Introduction to Year Six (Age 10-11)

In many ways this is the most important year in a child's primary education. It is in this year that the children begin to make the transition from working in a junior school style to the method of learning that is commonly employed in senior school. Expectations are high, both academically and socially. The aim is for the child to work to the best of his/her ability and to develop the social skills that include tolerance, good behaviour, respect and the understanding of the needs of others. All these also form a basis for lasting friendships.
As in most older-aged grouped classes throughout the school, the morning lessons are taken up largely with the more academic subjects, such as Mathematics, English, Topic and Languages. The school follows the English National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The afternoons offer more practical areas of the curriculum. Art and Design Technology, Physical Education, Music and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) feature regularly.
The teaching of Geography, History and some Science is integrated and is called Topic. This is common to most classes in the school. The major difference in Year 6 is that the children are expected to undertake small group or individual research on the topic currently under investigation, as well as class work. Some of this is at school but research assignments are also set in addition to the daily homework programme. Other subjects are taught formally such as some Science which is taught, for the most part, in our Science lab.
During the course of a week, children in Year 6 experience a variety of learning opportunities. At all times they are expected and encouraged to listen and observe with full attention and to formulate ideas and express themselves articulately. In any single week they may, for example, read out loud to the class, play act, take part in a debate, engage in a question and answer
session, work in a small group on a problem in Mathematics and so on. Children who have poor English skills or non-English speakers are catered for by specialist teachers. The general assessment of the children's work is carried out continuously by the teacher but there is testing that is carried out regularly; weekly - maths and spelling, and termly - at the end of projects. In addition, recognised reading and spelling tests to determine reading and spelling ages are employed during the course of the school year.
For the majority of the week the teacher of Year 6 teaches most of the subjects to the class in the Year 6 own classroom but there are specialist teachers for certain subjects which are taught in different areas of the school. These include: Music, Foreign Languages, Information Technology (computer studies), Physical Education and Art and Design. The use of computers is, where appropriate, fully integrated into the curriculum. All our computers are networked and connected to the Internet.
There is a regular daily homework requirement. This could involve up to two different subjects per evening lasting between 30 and 40 minutes for each subject. Homework plays an important part in the curriculum and should be treated accordingly. It is recommended that the children have a quiet place to complete their homework, free from unnecessary distractions and a set time to do it wherever possible. It is also important that homework should not become a "chore" and produce unnecessary stress for both child and parent! Once the allotted homework time has been reached
and an honest attempt made to do the homework then that task should be ended, even if not complete. Any difficulties experienced can be discussed with the class teacher the following day. Parents are encouraged to help their children with their
understanding of their homework tasks but not, of course, to do it for them!