Welcome to Year Six

Children will sit their KS2 SATs in May. They will sit the following tests:

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling
• Spelling
• Reading
• Arithmetic
• Maths reasoning x2

There is no test for writing in Year 6. Instead, this is teacher assessed.

We carefully plan and deliver our Year 6 curriculum to ensure the children are prepared for their KS2 SATs in May. Throughout the year, we continuously recap learning from previous year groups whilst also teaching new skills to cover Year 6 objectives. During lessons, we teach the children techniques to assist them in their tests. The children sit a set of past SATs papers each half to give them the opportunity to put these skills into use and so that they can familiarise themselves with format and content of each test. In spring term, we introduce revision rotation sessions to help with fluency and stamina. For the last set of tests that the children sit, we run it as a mock SATs week so that the children can experience exactly what it is like on the week. From the second half-term in autumn term, we distribute CGP workbooks to the children as their homework tasks. These act as good revision tools.

Results from KS2 SATs will be sent home with end of year reports. More information about how SATs work and what results are distributed to parents are discussed during our SATs information evening.

Homework is set on a Wednesday across the school.

The best way to assist your child at home is to help set up routines that ensure your child has increasing responsibility for getting their school things ready, completing their homework and daily reading. Daily reading is fundamental to children’s progress so any support with this would be fantastic. This could be a mix of the child reading to you and you reading to them too. Times tables are also key in a child’s success to maths in Year 5 and 6; without this vital knowledge they will struggle with the everyday basics. Any support you can provide with helping your child to ensure they have high quality weekly homework (including their Maths Flex) would be highly beneficial as well. Checking over your child’s homework and discussing the number of marks they achieved helps them to identify where they may have made any mistakes and what areas they should focus on in the future. For any other top tips, please watch our ‘Year 6 Curriculum Evening’ video below.

If you would like to assist your child with any additional tasks, ideas can be found in our SATs information booklet found below.

For some top tips of what your child should be reading in Year 6, please see our useful documents and links (below) for a recommended reading list for Years 5 and 6 or have a look at the reading section of our website. Research shows daily reading as one of the highest contributors to high achievement in children. Therefore, children should be reading daily all through their school life; we encourage children to log this in their reading journals which we will check at least once a week. Once your child has read five times, they will receive a ‘High 5’ pom pom to put into their class jar. Once the jar is full, the class will celebrate by choosing an activity from the reading raffle!

Each day, your child should come equipped with their reading journal (signed daily), their reading book, a named water bottle, a named snack box with a fruit or vegetable snack for playtime, a named lunchbox (or know that they are having a hot school dinner), their homework book, a named, waterproof coat and a named sunhat and sun cream in the summer.

In Year 6 we have PE on Wednesday and Thursday. Children should attend school in full PE kit, including navy jogging bottoms and our branded Avonwood navy hoodie.

In Years 5 and 6 we permit children to walk to and from school independently with prior parent and school consent. To request this, please complete the form (which can be found from the office) and pass this back to the front office once completed. Please await written confirmation this may go ahead before commencing this.

The deadline for applications for secondary schools is the end of October in the year that your child enters Year 6. You will receive your child’s placement in the March of Year 6. Children will then be invited to attend their new secondary school in early July for a transition day.

We do encourage you to take your children with you on your school visits and tours due it being such an important part of their life. Often these only last for half an hour so children usually only miss an hour (or less) of their school day, but this often sets them up with a positive view of starting secondary school.

We do not do anything specific to assist with 11+ practice at school. All preparation for this should be done at home, however, teachers are happy to discuss which areas of learning your child may benefit from focusing on.

In Year 6, we have several exciting activities to enjoy. Since we have our end of year residential after SATs, our aim is to keep the cost down as much as possible throughout the rest of the year. However, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have a number of events to look forward to!

In Autumn Term, we begin to explore World War II through reading Letters From the Lighthouse. To immerse children in the story, we launch the book with a World War II day where we explore a range of information, performing the Lindyhop, cooking with rations and having an immersive ‘blackout’ session. In Spring Term, we have a visitor in to assist us in a heart dissection to link to our science learning (the circulatory system). One of the other highlights of our Summer Term is, of course, we have our exciting end of year residential which takes place after SATs (alternative fun activities are provided for any children not accompanying us). Alongside this, we have our other end of year activities which include a range of visitors leading different workshops which aim to teach new skills and team building exercises.

Throughout the year we also plan in additional visits to support our curriculum objectives. These range from visits from authors, artists, scientists, careers workshops, musical performances and much more!

Yes. If you would like your child to complete their Bikeability Levels 1 and 2, an opportunity to apply for this will be offered in Year 6.