelling) and sensing movement in our second programming unit.

In music this term, we will be focusing on texture (3-part round/polyphonic texture), monophonic, homophonic, 3/4 time, durations (crotchet, rest, quavers, minim, dotted minim, dotted crotchet), sacred vocal music, singing in harmony, progression snapshot 2.