Friday 25th April 2025

Welcome back to Term 5. We hope you all had a lovely Easter holiday and enjoyed some time to relax. The children have returned with such enthusiasm—they’ve made a superb start to the term and have quickly settled back into the rhythm of the school day.

With just two teaching weeks to go before SATs, we are now focusing closely on key areas including arithmetic, maths, reading and GPS. The children are working really hard and we’re proud of their effort and determination. A big thank you to those who have already returned their Easter holiday maths booklets—it’s been great to see the work completed. If your child hasn’t quite finished theirs yet, we’d really appreciate them continuing to work through it as best they can. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns or spot any gaps in your child’s understanding—we’re here to help.

Alongside our SATs preparation, we have started rehearsing for Maypole celebrations taking place next Friday. We’ve also started reading our new class book, Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman. If your child has a copy at home and would like to bring it in to follow along, they are very welcome to do so.

Thank you for your continued support. Have a good weekend.

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework:

English

Look at the spellings document below which gives suggestions of spellings and spelling rules that may come up in this year's spelling test for the SATs.  Please practise at least 2/3 words from each of the blocks. As a change from the norm, a selection of these will form this week's spelling test. 

Maths

Atom homework is optional this week, though there will be a house point and other bonuses for those that do it. Instead (or as well), please make sure you know the names and properties of the shapes in the document below. Use the poster to learn them and the worksheet for practice. There will also be a test next week on these. 

Spellings and spelling rules - Test on Thursday

Friday 4^th April 2025

What a glorious end of term we have enjoyed, full of festive music, fancy footwear, flamboyant headgear and fine weather. After more than a week of assessment practice, Y6 was especially ready for an afternoon out of the classroom.

Aside from tests, children have enjoyed making Inuit art in 2D and 3D. Our thanks go to Mrs Wells who gave up her time to show us how to cut stencils and use sponge painting to create eye-catching images of animals. Children also tried their hand at carving animals using clay tools and bars of soap.

In maths, we brushed up on our understanding of how to find volume and in English we came tantalisingly close to completing our newspaper report about the Titanic. With perfect timing, We finished reading our class text, Skyhawk. This has been a rollercoaster of a read with a storyline that has repeatedly raised and dashed our hopes. I think we all agree that the ending, when it eventually came, did not disappoint.

And, just to add to an exceptionally busy week, Mr Miles came into class to show everyone how to code an animation of blood flowing through the heart. Many children were able to describe lengthy sets of instructions with impressive accuracy; their increasing technological know-how is truly admirable. 

As well as the maths and English revision booklets we have asked everyone to look at, children have also brought home their most recent test papers in arithmetic, mathematical reasoning, reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling. We encourage them to examine the questions that didn't go so well and attempt to make corrections where possible. Fifteen minutes practice a day is far more valuable than a couple of longer sessions. The papers do not need to be returned to school. 

For reference, the marks for the Expected standard in each paper are as follows:

Maths: 58-94

Reading: 27-39

GPS: 36-54

We wish you all a fun-filled, sun-filled Easter.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Other homework

Spellings:

Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning.
signature, assign, design, designate, significant, resignation, resign, insignificant, assignment, signal

Maths:

Atom Learning - volume, triangles, quadrilaterals, 

Friday 28th March 2025

First and foremost, a huge congratulations to all the Year 6 children for their outstanding performance at Love2Dance at the Stag on Tuesday. It was an incredibly proud moment to watch them perform the two fantastic dances they’ve been learning over the past term. Their teamwork, collaboration and individuality truly shone and they should all feel extremely proud of themselves. It was a long day, yet not a single complaint was heard — everyone got on with it brilliantly. Even more impressively, despite the long day, every pupil was back in school the next morning, ready to learn and work incredibly hard.

This week, we’ve been focused on SATs preparation, tackling arithmetic, maths reasoning, GPS and reading skills. In geography, we have continued with our learning about climate change and pupils have started to write a blog to inform the younger years. In science, we have continued our work on the heart by measuring our resting heart rate and exploring various pulse points around the body. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework

Spellings:

Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning. 
accommodate, accompany, access, accuse, accost, accrue, accuracy, accomplish, accumulate, accentuate

Maths:

Atom Learning - word problems and time

English:

Atom Learning - Prefixes / Suffixes 

Friday 21st March 2025

This week was dominated by swimming lessons at Tonbridge School and all children worked hard to improve and refine their skills in the water. The instructors were heard to make some very complimentary comments about effort and technique and everyone must be congratulated on managing to stay awake when they returned to school having ploughed dozens of times up and down the 25m pool.

Our maths focus was area and perimeter of rectangles and triangles and, in English, we made good progress on our journalistic reports about the Titanic's maiden voyage, paying careful attention to using formal conjunctions, the passive voice and complex sentences with relative clauses. Next week, we will look to master adverbial clauses.

In science, we learned about the components of blood and their functions. Astoundingly, over half the class volunteered to provide blood for our investigation! However, we opted instead to make representative samples from coloured syrup, milk and vegetable oil. The red liquid that resulted from blending these ingredients soon settled into layers that simulated red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma - an effective (and safe) way of viewing the proportions of each.

It was, as always, valuable to catch up with some of you this week at our family consultations. The children's reflections on their learning were particularly thoughtful and led to some helpful conversations. We look forward to seeing the rest of Y6 and parents next Thursday. 

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Spellings: 

Words with a 'soft c' spelled /ce/
cemetery, certificate, celebrate, necessary, deceased, December, sacrifice, hindrance, nuisance, prejudice

Maths:

Atom Learning - Length, perimeter, area

Friday 14th March 2025

We've had a very busy week in class with trips and learning opportunities all round.

As part of Science Week, we were very lucky to secure a visit to Sevenoaks School, where we had the chance to work alongside the Head of Science dissecting a pig's heart. It was both fascinating and educational, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of the heart’s structure and the vital role it plays in the circulatory system. The hands-on experience in the lab made the science we have been learning in class come to life, and I think everyone left with a newfound appreciation for biology - if a little queasy!

In addition to our science trip, we also had another important visit as part of transition to secondary school. The South-East Community Rail Team paid us a visit, providing invaluable tips and advice about using the railway system. After this, we took a successful trip from Penshurst to Tonbridge, which helped connect what we’d learned in the classroom to real-life scenarios. Being able to navigate our way on the train gives us more independence as we look forward to our next step in education.

In maths, we have been looking at ratio.  We are pleased that everyone is getting to grips with the concept as ratio can sometimes be tricky. In English, the class has finished writing a biography on Charles Darwin.  We have also been ploughing through lots of grammar and punctuation. 

Looking ahead, please remember that swimming sessions will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week. Ensure you have your swimming gear ready, including a swimming hat and towel, every day. It’s essential we are prepared to make the most of our time in the pool.

Also, a reminder that on Monday, Mrs Glover will talk through the proposed Paris trip. This will take place Year 6 classroom at 2:45pm. For those who are unable to attend, we will send out all relevant information following the meeting.

Finally, parent consultation meetings are coming up on Thursday 20th and Thursday 27th March. This weekend's homework is to create a three-slide PowerPoint presentation as per the email sent on Thursday for children to present in their consultation. Children have had the opportunity to review their books and jot down a few ideas in preparation. All PowerPoints should be submitted before 12pm on Tuesday 18th March. 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend,

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Friday 7th March 2025

Children have been learning about the features of two non-fiction forms of writing: biographies and journalistic reports. Putting their knowledge into practice, they have begun to write about the life of Charles Darwin and the launch of RMS Titanic. Neither style is easy to replicate, but the early signs are very promising.

In maths we continue to explore the inextricable relationship between fractions, decimals, percentages and now ratio. It is pleasing to see the children's confidence and accuracy growing.

Our latest topic explores the circulatory system. Following an introduction to the seven life processes and the different bodily systems, Y6 heads to Sevenoaks next week for a more lively and explicit demonstration of the function of the heart which will be terribly exciting for some and may be absolutely ghastly for others!

World Book Day on Thursday was a wonderful celebration of the pleasure of reading. The effort made by children (and their parents) to dress as favourite characters was nothing short of astounding. As Mrs Hester said, everyone was a winner, but three lucky girls will receive prizes next week. Congratulations to Ellie, Jemima and Milly.

That same afternoon, children walked to Chiddingstone Nursery to share picture books with pre-school children. Y6 brought the stories to life with funny voices and actions and everyone had a thoroughly good time. 

A reminder that next week, as well as a trip to Sevenoaks, on Thursday we will be heading to Tonbridge by train to find out about how to plan a journey using timetables and apps and how to stay safe near railways. Children should wear normal school uniform and bring a coat and a red cap. We will return to school in time for lunch as usual. 

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework:

Spellings

Words with endings which sound like /shuhl/ after a consonant letter.
partial, confidential, essential, substantial, torrential, sequential, potential, spatial, martial, influential

Maths

After the half-term hiccough, all seems to be back on track.

Atom Learning: Calculating Percentages, Order and Compare Percentages, decimals and fractions.

From Mrs Cheshire:
We had a super trip to London on Wednesday as part of our RE curriculum learning about Islam. We started at London Central Mosque in Regent's Park with a talk from one of the leaders and a tour. We were privileged to be allowed to sit in the mid-day prayer, hearing the prayers and watching how the people prayed together. The children were respectful and seemed engaged with the experience. There was a lot of information to take in and they were challenged to each find 10 facts from the displays which they did! We then visited St Martin in the fields which allowed for a helpful comparison of 2 places of worship. We had a lovely, enthusiastic guide to told the class about some of the interesting history of the place. He even started a sing-a-long to 'He's got the whole world in his hands!' I was so proud of the class who asked inquisitive and thoughtful questions, listened well, walked a long way and behaved brilliantly. 

Friday 28th February 2025

Welcome back to Term 4.  The visit to Regents Park Mosque and St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London was a huge highlight. Exploring these beautiful places of worship helped the children explore different cultures and the significance of community. 

In maths we have been working on calculating percentages of a number and converting fractions into percentages. We have been applying concepts to real-life situations – for example, working out discounts during shopping.  We will continue with this next week.

In geography we have been focusing on climate change. The discussions around this topic have sparked a genuine interest in understanding the impact of climate change and what we can do to help combat it. It’s encouraging to see that pupils feel so passionate about making a difference.

This week we have wrapped up our non-fiction writing about ospreys and are currently working on a sketching piece to accompany the writing. Each pupil is drawing an osprey, which will accompany their factsheet. 

Have a good weekend.

Mrs G and Ms W

Homework

Spellings:

Words with endings which sound like /shuhl/ after a vowel letter.
official, special, artificial, social, racial, crucial, facial, beneficial, superficial, antisocial

English: Atom apostrophes

Maths: Atom metric measurements (from half-term. If you have already completed it, there is no further maths this week.)

Friday 14th February 2025

It's a satisfyingly tidy end to the term as we have this week reached the end of our maths unit on converting measurements, finished and published our non-chronological reports about the osprey and completed our topic on Evolution and Inheritance. Next term, we look forward to more scientific discovery and enquiry as we launch into a study of the circulatory system.

Congratulations to Peggy and Albie who were awarded end of term head teacher awards for marked improvement in writing and for supporting others in their learning respectively. 

We hope that you all spend the half term break doing the things you like best - although, could you please stock up on blue handwriting pens or refills when you get a chance? 

Homework 

Maths:

Atom - metric units of measurement and time.

Spellings:

Statutory Spelling Challenge Words.

These words do not fit into any particular spelling patterns and must each be learned separately.

attached, available, average, competition, conscience, controversy, correspond, embarrass, especially, exaggerate

Friday 7th February 2025

Well done Year 6 for completing your maths assessments this week.  We’ve also been continuing with decimals, learning to multiply a decimal by a whole number.  Next week, we will work on measurement. 

In English, we concluded our narrative writing by finishing stories inspired by a clip entitled 'The Lucky Dip.' Children constructed their narratives paragraph by paragraph, awaiting the next segment of the clip before continuing. This method inspired some excellent writing. Do ask your child about their story as I am sure they would enjoy the discussion. We have now started a new class book 'The Wolf Wilder' by Katherine Rundell. If anyone has a copy at home or would like to borrow a copy from the library, please do bring it to class so you can follow the text as we read.  

In Geography, we have focused our learning on polar landscapes. The children dedicated considerable effort to create 3D models that effectively demonstrated their understanding of various polar environments. Their projects included representations of glaciers, icebergs, tundra and boreal forests, which illustrated these fascinating landscapes.

This week, the children have also had the opportunity to participate in two coding lessons with Mr Miles. Working alongside our topic, 'Frozen Kingdom', children engaged with the process of coding a micro-bit to test temperature. It was super to observe their problem-solving skills and achievements during these lessons. 

We hope everyone enjoys the disco on Friday evening and look forward to seeing you on Monday.

Have a good weekend.

Mrs G and Ms W

Homework

English: Atom - pronouns for GPS

Spellings: 

Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning.
interrupt, interfere, intercept, interject, intertwine, interim, internal, intersperse, interloper, interest

Maths: Atom - calculating fractions and word problems.

Once again, we remind you that anyone spending less than ten minutes on their homework will need a high score to avoid having to complete a 'breaktime bonus'.

Friday 31st January 2025

This week Y6 has been learning about polar day and night. The children have been exploring why the Arctic and Antarctic experience periods of daylight and darkness and how this relates to the tilt of the earth. We have also learned more about Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. To help us understand the phrase 'survival of the fittest', we conducted an experiment to model how birds' beaks have adapted to improve their ability to catch and eat food.

In English, children have already made good use of the research they did last week into ospreys and have written an introduction to a non-chronological report. They are beginning to distinguish general language from specific detail. In maths, we have been dividing numbers with a decimal point and giving the answer to one, two and three decimal places, making sure to round the final digit.

Homework:

English: Atom Learning:  GPS

Spellings: 

Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning
commit, committee, transmit, submit, commitment, emit, permit, intermittent, omit, unremitting

Maths: 

Atom Learning: Mutliplying and dividing decimals and decimal place value

Please ensure that you spend more than a few minutes on your maths homework. It should take you around 10-20 minutes. Breaktime practice will be given to anyone with a low time and a low score.

Topic: If anyone has a spare shoe box please could they bring it to school on Monday. Many thanks.

Friday 24th January 2025 

One of the highlights of this week was our African drumming workshop held in the church. Every member of Year 6 had the opportunity to join in and discover the fascinating world of rhythms. The children learned about different drum sounds and how to control volume—a fun experience that allowed them to express their creativity through music. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they played together!

In maths, we have been converting fractions into decimals, alongside practising the written methods to secure these skills. Pupils are making progress with multiplying decimals, but we’ve noticed that their recall of times tables is still a bit shaky, so we’ll be putting extra focus on this area and would appreciate your support at home too.

In English, we've been working on writing a narrative inspired by a wordless clip. We are tackling the task paragraph by paragraph, only watching short segments at a time to help them structure their writing more effectively. There's been plenty of suspense and mystery in the classroom, with everyone eager to see the next 15 to 20 seconds of the footage each day. The creativity that has emerged from these sessions is truly impressive. We've also continued reading from Skyhawk and have used websites to research a range of fascinating facts about ospreys in preparation for beginning a non-chronological report next week. 

In geography, we’ve been investigating polar climates. Next week, we’ll start finding out about polar days and nights, extending our understanding of how these unique environments operate. In science, we have learned about the theory of evolution and about inherited and non-inherited characteristics. Focusing on their own heights and eye colour, children began to understand the difference between continuous and non-continuous variation and how to present data on each in graph form. 

Have a good weekend,

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework

English:

GPS paper from last week.  Thank you to those of you who have already completed and returned your answers.  A reminder that I would like everyone to hand in their work by Friday 31st Jan.  If you have finished, please feel free to click on the links from the paper and play some of the GPS games suggested. 

Spellings:

Words with the long /e/ sound spelt ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ after c (and exceptions)
deceive, conceive, receive, perceive, ceiling, receipt, protein, caffeine, seize, neither

Maths:

Atom Learning - mental multiplication and division

Friday 17th January 2025

Another set of assessments is over. Thank you everyone. The results will help our teaching and learning over the coming weeks. We have started to read and discuss a new class text - Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis. Should you wish to purchase your own copy, second hand ones are available online for just a couple of pounds. 

In maths, we are learning to associate fractions with division and to be able to calculate decimal equivalents for simple fractions. We have also had further practice at simplifying fractions. To tackle these problems effectively, children need a good recall of times tables facts. It is vital that you brush up on these by logging onto Times Tables Rock Stars or by an alternative method. 

As part of our Evolution and Inheritance topic, we asked What is a fossil? and How are fossils made? We also considered the scientific importance of fossils and were able to handle an impressive range of the rocky relics that included a variety of ammonites, a starfish, a crab shell, a lobster shell and a tooth - all of which were millions of years old. Thank you to everyone who brought fossils for us to look at. 

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Maths:

Atom Learning - place value and converting decimals and fractions

Times tables practice - three sessions at least

Spellings:

Words with a long /e/ sound spelt ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ after c (and exceptions)

siege, niece, grief, chief, fiend, shriek, believe, achieve, convenience, mischievous

English: 

As discussed in class, over the next two weeks, I would like you to complete the GPS paper, which you will find through the link below.  Please copy and paste the link into your browser and it should then work. I don’t expect you to print it off. Instead, I would like you to write the answers to each question on the page (attached below) and you also have a copy of this in your bag.  Yes, that means you will need to re write whole sentences! Sometimes, it will ask you to circle a word, but you can write it below next to the question number.  If you come across a question you find tricky, you will find a link which takes you to an explanation or a game. It would be very helpful if you could let me know which questions you found challenging.  You will notice that I have removed questions 8, 17, 23 and 38 as these are difficult to complete on this sheet. Don’t leave this homework until the last minute.  You have been given 2 weeks for a reason! Please come and speak to me if you have any problems.  Mrs G 

Friday 10th January 2025

First and foremost, we wish you all a very Happy New Year.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the generous gifts you treated us to over Christmas.  Your thoughtfulness means so much to us all on the Year 6 team, and we are incredibly grateful.  

It has been super to welcome the children back to school this week; they have been working hard and settling back seamlessly despite the cold weather conditions.  

This week, we have started our new maths topic: decimals.  Everyone seems to be grasping the concept well.  In English, we have been learning about semicolons and colons, focusing on the technicalities of using them correctly between clauses. The children have also been developing reading skills this week in guided reading groups with a focus on prediction.

We have begun a science topic called Evolution and Inheritance in which children have learned about the five kingdoms used to classify living things. If anyone has any fossils they would be prepared to lend us, that would be extremely helpful. Please send them into school next Friday - we will ensure that they are kept safely and returned at the end of the day. 

Next week, we will begin another new topic, Frozen Kingdom. These geography-based lessons will explore the Arctic and Antarctic, focusing on climate, polar day and night, polar animals and the lives of indigenous people in these regions. If anyone has any expertise in any of these areas, please do let us know. 

Have a good weekend,

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework

English:

Atom Learning - semicolons & colons

Spellings:

Adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words ending in -fer
referring, referred, referral, reference, referee, preferring, preferred, preference, transferring, transference

Hint: When -fer syllable is stressed, double the 'r' before adding the suffix.

(As this is a difficult set of vocabulary, some children may choose to focus on the words in red which are the most useful.)

Maths: 

Atom Learning - decimal place value and simple sequences

Thursday 19th December 2024

Thank you all for the festive gifts we have received today. It is so kind of you to remember us at this hectic time of year.

We'd like to wish everyone the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Friday 13th December 2024

Well done, everyone, for all your hard work this week in class. 

We are nearly there with our fractions unit and have been working on dividing fractions by whole numbers.  We have continued with our evacuee narratives in English and have made further progress with our garments and accessories in Make Do & Mend.  Once again, many thanks to all our helpers for your support.  The preparations for The Christmas Truce continue- please could everyone learn their lines off by heart this weekend as it really makes a difference.  I have attached the script so there are no excuses. 

Have a good weekend,

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework:

Maths 

Atom Learning - There are only six questions this week to round off our work on fractions. Add them, subtract them, multiply them and divide them. I look forward to everyone completing the work on time. 

Statutory spellings
definite, determined, especially, excellent, developed, familiar, frequently, immediate, necessary, sincerely, thorough, vegetable

English

Learn your lines for The Christmas Truce. Script can be found below.

Friday 6th December 2024

It's been a 'Wicked' week! On Wednesday, Y6 was treated to a trip to the West End to see the much-loved prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Children behaved beautifully on the journey and in the theatre. They were a credit to us all.

We've been multiplying fractions this week in maths and, in English, we read and discussed a 1998 newspaper report about Mrs Edwards' grandfather who, at the time, was the oldest living survivor of the Battle of the Somme. Mr Miles joined us this week for coding lessons in which children created an evacuee train moving from an urban landscape to a rural one. 

Our sewing projects are taking shape and we plan to have the items completed by next Thursday. If anyone has any unwanted wool, ribbon or cord, please send it in as soon as possible. Similarly, if you have any old tights or other hosiery in an outdated colour or with unsightly holes, please send them our way so that we can turn them into stuffing for a cushion!

A quick reminder that the children's Secret Santa presents need to be bought, wrapped, labelled and delivered to school by Monday 16th December at the latest. There is a sack beneath Mrs Pearson's desk - please sneak your gift into this.

Finally, and I'm sorry to dampen the mood, but yet again a certain group of pupils ignored their maths homework assignment. This not only means they have not consolidated this week's learning, but it also has a negative impact on next week's teaching. Please find a regular time in the week to tackle the twenty minutes or so that it takes. 

Homework

English: 

Atom Learning - punctuation focus.  Please take time to think carefully about the punctuation questions and see if you are able to apply any new ideas to your own writing next week.

Spellings:

Creating diminutives using prefixes micro- or mini-
minibus, miniskirt, minicam, minibeast, minicab, minimum, microscope, microchip, microphone, microwave

Maths: 

Atom Learning - multiplying pairs of proper fractions and written multiplication. 

Times Tables Rock Stars. Some of you need to know these important facts better. 

Friday 29th November 

Despite the challenges of illness in class this week, we’ve had another busy and productive time. We hope everyone feels better soon and that many of you will be able to join us at the Christmas fair on Saturday.

In History, we have been looking at the impact of rationing on families and its connection to the war effort. The children explored the topic and created propaganda posters featuring slogans to encourage rationing. We have also begun learning about evacuation, Britain’s largest migration in history, and discussed the reasons behind it. We will continue exploring evacuation next week. Our Make Do and Mend project has begun with great enthusiasm, as the children embrace the wartime spirit of creativity and resourcefulness. Many thanks to Mrs Brown and Mrs Cahill who gave up their Friday afternoon to thread endless needles. 

In Maths, we have continued working on fractions, focusing on adding and subtracting proper fractions and mixed numbers. The children are making good progress, and we will continue building on this next week.

On Wednesday, the children participated in prayer stations at St. Mary’s Church, working alongside their Reception class buddies. This special session provided an opportunity for spiritual reflection, as the children engaged with different stations. It was a meaningful way to explore our church school values and connect with their inner thoughts.

Well done to all the children for their hard work and resilience this week.

Have a good weekend.

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright
 

Homework

The Christmas Truce

As discussed in class, please could all children learn the following first verse to the poem off by heart:

Christmas Eve in the trenches of France, the guns were quiet.

The dead lay still in No Man's Land -

Freddie, Franz, Friedrich, Frank...

The moon, like a medal, hung in the clear, cold sky.

English

Atom - pronouns.  

Spellings

Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning.
suggest, digest, congestion, gesture, gestation, lightning, daylight, enlighten, twilight, limelight

Maths 

Atom - mixed numbers and word problems

Friday 22nd November 2024

This week's highlight was undoubtedly the Y6 trip to the Imperial War Museum where children were able to explore artefacts from and information about the two world wars. The sheer quantity of exhibits makes it impossible to view everything in one go and I am sure everyone will be keen to make a second visit sometime in the future. 

Our latest grammatical challenge was to be able to recognise the subjunctive mood (which we did by comparing the lyrics of Justin Beiber with those of Beyonce) and children also planned a suspense story in readiness for next week's writing task. Maths lessons were spent comparing and ordering fractions and mixed numbers.

In preparation for our imminent Make Do and Mend projects, we learned three different sewing techniques - running stitch, whip stitch and blanket stitch. While some children were already quite confident with a needle and thread, others were complete strangers to sewing. Within a couple of short hours, however, everyone was knotting and threading and stitching with aplomb.

Today, we learned the results of the half term portrait competition. All the pictures are fascinating and I find something new to enjoy in each one everyday. Mrs Clare's graphic designer daughter had the unenviable job of judging three winners in each class. In Y6, the top places went to James (3rd), Giselle (2nd) and Queenie (1st). Congratulations to all of you.

Finally, can we ask that everyone completes their homework on time this week please? Also that you consider each question carefully and do workings when they are needed. While many children diligently finish the work set, an increasingly sizeable group is regularly ignoring the assignments. Homework is an important tool in securing and challenging your learning. It also helps you practise your organisational skills ready for Y7. 

Thank you.

Miss Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Maths:

Atom Learning - Mixed numbers and improper fractions. Equivalent fractions.

This is due on Thursday 28th November (even if you are at a football tournament that day).

Spellings: 

Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning.
temperature, temper, temperament, tempered, variety, vary, variation, varied, variable, variance

Friday 15th November 2024

The children worked hard in preparation for our Remembrance Service on Monday, and they did an outstanding job presenting fascinating facts about World War II in Chiddingstone. Their dedication and enthusiasm were evident, and we are so proud of their contributions to this important event.

Year 6 continued to shine as they took on the role of tour guides for our Open Day, warmly welcoming prospective parents and showing them around the school. Their confidence, knowledge, and friendliness truly reflected the values of our school, and we received so many positive comments about how impressed everyone was with them. 
 

In Maths, we’ve started our new topic: fractions. The children have been working hard on understanding equivalent fractions and learning how to simplify fractions. As always, times tables make a big difference as they play a key role in mastering fractions. 

In history, we transformed our classroom into a World War II picture house, setting the scene for a surprise air raid evacuation. The children reenacted what it would have been like to evacuate a cinema in wartime London, heading for the safety of an underground station. This gave the children a real sense of the challenges faced during that time and they used this experience to write their own detailed instructions on what to do during an air raid. 

This week marks 'anti-bullying week' and we had a visit from Kent Police, who delivered a powerful talk about anti-bullying. They discussed the importance of kindness and the effects of bullying, encouraging the children to reflect on their own actions and interactions. It was a thought-provoking session, and we hope it left a lasting impact.

A special thank you to Mrs Brown, who visited us this week to share the story of her grandfather’s unique role in World War II. The children were captivated by his incredible story, which added a personal and meaningful dimension to their learning. We were also very fortunate to have Mrs Patel visit us to share the story of Diwali, explaining its significance and traditions. To make the celebration even more special, she treated Year 6 to some delicious homemade Indian sweets, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. 

We hope you all have a good weekend,

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework

English: Atom Learning - verbs

Maths: Atom Learning - equivalent fractions / ordering and comparing fractions.

Spellings:

Words ending in -able
adorable, valuable, advisable, believable, desirable, excitable, knowledgeable, likeable, changeable, noticeable

Friday 8th November 2024

Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll is our new class text. By popular demand, however, we will continue to read Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful  as well. From this term, we now have regular guided reading classes in small adult-led groups. The deep questioning and discussion this allows is a boon to children's comprehension skills. Y6 has learned to identify and use the present and past progressive tenses and, in other news, spelling test results this week were particularly strong. We're looking forward to seeing some hyphenated adjectives in future pieces of writing!

After just two weeks away, our maths has already become a little rusty, so we invested some time this week revising factors and multiples as well as learning about prime and composite numbers. Remember to visit your Times Tables Rock Stars account to keep that important knowledge current. It will help enormously with your homework and with the challenge of fractions which starts on Monday. 

In topic work, we started to learn about air raids in WWII and the reasons behind the government's 1943 'Make Do and Mend' campaign. Children have been asked to bring in an item or two of clean, unwanted clothing for next week in order to begin planning some exciting transformations. Please send your outgrown, damaged or worn-out garments our way. Any unused pieces will be delivered to a charity shop at a later date.

As ever, we are grateful for your help.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

English

Please plan your presentation for our family consultations which begin next Thursday. You will have time in school to create your PowerPoint, but you must jot down some ideas about areas of strength in English and maths and areas for improvement. You should also tell us about something else you enjoy about school life and why.

Maths

Atom Learning - prime numbers, factors and multiples. Let's see everyone tackling the work this week please. 

Spellings:

Words ending in -able
applicable, tolerable, operable, considerable, dependable, comfortable, reasonable, perishable, breakable, fashionable

Friday 18th October 2024

The end of the term has crept up and we can't believe it is already half term. 

This week we have reached the end of WWI and the children learnt how the war ended and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.  The children have really enjoyed the topic and we have been extremely pleased with their learning, questioning and discussions.  In maths, the children have been exploring common multiples.  Atom homework for half term will be based on multiples and factors.  In English, we have been learning about Walter Tull and the children have written a biography about him using the passive voice.  Do ask your child to tell you about Walter as he has a very interesting story.

Next term, we will be organising a trip to The Imperial War Museum in London on 20th November.  More details to follow.  We are also very much looking forward to a visit from Mr Hogan on the first day of term.  He is going to give us an introduction to World War II through the eyes of Chiddingstone.  Please could all children bring trainers / wellies to school for the first day back.

We hope you all have a restful half term and look forward to seeing you in November.

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework: Atom Maths and English

Spellings:

Hyphen: To join compound adjectives to avoid ambiguity.
man-eating, little-used, rock-bottom, wide-eyed, pig-headed, tight-fisted, cold-hearted, stone-faced,  
green-eyed, short-tempered

Friday 11th October 2024

There have been one or two breaks from the usual time table this week which have enlivened proceedings.

On Tuesday, Mr Miles returned to the classroom to help Y6 use Microbits to act as a sensor for a purpose of their choosing. Many children decided to code the microcontrollers to indicate excessive volume. (I'm pretty sure most teachers can identify that without the aid of technology!)

Everyone looked resplendent in yellow for World Mental Health Day on Thursday and we were treated to a drama workshop based on the Hans Christian Anderson folktale, The Emperor's New Clothes. Today, there was a fire engine on the premises and three firefighters who gave children an overview of the valuable work that they do. 

Dividing by two-digit numbers has proved a little tricky, especially when it came to calculating remainders as fractions. We made good progress, however, and will persevere next week. Children eagerly listened to the next installment of Private Peaceful and wrote some powerfully contrasting descriptions of WWI soldiers' early optimism and their later disillusionment with the war. On a lighter note, they also composed a persuasive, if slightly daft, promotion for invisible clothing!

On the subject of clothing, one of our topics next term will be Make Do and Mend in which children will be challenged with repurposing a pre-loved garment or two. If you have any items you are planning to throw out or donate to charity, could you please reserve any that could be of use for us? Feel free to bring them into school at any time. 

Many thanks,

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Spellings:

Hyphens to join a prefix ending in a vowel to a root word beginning with a vowel.
co-operate, co-ordinate, co-own, co-author, re-enter, re-educate, re-examine, re-evaluate, re-energise, re-elect

Maths:

Atom Learning - mental multiplication and division and written division

Deadline - Thursday MORNING

English:

Atom Learning - adjectives and adverbs

Deadline - Friday MORNING

Friday 4th October

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us at our Harvest Festival on Tuesday.  We were very pleased with the spirit of the year 6 children and hope you agree that they danced their hearts out.

In maths this week, we have been investigating multiplication and the children have been working on perfecting their written calculations of multiplying a 3 digit number by a 2 digit number. In English, we have been planning a piece of descriptive writing and looking at techniques to make a writing more engaging and detailed. This week, you will see that the Atom English homework is focused on applying what the children have learned about subordinate clauses, conjunctions, and multi clause sentences.   

The children have been so engaged in learning about World War 1 this week. They have been exploring significant events, which have given them a deeper understanding of the war and its impact on both soldiers and civilians.  The Christmas Truce stirred many emotions and lots of interesting discussion.  They have also considered what life was like on the Homefront as well as studying some profound war poetry for National Poetry Day.

As we begin a new Science topic on electrical circuits and components, we were very lucky to have a computing lesson from Ed Miles. He is working with the class to code a microbit, which will programme an LED to turn on as sound in the room becomes louder. Year 6 will continue with this project on Tuesday.

Please note that there is an additional piece of homework this week. We would like everyone to listen to the next chapter of our class book at home as it is very difficult to find time to read the entire story in class. A link is supplied below.

Homework

English Reading: Please use the following link to listen to the next extract of Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo. Click on Episode 4 and then on Part 4 which begins with the chapter Ten to Midnight. It should take about 15 minutes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01n4ny7

English GPS: Atom Learning - Subordinate clauses and conjunctions

Spellings:

Adjectives ending in -ent into nouns ending in -ence and -ency
innocent, innocence, decent, decency, excellent, excellence, confident, confidence, existent, existence

Tested on Thursday

Maths: Atom Learning - Written multiplication, mental multiplication and division

Please complete by Thursday

Friday 27th September 2024

Like everyone, we've been struggling with the bad weather, but perhaps it gave us a better feel for some of the hardship that soldiers in the WWI trenches had to endure! This week, children learned about the horrors of life on the battlefield including the living conditions and the powerful weaponry that had become available. This led to some excellent diary writing in our English lessons. The class was intrigued by it all and came up with many questions which it might be worth exploring further at home. 

In maths, we now understand what BIDMAS means, as well as how and when to use it and some became addicted to a journaling challenge in which four fours had to combined in various ways to result in a certain number. 

Thank you to those of you who joined us for a chat about the Y6 curriculum on Wednesday. For those of you who couldn't make it, the school website is a rich source of information about each of the subjects we teach. 

Our Harvest Festival is scheduled to take place first thing next Tuesday morning in the church. Y6 will be performing an uplifting dance and some of the children have readings to deliver. Your child should have brought a decorated envelope home in which we would like to invite you to place a donation to be brought to school for the service. If the pretty envelope. can't be found, any will do. We also ask that you contribute tinned or dry foodstuffs (in date) which will be donated to Edenbridge foodbank.

Looking forward to a slightly less rainy weekend.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Spellings 

Adjectives ending in -ant into nouns ending in -ance and -ancy
observant, observance, expectant, expectancy, hesitant, hesitancy, tolerant, tolerance, relevant, relevance

Maths

Atom School (https://atomlearning.com/school)

Order of operations and written multiplication*

Deadline: Thursday 3rd October

*Please note that written multiplication will be the focus of our maths lesson on Monday, so you may prefer to wait until then before doing this homework. On Saturday and Sunday, you could brush up your times tables on Times Tables Rock Stars Garage and practise those spellings.

Friday 20th September

Another super week in Year 6.  Today, we were treated to a variety of excellent Head Student speeches.  Year 6, you should feel very proud of yourselves for delivering your speeches clearly and in a mature and articulate way. We will announce your new leadership roles in Act of Worship on Monday.

We spent a really interesting day in London on Tuesday.  The Brunel Museum was fascinating and 'Brunel' himself brought our trip to life.  As a result, I have a feeling we have quite a few budding engineers in class.  We shall watch this space.  The real excitement of the day was climbing the tower at Tower Bridge and walking across the glass walkway.  I was very proud of the children who were forced to overcome their fear of heights. 

It has also been assessment week in school so Year 6 has been completing maths and English papers.  We have had time for a little English where the children wrote a recount about our trip to London.  I am looking forward to reading these over the weekend.  In GPS, we have been focusing on adverbs and adverbials.  Is your child able to tell you about an adverbial over the weekend?

We have now finished our engineering topic and continue with World War 1.  The children have been looking at the recruitment campaign for WW1 and next week we will start to explore what life was like in the trenches.

Stars of the week: 

Well done to Sandy for being well mannered and attentive in everything she does and to William for working really hard and contributing to class discussions. 

We hope you have a restful weekend,

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework

Spellings - tested on Thursday 26th September

Homophones and near homophones. Nouns that end in -ce/-cy and verbs that end in -se/-sy
advice, advise, device, devise, licence, license, practice, practise, prophecy, prophesy

Remember Mrs Pearson's tip. Ice is a noun. Spellings that end in -ice are nouns.

Maths

Place value and rounding: https://atomlearning.com/school

This should be completed by Wednesday 25th September. You should arm yourself with some paper and a pencil for workings. Please work independently so that the system is able to offer you suitable challenges each week. Do use the online help tools when you need them. 

Friday 13th September 2024

Another week has raced by. We have completed our revision of place value to numbers up to ten million and will move on to add, subtract, multiply, divide and problem solve in the coming lessons. If your times tables recall has faded over the holidays, now is a good time to brush up on those very important facts. Your Times Tables Rock Stars accounts are ready and waiting for you!

In our Britain at War topic, children have deepened their understanding of how and why the Great War began. In English, we have continued to read and discuss One Boy's War and Private Peaceful. 

Next Tuesday, the class will be visiting London to learn about the engineering prowess of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Ahead of this, we have spent today immersed in bridges. Children explored some significant British bridges, where they are, why they were needed and who designed them. They also learned about different types of bridge structure - beam, arch, suspension, cantilever and truss - and can now identify each. Finally, we experimented with different thicknesses and shapes of paper bridges to find out which was capable of supporting the most weight. 

It was such a busy day that we ran out of time to announce our stars of the week, but they are Josh and Torin for being attentive and demonstrating good manners. 

I hear we are to be treated to some more sunshine this weekend. I hope you get the chance to enjoy it.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Your Head Student speeches must be emailed or brought into school by MONDAY 16th September please.

Spellings

Due to the Kent Test, there was no spelling test this week.

Please continue to learn these useful adjectives and aim for a high score next week.

aggressive, hostile, awkward, obstinate, desperate, frantic, disastrous, calamitous, marvellous, spectacular

Maths

This will begin in week three.

Friday 6th September

A very warm welcome to Year 6.  It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome the children this week and they have all settled very quickly, getting used to the new routines.  

In maths this week, pupils have started working with seven digit numbers in place value.  They have been writing numbers in words, ordering, comparing and rounding numbers, as well as writing and explaining their findings in their maths journals. 

We have started our new topic 'Britain at War' which has already stirred many questions and conversations.  We can see that it is going to be a very exciting topic ahead.  

Dates for the diary:

Tuesday 17th September: Trip to The Brunel Museum & Tower Bridge 

Wednesday 25th September: Curriculum Meeting 1.30pm via Zoom where we will be able to talk to you about life in Year 6, the curriculum, homework, trips etc.

Tuesday 1st October - Harvest Festival

We look forward to seeing many of you over the next few weeks. 

Have a good weekend.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework:

Spellings:- to be tested weekly on Thursdays

Ambitious synonyms - adjectives

aggressive, hostile, awkward, obstinate, desperate, frantic, disastrous, calamitous, marvellous, spectacular

Head Pupil Speeches

Head pupil elections will take place on Friday 20th September. For homework, we ask that you ALL compose a short speech to present to the school stating why you are a good candidate for the role.

We are setting the task now so that you have plenty of opportunity to think about it, discuss it with your family, plan it and then write it. The deadline is Monday 16^th September, but you may submit it earlier if you prefer. Work can either be typed or handwritten. It should NOT be a PowerPoint presentation or require any technology to deliver it. Please email it to the office if possible. We would like you each to speak for around one minute. When you have completed your piece, do practise reading it aloud several times to someone at home.

In the past, we have heard wild promises that can never be kept, so this year we would like you to think about the type of person you are and what qualities you have that would be desirable in a head pupil. Perhaps you are confident and able to communicate well or it could be that you are fun-loving and enthusiastic. Are you excellent at getting things organised? Maybe you are a deep thinker who has good ideas or someone who is sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others and makes everyone feel included.

A head pupil is required to speak to people of all ages, including those of us from the school and visitors. You will need to represent the school on special occasions, be respectful and set a good example for others to follow. You will have to demonstrate leadership skills and might need to help out with events.

You all have something to offer so don’t be shy – tell us how special you are!