Welcome to Toucans' Class Page

Mr Corkill - Class Teacher

Mrs Hulse - Teaching Assistant 

We are both so looking forward to going on an exciting learning journey with you during your last year of primary school at Lostock Gralam Church of England Primary School. 

 

Year 6 Learning Journey

 

Year 6 - Summer Term

 

During the summer term, we will initially continue to explore our topic of ‘home’ before moving on to exploring The Maya as an in-depth case study - their achievements, impact and legacy. We have many exciting learning activities and extracurricular ventures planned for the children to enjoy. 

 

Curriculum

 

 

Writing

Firstly, we shall look at writing a diary entry as Charles Darwin when he first arrived in the Galápagos Islands in 1835. We will recap writing effective expanded noun phrases, using a range of cohesive devices, and the typical features of a diary entry. 

 

Secondly, we will explore the book ‘Jemmy Button’ by Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidal and use our discussion skills to explore whether we think it was right or wrong for this little boy to be taken away from his homeland. We will look to write a balanced argument from different viewpoints and connect these using cohesive devices precisely. 

 

Additionally, after reading the first few chapters of ‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell in the spring term, we shall look to re-write the opening chapters. We will write descriptively, introduce characters, and use precise dialogue to convey character and advance the action. 

 

Reading

The children will continue to have the opportunity to read each day independently to practice their reading. During our shared reading lessons, we will aim to continue to practice our comprehension skills as a class. We will start with ‘Great Adventures’ by Alastair Humphreys, where we will read about the incredible journeys undertaken by twenty of the most heroic and impressive explorers who ever lived. 

 

Maths

During the summer term, we will study and learn about various topics, including statistics, geometry and problem-solving. Some of the lessons the children will complete include: reading and interpreting pie charts; calculating the mean; the properties of different shapes; and coordinates, translation and reflections. 

 

Science

We will explore a unit on ‘Living things and their Habitats’ in science. We shall look at the classification of both vertebrates and invertebrates, look to create a classification (dichotomous) key, explore different types of microorganisms, and investigate through working scientifically what conditions mould needs to grow. 

 

History / Geography

Initially, the children will continue to explore our whole school topic on ‘home’. The children will learn about the eight different compass points, compare and contrast the human and physical geography of Chester (England) with Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and review our entire learning across the unit through discussion and reflection. 

 

We will then explore The Mayan Civilisation, their achievements, impact and legacy. The children will: create a chronology of the different civilisations studied during KS2; locate where the ancient Maya lived in Mesoamerica; understand the differences between primary and secondary sources of historical information; compare and contrast the Maya with Anglo-Saxons; look at the Mayan writing system, number system and calendar; discuss the lifestyle of the Maya; explore the different theories to explain the decline of the Mayan civilisation; and play their ancient game, Pok-A-Tok. 

 

RE

In will we explore a unit on Sikhism. The children will learn about the purposes of the Gurdwara and Khanda, explain the five Ks of Sikhism, discuss how Langar shows the importance of equality, and understand why people may visit the Golden Temple. 

 

Physical Education 

PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and Friday this term with Mr Ault. Your child should come to school in their PE kit on both of these days. Please note that this should be either school kits or plain black/navy. 

 

Homework 

 

 

Reading

Children will be expected to read for 15-20 minutes every evening to continue practicing their decoding and comprehension skills and building up their reading stamina. When reading at home, whether independently or with you, they should record this in their homework diary and have it signed by an adult. 

 

Maths 

Children will also be set a weekly maths homework to further support their understanding of the mathematical concepts introduced and covered in school. Homework will be set on a Friday and should be completed, marked, and returned to school by the following Thursday. Each week, I will run a homework club during one lunchtime to give all children the support and opportunity to complete their work. If your child requires support in completing their homework, please send their book to school so they can attend the lunchtime club for help. Children are also encouraged to continue to practice their times tables, as these are fundamental to completing arithmetic questions at the speed required.

 

Spellings 

Spellings will be set on a Friday and tested the following Friday. Please spend around 5 minutes a day practising your child’s spellings with them. Spellings will be printed and handed out each week and posted onto the Toucans’ blog webpage where they can be accessed at home anytime. 

 

 

Additional Information

 

There will be lots of extracurricular activities going on through the summer term, including the two-night residential visit to Barnstondale Centre, swimming lessons in the hired pool, transition days to your child’s high school, and cycling proficiency days through Bikeability. 

 

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact. 

 

Mr Corkill

 

Year 6 - Pupil Voice

"I love the greater independence of learning during Year 6!"

"The additional responsibilities of Year 6 have made me more mature and grow as a person."

"I have really loved the books and learning topics explored!" 

 

 

Year 6 - Spring Term

During the spring term, we will continue to explore our theme of ‘conflict’ up until February half term. We will focus on World War 2 and the most recent conflicts in our history. The children will have the exciting opportunity to visit the Imperial War Museum in Salford to expand their knowledge and understanding of WW2 in January. We will then use all the knowledge we have acquired throughout the year to debate our enquiry question of ‘how and why have conflicts changed since 1066?’ 

 

 

Curriculum 

 

Writing

Firstly, we shall look at an example of a classic narrative in the form of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’. During this unit, we shall: (1) distinguish between the language of speech and writing; (2) recognise vocabulary and structures for formal speech and writing, including the subjunctive form; (3) use the passive voice; and (4) use semi-colons to mark boundaries between independent clauses. Our writing outcome will be a retelling of the story opening in role as another character.  

 

Secondly, we will look at ‘Island’ by Jason Chin and ‘Jemmy Button’ by Jennifer Uma. We will look to write a discussion about whether it was right to take Jemmy Button from his home and then write a journalistic report about Charles Darwin’s discoveries from the Galápagos Islands. During the unit, the children will aim to learn and master: (1) using a variety of different verb forms; (2) using passive voice; (3) using a wide range of devices to build cohesion; (4) using organisational and presentational devices to structure text; and (5) use colons to mark boundaries between independent clauses. 

 

Reading

The children will continue to have the opportunity to read independently each day to practice their reading. During our shared reading lessons, we will aim to continue to practice our comprehension skills as a class. We will start with ‘The Happy Prince and Other Tales’ by Oscar Wilde before reading ‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell. We will focus on the opening chapters of ‘The Explorer’, the use of carefully selected vocabulary, figurative language, and speech, and aim to re-write the opening independently as an additional writing opportunity. 

 

Maths

During the spring term, we will study and learn a variety of new and interesting mathematical areas and concepts. Our focus will initially be on ratio, followed by algebra, then a look at calculating with decimals, working out percentages, and finally a focus on perimeter, area and volume. We will also be practising our arithmetic skills through our daily 4-a-day mathematical questions to recap and consolidate adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. 

 

Science

We shall study two different scientific units during the term. 

 

During our first unit, ‘Animals including Humans’, we will identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. We shall recognise the impact of diet, exercise, lifestyle and different substances on the body, and describe how nutrients and water are transported within animals.

 

During our unit on ‘Evolution’, the children will learn to recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. They will also identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution. Finally, the children will recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents. 

 

 

Physical Education 

 

PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and Friday this term with Mr Ault. Your child should come to school in their PE kit on both of these days. Please note that this should be either school kits or plain black/navy. 

 

 

Homework

 

Reading

Children will be expected to read for 15-20 minutes every evening to continue to practice their decoding and comprehension skills, along with building up their reading stamina. When reading at home, whether independently or with you, they should record this in their homework diary and have it signed by an adult. This daily practice will be essential to the Year 6 SATs Reading paper. 

 

Maths

Children will also be set a weekly maths homework to further support their understanding of the mathematical concepts introduced and covered in school. Homework will be set on a Friday and should be completed, marked, and returned to school by the following Thursday. Each week, I will be running a homework club during one lunchtime to give all children the support and opportunity to complete their work. If your child requires support in completing their homework, please send their book into school with them so that they can attend the lunchtime club for support. Children are also encouraged to continue to practice their times tables as these are fundamental in being able to complete arithmetic questions at the speed required.

 

Spellings

Spellings will be set on a Friday and be tested the following Friday. Please send around 5 minutes a day practising your child’s spellings with them. Spellings will be printed and handed out each week and also posted onto the Toucans’ blog webpage where they can be accessed at home at any time. 

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact. 

 

Mr Corkill

 

 

 

Year 6 - Autumn Term

During the autumn term, we will explore our theme of ‘conflict’. We will be developing and refining our inquiry skills by asking and answering historical questions that investigate how and why conflicts have changed since 1066. We will explore four conflicts of the past that will develop our historical knowledge and chronology to then take part in a class debate on the reasons, causes, and changes in conflicts. We will also explore the significance and impact of these conflicts. Additionally, we will use our mapping skills to plot the countries we encounter on our world maps. 

 

Writing

This term, we will be focusing primarily on two texts to inspire our writing to create two different end pieces: a narrative (flashback story) and a hybrid text that incorporates information, explanation, and persuasion. 

Firstly, we will be focusing on writing a narrative based upon the events in the book 'Star of Fear, Star of Hope' by Jo Hoestlandt. During the unit, we will work on creating expanded noun phrases, using passive verbs, using a wide range of cohesive devices to link ideas across paragraphs, and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action. 

We will then be exploring 'Can We Save The Tigers?' by Martin Jenkins and Vicky White. We will learn how to use modal verbs and adverbs to indicate degrees of possibility, and how to use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis. The end piece of writing will be creating an information leaflet on tigers (or another endangered animal) to inform, explain, and persuade the reader. 

 

Reading

Children will continue to have the opportunity to read independently each day to practice their reading. Throughout the year, we will practice our comprehension skills and enhance our vocabulary through our weekly reading lessons. We will start with the book ‘When We Were Warriors’ by Emma Carroll before reading a collection of poems from the book ‘Poems from the Second World War’ selected by Gaby Morgan. 

 

Maths

During the autumn term, we will be working on consolidating our mathematics learning from previous years and introduce some new Year 6 concepts. Our focus will initially be on place value in numbers up to 10,000,000, rounding numbers, and the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). We will be regularly practicing our arithmetic skills through 4-a-day mathematical questions. 

 

Science

We will be focusing on two different units of work in science this term: light and electricity. 

We will be building and consolidating our working scientifically skills to plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer different questions, and recording data and results in different formats such as tables and graphs. 

During our unit on light, we will recognise that light travels in straight lines, how we see things, and why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them. 

During our unit on electricity, we will use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit, associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit, and investigate different circuits to learn how components function and change when introducing further batteries, components, and switches into a circuit. 

 

PE

Please note that PE will be on both a Monday and a Friday this term with Mr Ault. Your child should come to school in their PE kit on both of these days. 

 

Homework

 

Reading

Children will be expected to read for 15-20 minutes every evening to continue to practice their decoding and comprehension skills, along with building up their reading stamina. When reading at home, whether independently or with you, they should record this in their homework diary and have it signed by an adult. 

 

Maths

Children will also be set a weekly maths homework to further support their understanding of the mathematical concepts introduced and covered in school. Homework will be set on a Friday and should be completed, marked, and returned to school by the following Thursday. Each week, I will be running a homework club during one lunchtime to give all children the support and opportunity to complete their work. If your child requires support in completing their homework, please send their book into school with them so that they can attend the lunchtime club for support. Children are also encouraged to continue to practice their times tables as these are fundamental in being able to complete arithmetic questions at the speed required.

 

Spellings

Spellings will be set on a Friday and be tested the following Friday. Please send around 5 minutes a day practising your child’s spellings with them. Spellings will be printed and handed out each week and also posted onto the Toucans blog where they can be accessed at home at any time. 

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact. 

 

Mr Corkill