Year 6 Spring Term 1
Maths
In Maths, pupils will:
- Read and write numbers with up to 7-digits, understanding what each digit represents; work systematically to find out how many numbers round to 5000000; solve subtraction of 5- and 6-digit numbers using written column method (decomposition).
- Multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1000; compare and order numbers with up to three decimal places; know common fraction / decimal equivalents; multiply pairs of unit fractions and multiply unit fractions by non-unit fractions
- Use partitioning to mentally multiply 2-digit numbers with one decimal place by whole 1-digit numbers; multiply numbers with two decimal places; use short multiplication to multiply amounts of money; use estimation to check answers to calculations; use long multiplication to multiply 3-digit and 4-digit numbers by numbers between 10 and 30.
- Name, classify and identify properties of quadrilaterals; explore how diagonal lines can bisect quadrilaterals; understand what an angle is and that it is measured in degrees; know what the angles of triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons and octagons add to and use these facts and mathematical reasoning to calculate missing angles; recognise and identify the properties of circles and name their parts; draw circles using pairs of compasses; draw polygons using a ruler and a protractor
- Add and subtract numbers using mental strategies; solve addition of 4- to 7-digit numbers using written column addition; identify patterns in the number of steps required to generate palindromic numbers; solve subtraction of 5-, 6- and 7-digit numbers using written column method (decomposition); solve additions and subtractions choosing mental strategies or written procedures as appropriate; read, understand and solve word problems
- Identity common factors and common multiples; understand that a prime number has exactly two factors and find prime numbers less than 100; understand what a composite (non-prime) number is; use long division to divide 3- and 4-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers, giving remainders as a fraction, simplifying where possible
English
In the Spring term, Year 6 will be reading ‘Treason,’ by Berlie Doherty. This historical adventure story is set during the reign of Henry VIII. William Montague finds himself sent to the court of the King where he is chosen to be companion to the King’s infant son Edward. A royal favourite for a short while, William begins to find himself in danger as his father’s unwillingness to accept the king as head of the Church of England leads to his arrest for treason. William runs away and seeks to save his father with the help of Nick, a poor boy who befriends him.
Following on from ‘Treason,’ Year 6 will be reading ‘The Highwayman’. The poem, set in 18th century rural England, tells the story of an unnamed highwayman who is in love with Bess, a landlord's daughter. Betrayed to the authorities by Tim, a jealous ostler, the highwayman escapes ambush when Bess sacrifices her life to warn him.
In Curriculum, Year 6 will be beginning their new topic called, ‘Revolution.’
They will be studying about super-strict schools by travelling back in time to a Victorian classroom. They will be learning about Victorian punishments were unquestionably terrible. They will be discovering a time when great minds thought new thoughts and ingenious inventors created so many things we take for granted today: the electric light bulb, the telephone and even the first flushing toilet.
Pupils will learn about great artists, architects and designers in history as well as appreciating a wide variety of high quality musical performances, drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians.
In Science, children will learn how to classify living things using the major classification kingdoms defined by Carl Linnaeus. They will identify and describe the observable characteristics of a range of classification groups including micro-organisms, plants and animals. They will compare the similarities and differences between different species of buttercup and earthworm. 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. Children will also be able to use their observations to construct classification keys of increasing complexity. They will use evidence from their investigation to predict and investigate how to accelerate the rate of decay in a mini-composter.
Working Scientifically, children will carry out investigations to observe how moulds grow over time. They will use the evidence from previous investigations to investigate how to accelerate decomposition in a mini-composter. Children will use and construct classification keys to identify plants within their locality. They will identify specific species of buttercup and earthworm by closely observing the similarities and differences within each group.
Year 6 Autumn Term 2
Year 6 will be reading ‘Shackleton’s Journey,’ by William Grill. Shackleton's Journey is a unique visual re-telling Ernest Shackleton's landmark expedition crossing the Antarctic from one pole to the other. If focuses on the historic exploration by Shackelton and his crew on Endurance. Children will explore the exploded diagrams and the fascinating details of this landmark voyage.
They will also be reading, ‘The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey,’ by Susan Wojciechowski. This is the poignant tale of Jonathan Toomey. Although Jonathan is the best woodcarver in the valley, he is always alone and never smiles. No one knows about the mementos of his lost wife and child that he keeps in an unopened drawer. But one early winter’s day, a widow and her young son approach him with a gentle request – a request which leads to a joyful miracle. This moving, lyrical tale which unfolds with mastery, humour and emotional force,
In Maths, Year 6 will:
- Understand negative numbers;
- Calculate small differences between negative numbers and negative and positive numbers;
- Add and subtract negative numbers;
- Compare fractions with unlike, but related, denominators;
- Correctly use the terms fraction, denominator and numerator;
- Understand what improper fractions and mixed numbers are and add fractions with the same denominator, writing the answer as a mixed number
- Calculate the perimeter, area and volume of shapes, and know their units of measurement;
- Understand that shapes can have the same perimeters but different areas and vice versa;
- Calculate the area of a triangle using the formula A = 1/2 b × h ;
- Find the area of parallelograms using the formula A = b × h ;
- Name and describe properties of 3D shapes;
- Systematically find and compare nets for different 3D shapes.
In Curriculum, Year 6 will be beginning their new topic called, ‘Frozen Planet.’ During this topic, the children will be introduced to the planet’s coldest lands... vast wilds, hostile territories, incredibly beautiful yet often deadly. Through the topic, they will learn about sheltering from the elements and icy winds. They will be learning about the treacherous terrain at the ends of the Earth.
In Science, children will work towards answering the Quest question, ‘How can we stay healthy?’ They will present their findings in the form of a ‘health roadshow’ incorporating multi-media presentations which show that they will have recognised the impact of diet, exercise and lifestyle choices on the way their bodies function. Children will learn that there are many different but related aspects to keeping healthy. They will investigate the functions of the heart and circulatory system and will describe how nutrients and water are transported in human and animal bodies
Working Scientifically, children will have the opportunity to plan and carry out an investigation in the context of finding a reflective material for children’s clothing. They will have the opportunity to use light sensors and data logging equipment to measure and record their observations and they will write a report detailing what they have concluded.