English  

In the first half term we will be building on the learning that has taken place in previous year groups and linking our English work to our topic of geography topic of South America and our science topic of Evolution and Inheritance. This will include writing a non-chronological report on an animal that is adapted to its environment, a biography on Charles Darwin, and a variety of fiction pieces too.

Children will have a weekly spelling test and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling lesson on a Wednesday morning with Mrs Gornell.

Reading

Within our English lessons we have whole-class guided reading sessions which involve teachers sharing high-quality and challenging texts with all of the class. These are then studied and interpreted together through high-level questioning and discussion. The lessons include a variety of activities that ensure pupils develop their comprehension skills and vocabulary.

In Year 6, the majority of children are 'Free Readers' so have complete choice on what they want to read in school. They can choose a book from the classroom library, the school library or bring one in from home. We start most days with ERIC (Everyone Reading In Class). We do not use reading diaries in Year 6 and children are able to change their reading books when they have finished their book. Children we feel would benefit from additional support in reading will also be provided with a second reading book, chosen by teachers for their level of reading. 

Children read aloud during lessons, 1-1 with teachers or teaching assistants throughout the week and in reading groups as needed. 

At home, please read daily with and to your child and please listen to them reading too. 

Maths

We use White Rose Maths within our maths lessons, following the National Curriculum and enhancing this with weekly active maths lessons. During the first autumn half term, we will be looking at place value and the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). 

Science

Our topic for the first autumn half-term is Evolution and Inheritance. We will building on what pupils learned about fossils in Year 3 to find out more about how living things on earth have changed over time. We will be investigating how characteristics are passed from parents to their offspring, for instance by considering different breeds of dogs, and what happens when, for example, labradors are crossed with poodles. Children will also learn that variation in offspring over time can make animals more or less able to survive in particular environments, for example, by exploring how giraffes’ necks got longer, or the development of insulating fur on the arctic fox. We will be also be studying the work of key scientists, including Mary Anning and Charles Darwin. 

After October half-term, we will be studying Living Things and Their Habitats where children will be building on their learning about grouping living things in year 4 by looking at the classification system in more detail. They will be introduced to the idea that broad groupings, such as micro-organisms, plants and animals can be subdivided. We will classify animals into commonly found invertebrates such as insects, spiders, snails, worms and vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), discussing the reasons why living things are placed in one group and not another. We will be focusing on the work of Carl Linnaeus, who was a pioneer of classification and one of our key scientists in Year 6. 

Geography

Our topic this term is South America, which covers the geography learning we will be doing as well as linking to our science topic of Evolution and Inheritance. Within our geography lessons, we will be looking at the biomes, countries, animals and features (human and physical) that make up South America, as well as comparing a region in South America to Greater Manchester. 

History

After half-term, we will complete a local history topic on the events leading up to the Peterloo Massacre that happened in Manchester in 1819. We will investigate the lifestyles and feelings different people had at the time to understand why the Peterloo Massacre occurred. We have a school trip at the start of November to introduce our topic where we will visit Quarry Bank Mill and take part in workshops run by the staff there. 

Physical Education

During the Autumn Term, our PE days will be Mondays (football with AFC) and Wednesdays (OOA). Please come to school in your PE kits on those days and ensure you bring a coat for any wet weather.

Religious Education 

The whole school are starting a new scheme of work this academic year, Discovery RE, to help make lessons more engaging and enjoyable for all while still following the Trafford Local Authority Agreed Syllabus in accordance with the Education Act (2006).

Each year group from Years 1-6 studies Christianity and one other religion alongside this: for Year 6, this is Islam. We begin the year in the first half term with looking at our first topic of Islam and answering the key question of 'What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?' Within this, we will look at what commitment means, how Muslims demonstrate commitment to Allah in their lives and enjoy inviting some Muslim visitors into our classroom to tell us about their experiences. 

After half term, our next topic is a Christianity unit based on Chritsmas. We will be answering the key question of 'Do Christmas celebrations and traditions help Christians understand who Jesus was and why he was born?'.

Jigsaw

In our first half term, all of Cloverlea follow Jigsaw's 'Being Me' PSHE topic. For Year 6, this involves looking at hopes, goals and worries for the year ahead, learning about universal rights and how some children around the world do not have these met, knowing how to make choices based on rights and responsibilities and an individual's behaviour can impact on a group. 

After half term, our next Jigsaw topic is 'Celebrating Difference'. 

Art

This half term we will be completing a unit of work called Craft and Design: Photo Opportunity. We will be looking at developing our photography skills and techniques to design a range of creative photographic outcomes.

D&T 

This term in DT, Year 6 will be completing a unit on mechanical systems where they will develop a functional automata toy to meet a design brief given. Within this topic, children will be exploring and creating cam, follower and axle mechanisms to mimic different movements.

Music

Year 6 will have their music lessons taught by Trafford Music Services on a Wednesday afternoon. They will be following a scheme called 'Charanga.' 

French

Gulay (our French language assistant) delivers French lessons across the school on a Friday. 

Homework

Homework will set every Friday via our ClassDojo. This will include spellings, English and Maths which will be set via mymaths.  Homework should be submitted to Mrs Kerr by the following Thursday via the ClassDojo. 

Spellings will be tested every Wednesday in school.