Year 6

Spring 1

Year 6 have had a busy and exciting half-term, filled with engaging lessons, creative projects and a fantastic educational visit.

In English, the children studied the classic narrative poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. They explored the powerful language, imagery and dramatic events within the poem, discussing the characters and the themes of loyalty and sacrifice. The class then transformed the poem into their own detailed narrative writing, carefully retelling the story in prose form.

In Geography, our focus was on our local area and the city of Manchester. The children explored how Manchester has changed over time, particularly its important role during the Industrial Revolution when it became known as “Cottonopolis” due to its world-leading cotton industry. We looked at how the city has transformed from a centre of textile manufacturing into the modern, vibrant and diverse city that it is today. To support this learning, Year 6 visited Manchester city centre, where they had the opportunity to observe key geographical features and see first-hand how historical buildings sit alongside modern developments.

In ICT, the children explored Computer-Aided Design (CAD). They were challenged to design their own innovative device that could be used on an adventurous expedition across a desert or a jungle. This project encouraged the children to think creatively about real-life challenges, such as survival, transport and communication in extreme environments. They used CAD software to plan and design their ideas, developing both their digital skills and their ability to think like designers and engineers.

A highlight of the half-term was our French Day. The children fully embraced the celebration by dressing in the colours of the French flag; blue, white and red. Throughout the day they practised speaking French, learning new vocabulary and phrases in a fun and interactive way. They also had the opportunity to taste a selection of French foods, which helped them learn more about French culture as well as the language. It was a wonderful day that brought language learning to life and created lots of excitement across the year group.

Overall, it has been a fantastic half-term in Year 6. The children have worked incredibly hard, shown great enthusiasm for their learning and taken part in a range of memorable experiences. We are very proud of their effort and look forward to another successful half-term ahead.

Autumn 2

The class have shown great determination and maturity, approaching each lesson with enthusiasm and a desire to do their best.

In English, we have been reading the fantastic and hilarious Little Badman by Humza Arshad. The book has been a huge hit and provided brilliant inspiration for our own writing. Pupils wrote their own humorous narratives using Little Badman as the main character, carefully developing comedy, dialogue and character voice. We especially enjoyed sharing our finished stories with pupils in Year 2, who loved hearing our funny and imaginative writing.

In Maths, we have been tackling fractions. Although this has been challenging at times, pupils have shown excellent perseverance and resilience. Through extra practice, discussion and problem-solving, the class have developed a much stronger understanding of fractions and should be very proud of the progress they have made.

In History, our learning focused on crime and punishment through the ages. We explored how crimes and their punishments have changed and in some cases stayed the same across different periods of history. Pupils asked thoughtful questions and made insightful comparisons between past and present justice systems.

As part of Human Rights Day, pupils created their own artwork inspired by Faith Ringgold’s powerful postage stamp designs. The finished pieces showed creativity, thoughtful symbolism and an understanding of important human rights messages.

In PE, we focused on developing teamwork skills through football. Pupils practised keeping possession, communicating effectively and working together as a team to create scoring opportunities. Excellent sportsmanship and cooperation were demonstrated throughout the sessions.

Overall, it has been a very productive and enjoyable half-term, and we are incredibly proud of the effort and progress Year 6 have made. We look forward to building on this success in the Spring Term!

Autumn 1

It’s been a fantastic and busy half-term for Year 6, filled with exciting learning and new experiences across all subjects!

In English, the pupils have been captivated by our class novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio, a heart-warming story that has encouraged lots of thoughtful discussion around kindness, empathy, and acceptance. Alongside this, pupils have been developing their writing skills by creating formal letters and detailed character descriptions, using ambitious vocabulary and improving their grammar and punctuation.

Our Geography lessons have taken us around the world as we’ve explored extreme weather events and their impact on different regions and communities. The pupils have also been working hard to improve their map skills, learning to identify countries, capitals, and continents with increasing accuracy and confidence.

In Science, we’ve been finding out what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. The pupils have learnt about the circulatory system, how the heart and lungs work together, and even how to find and measure their pulse. There have been lots of fascinating discussions about how exercise, diet, and rest all play a part in keeping our bodies healthy.

It’s been a truly enjoyable half-term full of learning, creativity, and teamwork. We’re very proud of how hard Year 6 have worked and look forward to another exciting term ahead!

Looking Ahead: What’s Coming Up Next Half Term in Year 6

As we look ahead to the next half-term, Year 6 has plenty of exciting new topics and challenges to look forward to across the curriculum!

In Maths, pupils will be exploring division and fractions, developing their confidence with more complex calculations and problem-solving. They’ll also be learning how fractions link to decimals and percentages, applying these skills to real-life situations and investigations. We’ll continue to focus on explaining mathematical reasoning clearly and working systematically to solve tricky problems.

Our new History topic, Crime and Punishment, is sure to capture the pupil’s imagination. We’ll be travelling through time to discover how laws, crimes, and punishments have changed from Roman Britain to the present day. Pupils will explore what life was like for those accused of crimes in different eras and reflect on how ideas of fairness and justice have evolved over the centuries.

In Art, we’ll be unleashing our creativity through photo montages. Pupils will experiment with photography, collage, and mixed media to create imaginative and thought-provoking pieces. This topic will encourage them to express ideas visually and explore how images can tell a story or convey emotion.

Cheetwood Primary