Welcome to Year 6 Zebra Class!

Zebra Class are taught by Mrs Walker on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday mornings and Mrs Lomax on Thursday afternoons and Fridays. We are very lucky to have Mrs Cripps and Mrs Anderson, our wonderful teaching assistants, also supporting the class.

We really want the children to be happy and enjoy school, particularly in their last year here at Lunsford. If you have any questions or concerns at all, please don't hesitate to get in touch and we will do our best to help.

Summer Term 1

For English this term, we will be reading a picture book called The Savage by David Almond: Imagine you wrote a story and that story came true. This is exactly what happens to Blue Baker when he writes about a savage living alone in the woods near his home. When the savage pays a night-time visit to the local bully, boundaries become blurred and Blue begins to wonder where he ends and the savage begins. 

In mathematics, we will focus on arithmetic skills, problem solving and reasoning through a number of different topics, all that are revision for the SATs tests this term: arithmetic (four operations, place value, negative numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages); perimeter, area and volume; measuring angles; finding the percentage of an amount. 

Our other topics are:

Science -All Living Things and their Habitats (classification, the Linnean System, animals, plants and micro-organisms)

History - A Local Study (Maidstone's Industrial past)

Art - Painting and Mixed Media 

Computing - Variables in Games (create a simulation of a score board, experiment with variables)

French - Me in the World; regular verbs. 

PE - PASS PE with Mr Dickinson (Monday) and swimming with Mrs Lomax (Friday). Children need to wear their PE kits on these days. Forest School will take place regularly throughout the term: a list of dates will be made available as and when required. Therefore PE will no longer be on a Tuesday. 

Music - Charanga: Music and Me

PSHE - Relationships

RE - What do religions say to us when life gets hard?

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of mathematics! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

Homework will be sent home on a Wednesday to be returned to school the following Wednesday to be marked as a whole class. Homework will now consist of ten minute tests from three different books: maths, reading and GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) - the books will be sent home and children can write straight into the books. All homework is discussed with the children before they take it home. However, if your child is unsure what to do, please encourage them to ask the class teacher for help before it is due in.

The children should all be reading regularly at home, particularly if they are not confident readers. It is useful if children are discussing their reading with an adult to develop their comprehension and discussion skills and filling in their reading records with comments about what they are reading. The children are welcome to bring in a suitable reading book from home if they wish. Children will regularly be visiting the school library (every fortnight). 

In addition to this, children have access to Spelling Shed, an online website where they have access to their weekly spellings, ready for the spelling test on a Wednesday. There will be two different groups this year, depending on the skill level of the child. 

Spring Term 2

For English this term, we will be reading a fictional chapter book called The Song from Somewhere Else by A.F. Harrold: Frank doesn't know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He's big, he's weird and he smells - or so everyone in Frank's class thinks. And yet, there's something nice about Nick's house. There's strange music playing there, and it feels light and good and makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever. But there's more to Nick, and his house, than meets the eye, and soon Frank realises she isn't the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one that needs help...

In Maths we will focus on arithmetic skills, problem solving and reasoning through a number of different topics, including: the four operations; algebra; measurement - converting km/ miles, ml/ l; pie charts; measurement - time; interpret and represent data; solve problems involving data; mean (average); position, direction, movement - translation/ reflection on all quadrants; Roman numerals; negative numbers; coordinates; rounding; BODMAS; circles; describe and classify shapes; multiples, factors, primes, squares and cubes; calculating with fractions, decimals and percentages. These are all revision topics for the SATs next term.  

Our other topics are:

Science - Light

Geography - Fairtrade

D&T - Waistcoats 

Computing - Data and information - spreadsheets

French - The Weekend

PE - PASS PE with Mr Dickinson (Monday) and Mrs Walker (Tuesday). Children need to wear their PE kits on these days. Forest School will take place regularly throughout the term: a list of dates will be made available as and when required.  

Music - Charanga: You've got a Friend

PSHE - Healthy Me

RE - What matters most to Christians and Humanists? 

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of mathematics! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

Homework will be sent home on a Wednesday to be returned to school the following Wednesday to be marked as a whole class. Homework will now consist of ten minute tests from three different books: maths, reading and GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) - the books will be sent home and children can write straight into the books. All homework is discussed with the children before they take it home. However, if your child is unsure what to do, please encourage them to ask the class teacher for help before it is due in.

The children should all be reading regularly at home, particularly if they are not confident readers. It is useful if children are discussing their reading with an adult to develop their comprehension and discussion skills and filling in their reading records with comments about what they are reading. The children are welcome to bring in a suitable reading book from home if they wish. Children will regularly be visiting the school library (every fortnight). 

In addition to this, children have access to Spelling Shed, an online website where they have access to their weekly spellings, ready for the spelling test on a Wednesday. There will be two different groups this year, depending on the skill level of the child. 

Spring Term 1

For English this term, we will be reading a non-fiction picture book, called Shackleton's Journey. In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his brave crew set out to cross the frozen wastes of Antarctica: ahead of them lay unimaginable dangers - ferocious seas, uncharted mountains, ice and snow. This is the true story of how Shackleton and his companions endured the hardships they faced, and ultimately managed to survive their perilous journey. English lessons will include writing a job advertisement, a persuasive letter, a motivational speech, a newspaper report and an information text.

In Maths we will focus on arithmetic skills, problem solving and reasoning through a number of different topics, including decimals (add and subtracting decimals, multiplying decimals by integers, multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, fractions as division, dividing decimals by integers, decimal-fraction equivalence), percentages (understanding percentages, ordering fractions-decimals-percentages, converting between fractions and percentages), ratio (ratio language, ratio symbol, ratio and fractions, scale drawing, recipes, scaling shapes) and position and direction (the four quadrants, reflection and translation). 

Our other topics are:

Science - Evolution: inheritance, adaptation. 

History - Crime and Punishment

D&T - 3D structures (Playgrounds)

Computing - Creating Media (webpage creation)

French - The Weekend

PE - PASS PE with Mr Dickinson (Monday) and Mrs Walker (Tuesday). Children need to wear their PE kits on these days. Forest School will take place regularly throughout the term: a list of dates will be made available as and when required.  

Music - Charanga: A New Year Carol 

PSHE - Dreams and Goals

RE - What matters most to Christians and Humanists? 

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of mathematics! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

Homework will be sent home on a Wednesday to be returned to school the following Wednesday to be marked as a whole class. Homework will now consist of ten minute tests from three different books: maths, reading and GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) - the books will be sent home and children can write straight into the books. All homework is discussed with the children before they take it home. However, if your child is unsure what to do, please encourage them to ask the class teacher for help before it is due in.

The children should all be reading regularly at home, particularly if they are not confident readers. It is useful if children are discussing their reading with an adult to develop their comprehension and discussion skills and filling in their reading records with comments about what they are reading. The children are welcome to bring in a suitable reading book from home if they wish. Children will regularly be visiting the school library (every fortnight). 

In addition to this, children have access to Spelling Shed, an online website where they have access to their weekly spellings, ready for the spelling test on a Wednesday. There will be two different groups this year, depending on the skill level of the child. 

Autumn Term 2

For English this term, we will be reading the picture book 'The Viewer' by Gary Crew: Young Tristan, a curious boy who rescues all sorts of objects from the rubbish dump, finds an old Viewmaster in its elaborate box, complete with a set of disks. He finds that these represent the ages of humankind, seen as a cyclical structure in which patterns of growth and decay are repeated. Tristan becomes more and more drawn in to the world of the disks, and eventually disappears. 

In Maths we will focus on arithmetic skills, problem solving and reasoning through a number of different topics, including calculating with the four operations; prime, square and cube numbers; comparing, ordering, simplifying, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions.

Our other topics are:

Science - Electricity: circuit symbols and scientific diagrams, voltage and brightness

Geography - Biomes

D&T - Design and make electrical games

Computing - Creating Media: 3D Modelling

French - Clothing

PE - PASS PE with Mr Dickinson (Monday) and Mrs Walker (Tuesday). Children need to wear their PE kits on these days. Forest School will take place regularly throughout the term: a list of dates will be made available as and when required.  

Music - Charanga: Classroom Jazz 2

PSHE - Celebrating Difference

RE - What difference does it make to believe in ahimsa, grace and/or Ummah?

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of mathematics! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

Homework will be sent home on a Wednesday to be returned to school the following Wednesday to be marked as a whole class. The children should complete their work in their homework book. Homework will be arithmetic or calculations practice and reading comprehension. All homework is discussed with the children before they take it home. However, if your child is unsure what to do, please encourage them to ask the class teacher for help before it is due in.

The children should all be reading regularly at home, particularly if they are not confident readers. It is useful if children are discussing their reading with an adult to develop their comprehension and discussion skills and filling in their reading records with comments about what they are reading. The children are welcome to bring in a suitable reading book from home if they wish. Children will regularly be visiting the school library (every fortnight). 

In addition to this, children have access to Spelling Shed, an online website where they have access to their weekly spellings, ready for the spelling test on a Wednesday. There will be two different groups this year, depending on the skill level of the child. 

Autumn Term 1

Our English text this term is 'The London Eye Mystery' by Siobhan Dowd: it tells the story of how Ted, a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, and his sister Kat, solve the mystery of how their cousin, Salim, seemingly vanishes from inside a sealed capsule on the London Eye. Since the police are having no luck finding him, Ted and Kat become sleuthing partners and follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. 

In Maths we will focus on arithmetic skills, problem solving and reasoning through a number of different topics, including calculating with the four operations; prime, square and cube numbers; comparing, ordering, simplifying, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions.

Our other topics are:

Science - Animals including Humans: The circulatory system, digestive system, diet, exercise and lifestyle.

History - The Maya 

Art - Drawing (Make my voice heard)

Computing - Systems and Networks

French - Clothing

PE - PASS PE with Mr Dickinson (Monday) and Tag Rugby (Tuesday). Children need to wear their PE kits on these days. Forest School will take place regularly throughout the term: a list of dates will be made available as and when required.  

Music - Charanga

PSHE - Being Me in my World 

RE - Is it better to express your beliefs in arts and architecture or in charity and generosity?

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of mathematics! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

Homework will be sent home on a Wednesday to be returned to school the following Wednesday to be marked as a whole class. The children should complete their work in their homework book. Homework will be arithmetic or calculations practice and reading comprehension. All homework is discussed with the children before they take it home. However, if your child is unsure what to do, please encourage them to ask the class teacher for help before it is due in. 

The children should all be reading regularly at home, particularly if they are not confident readers. It is useful if children are discussing their reading with an adult to develop their comprehension and discussion skills and filling in their reading records with comments about what they are reading. The children are welcome to bring in a suitable reading book from home if they wish. Children will regularly be visiting the school library (every fortnight). 

In addition to this, children have access to Spelling Shed, an online website where they have access to their weekly spellings, ready for the spelling test on a Wednesday. There will be two different groups this year, depending on the skill level of the child. 

Useful Websites

Mathematics

• https://ttrockstars.com/ - Please ask if you cannot remember your login.
• https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/maths/primary-maths-age-10-11-year-6/ - Clear breakdown and explanation of what children learn in year 6 with activities and suggestions for how to help at home, some printable sheets and game ideas. 
• http://www.snappymaths.com/year6/ - Range of different worksheets to complete. 

Reading

• https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/ A free e-book library for all primary age children.
• https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/ A free game for children who would benefit from additional practice of phonics, segmenting and blending. 
• https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks2-school-pupils/suggested-reading-list-for-year-6-pupils-ks2-age-10-11/ A list of books recommended for 10 and 11-year-olds. If required, look at both the year 5 and year 7 lists for decreased or increased ability. 
• https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-age-10-11-year-6/ - Clear breakdown and explanation of what children learn in year 6 (comprehension and word reading) with activities and suggestions for how to help at home, some printable sheets and additional websites to use. 

Writing and spellings, grammar and punctuation (GPS)

• https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/english/primary-english-year-6-age-10-11/ - Clear breakdown and explanation of the spelling, punctuation and grammar learnt in year 6 with suggestions for how to help at home, some printable sheets and game ideas.
• https://www.pobble365.com/ - Fantastic resources for creative writing with questions relating to a daily image. 
• https://www.literacyshed.com/home.html - A wide range of resources to complement creative writing.