Succeeding in Year 6

CLASS MOTTO

DREAM BIG (Your future is created by what you do)

STAY FOCUSED (Small daily actions create extraordinary results)

NEVER GIVE UP (Success belongs to those who keep moving forward)

Succeeding in Year 6

Literacy and History Year 6

Literacy and History:

This term, Year 6 students have been reading Private Peaceful, a compelling fictional novel that explores the First World War through the eyes of a young soldier, Thomas Peaceful, as he reflects on his childhood from the battlefields. This text provided an excellent cross-curricular link with our current History topic on World War I.

Throughout the unit, the children engaged in a variety of advanced literary activities. They analysed the use of flashbacks, explored complex characterization, developed descriptive language techniques, and composed their own diary entries and poetry. Working collaboratively in groups, the students gathered and synthesized detailed information to map out various characters from the book, as shown in the photographs below.

Succeeding in Year 6

Poetry Year 6

Poetry:

In our poetry sessions, the children read and analyzed A Poem to be Spoken Silently. Inspired by an imagery prompt of a tranquil beach, the students effectively incorporated personification and figurative language into their work. Using the structural framework of the original text, they successfully drafted their own unique versions. Some excellent examples of their writing are displayed below.

Additionally, the class channelled their creativity into composing beautifully illustrated Acrostic Poems to celebrate the Harvest festival.

Succeeding in Year 6

RE Year 6

Religious Education:

In RE, Year 6 has been exploring the theological concept of The Holy Trinity. The children engaged in deep reflection and critical thinking, tackling complex philosophical questions such as:

• What is the Trinity, and how can it be explained?
• Are God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit entirely equal?
• Why did Jesus pray to His Father while living on Earth?
• How can three distinct entities exist as one cohesive whole?
• Can the strength of personal belief overcome persecution?

To complement these discussions, the students integrated their artistic skills into the RE curriculum by designing and creating symbolic representations of the Holy Trinity.

Succeeding in Year 6

Science in Year 6

Science:

Our scientific focus this term has been Light. The children discovered the foundational principles of optics, learning that light travels in straight lines and reflects off shiny, bright, or light-coloured surfaces, which explains how we perceive reflections in a mirror.

The curriculum covered exploring the movement of light, investigating reflection mechanics, and explaining how these principles facilitate human sight. To apply this knowledge practically, the students participated in an exciting hands-on investigation to construct their own working periscopes. They learned that a periscope operates by reflecting light from one mirror to another, allowing the viewer to see objects otherwise out of their direct line of sight.

Succeeding in Year 6

History In Year 6

History:

In History this term, Year 6 pupils have been researching the First World War, exploring the complex causes behind the outbreak of the conflict, the harsh realities of life in the trenches, and the remarkable events of the Christmas Truce.

The children were deeply fascinated by the Christmas Truce, initially finding it difficult to reconcile how such a peaceful moment could occur amidst global conflict without bringing an immediate end to the war. However, through further investigation, they gained a deeper understanding of the geopolitical factors that prolonged the war for four years.

To demonstrate their learning, the pupils created detailed comic strips illustrating the Christmas Truce, discovering that the event began when German soldiers placed lanterns and small Christmas trees—known as Tannenbäume—along the parapets of their trenches while singing carols such as "Silent Night".

Additionally, Year 6 practiced their historical empathy and creative writing skills by composing moving postcards home, written from the perspective of young soldiers serving on the front lines.