Year 6
Autumn Term
In Year 6, our topics during the Autumn term revolved around the following questions: “What would have happened if Germany won the war?” and “Are ration packs substantial enough for soldiers?” In order to solve these questions, we have spent a lot of time learning about World War One and Two, and discussing the mental and physical demands of a solider in combat, particularly during our science sessions.
As part of our introduction to the topic, Year 6 participated in a mock- up of trench warfare, built an air raid shelter and also had to wait for the all-clear as an air raid siren went off during a spelling test! Two soldiers from the RMA also visited the school and our children participated in a variety of military drills.
Throughout the term, our class text has been War Horse, and the children have created some beautiful extracts of the story from the point of view of Joey (the horse) and Albert (his owner). We have also used atlases to locate the countries involved in the war and studied the process of evacuation. During Design and Technology, we created our own gas mask, and had to evaluate its effectiveness in preserving life- all very technical!
And of course, in the Autumn term, the children went on their first residential! Osmington Bay was a fantastic experience, where the children and teachers participated in a variety of challenges that tested them both mentally and physically.
Spring Term
Our topic this term was “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” During this term, we studied the following British monarchs: Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. As part of our introduction to the topic, we visited Hampton Court, which was an incredible learning experience.
Throughout the topic, the children used atlases to discuss which monarch had the largest empire, and they also used the linxpads and history books to research a topic of their choice about the Victorians, and the children presented their findings to their peers. Alongside this, Year 6 looked at the history of Henry VIII’s wives, Queen Victoria’s trade alliance with India, and the duties and obligations of a modern day Queen. This allowed the children to learn about democracy, and how our political system developed throughout the reigns of these monarchs, with the children producing an explanation text on the British political system.To assist our learning about Victorian life, our key texts in English this term, have been Wildboy, and Oliver Twist.
During the study of Henry VIII, each class produced a portrait of one of the wives of Henry VIII, using a grid format to help them with scaling; we also created charcoal landscapes of the woodlands area.
To celebrate our learning, Year 6 had a Victorian day, where the children participated in a Victorian school, and learnt about Victorian education, literature and playground games.
Summer Term
Our learning this term has revolved around the question: “How has Greece changed over time?” To answer this question, we have looked at the Grecian empire, and used atlases to decide how the country of Greece has adapted throughout the years.
To introduce the children to this theme, the children participated in a Greek day, which involved the Olympics, studying Grecian weapons and armour, learning traditional Greek stories, solving Greek mathematical problems and playing Grecian games. The children were fully immersed in this day, and are still talking about it to this day!
This term, the children have looked at various Grecian myths, and developed their own, which they have compiled into a story, and a recount- in the form of a newspaper report. The children have also created Grecian theatrical masks and clay pots, which they painted in traditional Greek styles and patterns.
Of course, the end of term has been celebrated with the Year 6 production! This year, the children have performed in the HWPS production of Olivia!