Year 6

The Final Year at Redhill

Undoubtably, your child’s last year at Primary School is the very best. It is a year full of exciting opportunities to build on prior knowledge, explore new concepts and consolidate their Love of Learning ANTLER in preparation for their next challenge-Secondary School.

Throughout Year 6, we continue to have a broad and balanced curriculum as we work towards the completion of the Key Stage Two Programme of Study which will include the Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). Our job is to prepare your child both academically and emotionally for these tests- they’re not as scary as people think!

Supporting your child

Year 6 is a very busy year and to help your child, we have put together a few resources which may benefit them from home.

Reading-MyOn

By the end of Year 6, your child should be reading 140 words a minute. To ensure this happens, we expect children to read independently at home every night for 30 minutes. This could be with their own book or through the online books on MyOn.

MyOn

Spelling

By the end of Year 6, children will be sitting their SATs which includes a Spelling paper. To support this, children will need to know how to spell the majority of the words on the statutory spelling lists from Year 3 to 6.

Spelling

Tackling Tables

By the end of Year 5, children should have a secure knowledge of the times tables in preparation for their end our year assessments. Knowing their tables will drastically improve their ability to recall facts and answer complicated word problems efficiently. In Year 6, we would recommend that your child uses Tackling Tables to practise this at least 3 times a week. If they are not secure, please speak to your teacher to seek support and advice.

Tackling Tables

History

One of the standout studies completed once the children reach Year 6, the Ancient Greece study teaches the children all about the period that is of such importance. Focusing around two areas of Ancient Greece, Sparta and Athens the children will be able to see for themselves how different the places were and what life was like at the time there. A study which fills the children with information and starts to link together all that they have learnt through history topic so far, it will show them the importance of the period and what influence it has had on our modern-day world.

A study which will draw together all the previous learning in a comparison between how life was different and similar in places outside of Europe in comparison to Britain at the time. This study focuses around the area of Baghdad and allows the children to learn about what life was like at the time, outside of Europe, both in terms of life and how they settled in their areas. They will be able to draw comparisons between the two and build a broader picture of History.

The children of Year 6 end their look through History with one of the most fascinating and exciting studies. Exploring crime and punishment throughout the ages the children will build a picture of what crime was like and how the punishments have changed. Lessons such as researching what medieval punishments were like and how smaller crimes had such severe punishments. Full of debate, key learning and general amazement this is the ideal final study for the children at Redhill.

Geography

The study of all studies starts Year 6 off and they will be exploring the fascinating area of South America, in particular the country of Brazil! A country full of culture, food and weather very different to ours, this study allows children to see how similar and different our two countries are. The children will work through looking at the features of Brazil, the climate and also compare the differences that are found within the country itself. Finally, they will explore the Amazon and all the wonders that can be found within it, including the indigenous people that live there. A truly fascinating study of a richly diverse country.

A study which will draw together all the previous learning in a comparison between how life was different and similar in places outside of Europe in comparison to Britain at the time. This study focuses around the area of Baghdad and allows the children to learn about what life was like at the time, outside of Europe, both in terms of life and how they settled in their areas. They will be able to draw comparisons between the two and build a broader picture of History.

The world is ever changing and we are exploring more the use of items that are sustainable. This study will delve into the world of sustainability. What does it mean and how are we moving towards a more sustainable future are just two of the questions explored within this half-term. The children of Year 6 will explore the importance of simple resources such as water and the importance of looking after it. They will also research the future and what it has to hold for them, both in terms of sustainable living and also the impact that they can have on this. As final studies go this could be one that helps them understand further the ever-changing world in which they live.

Science

Light appears to travel in straight lines, and we see objects when light from them goes into our eyes. The light may come directly from light sources, but for other objects some light must be reflected from the object into our eyes for the object to be seen. Objects that block light (are not fully transparent) will cause shadows. Because light travels in straight lines the shape of the shadow will be the same as the outline shape of the object.

Adding more cells to a complete circuit will make a bulb brighter, a motor spin faster or a buzzer make a louder sound. If you use a battery with a higher voltage, the same thing happens. Adding more bulbs to a circuit will make each bulb less bright. Using more motors or buzzers, each motor will spin more slowly and each buzzer will be quieter. Turning a switch off (open) breaks a circuit so the circuit is not complete and electricity cannot flow. Any bulbs, motors or buzzers will then turn off as well. You can use recognised circuit symbols to draw simple circuit diagrams.

All living things have offspring of the same kind, as features in the offspring are inherited from the parents. Due to sexual reproduction, the offspring are not identical to their parents and vary from each other. Plants and animals have characteristics that make them suited (adapted) to their environment. If the environment changes rapidly, some variations of a species may not suit the new environment and will die. If the environment changes slowly, animals and plants with variations that are best suited survive in greater numbers to reproduce and pass their characteristics on to their young. Over time, these inherited characteristics become more dominant within the population. Over a very long period of time, these characteristics may be so different to how they were originally that a new species is created. This is evolution. Fossils give us evidence of what lived on the Earth millions of year ago and provide evidence to support the theory of evolution. More recently, scientists such as Darwin and Wallace observed how living things adapt to different environments to become distinct varieties with their own characteristics.

Living things can be formally grouped according to characteristics. Plants and animals are two main groups but there are other livings things that do not fit into these groups e.g. micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast, and toadstools and mushrooms. Plants can make their own food whereas animals cannot. Animals can be divided into two main groups: those that have backbones (vertebrates); and those that do not (invertebrates). Vertebrates can be divided into five small groups: fish; amphibians; reptiles; birds; and mammals. Each group has common characteristics. Invertebrates can be divided into a number of groups, including insects, spiders, snails and worms. Plants can be divided broadly into two main groups: flowering plants; and non-flowering plants

The heart pumps blood in the blood vessels around to the lungs. Oxygen goes into the blood and carbon dioxide is removed. The blood goes back to the heart and is then pumped around the body. Nutrients, water and oxygen are transported in the blood to the muscles and other parts of the body where they are needed. As they are used, they produce carbon dioxide and other waste products. Carbon dioxide is carried by the blood back to the heart and then the cycle starts again as it is transported back to the lungs to be removed from the body. This is the human circulatory system. Diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle have an impact on the way our bodies function. They can affect how well our heart and lungs work, how likely we are to suffer from conditions such as diabetes, how clearly we think, and generally how fit and well we feel. Some conditions are caused by deficiencies in our diet e.g. lack of vitamins.

Physical Education

Spring term and summer term see our children exploring gymnastics. Again they learn about different movements with balancing and equipment involved. They explore how to accentuate movements and add more control to their balances and rolls. We add in rhythmic gymnastics in stages of the learning to again push the unknown in routines and allow the children to explore as many areas of gymnastics as they can.

As part of the autumn term the children take part in a bespoke leader’s course. The purpose of the course is to show them how they can develop their leadership skills. Learning about how to lead others, communicate their games and also then monitor and change their games the children work towards a final interview to become one of our sports leaders. A course which builds a range of skills but also allows the children to gain more confidence and responsibility on our playground.

Linked with our team games unit, the children play modified invasion games. They develop further their attacking and defending skills and look into the tactics of stopping the opposition and scoring themselves. A unit which challenges their teamwork skills, we focus on communication and listening skills, which allow their learnt sills such as throwing and catching to transfer from activity to activity. A vital unit as our children also put into place their own games and rules, taking more responsibility to run invasion games of their own.