Welcome to Year 6

Autumn Term 2023

Areas of study for Year 6

 

Literacy

The children’s writing this term will be inspired by Harry Potter. They will have the opportunity to write creatively in a range of styles. They will begin by writing formal letters accepting their place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They will then look at the Sorting Hat poem from chapter seven, exploring the structure, rhythm, use of rhyming couplets and descriptive words and phrases used to capture the reader’s attention, before experimenting with rhyme and description to write their own poem about Hogwarts. Following on from this, the children will write their own newspaper report about the Gringott’s break-in, exploring the formal language, use of punctuation and the types of headlines used to draw the reader’s attention. Finally, the children will create their own magical beast, writing both a non-chronological report and an adventure story set in the Harry Potter world. The children will also be writing across the curriculum, for example through our topic: The Tudors. Using non-fiction books and the internet they will research information about Henry VIII wives.

Numeracy

During maths lessons, we will follow the White Rose scheme in order to develop the children’s understanding in number.  The children will be taught about the place value of digits up to ten million and will be able to order and compare whole numbers and decimals. They will revise using the formal method of column addition and subtraction, using the inverse operation to check their answers and identify their mistakes. The children will continue to practise their multiplication and related division facts to aid them when multiplying or dividing a 4 or 5-digit number by a 1-digit number. The children will then be introduced to the formal methods of long multiplication and division when multiplying or dividing a 4 or 5-digit number by a 2 or 3-digit number and their understanding of times tables will be instrumental to their success with these methods. When working with fractions, children will begin by refreshing their memory of adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator before moving on to different denominators. Children will then be introduced to multiplying and dividing fractions, using the ‘KFC’ method. Over the course of this term, children will also have the chance to solve reasoning and problem-solving activities to embed their learning and apply what they have learnt. 

Reading

This term, the children will be reading Harry Potter as their class novel. Using this text within English and Guided Reading lessons, the children will explore the language used and partake in discussions about the author’s choice of words and phrases and how she brings the characters to life and keeps the reader interested. The children will also have the opportunity to develop a range of reading skills by using the whole school approach of ‘VIPERS’ (vocabulary, inference, prediction, explain, retrieve, summarise). As well as this, we may look at Tudor specific texts to help broaden the children’s knowledge alongside our history work.
MFL
At the start of the term, children will begin recapping simple phrases in French, including greetings and responses. They will then move on to begin the topic ‘Chez Moi’. They will identify names for different buildings and describe where they live and the rooms in their home. After half term, the children will begin developing their vocabulary through the study of  ‘À l’école’. This will involve learning the names of subjects taught in school as well as giving an opinion about them in French.

PSHE/RSHE

This term, children will be focusing on relationships, including families and friendships. They will learn about the importance of respect for others and for ourselves. They will begin by looking at how we should treat others with respect, how to love ourselves and to develop and build our confidence. They will also learn how to express their opinions and respect the opinions of others. The children will engage in conversations about how to manage stress and pressure both now and in the future.  
We will then move on to look at different types of relationships and how we can treat others with kindness and respect, considering what makes a healthy relationship and applying this to their own relationships with others. Where necessary, there will be teacher guided discussions about, for example, being a good friend, whether all friendships are healthy and when to walk away. The children will also begin to learn about the different types of families and accepting the diversity within the world today. After half term, the children will be learning about puberty and the changes that happen as they grow up and throughout their life.  

RE

This term, children will be focused on the key question, ‘How can music and the arts help express and communicate religious beliefs?’ The children will begin by looking at how they express their feelings through body language and facial expressions. They will listen to pieces of music and reflect on how these make them feel. The children will then look at the symbolism of colour, images and statues within Christianity, Islam and Buddhism and how these are used to communicate religious beliefs. At the end of the term, children will also look at the story of Christmas and engage in a discussion about why Christians celebrate it. They will also consider what they think is important at this time of year.

PE

This term the children will develop their balancing skills, working individually, in pairs and in groups on the floor before moving on to the apparatus and wall bars. Children will be encouraged to communicate effectively in groups to create group balances and put together a performance.

Geography

After half term, the children will be engaged in an exciting topic called Extreme Earth, where they will explore the natural disasters that happen across the world. They will get the opportunity to use atlases to identify countries on a map and to understand why some natural disasters are common. Children will be able to use the internet and non-fiction books to carry out research into these disasters.

History

At the start of the term, the children will begin learning about the Tudors. They will begin the topic learning about all the different kings and queens since 1066 and will learn the Horrible History song to help them to remember the order of the monarchs. They will then explore who Henry VIII was, why he was important and how the changes he made to the Christian Churches have had a lasting impact on today’s society. The children will also learn about Elizabeth I, her significance as an unmarried woman on the throne and the importance of the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The children will have the opportunity to produce a humorous and persuasive piece of writing, encouraging a young woman to marry Henry VIII. They will also create and record a TV report about the Spanish Armada and will go on to learn about witches in the Tudor period.

Science

For the first half term, the children will be learning about light, identifying how light travels and how we are able to see, investigating how shadows are formed and why they cast the same shape as the object.  After half term, children will explore electricity with the outcome of creating and testing a range of circuits with a range of components. They will gain knowledge about how circuits work and the scientific symbols for components. They will carry out scientific investigations to explore what affects the brightness of a bulb.
Music
This term the children will begin looking at musical notation, identifying, naming and clapping the different notes and their beats. Children will also be introduced to a wide range of vocabulary when talking about music, such as the pitch, dynamic, tempo and structure. With this understanding, the children will be introduced to the musical stave and the corresponding notes, and they will begin to place these on the stave, creating mnemonics to help them remember the note positions. Children will then learn to play nursery rhymes to gain confidence before learning to play Greensleeves inspired by our history topic – The Tudors – and be able to perform this in front of the class by the end of the term.

Computing

This term the children will be exploring the use of animation and how it has evolved before creating their own stop-motion animation videos. They will begin by making their own thaumatropes and flick books and begin to realise why animation is mostly created digitally. They will have to plan a story, produce and then evaluate the effectiveness of their video as an example of stop-motion animation. The children will then begin to look at the Python coding language and using it this to create their own text-based adventure again, similar to the 1980’s game of Zork or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They will develop an understanding of accuracy when using coding, especially the use of specific syntax and commands to operate and carry out required operations
Art, Design & Technology
This half term, the children will also be researching different designers, comparing the range of textiles they use to make their designs unique in order to make a cushion for someone in their family. They will have the chance to carry out a design brief, asking the family member their cushion is made for what they would like from the product: for example, red and white stripes with 3 grey buttons sewn on. The children will be taught a range of stitches, including backstitch, cross-stich and running stitch and will be shown how to use each of these when making their cushion.

After half term, the children will begin by researching Tudor artists and will learn to draw individual facial features in detail before creating a whole face. They will then begin to re-create a famous painting of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I.  
*If you require additional information relating to our school curriculum, please ask at the school office or the class teacher.