Friday 5th December

In maths this week, we have been mastering the process of dividing fractions, using different strategies to explain our thinking with confidence. We have focused on understanding why the methods work, not just how to complete the calculations. The children have been using diagrams, bar models and real-life contexts to deepen their understanding, as well as practising lots of fluency questions to build accuracy and speed.

In English, the children have been revising homophones and their rules, especially those tricky pairs and groups that are often muddled up — such as there/ their/ they’re and to/ two/ too. We have also looked closely at verbs and nouns like practise and practice and advise and advice to help improve our spelling accuracy. 

We have been preparing for a special event on Monday. We will be welcoming Able Seaman Eric Bateman to our Act of Worship. He visited our school earlier in the year for VE Day, but unfortunately Year 6 were away on their residential at the time. We are delighted that he is returning to celebrate his 100th birthday with us. Year 6 will be delivering a presentation to him, followed by a tea party in his honour.

Alongside this, we have begun preparations for our upcoming Carol Service . Over the next week, we will be asking for a few costumes / accessories so the children to look like characters from Bethlehem.  More to follow. 

Finally, please could pupils bring in old clothes next week, as we will be doing some gardening and outdoor painting activities.  If these could stay in school, we would be very grateful. 

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Glover & Ms Wright

Friday 28th November 2025

We are tantalisingly close to the end of our study text, Star of Fear, Star of Hope by Jo Hoestlandt and this week we practised using inference to detect protagonists' feelings and motives, justifying answers with reference to the text. This laid the groundwork for some excellent diary entries and letter writing in the role of different characters. 

In maths, we have explored fractions and multiplication. Children unanimously agreed that, while the process is simple, the challenge of explaining the concept is significantly more demanding. 

Mr Miles joined us for computing sessions and taught children to communicate messages using Morse code. He also guided the class to use WordArt, manipulate text and select, save and position photographs to create an effective leaflet persuading families to accept an evacuee into their homes.

Homework

Maths: Atom Learning - Multiplying fractions and written division. 

Friday 21st November 2025

This week in Maths, we have been continuing our work on improper and mixed-number fractions and learning how to compare them. We have also begun adding and subtracting fractions, and the children have shown great perseverance with these new skills.

In English, we have continued exploring our class text and have been writing recounts, making effective use of speech and the passive voice.  We have continued to look at the spelling rules for -tious and -cious and develop our vocabulary with words that contain these sounds. 

In History, we learnt about rationing and explored what daily life was like on the Home Front during the Second World War. The children were fascinated to discover how families managed with limited supplies, using ration books to buy essentials such as sugar, butter, meat and clothing. We discussed how people had to be resourceful and inventive, making meals stretch further and finding creative ways to repair or reuse items — ideas that link wonderfully to our Make Do and Mend project.

We also learnt about the Blitz and how it affected people living in cities across Britain. The class explored how communities coped with air raids, the importance of shelters, and how children were evacuated to the countryside for safety. We are very grateful to Mrs Thomas, who came in with so many  interesting artefacts belonging to her grandfather, who fought in the Second World War — all carefully stored in his soldier’s suitcase. The children were fascinated - thank you.

Our Make Do and Mend project has been very successful today, and the re-fashioning has now begun! A huge thank-you to all the parents who came in to assist — your help made such a difference. You are all warmly invited to the Year 6 Fashion Show on the last day of term, which will take place at 11am in the church on Thursday 18th December.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Glover & Ms Wright

Homework

Atom Learning: Maths - adding and subtracting fractions and mental addition and subtractions

Friday 14th November 2025

This week we marked Remembrance Day with a lovely service in the church at which Y6 performed a moving poem and placed poppies on the war memorial. Those of you who were able to attend will know how touching the ceremony was and will, we're sure, remember it for a long time. 

Children have continued to build their writing skills by practising expanded noun phrases and use of the senses to create vivid descriptions, dialogue to advance the action and short sentences to create tension. Our spelling rules concerned the suffixes -cious and -tious  Ordering fractions, including those greater than one, has been the focus of maths lessons and we have carefully planned the ways in which we will alter and adapt clothing to create new garments in DT. We have a small amount of buttons, ribbon, elastic, Velcro etc. in school but, if your child requires anything particular, it would be wonderful if you could help them source it.

It was great to see some of you at parents' consultations and we look forward to catching up with other families next week. 

Enjoy your weekend.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Atom Learning: Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions, Order and Compare Fractions

Friday 7th November 2025

We hope everyone had a restful half-term break. It’s been lovely to see the children return refreshed and ready for another half term of learning.

This week in Maths, we’ve been exploring prime and composite numbers, developing our understanding of how these special numbers work. We have also begun simplifying fractions — a key skill that helps build strong number sense and fraction fluency. Knowing our times tables really helps with this, so any extra practice at home will make a big difference.

In spelling, we’ve started revisiting the Year 5/6 Statutory Spelling List (attached below). These are the words pupils are expected to spell confidently by the end of Year 6 — a great set to practise at home too. We’ve been focusing on exploring the tricky parts of each word and developing strategies to help remember them.

In writing, we’ve begun a new topic inspired by the picture book Star of Fear, Star of Hope by Jo Hoestlandt, set during World War II. Through this text, we’ve been expanding our vocabulary with words linked to peace and conflict. The children have already written short stories that involve elements of conflict — they may be able to share their stories with you over the weekend.

Our new topic this half term is ‘A Child’s War’, where we will compare WWI and WWII while focusing on what life was like for children at the time. This week, we’ve been learning all about evacuation — a fascinating and emotional topic that the children have really engaged with. Today, we began our DT topic 'Make Do & Mend', where children began to learn some simple stitches.

Next week, we will be holding our Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church on Monday at 10:45am. Year 6 parents are warmly invited to join us as we come together to remember and reflect.  If you child would like to purchase a Remembrance cross, we have them available for a suggested £1 donation.

Homework

Atom English - direct speech

Atom Maths - equivalent fractions/order and compare fractions

Have a good weekend.

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Friday 17th October 2025

It's hard to believe that term one of Y6 is over already, but great to see how well children have settled in. They are becoming used to the rigours of the work and have already proved themselves worthy of their leadership and mentoring roles. 

The final week found us knee-deep in multiples, factors and prime numbers and underlined how important times tables knowledge is. Please take some time over the holiday to learn or maintain your recall of these key facts. 

English lessons focused on editing a piece of writing for accuracy and impact before publishing and illustrating the content ready for display. The class also began rehearsals for a poem they will perform at our Remembrance service next month. Everyone is already captivated by the first few chapters of Letters From the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll. We do have a good quantity of copies to share in school, but if you wish to provide your child with their own book, you are very welcome to do so. 

Next term's topic centres on WWII and features, among other elements, the popular Make Do and Mend DT project. If you have any items of clothing that are unloved or no longer wearable, please dig them out and bring them into school when we return. Do think of us before donating anything to the charity shops. We are also on the lookout for volunteers to help with elementary sewing so, if you are able to spare time on Thursday or Friday afternoons, please let the office know. 

All that's left to do is to wish you a very pleasant break and we'll see you all again soon(ish).

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Maths:

Atom Learning - multiples and factors

Times tables facts

Friday 10th October 2025

Weeks of preparation have led to a final piece of non-fiction writing in which Year 6 wrote about tigers, why they are endangered and how we might protect them. Children showed incredible focus and stamina to produce lengthy pieces of work demonstrating a wide range of grammatical techniques and strong vocabulary. A very impressive start to the year.

In maths, we have continued to think about division and how to present remainders as fractions. Good times tables recall makes these calculations easier and will be increasingly necessary as we move to learn about multiples, factors, prime numbers and fractions in the coming weeks. Your Times Tables Rock Stars account can be an enjoyable way of memorising these important facts and keeping them up to date. Alternatively, there are plenty of exciting apps, such as Hit the Button, and also colouring activities that might appeal.

In history, we have learned about army officer and professional footballer, Walter Tull, and considered how WWI impacted people on the Home Front. 

Thank you all for your contributions to our Harvest Festival and today's Wear it Blue day. Both were highly enjoyable events and your donations will make life a little easier for others.

Have a very good weekend.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework:

After an excellent start to the term when all children completed their homework on time, there is a growing number of pupils who are not doing the work that we set. Please make sure you find time in the week to manage your homework as it is useful for your learning and prepares you for the rigours of Year 7.

Maths: Atom Learning - Written division, written multiplication and word problems. Due on Thursday. 

Please note that, when questions say 'use long division' you should use your preferred method.

Do have some scrap paper and a pencil to hand for workings. 

Friday 4th October 2025

This week the children enjoyed their computing session with Mr Miles where they learned about Morse code in World War I and used coding to programme their own Morse code messages.  We have been busy practising our dance as we prepare for the Harvest service next week and on Tuesday we had our school photos, with everyone looking very smart.

In maths, we have been moving on to division and extending our times table knowledge beyond 12 × 12. This will help us as we develop strategies for dividing by two-digit numbers. In English, we have been learning about endangered species, with a particular focus this week on the vulture. We have been developing our persuasive and information writing skills to raise awareness of this issue. The spelling focus this week has been on investigating the many ways to make the long a sound in English and learning the rules that help us apply each one. For example, we discovered that “ei” is usually found in the middle of a word. We also looked at the letter string (quadgraph) ough and were fascinated to learn that it can make seven different sounds in our language.

A reminder that our Harvest Service takes place next Wednesday. Please could your child bring in a decorated envelope with a donation for Bondeni School. We would also greatly appreciate donations of tinned or non-perishable goods for the Edenbridge Food Bank.

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

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework:

English - Atom Learning

Hyphens and parenthesis (we have been learning about this grammar in class) 

Maths - Atom Learning

Written division, written multiplication and order of operations (BIDMAS)

Friday 26th September 2025

Long multiplication and estimating has been our mathematical focus this week and children will have the opportunity to practise these skills in their homework.

In English, we have read about rhinos, Partula snails and the Kakapo parrot and used our new knowledge to write short information leaflets using modal verbs, adverbials for possibility and brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis.

Y6 now understands that, due to advances in weaponry, WWI was considered to be a modern war. Children were fascinated to learn about the mechanics of Maxim machine gun and asked many thought-provoking questions about warfare. 

On Thursday, we welcomed two members of the Parish Council to the school. They explained that they are hoping to create a Neighbourhood Plan for the parish and that they are seeking the people's opinions about what is important for the community in the future. Children took home a leaflet which tells you how you can take part in the survey. 

Enjoy the last few days of September. Autumn beckons.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Homework

Atom Learning: written methods of multiplication and estimating. 

Please also make sure you practise your times tables. You can log into your Times Tables Rock Stars account (forgotten passwords can be obtained from the school office) or use a different method, but it is important to know these key facts well. 

Friday 19th September 2025

Well done Year 6 for delivering your Head Student speeches ton Thursday—everyone did an excellent job presenting themselves with confidence. The new roles will be announced by Mrs Haysom on Monday.

This week we enjoyed a fantastic trip to London, visiting the Brunel Museum and Tower Bridge as part of our engineering topic. The children represented the school brilliantly and showed great enthusiasm in their learning throughout the day. A real highlight was being on Tower Bridge as it opened—a wonderful and memorable experience for everyone!

Back in school, it has been assessment week and everyone has worked hard. These assessments will help us identify any gaps and inform our planning as we move forward. In maths, we have continued to develop our understanding of BIDMAS and applied it to increasingly tricky problems. In English, the children wrote persuasive pieces of writing on the important issue of saving tigers from extinction. Perhaps your child can share their arguments with you at home. Finally, in spelling, we have continued to look at suffixes and what happens to root words when they are changed.

Well done to Year 6 for such a positive week of learning.

Have a good weekend.

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright

Homework

Atom Learning (https://atomlearning.com): Place value and rounding.

Children have been given a copy of their usernames and passwords. The office also has a list of the details should you need a further reminder. 

Answers will be reviewed in class on Thursday 25th September so please ensure that the questions are completed by Wednesday evening.

Friday 12th September 2025

This week, we have completed our poetry about endangered animals. The results were so impressive that they are now displayed around the school. Do take time to read each other's work. 

Our spelling focus has been how to add -ed, -ing, -er, -est, -en to words with more than one syllable. 

You might like to try the rules below with some of the following vocabulary:

acquit, allot, begin, control, forget/forgot, gallop, incur, omit, regret, transmit, benefit, bicker, consider, dishearten, forfeit, interpret, open, profit, travel, worship

• Key spelling rule: If the final two letters are a single vowel followed by a consonant, then double the last consonant before adding -ed and -ing. 
• Key spelling rule: If the root word ends in y, change to an i if the suffix begins with an e.
• Key spelling rule: If the root word ends in an e, drop the final e before adding the suffix.
• Key spelling rule: If the last syllable of a multi-syllable word is stressed and ends with one consonant letter which has just one vowel letter before it, the final consonant letter is doubled before -ed or -ing e.g. beginning. The consonant letter is not doubled if the last syllable is unstressed

In maths, we have practised using mixed operations, while our WWI learning has been about why it was that men volunteered to fight and which country was allied with which. Today has been spent discovering simple methods for creating strength from paper and putting this knowledge to use by designing and building prototype bridges. Next week, there is at trip to Brunel Museum and Tower Bridge to look forward to. 

There is some homework to be completed this weekend ahead of the Head Pupil Speeches next Thursday. Please read these instructions carefully.

Head Pupil Elections will take place on Thursday, 18th September. For homework, we ask that you all compose a short speech to present to the school, explaining why you are a good candidate for the role.

We have discussed this in class, so hopefully you will have already had the opportunity to think about it and discuss it with your family. The deadline is Monday, 15th September, but you may submit it earlier if you prefer. Your work can be either typed or handwritten, but it should not be a PowerPoint presentation or require any technology to deliver. Please email it to the office if possible. We would like each of you to speak for around one minute. When you have completed your piece, practise reading it aloud several times to someone at home. You are not expected to memorise it and will be able to read it on the day.

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 or in other mentoring roles. Perhaps you are confident and able to communicate well or it could be that you are fun-loving and enthusiastic. Maybe you have a strong interest in one of the subjects we learn about at school. 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!

We look forward to finding out a little more about you.

Ms Wright and Mrs Glover

Friday 5th September

Welcome back to Year 6. We are pleased to share that the children have settled well and are getting used to our new routines in the classroom.  We are looking forward to seeing you all at pick up over the next couple of weeks. As always, if you do have any questions about Year 6, please do email or call us.

This week in maths, we have begun our place value unit, exploring numbers up to the millions.  Year 6 children have also started their maths journals, which we use to explore maths, tackle problems and develop mastery.

In English, we have started a new writing scheme and are working on a poetry unit about animals; each child will choose an animal and produce their own poem in their chosen form, developing their language and vocabulary. Our spelling scheme is now different — there is no formal weekly testing; instead, we are focusing on words and their meanings, and talking about the tricky parts of words to help with learning. Over the weekend, pupils may like to review some of the following words from this week which include: disappear, neighbour, aggressive, immediately, soldier.  Please find attached the statutory spelling list for Year 5 & 6 for your own reference. 

We have also started both our History and DT topics: World War I and Engineer. Hopefully, your child will be able to tell you the reason World War I started — do ask them over the weekend!  We are reading Private Peaceful for pleasure and have made a good start with some interesting class discussions. 

We hope you all have an enjoyable and restful weekend,

Mrs Glover and Ms Wright