English

In the first three weeks of this term Y6 will be concentrating on the preparation and presentation of their talk, poetry reading, prose reading and listening skills for their English Speaking Board Examinations. Revision of grammar and spelling strategies and rules will be ongoing throughout the term, with more emphasis prior to assessment tests before half term. Consolidation of learning will also involve the children in cross curricular work, having a go at grammar and comprehension activities from English lessons in the 1950s! After half term, much of the follow up work from the French trip will revisit forms of writing including, diaries, recounts and explanation. The children will be looking at persuasive language in holiday brochures and formal language in letters of complaint. We will be spending two weeks studying Shakespeare's ‘Romeo and Juliet', comparing and evaluating the play in print and in film and articulating our own personal responses to the play. As a class we will be reading ‘Escape from Everytown' by Terrance Dicks and producing written work in response to the story.

Mathematics

This term, Year 6 will be using and applying their maths to solve problems in different contexts. Calculator work will include the use of the memory buttons to carry out calculations with more than one step. They will consolidate and extend mental methods of calculation to include decimals, fractions and percentages. The children will construct, interpret and compare graphs and diagrams that represent data, for example comparing temperature and rainfall statistics for different localities. They will write a report of a statistical enquiry and illustrate with appropriate diagrams, graphs and charts, using ICT as appropriate. Cross curricular work will not only include a comparison of data for different localities but also a taste of what maths lessons were like in the 1950s.

Science

In the first half to term children will learn about micro-organisms which feed, grow and reproduce and which may be harmful or beneficial. Experimental and investigative work will focus on making observations, drawing conclusions and suggesting explanations for conclusions, using scientific knowledge and understanding. Children will be looking at the contribution of Jenner and Pasteur and will be given the opportunity to use scientific ideas to explain some causes of illness and decay, to relate micro-organisms to food production and relate science to their personal health and well-being. In the second half of term, the children will extend their knowledge of the way in which plants and animals in different habitats depend upon each other and are suited to their environment. They will relate feeding relationships to knowledge of plant nutrition. Experimental and investigative work will focus on making careful observations and measurements and using results to draw conclusions using scientific knowledge and understanding. Children will have the opportunity to study local habitats, plant interdependence, food chains and the environment.

History

Continuing our main topic of ‘Britain since the 1930s', the children will look at aspects of life in the 1950s and 1960s. We have taken advantage of the loans collection from Farnham Museum and will be handling objects and learning what it was like to live during these decades.

Geography

In geography, they will be looking at case studies of environmental change in various parts of the country for example, the building of wind farms as a source of renewable energy. In June, we will be setting off across the English Channel to France for our annual residential visit. Many of our lessons will involve preparation for this so that the children appreciate the historical, geographical and cultural aspects of the area. Follow up work will be in the form of a written and illustrated project.

Religious Education

The first topic we study is ‘Energy'. The children explore the transforming power of wind and fire which links to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Following this, in the second topic ‘Freedom and Responsibility', they learn about the commandments which enable Christians to be free and responsible. A week is then spent studying Hinduism before moving on to the final topic of ‘Special Places'. In this topic, the children learn about places which Christians from all over the world regard as special.

French

The focus will be our trip to Château du Broutel, France. We will continue with our preparation, looking at where will be staying and visiting in relation to the whole of France. The children will produce a phrase book to help them and we will be doing some calculations involving the Euro. Follow up work on our trip will provide a focus to our work on our return.

ICT

Initially Year 6 will continue their work on larger databases where the answers to questions cannot be found by simply looking through the data but require a pupil to search or sort using a variety of criteria. Initially, they will use Excel as a database package. They will then switch to answering questions from a web-based system and preparing a summary of their answers in Word. We then switch to programming using the Logo language. Revision of last year's work will be followed by using variables and procedures to draw more complex shapes. Recursion, in which one of the steps of the procedure involves rerunning the entire same procedure again, will also be covered.

Personal, Social, Health and Moral Education

This term, as the children move on to the next stage in their education, the emphasis is on preparing them for moving into adolescence and learning about issues of a more adult nature. The first three weeks concentrates on personal relationships education before the children find out more about the dangers of smoking and drugs. PC Beck will visit, to help the children understand the facts and dangers of using drugs.

Music

Work will continue on our project of music around the world and the children will perform in an assembly their pieces Arriba and Boosey Blues in which they have learnt to improvise. Later in the term there may be the opportunity to visit and play the gamelan. New songs will include Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Junkanoo and Soualle, to which the children will add chords and accompany on keyboards and tuned percussion before recording and assessing in class. Further songs will be learnt including some from the musical Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Art and Design

Children are continuing with their main unit of work ‘3D Design looking at Construction techniques and teapots'. In this unit, children have looked at sculptural form based on teapots and have worked with junk materials and a preliminary basis for understanding shape and form in three dimensions. They have experimented with a range of media exploring shape and form using papier-mâché as a final medium to enable a finished piece. They will decorate their teapots looking at the inspiration of Art Deco and the work of Clarice Cliff in particular creating their own design in oil pastels and transferring this to their teapots using acrylic paints. Work in the second half of term will link to our French trip and will focus on the French Impressionists and in particular the work of Degas. Children will be given the opportunity to explore his work and create their own compositions using various mediums.

Drama

Year 6 will be working together to produce a number of short plays in order to develop their ability to use expression and voice control to enliven performance. They will be improvising situations in order to challenge their understanding of drama and explore different ways of working as a team. We will use different cross-curricular topics as a basis, such World War II and Post-war England.

Physical Education

In this summer term the Year 6 girls will work on their throwing, catching and aiming skills as well as their striking, fielding and bowling techniques in rounders. They will play games to improve on certain tactics and teamwork in game situations.

Boys will develop their cricket skills in various fielding and batting techniques, with particular emphasis on when to play shots and when to defend. In athletics, there will be an initial review of running styles with self analysis concentrating on body and arms, stride pattern and the rhythm of running. Close attention will be given to the start and the finish. In the field events, long jump and high jump techniques will be developed and children will be introduced to the shot putt.

It is emphasised that the above is offered as a guide only, and the school retains the flexibility to adapt its schemes of work to the needs of the individual or the class.