Year Six Curriculum NewsletterAutumn 2024
Joy Excellence Service
"Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them."
Psalm 126:5-6
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
In our first term of Year 6 at Our Lady of the Rosary, pupils will learn about our class saint ‘St Maximilian Kolbe’ and explore what it means to be a part of our community. We are invited to attend a retreat led by Fr Phillip to enhance our relationship with God. Our topics delve into themes of unconditional love, vocation and commitment. We will use a variety of sources and scripture to seek out and examine the word of God. During Advent, we reflect messages to our lives.
RSHE
We prepare our pupils for their final year of primary school by providing a platform from which we can discuss themes of friendship, self-esteem and ways we can regulate our emotions. We will use story sessions guided by reflections on ‘Calming the storm’ to drive our conversations and explore the power of ‘yet’ through discussion around 'growth mindset’.
ENGLISH
Pupils will continue to enjoy a variety of texts and authors. Our focus text is ‘Letters From The Lighthouse’ by Emma Carroll. We will compose writing linked to our key text including a descriptive piece of writing, an explanation, poetry and writing a narrative whilst applying key spelling, punctuation and grammar skills. We will develop our editing skills and work on producing effective writing for a range of audiences. As a whole class, pupils will read a range of extracts and literature relating to our topics. We will continue to analyse texts with a particular focus on skills pertaining to word meaning, retrieval, summary, interference and prediction.
MATHS
Our maths learning will consist of arithmetic, key skills and problem solving sessions. We will cover a wide range of topics in the Autumn term whilst revisiting and reviewing prior learning. These topics include numbers to 10,000,000, decimals, rounding, multiplication, division, column addition and subtraction, long formal methods, ‘Bodmas’, fractions, decimals and percentages.
SCIENCE
During the first half of the Autumn term, we will explore the topic of ‘Animals including Humans.’ We will learn about how the heart pumps the blood around the body, the function of blood and the impact of diet and exercise on our bodies.
In the second half of the Autumn term, we learn about ‘Light.’ We will investigate how light travels, how light can change direction and how it is possible for us to see. We will use a variety of scientific skills including questioning, observing and recording.
HISTORY
We will delve into the history of WW2 including gaining an understanding of the reasons for WW2, key figures of WW2, the experiences of children who were evacuated during WW2 and how people protected themselves during the Blitz. We will explore the use of sources and place some key events in chronological order. Through this topic we will gain a deeper understanding of different methods of historical enquiry.
ART/DT
In Art, we will learn how to communicate movement in sculpture, manipulate wire to create images of figures and solve problems as they occur. We will study the work of Giacommetti and Calder. We will use these artists to inspire our sculptures. In Design and Technology, our topic is ‘Frame Structures’. Through this unit of work, we will develop, model, and communicate ideas through discussion on how to create an Anderson shelter. We will use annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams and finally create our model. We will apply our knowledge of materials in order to understand how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce 3D frameworks.
MUSIC
Our first topic ‘Happy’ is focused around the popular song by Pharrell Williams. We will listen and appraise a variety of music about happiness and learn about key elements to singing such as lead vocal, backing vocals, chorus and verse. Our second topic is ‘Classroom Jazz’ and this works towards composing our own tunes through improvisation.
MFL
In Spanish this term, we will be learning where Spain is located on a map and discovering what countries speak Spanish. We will be practising asking and answering questions. We will also be learning the vocabulary relating to different sports such as swimming, hockey, tennis and football. Throughout the term we will be practising our pronunciation and developing our conversational skills.
P.E.
In our indoor dance unit we will focus on the skills of artistry, partnering, circles and shapes. We will then move onto develop and apply dynamic balances on a line and practise our counter balances with a partner through focused skill development, games, sports and healthy competition. Throughout the Autumn term, we will work on the skills needed for outdoor athletics and outdoor and adventurous activities alongside orienteering.
COMPUTING
In Autumn, pupils will use the scratch programme to create a guitar hero game. ln the second half of the Autumn term, we will work as teams to script, film and record a podcast on a social topic that the children feel passionate about. Throughout the Autumn term, we will review online safety with the children in order to make sure that their online safety knowledge is up to date.
