Cale Green Primary School
Year 6- Theme 1- WAR!
The start of Year 6 for this group of children is an exciting time in school. The pupils will go on an exciting journey over the year preparing them for growing up, taking on responsibilities, building resilience and organisational skills whilst developing self-esteem and independence.
English
English for this theme will be based on the English Civil War, Firstand Second World Wars. We begin our studies by recreating courtroom scenes where charges are brought against King Charles I by studying playscripts and move onto writing a biography of Walter Tull. We will be reading the classic ‘War Horse’ by Michael Morpurgo and are hoping to look at the powerful story ‘Private Peaceful’, as well as some war time poetry. This will end with the children writing their own thought provoking poems to lay at the cenotaph at St George’s Church in November.
Maths
Maths for this theme will be focusing on the basics: four rules of number and place value. All children should know their times tables rapidly up to 12x12 so this will be a priority throughout the first theme. We will continue to focus on the challenges that the new National Curriculum places on Year 6 and prepare them for their Maths arithmetic and reasoning papers next May.
Linking with the theme we will be investigating the24 hour clock and its use during war time and imperial measurements when making cakes!
Cross Curricular Links
Children in Year 6 will investigate their ownexploratory questions linked to war. Examples include: What is a civil war? Would I have been a cavalier or a roundhead? How and why has the role of women changed during and wartime? Why did talk cost lives? Why did men want to go to war?What was trench foot and how was it caused?Should soldiers get told off for killing people?Why do we have wars?
During Design and Technology week we will ‘makedo and mend’using our textile skills to create our own sock puppets. We will also be developing pencil mark-making techniques and exploring war art.
As ever, we will continue to have Mrs Nelson coming into school on Wednesdays to teach the children guitar and we say ‘Bonjour!’ to Mrs Pijoan who will be delivering a weekly French lesson on a Thursday. In addition Mrs Pijoan will be supporting groups of children across Year 6 throughout the year to ensure all children make the best possible progress they can in preparation for their transition from primary to ‘secondary ready’ students.
Special Class Events
Monday
Monday, 9th October Challenge4Change Class Trip
Physical Education
Year 6 will be working alongside a PE specialist, Mrs Callaghan, to develop their gymnastic and fitness skills during the first theme. Please can full PE kit be in school everyday. Girls will need a bobble to tie back long hair.
Homework
Homework is handed out on a Monday to be handed back in on a Friday. This will include spellings, grammar and maths. They will often have online ‘My Maths’ where the children should aim to get over 90%. In addition Year 6 will have guitar homework on a weekly basis. Please remind your children that the library is open every lunchtime for homework support with Mrs Beecham. Children often find visiting even just once a week can help free up time in the evenings for other activities.
Reading
Please encourage your child to read a little of their reading book each school evening. If they can read to a grown up as well, this would be an additional bonus. Reading diaries will be checked daily. The children will also have access to ‘Reading Bingo’ books in the classroom – a selection of recommended books for Year 6 children designed to broaden their reading experiences. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the year to any children who complete their ‘Reading Bingo Chart’.
Spellings
A reminder about the strategy for learning spellings- Look-Cover-Write-Check. Spelling tests will be on a Friday.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to find me on the playground before or after school.
Kind regards
Mrs Nicola Lewis
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