Year 6 Summer 2

In English this term, we will continue our study of Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick.  This narrative fiction book is set in an all too believable near future when many parts of England are submerged in water and people drift into gangs, divided due to the scarcity of resources.  Our children will engage in discussion about the text and will plan and write a sequel to the story.

Following on from this, we will provide the children with visual prompts and  opportunities to develop their descriptive writing.  We will also be concentrating on editing and revising to ensure accuracy of grammar and punctuation in writing.

Towards the end of the term, as part of our Mexico topic, we have looked at the 'Day of the Dead' festival. We will use a short film about a young girl's experiences during this festival as a starting point for our English writing.  Our pupils will use descriptive language and higher-level punctuation to bring her experiences to life.

In Maths, pupils will continue to develop their understanding of statistics. This will involve solving problems involving the calculation of percentages, interpreting and construction pie charts as well as calculating the mean. They will then learn about Geometry this unit looks at the properties of shapes, position and direction. Finally, the pupils will be applying their learning from this year to solve a range of problems. 

In Science, children will be given the opportunity to revisit all areas of science they have learnt before moving on to secondary school. They will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning in these areas so that they go forward feeling confident in all aspects of science. This unit also encourages children to celebrate what they have learnt and to identify their stand out moments and successes. 

For working scientifically, the children will be reporting on their findings from enquiries across the year, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of, and degree of trust in results. They will present their findings in a variety of ways including oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.

In DT, Year 6 pupils will be studying food based on the Maya and Mexico. This project teaches children about processed food and healthy food choices. They will then make ‘Spiced Mayan Pineapple Cubes’ as well as ‘Mexican Fiesta Rice’ and learn about the benefits of whole foods. They plan meals as part of a healthy daily menu, and evaluate their completed meals. As part of the unit, the pupils will have the opportunity to participate in preparing and tasting food sessions next term.

In History, Year 6 will continue studying Mexico through our unit ‘Hola Mexico’. During this term, the children will be learning about the ancient Maya civilisation and their culture, beliefs and curious rituals. They will be exploring the ancient Maya way of life and developing their understanding of the way this historical period was ruled, as well as some of the significant achievements they accomplished. The children will be given the opportunity to use a range of different historical sources in order to recognise why the ancient Maya were one of the most sophisticated ancient civilisations in the world. 

In PSHE, pupils will study the unit 'Changing Me’. We will discuss self-esteem and body image and talk about why these are important to mental health. The children will then move on to find out about the physical changes that they will be going through as they grow older. This will include a session with Coram Life Education covering puberty and reproduction.  We will also discuss emotional changes that the children may experience, and discuss how they can deal with these, especially during the transition to secondary school.  

In Computing, pupils will be exploring what AI is and how it generates texts, images and code, as well as considering the ethical implications of AI and its potential to replace human roles.

In RE, Year 6 will continue with the topic ‘Prejudice and Tolerance’, linked to our study of the Second World War and following up on our trip to Beth Shalom. The children will continue to explore ethical questions that are presented by prejudice against different groups of people in society and discuss how different religious groups respond to these.

In PE this term, the children will learn about Athletics in their lessons. They will develop their running, jumping and throwing techniques across a variety of track and field events over the term. They will also learn how tactics are used within athletic events.

In their second PE lesson, the children will focus on Tennis.  They will learn how to serve and how to use a forehand and backhand shot. They will develop their ability to adjust their technique after a shot to improve. The children will also continue to develop their skills in Athletics.

In French, our pupils will continue to study the topic ‘Planning a French Holiday’. The children will learn to use a combination of present and near-future tenses, and become familiar with holiday-related vocabulary.