Week Commencing: 13.03.23

We had a nice relaxing start to the week in Class 6 thanks to our yoga session. We looked at different coping methods for keeping yourself calm under pressure - vital with the Y6 SATs coming up! In maths, we have moved onto finding the area and perimeter of compound shapes, along with using the correct formula for finding the area of a right-angled triangle. In English, we have finished, edited and improved our independent writing with a moral. The stories look fantastic!

Week Commencing: 06.03.23

Class 6 have started writing our own version of “The Great Kapok Tree”. Rather than deforestation, the focus of our story will be water pollution, and the dramatic impact it has on our environment. In maths, we have been looking at converting between fractions, decimals and percentages, along with dividing a decimal number to ensure there is no remainder. 

Week Commencing: 27.02.23

It's been another busy week in Class 6. In English, we have looked more closely at our class novel, picking out vocabulary, making predictions and summaries. Next, we will begin writing our own version of “The Great Kapok Tree”, before starting our independent write. In maths, we have started our next unit on fractions, decimals and percentages, looking at mentally converting between the three. The class have also all now completed their Level 1 and Level 2 Bikeability - the instructors were unbelievably impressed with the class’s commitment, behaviour and attitude to learning! 

Week Commencing: 20.02.23

It's the first week back after half term and we are right back into the action in Class 6. In maths, we have looked at finding a quarter of a number, dividing a number by 4, finding 25% of a number, and multiplying a number by 0.25 - they are all the same! In English, we have started our new unit, 'Stories with issues and dilemmas', reading “The Great Kapok Tree” as a link to our geography topic on Rainforests. We have made predictions, inferences and an in-depth study into key vocabulary - it's very interesting. 

Week Commencing: 06.02.23

We have moved onto algebra in Class 6 Maths, and discovered it is not as complicated as it first looked! We learned how a letter is exactly the same as an empty box, or a question mark - it simply represents a value which we do not know. Next half term, we are moving onto using those letters in formulae. In English, we have now finished our own story with a flashback, with some ingenious scenes used. We also started our new R.E. topic this week, with a focus on unity between all of God's people, something which is very important in our world right now. 

Week Commencing: 30.01.23

Class 6 have started our independent writing in English this week, and some of the ideas discussed have been fantastic! The class have used ideas from our modelled write, alongside discussion and imagination, to create an independent and unique story with a flashback. In maths, we have finished our topic on ratio and proportion, and it was interesting to see the clear links between ratio, proportion and fractions. 

Week Commencing: 23.01.23

This week seems to have flown by in Class 6! We have been converting between units of measurements in maths, looking at kilometres to miles, kilograms to tonnes, millilitres to litres and many more! In English, we have started the modelled write of our “Flashback Stories”, looking at adding a flashback at an opportune moment, and ensuring that it is literally only a 'quick flash.' In R.E., we have been looking at the 66 books in the Bible, ranging from 'Genesis', all the way to 'Revelation' - we then had to decide on our favourite story, and how it positively impacted how we live our lives. 

Week Commencing: 16.01.23

This week has been another busy week in  Cl 6! In Maths, we have been using our previous knowledge of finding a fraction of an amount, alongside our knowledge of short division, to find a fraction of a larger number. We have also been looking at how to divide a fraction by an integer, and another fraction. In English, we have continued using our story “Holes”, writing a conversation paragraph between some of the main characters.  

Week Commencing: 09.01.23

Year 6 have hit the ground running after Christmas, diving into our new English book “Holes”. During our reading phase, we have already identified key vocabulary, made predictions about the book and inferred a character’s thoughts and feelings through a diary entry! In maths, we have moved onto multiplying and dividing fractions and integers—a skill which, once you understand it, becomes simple to apply in other areas of maths. Our new R.E. topic is “Sources”, looking at different sections of the Bible and the viewpoints from which the stories were told.

Week Commencing: 05.12.22

Assessments have been in full flow in Class 6. Despite being so close to Christmas, the children have worked unbelievably hard to get the best scores possible. We have gone above and beyond Year 6 expectations in our science lessons this week, with the class identifying and learning the purpose of the four different chambers of the heart. In R.E. we have been showing an in-depth understanding of how Mary would have felt, having found out she was going to give birth to the Son of God …. Proud? Excited? Maybe even completely terrified!

Week Commencing: 28.11.22

Firstly, a big thank you to the Year 6  children and parents for coming to our class Collective Worship on Tuesday. It was fantastic for us to gather together, and some of the Go Forth responses were fabulous. In maths this week, we have been adding fractions with different denominators, using our understanding of lowest common multiples to find a common denominator. In English, we have finished our modelled writing based on Kensuke's Kingdom, and are now ready to start planning, drafting and writing our final piece. In P.E., the class have been creating their own playground games, with a focus on invasion. I have seen some fantastic combinations of rugby, dodgeball, netball and football, and I can't wait to see them in action over the next couple of weeks.

During the Hoghton Tower trip, Mr Astle was amazed to learn that the loin of beef became known as a “sirloin” steak after it was knighted by King James I. Pupils also learnt that pineapples were so rare that people used to rent them to use at their feasts; as they were such a rare delicacy, there were many sculptures of pineapples at the tower.

Week Commencing: 21.11.22

Class 6 have moved onto fractions this week in maths, looking at plotting fractions at different points on a number line. Despite this being the first time we have tackled fractions in Yr 6, the class took to it perfectly! In English, we have begun writing setting and character descriptions based on “Kensuke's Kingdom”, using embedded phrases and relative clauses. Our geography topic has started heating up, with some very passionate discussion happening about greenhouse gases, and the damage we are causing to our ozone layer.

Week Commencing: 14.11.22

Class 6 are looking at embedding an adverbial phrase in English. Using ‘Kensuke's Kingdom’, we have begun to retell certain parts of the story in our own way. In maths, we have moved on to the order of operations, using BIDMAS to ensure we are working out equations in the correct order. In science, we have made blood! Using plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, pupils were able to explain what blood is, where most of it comes from, and how it positively impacts our bodies. PC Rob visited class to talk about the transition to high school and how, now the class are turning 11, they are criminally responsible for their own actions.

Week Commencing: 07.11.22

This week, Class 6 have moved onto 'Chunking Division' and I genuinely can't believe how quickly Y6's confidence has grown! We have moved from dividing a 4-digit number by 1-digit, to dividing a 5-digit number by 2-digits, and Y6 have taken the transition completely in their stride. In English, we are on our reading stage, looking deeply into the first few chapters of our new book 'Kensuke's Kingdom'. We have identified key words and phrases, used a dictionary to look them up, before finally using them in a sentence. 

Week Commencing: 01.11.22

It's been a rapid start to the final half term of the year for Class 6. We have finished off our non-chronological report on The Highwayman, and we are now raring to go on our next topic - Mystery Stories. In maths, we have moved onto the final operation - division - and we have started by recapping short division, before moving on to longer division, and even dividing decimals! We are starting our new geography topic on Climate Change, a topic we are already very passionate about, and we will be looking at our ozone layer, melting ice caps and deforestation. 

Week Commencing: 17.10.22

In Class 6 this week, lots of important decisions have been made. Firstly, a huge congratulations to Alice and Max on their appointment of Head Girl and Head Boy! I have been told that choosing them was almost impossible, due to the quality of all the children's presentations. They must have put a huge amount of effort in, to rise even higher than the rest. Y6 also did St. Joseph's proud with our recent Open Day. They showed parents around the school and showed so much confidence when talking about our school, our staff and, most importantly, our pupils. Well done to everyone!

Week Commencing: 10.10.22

No matter how great you are at Maths, multiplying a 4-digit and 2-digit number together is really hard! That has been the focus in Class 6 this week and pupils have tackled it full on, moving onto reasoning problems and problem solving too. In English, we have started our new unit of non-chronological reports. We are going to use our previous knowledge of “The Highwayman” to write a report detailing: Bess, Tim and The Highwayman himself.  In PSHE, we are coming to the end of our topic on trust and relationships. To celebrate this, the class went outside and demonstrated putting their trust in others.

Week Commencing: 03.10.22

Applying skills from Year 5, Class 6 has started working on column multiplication in maths, multiplying 4-digit and 2-digit numbers. It is very tricky - with so many steps where mistakes can be made - but we stayed resilient and have got off to a flying start. In English, we are now editing and improving our poem stanzas, using higher quality vocabulary, and reading aloud to find mistakes.

Week Commencing: 26.09.22

Cl 6 have finished The Highwayman! And what a fantastic, and thoroughly unexpected, ending. It's now time for us to use our independent writing skills, thinking of an alternative ending for the poem. Yr 6 will have to follow the same style as Alfred Noyes, writing an ending which now includes Tim. In Maths, we have moved onto the 4 operations, and we are using our times tables knowledge to find common factors and multiples of 2, 3 and sometimes, 4 numbers! In science, we have started to explore circuits.

Week Commencing: 19.09.22

Cl 6 have learnt a new skill in English this week - using a hyphen to 'interrupt' a main clause to add dramatic effect. Not only did Yr 6 work extremely hard during the lesson, but it was amazing to see the same skill being applied into R.E., and our retelling of the Prodigal Son story, later in the week. In maths, we have been looking at using negative numbers and negative fractions - a tricky subject, but one we are definitely improving on!

Week Commencing 12.09.22

As always, the second week back has been another busy week in Year 6. We are continuing looking at numbers up to 10,000,000 in maths, now rounding them to the nearest power of 10. In English, we have begun writing our own version of "The Highwayman", taking it stanza by stanza and making sure we follow the flow of the poem. We have started our science topic on 'Electricity' and have looked at whether a bulb will light or not, based on simple circuit diagrams.

Week Commencing: 05.09.22

As we all know, Year 6 is a huge year in primary school. With the prospect of SATs looming, it is important that the class hit the ground running. In just the first week, Cl 6 have looked at numbers up to 10,000,000 in maths, alongside using semi-colons in their English. In R.E., we have looked at our school Mission Statement, linking it to the life of Jesus.