STEAM

This term, our STEAM focus is Mathematics. We will also be working as scientists and technologists. We will be answering the question ‘Can I create, carry out an experiment and present my data in a variety of ways?’ 

The outcomes for the journey will include designing, making and evaluating a machine to collect litter.

Through this term’s STEAM project, we will be covering the disciplines of maths, science and technology. Throughout the learning journey we will:

• Investigating the effectiveness of different methods of litter picking
• Experimenting with a range of circuits
• Creating a design brief for a functional product
• Creating a protype
• Exploring techniques for decorating a product
• Designing, testing and evaluating a final product

Mathematics

We will begin this term by looking at the relationships between values in problems. This will involve thinking about:

• The terms additive and multiplicative which are used to describe the relationship between numbers
• Solving problems in different contexts
• Developing a range of strategies to calculate the whole
• Finding unknown values

After this, we will be learning about equivalents and how to adjust our calculations. This will involve thinking about:

• How we can adjust values and the effect this has on our result
• Using our knowledge to solve problems

Writing

We will begin this term by writing speeches to apply for the various roles that the Year 6 children might like to take on. We will learn to:

• Use persuasive language to convince our audience
• Use paragraphs to show a change in topic
• Use semi-formal language
• Use adverbials for cohesion

We will then move on to writing a newspaper article based on the text ‘The Island’ by Armin Greder. We will learn to:

• Develop cohesion within and between paragraphs
• Identify and write multi-clause sentences
• Use the active and passive voice
• Explain and use the perfect tense
• Understand the difference between direct and reported speech
• Edit and improve our writing

Reading

We will be reading the texts ‘The Island’ by Armin Greder and ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens. Through these texts, we will be developing our retrieval and inference skills, identifying themes within and across texts and developing our own personal reflections.

Computing

This term in Computing, we will be learning about the World Wide Web as a communication tool. The children will learn how to find information on the World Wide Web through learning how search engines work (including how they select and rank results) and what influences searching through comparing different search engines. They will then investigate different methods of communication, before focussing on internet-based communication. Finally, they will evaluate which methods of internet communication to use for particular purposes.

HRE (Health and Relationships)

In HRE, we will be looking at our Health and Wellbeing. Children will learn to:

• Recognise the benefits to health and wellbeing of eating a balanced diet and learn to make informed decisions about habits that affect their health
• Understand routines that support good quality sleep
• Recognise how to keep safe from sun damage
• Understand how to use medications safely and responsibly
• Create strategies that support mental health
• Develop strategies to respond to a range of emotions, including intense or conflicting feelings
• Think about loss and how this can affect feelings. They will consider how to manage these emotions in a healthy way

Music

This term, the children will focus on the song ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. They will be exposed to several different styles of music during the ‘Listen and Appraise’ part of the lesson and will learn to express their feelings about a piece of music using the appropriate musical terminology. Throughout the unit, the children will continue to learn about dynamics, rhythm and pitch through a range of games and activities. By the end of the unit, the children will perform their own class version of the song.

PE

In our outdoor PE sessions, we will be developing our tag rugby skills. Children will learn to throw and catch the rugby ball and think about the ‘offside rule’ and how this impacts on the way they can move on the pitch. They will also develop their ability to attack and defend, working consistently as a whole team.

For their indoor PE session, the children will be looking at circuit training. This will link in with our HRE topic - keeping healthy. The children will learn about the different parts of the body and how to develop strength and stamina when exercising. They will consider how to create effective warm up, work out and cool down routines that help to build up strength and aerobic fitness.  

MFL – French

This term, we will learn vocabulary and sentences related to where we live. The children will learn to:

• Name major cities in France
• Describe places in a town
• Count to 100
• Give their address in French
• Use a bilingual dictionary to translate from French to English and vice versa

RE

Across the school this term, we will be exploring the big question ‘Do you shape your own destiny?’ in our RE assemblies.

In our RE lessons in class, we will learn to:

• Explain the process of the first Holy Communion and Confirmation
• Explain why the First Holy Communion and Confirmation are important to Catholic Christians
• Explain the processes of Believer’s Baptism