Year 6 Staff
Expectations of a Year 6 Child
Year 6 is a very exciting and important year for every child. Our main focus is to equip them with all of the tools they need for the next step in their journey- high school. Children are required to become more independent and resilient in their final year of school to be able to tackle the many challenges that year 6 brings including Confirmation and SATS. We encourage children to work collaboratively with their peers and to ask for assistance when needed; but to also be confident in their own ability and to draw on their own skills and knowledge.
Confirmation
Year 6 children will be embarking on the exciting spiritual journey towards their Sacrament of Confirmation this year. Children will be following a scheme of work titled 'The People of God' which will fully prepare them though two RE lessons per week for the Sacrament. It is essential that your child attends mass to help them fully prepare for confirming their faith.
Meetings will be scheduled throughout the school year providing you with important information about the Sacrament. More information about the meetings, including dates and times, will be given in due course.
SATS
SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) are assessments year 6 children take to assess their progress at the end of KS2. The key stage 2 tests are timetabled from Monday 9th May to Thursday 12th May 2022 and marked externally with results becoming available in July. Children will undergo 6 assessments of their maths and literacy knowledge comprising of:
Punctuation and Grammar Paper- 45 minutes. (ENGLISH)
Spelling Paper- consisting of 20 spellings, 15 minutes. (ENGLISH)
English Reading- 60 minutes. (ENGLISH)
Arithmetic Paper- 30 minutes. (MATHS)
Reasoning Paper 1- 40 minutes. (MATHS)
Reasoning Paper 2- 40 minutes. (MATHS)
Children will either be awarded 'Working At' the expected standard for their age or 'Working Towards' the expected standard for their age.
There are no SATS assessment for English writing or Science and this is assessed internally by myself and other teaching staff based on you child's work throughout year 6.
After school 'SATS Booster' classes will be starting after Christmas where children are invited to stay at school from 3:30- 4:30pm for additional tuition in small focus groups to help them prepare and revise. There will be two booster classes per week; dates will be sent to you nearer the time.
Although SATS may sound stressful for you and your child, I would like to reassure you that although they are very important, the OLSK approach is calm, confident and prepared. All we ask is that children try their absolute best, follow and guidance and advice to the very best of their ability and whatever the outcome, we will be proud.
There are many ways you can help your child prepare for SATS including having a go at past papers as soon as possible. These are widely available online along with some great revision websites and resources. Remember, little and often is the key to success. It is also essential to listen to your child read as often as possible while asking them questions about the text they are reading. If there is anything in particular that your child is finding difficult please do no hesitate to get in touch with myself or Mrs P and we can give additional help and support. There are great resources still available on our home learning page along with these additional ones:
Homework
This year we are continuing with Enquiry Based Learning, so your child will be given a research question each week for them to make notes on in their research book. This will be given out on a Tuesday ready for the following Tuesday- please ensure that this is done or your child will have to catch this up at a lunch/break time.
Every Friday, your child will be given maths and Literacy homework and spellings to learn- again they have a week to complete this and will have to do it at lunch/break if not complete.
If your child loses a sheet, it is their responsibility to come and ask for a new one so that their work can still be completed. Homework is peer marked weekly.
Homework is an essential part of year 6 as it not only reinforces the skills and knowledge learnt in the classroom, it a huge preparation tool for high school where homework in an integral part of school life.
As reading is an essential skill needed in all areas of the curriculum, please try and listen to your child read as often as possible (at least once a week). A written comment will be required in you child's home reading record while will be checked by staff on a Friday along with homework. Please see the VIPERS guidance in your child's reading record and ask them questions about the text they are reading using this guidance.
Rewards and Sanctions
Again this year in school, we will be using Class Dojo to reward children for a range of different things, from showing gospel virtues to contribution and teamwork.
As before, we will be using 'minutes' as a sanction- these will be taken off Golden Time at the end of a week.
As always, parental involvement is key and we will work with you to give praise or tackle any issues.
PE, Swimming and Forest School
Again this year, we will be having PE on a Wednesday so every child will come to school dressed in their PE kit. This should be their indoor kits (shorts/t-shirt) with black or navy joggers on top and outdoor trainers. Any hoodies worn should be either school branded or plain navy/black. Please ensure your kit is labelled to avoid any mix-ups or lost items!
Children in Year 6 will also be having their second PE lesson on a FRIDAY. Children will be required to bring their PE in a bag to change into at school.
Year 6 children will be swimming later on in the school year, more details will be communicated nearer the time- please ensure your child has appropriate swimming kit and goggles if need be- please send a letter if you wish your child to wear goggles. Swimming is a large part of the PE curriculum so children need to take part every week. Dates will be confirmed nearer the time with plenty of notice.
We will have forest school on a rota basis- you will be notified in advance but please have a kit ready including wellies/trainers, clothes you don't mind getting muddy and a waterproof jacket.
Mobile Phones
As children become more independent in preparation for high school, you may decide to allow your child to walk down Bundle Hill etc. as they leave school. The children who are going to be doing this will be allowed to bring a mobile phone to school in order the contact their parents once they have left the school gates. If you wish for your child to bring their phone to school, a letter to request permission must be sent to Mrs Finnegan which is available on our class page or at the office. Children must turn their phone off when they enter school and hand it in to myself or Mrs P as they enter the classroom. Their phone will be safely stored until it is returned to them at the end of the day. The phone must remain turned off until they leave the school premises.
Astley Burf
Children in year 6 have the opportunity to attend a residential at Astley Burf where they take part in a range of different outdoor activities. Astley Burf has been booked for June 2021 and more information regarding the trip will be available soon.
Myself and Mrs P look forward to working with you this year to make year 6 a special year for your child. If you have any concerns or would like to ask any questions do not hesitate to get in touch by either calling or emailing the school office. All messages will be passed to myself and responded to.
Miss Meese.