Year 6: Owls and Ospreys
As well as enabling the children to take on a greater level of responsibility and independence as they continue to be excellent role models and ambassadors for Pelham, Year 6 cover a wide and varied range of topics. We are keen to ensure that we make the most of opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and understanding in a variety of fun and engaging ways. Throughout the year, we make a number cross-curricular links between different subjects, as well as special weeks in our school calendar.
Curriculum Overview
In Year 6, the curriculum is taught across three different topics:
- The Ancient Kingdom of Benin - how it was formed, how it ended, key information about the daily life for the people of Benin, and comparisons between this Ancient Kingdom and life in Britain in the same period
- Mountains - their formation, comparisons between different mountain ranges and the impact of tourism
- The Vikings - history, culture and the impact their invasion had on shaping modern Britain.
Click on the link below for a more detailed overview of the topics taught in each subject area, over the year.
Click on the link below to read about the Autumn Term, which was emailed to parents at the start of academic year.
Click on the link below to watch the Year 6 Welcome Presentation, made by the teachers at the beginning of the year.
Trips
In the final week of the first half of the Summer term, Year 6 have a four day residential trip to France. This is a trip where the children have many opportunities to practice their spoken French as they explore the heart of the Pas-de-Calais region in Northern France. Click here to view the presentation made to parents at the end of last year. Please note that, due to to unforeseen circumstances, our accommodation has now changed.
Enrichment
In Year 6, children participate in a number of extra-curricular activities and workshops, in addition to their trip to France, which are designed to develop the skills they need as they continue their educational journey and become independent young adults. This year, this will include:
- a workshop from TFL, where the children learn essential life skills about how to travel safely on public transport, how to keep themselves safe as they do so, and how to consider their behaviour whilst travelling independently.
- Bikeability training with qualified instructors so that they understand how to cycle safely on the road.
- Skills Builder trip - although this was conducted virtually last year due to the ongoing consequences of Covid-19, the children took part in an exciting and engaging project day, led by company associated with the Skills Builder Partnership. It allowed the children to apply the skills that we teach them in school and during our project days and weeks, but in a more realistic and focused environment.
- Year Books - every year, the children complete their Year Book page on computers, using the photos which have been taken of them over the many years that they have been at Pelham; our wonderful PTA kindly purchases a book for each child, so that their memories of Primary School will continue for many years to come!
- Last but not least, in the Summer term, Year 6 create and perform to parents, family and friends, the end of year production, from costumes, set design and choreography, to singing, dancing and acting. It is one of the highlights of the year and a great finale for the children's time at Pelham.
Responsibilities
Children in Year 6 have the chance to take on extra responsibilities to show their commitment to the school and wider community, including becoming a House Captain, and applying for and training to be a Peer Mediator, to support the younger children in the school during break times and lunch times.
Assessment - Summer 2022 KS2 SATs, week beginning 8th May 2022
In the Summer term, children take the Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). The children complete National Standard tests in: Reading; Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG); and Maths. Teachers also make their own assessments of each child's progress and, in the end of year report, both the SATs results and teacher assessments are sent to parents.
Whilst we practise these throughout the year, we do not believe in putting additional pressure or stress on the children and work to ensure that their time in Year 6 is not dominated by these tests.
Instead, during the week of the SATs, we invite the children to come into school early and join us for breakfast, which the children always look forward to and thoroughly enjoy!
Owing to the additional bank holiday this year, the SATs will take place from Tuesday 9th May 2023 to Friday 12th May 2023.
Transition to Secondary School
In October, Year 6 parents need to complete Merton Council's application form stating their preferred choice of Secondary School. The Borough will write to parents in the Spring term to inform them of the result of their application.
We recognise that the transition to Secondary School is a big, often scary milestone, for children and parents alike, so we work hard to support the children with this change throughout the Summer Term.
There are a number of opportunities for children to visit their Secondary School, and we often receive visits from schools as well, where children have the opportunity to ask all their burning questions!
In PSHE, we focus solely on transition, following a specially designed scheme of lessons, where the children watch videos, create memory boxes and much more. For children who are particularly worried, we also run an additional transition intervention group, both of which were incredibly successful last year.
To celebrate their time in Pelham coming to an end, we also organise a series of special events and items for them. In addition to their Year Books, the children can also choose to buy a Pelham Leavers' Hoodie, with their name, the names of their classmates and the year on the back. In the final week, parents and family members are invited to the children's Leavers' Assembly, where our prestigious Jackie Crocker Award is presented to one child from each class, the children are given their Year Books, and members of staff, including their class teachers, make a short speech. The children also enjoy a Leavers' Disco, which is (again) partly funded by our generous PTA.
Following our first parent liaison meeting this year, the Year 6 teachers will be creating a transition document, outlining in more detail the ways we aim to support our families with this process, so watch this space!
Follow the link here for tips from the NHS' Wellbeing Service about how to support children as they find out about which Secondary School they will be attending.
Google Classroom
Owls and Ospreys will use Google Classrooms to support their learning, and communicate sensibly with each other. Some homework, projects, spellings and resources will be uploaded, as well as important documents such as termly newsletters and equipment information.