First of all, thank you all so much for your hard work. I know I've asked a lot from you at times over the last six weeks but I am really grateful for the maturity you’ve shown, especially when it has come to putting in that extra hour after school during our revision club. Keep it up!
In Writing with Ms James we have written passionate complaint letters using our formal writing skills and the subjunctive to make them sound more persuasive and demanding. These have ranged from complaints about restaurant service to faulty products bought online.
In Maths we took a deep dive into fractions, decimals and percentages. We explored their relationships with one another and how to calculate percentages of integers. We also completed an entire unit on statistics covering pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs and an introduction to averages including how to find the mean. Finally, we began our Geometry unit, learning how to correctly use a protractor to measure angles and studying the properties of triangles and quadrilaterals.
In Art we have been making our voices heard. We explored how people have expressed themselves throughout history from the Mayans and early examples of chiaroscuro to modern-day movements. We finished with a piece of protest art depicting causes we feel strongly about such as anti-war messages, pollution and animal cruelty.
In History we have continued to study WWII. This term we focused on the events leading up to the Bath Blitz and the reasons why children were evacuated to the countryside.
Finally, a big thank you to Mr Phillips, our football coach, who has been teaching us this term. It has been a joy to watch not only our football enthusiasts showcase their skills but also to see those who previously weren’t the biggest fans of the sport discover enthusiasm and talents they didn’t know they had.
Forest School will continue on Mondays. The weather should be improving but it may still be wet so please dress appropriately.
PE will continue on Fridays. Please remember to bring your correct PE kit.
Please continue with Doodle Maths, spelling and reading alongside independent Maths and Grammar revision.
I will be available in Sycamore Class at 12:30 on Wednesdays if you would like guidance in Maths or SPAG. You can also use this time to access a laptop for Doodle Maths.
What a term! Well done, Year 6—you've been superb!
We've had our first look at algebra in Maths and have come such a long way in a short time. I'm certain your secondary Maths teachers will be impressed with your powers of deduction. We've also explored ratio and proportion and have just begun delving into the important world of decimals.
Our Writing this term has been largely based on the captivating story of Varmints. We watched the first half of this short film and the children wrote their own endings. Some were hopeful, even positive, while others took a darker turn. Many even ended at a crossroads, leaving the reader to wonder what really happened to the poor Varmint’s world.
We have also started reading Goodnight Mister Tom and are getting to know each character. The book is giving us great insight into life as an evacuee during the Second World War, which we studied in History. This hasn’t always been the easiest topic, as it involves fairly recent tragedies. However, we are using our historian skills to examine the causes and effects of major events leading up to and during the war.
In PE this term, we have focused on fitness—working to improve our strength, speed, balance, and stamina. We really tested ourselves in the bleep test, pushing our fitness levels beyond what we expected!
In Science, we have been learning about light. We discovered that light travels in a straight line and conducted experiments to show how different parts of the eye work—specifically the retina, pupil, and iris. We also demonstrated how our eyes can deceive us during the oracy showcase in STEM week, building our own Ames room, which tricked our minds into perceiving objects as different sizes than they really were.
A huge thank you to Year 6 for your help across the school during STEM week—you were a real asset! And thank you to everyone who came to view our work at the fair.
A few reminders:
Forest School will continue on Mondays. The weather will likely remain cold and wet for a while, so please come dressed appropriately.
Football will now be on Fridays. Mr. Philips will be teaching football, so please wear a PE kit consisting of black joggers, a green T-shirt, and a school jumper or fleece.
Homework: Please continue with Doodle Maths, spelling, and reading. I also encourage children to begin their own independent SATs revision. Each child has been given a Maths and English revision book and regular reading remains an important part of this. I will discuss this in more detail after the break, but please do get in touch if you would like any advice on how best to approach it.
Well done, Year 6. You have worked exceptionally hard this term and managed to have a lot of fun in the process.
In Maths, we have spent most of the term learning how to use fractions. We have learned to add and subtract fractions, converting them so that denominators are the same where necessary. We can multiply fractions by multiplying the numerators and divide fractions by multiplying by the reciprocal of the denominators. We can now find fractions of amounts and use our new skills to solve real-world problems.
In English, we have been reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which the class have thoroughly enjoyed. We have drawn on its gothic and often humorous themes to create our own chapters for the book. Our narratives are filled with advanced language techniques such as metaphors, similes, showing rather than telling, pathetic fallacy and much more. We have also explored the poem The Tyger by William Blake. By analysing its hidden meanings and metaphors, we created our own mysterious poems about other animals.
We have continued to enjoy our time at the pool. Some of us swam our first unaided lengths, while others learned to dive properly for the first time. Our team did amazingly well at the Swimming Gala, pushing ourselves to swim faster, further and with better technique.
In Geography, we have been studying Kenya, particularly why migration to its capital, Nairobi, is happening and how it can result from push or pull factors. We examined the benefits and disadvantages of tourism in the country and considered options for its future. Comparing Kenya with the United Kingdom revealed many similarities, partly due to Kenya's historical ties with the UK and its membership in the Commonwealth.
In PSHE, we have focused on 'Celebrating Differences'. Lessons and discussions included exploring similarity and difference, bullying, stereotyping, racism, discrimination and celebrating individuality. In Music, we developed our knowledge of how to read music, improved our singing and deepened our understanding of the cultural significance of songs. In RE, we explored the inquiry 'Why is it important for Christians that Mary was chosen as Jesus’ mother?'
Science this term has been all about electricity. We have learned about complete and incomplete circuits and how electrical currents flow. We investigated conductive materials and applied this knowledge to make switches.
Finally, we had an incredible time at the ice rink. Everyone was in great spirits from the walk up right through to going home. It was wonderful to see everyone having such an amazing time, even if it did leave some of us with one or two bruises! Happy Christmas, everyone. Enjoy the well-earned break.
Mr Dobson
Logistics:
Homework – Keep going with Doodle Maths. This is really important as progress is evident when children complete it regularly. Please also remember to read at home as often as you can and to practise the spellings children receive by Friday.
Forest and PE – These will both be on Monday so they should bring in suitable forest kit to wear over their PE kit. They must have long sleeves and long trousers to protect themselves from scratches and insect bites. Forest will go ahead in all weather, so be prepared for the cold and wet weather.
I can't believe that it is the end of term 1 already. Looking back, we've achieved so much. Year 6 have been busy visiting potential secondary schools and getting excited about their big change next summer. They are going to be more than ready come next September!
In Maths, we tackled some really advanced arithmetic, and we can now use formal methods to work out long multiplication and long division. Some children are even experimenting with using fractions and decimals instead of remainders. We have also mastered using the correct order of working out operations (by using the acronym BODMAS), and we can now answer questions such as 3 x (14 + 11)
In English with Miss James, we have completed two non-fiction pieces and a fiction piece of writing. Our stories based on our class text this term, Kensuke's Kingdom, were full of excitement and featured rich descriptions of waking up on a desert island, finding food and shelter, encountering wild animals, and trying to swim to freedom. We have followed this up with an emotional story based on the short film, The Piano. Conversely, we have written some very serious newspaper articles based on the hideous crimes featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Three Little Pigs.
We have enjoyed our time at the pool. Some of us have swum our first unaided lengths, while others have learned to dive properly for the first time. We certainly look forward to continuing with this after half-term, especially with the Gala fast approaching.
In History, our focus has been the Georgian period, especially in our local area. We have learned about important names, like the Master of Ceremonies, Beau Nash, writers who lived in Bath at the time like Jane Austen and Mary Shelley, and the legacy of local architects such as Ralph Allen and John Wood Sr.
In PSHE, we have focused on 'Being Me in My World'. We have had many class discussions on how we fit into our communities, and the challenges of becoming a responsible young person. We also had school council and house captain elections. All the children who took part did an amazing job preparing and presenting their speeches. A huge congratulations to all who took part.
Science has been taking a look at how we classify living things. We have looked at different ways scientists classify animals, plants and microorganisms. The lessons on microorganisms have been particularly fascinating, where we have learned that there are an estimated nine trillion of them in our bodies. Comprehending the enormity of that number has been eye-opening.
Half-term is well-deserved, Year 6! Enjoy every minute of it, and be ready to come back for the run-up to Christmas and the new year!
Homework – Please can I remind you that Doodle maths, spellings and reading journals must be completed every week. Any problems, I'd be happy to help.
Reading - A polite reminder that children must read as often as they can - at least 3 times a week - and record it in their logs. These are checked every Friday.
Forest – Monday afternoon (please come in school uniform on the 6th of November for the school photographs).
PE – Friday afternoon. Please come in normal school uniform with your swimming gear.
It has been fantastic getting to know your children even more during the first week, and I am looking forward to what I’m sure will be a hugely successful and enjoyable year. The children have already started with their work. We have been learning about place value in maths and have begun reading our class text, Kensuke’s Kingdom. We have also created unique art using drawing and collage to make portraits inspired by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
The start of a new school year is always busy, so please be aware of the following:
We will encourage the children to be as independent as possible this year, especially when it comes to revision for the SATs later in the year. However, help from home (and school) may still be required.
Children will be expected to complete the following homework:
Doodle Maths or Doodle Times Tables: Children should complete 20 minutes per week. I will check their progress on Friday mornings.
Personal spellings: The children will bring home 6–10 words on Fridays. These will be words they have spelt incorrectly in their work. They will be tested on them the following Friday.
Reading: Children must read at least 3 times per week. Throughout the week, they will participate in Book-Talk, where they will share their reading with the class—often inspiring others with what they read. Additionally, your child should complete one Reading Journal entry at home every week. This should be a high-quality, scrapbook-style, creative entry. Children should bring their books and journals to school daily. The journals will be collected on Friday morning, ready for the celebration assembly.
P.E. is on Friday afternoon this year. We will be swimming for P.E. from now until Christmas, so swimming costumes should be brought during this time.
Forest School is on Monday afternoon. Lessons will take place regardless of the weather (unless extreme), so please ensure your child wears appropriate clothing: long-sleeve tops and trousers. Could children please bring their wellies and waterproofs in a separate bag to change into and out of during the day. Please note that it is very difficult to provide spare kits for individual children.
Finally, I’m sure there will be many questions regarding SATs and transition to secondary school; however, we will discuss these in more depth later in the year.
Please do not hesitate to contact me either via email or speak to me before school on the playground.