Mrs Shaw is the class teacher in Panthers. Mrs Shaw loves sport, particularly running. She is really looking forward to seeing all the progress made in the run-up to SATs and seeing who gets 40 out of 40 first in their arithmetic! Mrs Jones is a teaching assistant in Panthers. She is looking forward to seeing the children flourish in their final year. Mrs Jones thoroughly enjoys outdoor activities, and is looking forward to the residential at the end of the year. Additionally, year 6 are lucky to have Mr Campbell-Short one of our learning support assistants working alongside them. Mr Campbell-Short is a keen sports person, regularly playing both rugby and golf. During the autumn term, Mr Campbell-Short is most looking forward to Y6 swimming.

History

In year 6, our Autumn term topic is all about World War 2 with a particular focus on the Battle of Britain. The children will question 'Why was it a significant turning point for the United Kingdom?'. Key learning will surround how Nazi Germany began and what it was like, how World War 2 began and how the UK was involved. We will drill down further and take a look specifically at the East Midlands region. Finally, the children will examine how the British forces claimed victory in the Battle of Britain.

Writing

Our writing this term will be inspired by the books 'Star of Fear, Star of Hope' by Jo Hoestlandt and 'The Place for me, stories about the Windrush Generation'. Star of Fear, Star of Hope, links beautifully to our history topic.  The children will write a story with a flashback from another character’s point of view. Secondly, the children will produce a hybrid leaflet based on the Windrush generation - focussing on a period in black history. Throughout our writing, we will continue to develop our grammar, punctuation and spelling through our Gateway, Mastery and Feature keys.

Reading

Our reading units cover non-chronological reports, poetry, narrative and biography, covering a range of topics, some of which will be topics the children have had previous access to. Our children will develop word reading and fluency through engaging activities like echo reads, timed reads, and fluency grids. Each text introduces high-frequency words and common exception words, helping children read aloud and grasp new meanings through repeated reading. The children are encouraged to use their vocabulary to understand texts, checking for clarity and discussing meanings in context. They'll tackle various retrieval questions to identify key aspects of texts, such as characters and events, and summarise main ideas using essential details. Additionally, children will make inferences about characters' feelings and thoughts by justifying their interpretations with evidence. Distinguishing between fact and opinion is also emphasised, allowing kids to provide reasoned justifications for their views.

Maths

In our maths curriculum, we delve into essential concepts like place value, where children learn to read and write numbers up to 10,000,000, compare and order them, and even round any number, including negatives. We tackle addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, working with integers, finding common factors and multiples, and identifying prime numbers up to 100. Students also explore square and cube numbers, learn how to multiply four-digit by two-digit numbers, and master both short and long division, including those tricky long division problems with remainders. We're not just crunching numbers; they’ll also solve multi-step problems and apply the order of operations. When it comes to fractions, we simplify and compare them, add and subtract mixed numbers, and tackle multiplication and division of fractions. Finally, we ensure they’re well-equipped with measures, including converting units with ease. It’s quite the mathematical journey!

Art and Design and Technology

Our artistic talents will be developed further by exploring perspective in landscape artwork. We will experiment with watercolour techniques and begin to understand atmospheric perspective and use this in a piece of art. Furthermore, our year 6 artists will explore abstract landscape art and utilise collage techniques. The unit will culminate in a piece of landscape art with World War 2 as a focus. 

Both Miss Kennedy and Mr Dobb are looking forward to our DT topics. In the Autumn term, our children will become chefs in our own version of 'Come Dine With Me'! They will be creating a three-ingredient, three-course meal! Delicious!

Science

In our exploration of the Classification of Living Things, we will delve into how living organisms are grouped into broad categories based on observable traits, focusing on micro-organisms, plants, and animals. This classification is essential as it helps us understand the similarities and differences that exist in the natural world, making it easier to study and explain the diversity of life.

We'll also touch on Evolution and Inheritance, where we discover how living things have changed over time. Fossils are key here, providing clues about ancient life forms. It’s fascinating to learn how offspring are usually similar but not identical to their parents, showcasing the variation that leads to evolution. Moreover, we’ll identify adaptations that help plants and animals thrive in their environments, showing how these changes can ultimately influence a species' evolution. Through these lessons, we’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the richness of life on Earth.

RSHE - Relationships, Sex and Health Education

As part of our 'No Outsiders' work, we will find out more about immigration and link this to our understanding of empathy. This will also allow us to consider the importance of freedom of speech and pupil voice. As part of our E-Safety, we will learn more about respecting online boundaries and how to be part of positive online relationships. Additionally, we will investigate ecominc well-being with a focus on gambling.

DAaRT

Our Year 6 pupils take part in the DAaRT (Drug Abuse Resistance Training) programme, which helps them develop the skills and confidence to make safe and responsible choices as they move on to secondary school. Through fun, interactive lessons led by trained officers, children learn about the risks of drugs, alcohol and anti-social behaviour, as well as the importance of respect, responsibility and making positive decisions. The programme also supports teamwork, communication and building resilience for the future.