Year 6 Spring Term 1

In English, our Year 6 pupils will conclude their study of ‘Shackleton’s Journey,’ by creating promotional posters to illustrate their learning.  They will also complete book reviews to evaluate and recommend the text to others. We will then go on to study the book, ‘Rose Blanche’, a moving story of a girl’s life at the outbreak of the Second World War, written by Robert Innocenti and illustrated by Ian McEwan. Using the book as a stimulus, the children will develop creative responses to the text through drama, storytelling and descriptive writing; they will write in role in order to explore and develop empathy for characters and they will learn how to write with confidence for real purposes and audiences.

In Maths, this half term, Year 6 will be exploring algebra, learning form expressions, form and solve equations and solve problems with two unknowns.  They will refresh their knowledge of decimals and practice their skills of multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000. They will also refresh their understanding of percentages  and be able to order decimals, percentages and fractions as well as converting between them.  Finally, they will extend their learning on measure, perimeter, area and volume by finding the area of different 2D shapes and the volume of cubes and cuboids.

In Science, children will learn how to classify living things using the major classification kingdoms defined by Carl Linnaeus. They will construct classification keys of increasing complexity.  Children will make careful observations to identify the characteristics that help scientists classify all living things, such as whether a living thing has a backbone and how they reproduce. In addition to this, the children will investigate the reaction of yeast with sugar.

Working Scientifically, children will carry out investigations to observe how moulds grow over time. Children will use and construct classification keys to identify plants within their locality. They will identify specific species by closely observing the similarities and differences within each group 

In Geography this half term, Year 6 will be completing a unit called ‘Frozen Kingdoms’. Throughout the topic, the children will be introduced to the characteristics and features of polar regions, including the North and South Poles. They will explore the environmental factors that shape and influence these geographical regions, as well as comparing the plants, animals and indigenous people who live there. Our pupils will learn about polar climates and polar oceans whilst beginning to appreciate the beauty of the world’s polar landscapes

In Art and Design, the children will be covering ‘Inuit’, a unit of work which will introduce them to the cultural and artistic traditions of the Inuit way of life. They will learn about significant Inuit artists, such as Kenojuak Ashevak and James A Houston, whilst exploring the technique of print-making used to create some of their artwork.

In Music this term, we will be studying a unit of work called ‘Film Music’. The children will identify how different styles of music contribute to the feel of a film as well as participating in discussions, sharing their views and justifying their answers. They will explain how different instruments to describe how music evokes a range of emotions. Finally, they will create a musical score to represent a composition and create sounds that relate to the scene of a film.

In PSHE, pupils will study the unit ‘Healthy Me’. Children will learn about both physical and mental health. This includes a discussion on how drugs effect the body, as well as looking at the issue of gangs. We will finish the unit by looking at strategies that can be used to deal with pressure, to promote our own mental health.

In Computing, children will be completing the second unit of Data Handling. In this unit, they will be able to explain how data can be transferred safely; investigate their data usage online and be able to identify how data analysis can improve city life. In addition to this, children will design a system for turning a school into a smart school. They will then present their ideas to their peers. 

In RE, Year 6 will learn about Humanism. The children will find out about what Humanists believe, and how they celebrate human achievements and capabilities. We will them look at the terms ‘atheist’ and agnostic’ and find out what these mean in terms of beliefs.

In PE this term, the children will be learning to put actions to music when creating dance routines. They will be working in pairs and groups and will use their imagination to choreograph movements that flow and keep the rhythm of the music. The children will need to think about how directions of movements, levels, shapes and pathways can improve their ideas. 

In their second PE lesson, the children will be learning how physical activity can be adapted. They will take part in a variety of sports such as bowls, boccia and table tennis. The children will use communication, cooperation and imagination to develop their own activities and to suggest ideas on how sports could be adapted. 

In French, our pupils will be learning the following:  to be able to say and write when their birthday is; to be able to say and write what they like to do in their free time and why and to be able to say and write what school subjects they like and dislike.