Autumn 2 Week 1

It’s the start of the second half term and what a busy week it has been! We started the week with a visit from the amazing World War Workshop. Bill told us stories about soldiers who served in World War I, from our local area. We learnt all about how the war impacted theirs and their family’s lives. We also got to handle hundreds of different artefacts from World War I. The children thoroughly enjoyed the day and really enjoyed learning in a fun and hands-on environment. We can’t thank Bill enough for giving his time and letting us handle his collection. On the same day, we made poppies for our remembrance display. 6L will be delivering a Remembrance assembly on Wednesday morning at 10:45 am.

In English this week, our grammar focus has been on finding the subject, verb and object in different sentences. This will help us to prepare for when we need to write in the passive voice. We have been planning and writing a bravery speech for Rose Blanche. We have analysed the text, found the grammatical and structural features and planned our speech. Our writing is going well so far and we have already done our introduction. In shared reading, we have had a poetry focus based around different settings in our environment. We have analysed poems about urban and rural areas and compared and contrasted the differences.

In mathematics, we have started our work on fractions. We have spent the last few days simplifying fractions and applying this knowledge to ensure our fractions are in the simplest form. 

As well as our World War Workshop, we analysed the key events in World War II and created a timeline of these. We discussed why World War II started and the key events from 1939 to 1945.

In science, we have started to learn about classification. We looked at a variety of different leaves and created our own Venn diagrams to help us sort and classify these. We realised it was a lot harder than we thought because many leaves have multiple features.

In RE, we learnt about the holy pilgrimage of Hajj. Mrs Gharda, who recently completed her own personal pilgrimage, told us all about it and what Muslims do when they are on pilgrimage. She even showed us some of her own pictures so we could see a real life perspective.

Our computing work has involved designing a computer of the future. We discussed the features we think it would have, such as virtual reality and the ability to give instant feedback that is personalised.

Finally, our PSHE lesson was all about regulating our emotions. The children had some very mature conversations and were able to give advice to others and how to deal with different situations.

Autumn 1 Week 8

What a wonderful way to bring our first half term of Year 6 to a close! The children have worked exceptionally hard over the past few weeks, and they finished the half term with tremendous enthusiasm and focus.

In English, the children began exploring the nuances of formal language. We laid the groundwork for an upcoming piece inspired by the powerful text ‘Rose Blanche’, where the children will be writing an emotive bravery speech. They analysed high-level vocabulary, persuasive devices, and formal sentence structures to ensure their speeches carry the courageous tone required.

In computing, we explored the fascinating world of cybersecurity, learning how 'brute force' attacks work and why strong passwords matter. Building on this, the children created brilliant presentations charting the rapid evolution of computers over the decades. They compared the pioneering codebreaking machines of Bletchley Park, such as the Colossus, with the sleek, high-speed devices we rely on today.

Both our geography and science units came to an end this week as the children completed their end-of-unit assessments. They demonstrated fantastic depth of knowledge, recalling key concepts accurately and presenting their final pieces of work with real pride and clarity.

To celebrate all their hard work and superb attitude throughout Autumn 1, the children enjoyed their well-earned behaviour treat: a giant inflatable obstacle course! There were huge smiles and plenty of laughter all round—the perfect way to blow off some steam and wrap up a busy, successful half term.

Wishing all our families a restful, happy half-term break. We look forward to welcoming the children back for Autumn 2!

Autumn 1 Week 7

What a fantastic week of learning we have had in Year 6! The children have continued to work incredibly hard across all subjects and have produced some excellent work that they should be very proud of.

In English, we completed and published our final diary entries based on Rose Blanche. Throughout the writing process, the children worked hard to develop their writing skills and applied a range of grammar and vocabulary techniques. Their diaries included semi-colons in a list, carefully chosen synonyms and antonyms, and examples of both formal and informal language. We are extremely proud of the quality of the finished pieces. The children showed great creativity, maturity and attention to detail, and their final drafts were a pleasure to read.

In Maths, we focused on number work. We explored number sequences, practised rounding numbers up to ten million, and strengthened our understanding of place value by multiplying numbers by 10, 100 and 1,000. The children demonstrated growing confidence and accuracy in using these important skills.

Our Geography lessons saw the children creating impressive double-page spreads all about biomes. They researched different biomes around the world and presented their findings in a creative and informative way. The finished work showcased both excellent geographical knowledge and high-quality presentation skills.

In Science, we learned about selective breeding, with a particular focus on dogs. The children discovered how specific characteristics can be selected and passed on through generations. To bring the learning to life, we played a fun and engaging game where children had to identify dogs with the correct characteristics. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the activity while developing their understanding of inheritance and breeding.

As part of our Black History Month learning, we began exploring the lives and achievements of pioneering Black British leaders. The children researched an inspirational figure and created detailed fact files, learning about the important contributions these individuals have made to British society.

In French, we learned how to speak and write sentences about the sports we play and give our opinions about them. The children practised using new vocabulary and sentence structures and showed increasing confidence when speaking and writing in French.

We also enjoyed our first visit to our new school library this week. Mrs Long, our new librarian, welcomed us in, showed us around and explained how the library works. We then had the chance to explore the shelves and choose some books to borrow and enjoy.

We are incredibly proud of the effort, resilience and positive attitude shown by all the children this week. Well done, Year 6! Keep up the fantastic work.

Autumn 1 Week 6

We’ve had another fantastic week in Year 6, filled with exciting learning, creativity and teamwork! One of the highlights was our Times Table Rockstars Day, when everyone got involved in dressing up and taking part in our intra-school competitions. It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm, friendly competition and a real determination to improve our times table fluency!

In English, we have begun working on our final piece of writing: a diary entry inspired by Rose Blanche. The children planned their ideas before beginning to write, using a success criteria to help them structure their work and make thoughtful choices about vocabulary and description. In grammar, we have been exploring how antonyms can be used to convey meaning and create contrast in our writing.

During shared reading, we have continued our journey through the classic novel Black Beauty. We have been developing our inference skills, looking beyond the words on the page to understand characters’ feelings and motivations, while also identifying important themes within the story.

In Maths, we have been developing our understanding of number patterns by counting in powers of ten and tackling increasingly complex number sequences. The children have been using their reasoning skills to identify patterns, explain their thinking and work out missing numbers.

Our Science learning has focused on the differences between inherited and environmental characteristics. To apply their understanding, the children created their own Mr Men and Little Miss characters, thinking carefully about which features might be inherited and which could be influenced by the environment. This was a fun and creative way to bring our scientific learning to life!

In Geography, we have been exploring biomes and adaptation. We investigated the rainforest and savannah biomes, learning how plants and animals have adapted to survive in these very different environments. The children considered how features such as the availability of water, temperature and rainfall influence the ways living things survive.

Our final street art project is continuing to take shape! The children have been developing their artwork around the theme of our journey through Meadowhead, reflecting on their experiences, memories and time at our school. We are looking forward to seeing the finished pieces and celebrating the creativity and individuality of each artist.

In Music, we have been exploring the relationship between colour and sound. The children have been using their ideas about colour to compose a piece of music made entirely from vocal sounds. They have been experimenting with different sounds, thinking creatively and considering how their compositions can communicate ideas and feelings.

In French, we have been learning how to use the verb aller (to go) and applying this knowledge to our learning about countries. The children have been developing their ability to combine vocabulary and sentence structures to talk about where people are going.

In PSHE, we have continued to explore the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. We have been thinking about the decisions we can make to support our physical and emotional wellbeing and the ways in which healthy habits can contribute to a balanced lifestyle.

Well done, Year 6, for another brilliant week! We are so proud of the enthusiasm, creativity and commitment you continue to show across all areas of the curriculum. Keep up the fantastic work as we continue to make the most of our final year at Meadowhead!

Autumn 1 Week 5

The weeks are flying by in year six and we find ourselves at the end of another busy, learning-packed week!

In English this week, we have been generating ideas for our final piece of writing - a diary entry in the style of Rose Blanche. The children have created questions to enquire about different feelings; analysed the grammatical features of our example text (with a big focus on using synonyms to convey meaning) and used 'freeze-framing' to capture the thoughts and feelings of a character. 

In mathematics, our focus has been on long division, specifically dividing four-digit numbers by two-digit numbers. It has been a joy to see the children persevere with this tricky skill and really become confident when working with high-value numbers. In science, we learnt about how the adaptations of the peppered moth, helped it survive and adapt to its ever-changing environment. We produced some excellent informative fact files to show our understanding of natural selection. 

Our geography work focused on learning about the features of the different types of biomes and discovering that some countries contain several different biomes. In art, we experimented with mark making, ready for creating our final piece over the next few weeks. 

On Thursday, on poetry day and to celebrate the official opening of our library, we were visited by a representative from Lancashire Library Service. We completed lots of book-based activities and quizzes which really challenged our views and opinions about books. 

Our last gymnastics session with Miss Estelle saw us creating our own sequences with elements of travelling, jumping, rolling and balancing. We performed our sequences in front of the class. 

Finally, in science, we focused on the story of the peppered moth and discovered how modern life and pollution contributed to natural selection. The children completed a fact file explaining how the moths adapted; what the term natural selection means and any other facts they found particularly interesting.

Autumn 1 Week 4

This week our learning in mathematics has had a division focus. After learning how to apply our mental calculation skills to division, we moved on to learning how to divide using the formal written method for short division. We plenty of resilience and determination show, we are now ready to progress to dividing by two digit numbers, next week.

In English, we have analysed the features of a diary, specifically formal and informal language. We have looked at our example text and generated a checklist, ready to use when we complete our own diary entry.

In shared reading, we have studied poetry from the book ‘The Final Year’. We compared different settings and lifestyles; we will continue this next week as well. 

Our geography work was all about interpreting climate and rainfall data in different biomes. We studied histograms, bar charts and line graphs to help us draw conclusions about different climate zones. 

In science, we conducted an experiment to help us understand how different birds have adapted their beaks to suit the environment that they live in. We made predictions, carried out the experiment and drew conclusions to back up our findings.

In art, we began to sketch out our ideas for our final piece of work. We generated numerous ‘street art’ ideas to share the message about our Meadowhead journey. It was inspiring to see so many different creations!  

 

Autumn 1 - Week 3

Week three has been and gone and it's been jam-packed with learning! We've been particularly impressed this week by the hard work and determination of many children as well as the children taking responsibility, showing honesty and maturity. 

In English this week, we have begun to look at the story of Rose Blanche, an ordinary girl from Germany experiencing the devastation of World War 2. The children have analysed vocabulary, made predictions, written a contrast poem about Rose and the soldier and have created their own complex sentences linked to this work. In grammar, we have focused on word class-particularly nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.  We then applied our knowledge of this by identifying the different word classes in the passage from our Rose Blanche story.

Our mathematics this week has had a multiplication theme. The children have learnt the formal written method for multiplication, first by multiplying four digit numbers by one digit and then progressing this skill to multiplying three digit numbers by two digits. We will continue this next week before looking at division. 

In shared reading, we have been studying different famous women in science. Our reading has helped us learn about Katherine Johnson, Joan Beauchamp-Procter and Marie Curie by inferring meaning and retrieving information from the text.

Science this week has continued to look at adaptation in different animals. The children researched and created a fact file of adaptation for a penguin, a polar bear or a shark. They were then challenged to switch their animal to a different habitat and think about the adaptations that would be needed to help it to survive. 

In geography, we have continued learning about different biomes. We focused on how the lines of latitude on Earth control the different climate zones and the diversity of plants and animals. 

Our artwork was all about scaling up existing drawings to create larger versions. The children enjoyed the challenge of scaling up leaves, trees, birds and whales to create accurate and detailed enlarged versions.

In French, we learnt the names of different sports and how different verb tenses are used to create longer sentences. 

 

Autumn 1 - Week 2

It's been a busy week in year six and we've completed lots of learning. 

In English this week, we have drafted and perfected our 'Lost Words' poems, ready for display. With a focus on vocabulary and presentation, it has been a joy to see the children take such pride in their work.

In maths, we have been learning about the value of numbers up to ten million. We have also completed lots of mental arithmetic work, revisiting our knowledge and understanding from year five.  Perspective drawing was our focus in art. We created a vanishing point, horizon line ans scale line to help us create a city scene.

In geography, we looked at the position of different countries and linked this to biomes and climate. We learnt about how the tilt of the Earth has an impact on climate and discussed why places closer to the poles were colder than places nearer to the equator.  Science involved learning about adaptation and how a specific animal (the camel) has adapted to the environment that it lives in. In RE, we began to discuss how 'Life is a Journey'. Mrs Lawton and Mr Prescott shared some pictures from their past before we reflected on the key points of our lives.

For PE, coach Estelle joined us for our gymnastics lesson. She put us through our paces with some strength work before teaching us the skills needed to successfully complete a handstand and a cartwheel. It was tiring but fun!

Autumn 1 - Week 1

Welcome back to a brand-new school year! It has been a short, three-day week, but it has certainly been packed with purposeful learning and memorable experiences as the children kick off their final year at Meadowhead. 

In English, the children were introduced to the enchanting, nature-focused book, ‘The Lost Words’. We explored a selection of the book's acrostic poems, with the children sharing thoughtful opinions on how language captures the natural world. Alongside their written responses, the class produced some genuinely stunning artwork inspired by the illustrations. 

This week, we welcomed a visit from our swimming instructor to prepare the children for their upcoming lessons. Both year 6 classes will be taking to the water at different points during the Autumn term. Please ensure that your child has the correct swimming kit in school every Thursday. A gentle reminder that swimming is a compulsory and vital part of the primary curriculum. 

To cap off a brilliant first week, we headed down to Canalside for a full day of outdoor education. The children threw themselves into a wide range of activities, trying their hands at fire making, axe throwing, orienteering, and canoeing, as well as pond dipping and several energetic team games. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to collaborate, build resilience, and start the term on a high note! 

Summer 2 - Week 5

Last week we had ice-pops in the heatwave...

This week the weather has been a lot cooler, and it's been a different week for our year six children. On Monday and Tuesday, we focused on rehearsing our play ready for our performance in just over a week's time. We also started our 'Around the World' maths challenge: the children were set a task of planning a holiday around the world for their teachers, consolidating our mathematical understanding and drawing upon our geographical and ICT skills to create a presentation. This will continue over the next week: we look forward to seeing the children work as a team to present the teachers with their dream holiday!

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the children had the chance to spend time at their new secondary schools for their transition days. We've been kept updated; it looks like they've had a truly amazing time! We are proud of how they have represented the school and themselves. 

Summer 2 - Week 4

We have had another action-packed week in Year 6. The children have shown incredible dedication, whether they were polishing their creative writing, stepping onto the stage, or diving deep into their history and science work.  

In English, the children successfully completed their highly anticipated flashback narratives this week. They skillfully combined last week’s atmospheric descriptions with clever transition sentences to seamlessly guide the reader into the past. Finally, they integrated their powerful amplifications before crafting a smooth transition sentence to bring the reader safely back out of the flashback. The depth of emotion and structural control in their final pieces is truly remarkable, and they should be incredibly proud of their authorial voices. 

Show preparation has reached an exciting new milestone this week as we have been working incredibly hard at rehearsing our performance. The children were finally introduced to the stage, which caused excitement and helped them understand how to project their voices and use the space effectively. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they practice their lines, cues, and stage positions.  

Our History lessons took a creative turn this week as the children produced beautifully detailed double-page spreads exploring how crime and punishment has changed over time. They conducted a historical sweep across eras, investigating the harsh laws of Ancient Rome, the community-led justice of the Anglo-Saxon period, the notorious punishments of Tudor Britain, and the strict societal rules during WWII. This allowed them to compare and contrast how attitudes toward justice have evolved, resulting in some incredibly informative and visually stunning work. 

Finally, in science, we turned our attention to physics this week to explore the fascinating concept of refraction. The children carried out an investigation where they observed a horizontal arrow drawn on paper through a transparent glass of water. The children found it amazing that the arrow seemed to point in the opposite direction. 

Summer 2 - Week 3

Production rehearsals are in full force, and we’ve had lots to celebrate as we have seen the children’s confidence grow.

In English, we have continued writing our flashback narrative. We have composed transition sentences to ensure the flow between the paragraphs is clear to the reader and have also worked on improving our previous writing, in preparation for our final piece next week. Our shared reading theme this week has been poetry. We have looked at poems about ocean creatures and identified the themes, poetic features and identified new facts!

In maths, we have continued to apply our knowledge of addition and subtraction in a variety of ways to solve mental calculations.

In science, we have focused on reflection and how the angle of reflection impacts what we see. Previously, we learnt that light can not bend, but this week we found out that light can travel round corners with the help of reflective materials.

We’ve had a big focus in RE this week, learning about Jesus and who people think he is. We discussed our own opinions as well as learning about other people’s viewpoints from the Bible and in the modern world around us. 

We started our new history topic of ‘crime and punishment’. We learnt about how different crimes carry different consequences. We then studied the layout of a courtroom and the different roles the people in court have. The children were enthusiastic and inquisitive.

Summer 2 - Week 2

It has been an incredibly busy and productive week in Year 6, with the children showing immense focus, creativity, and curiosity across all their subjects.  

In science, we welcomed an exciting visitor for a hands-on Science workshop. The children were completely captivated as they took part in interactive experiments that brought our current science topics to life in a dynamic way. It was wonderful to see everyone collaborating so enthusiastically, asking thought-provoking questions, and testing out their theories.  

In Geography this week, our focus turned to the environment and the powerful global impact of young activists. The students spent time researching the incredible journey of Greta Thunberg and used their findings to produce incredibly detailed fact files. They explored how one person's voice can inspire a worldwide movement, analysing her speeches and the ripple effects of the ‘School Strike for Climate’.  

Our English lessons this week required the children to tap into some deep emotional maturity as we prepared for our upcoming flashback narratives. We worked intensely on uplevelling our vocabulary and sentence structures, practicing a technique called 'amplification' to add rich, dramatic detail to our descriptions. The students used this skill to describe exactly what a character would physically and emotionally experience during the chaos of a war. The resulting pieces of writing are incredibly moving, full of sensory language, and will provide a stunning foundation for the atmospheric stories they are about to write. 

Summer 2 -Week 1

Welcome back! I hope that everyone enjoyed a well-deserved, restful half-term break. This week, the children returned to school bursting with energy and ready to tackle the final few weeks of their Meadowhead journey! 

In English, we have started exploring the moving short film, ‘The Piano’, which follows a man reminiscing over the eighty years of his life. The children used their inference skills to piece together his history based on clues in the video. They then identified a rich selection of powerful adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, which they will use to write an atmospheric description next week. 

In maths, we are already looking ahead to the transition to secondary school by focusing on mental mathematical efficiency. We explored various mental strategies for addition, including partitioning, bridging, and compensation. The children wrapped up the week by independently selecting and applying the most efficient strategy to solve a mix of calculations. 

In geography this week, we explored natural resources in more detail, learning about how they are unevenly distributed across the globe. The children engaged in a mature discussion about this inequality. Many shared the thoughtful view that while nature ultimately dictates where resources are located, global trade should ensure fair and just pricing for countries that do not naturally have access to them.

Building on our previous knowledge that light travels in straight lines, the children gained an insight into how the human eye actually sees objects. They drew detailed scientific diagrams to illustrate the process, explaining how light travels from a source, reflects off an object, and then travels in a straight line directly into the eye through the pupil. 

Finally, in PSHE, we have been focusing on safety and, in particular, the risks of alcohol and information online. The children were able to identify the physical and emotional consequences of alcohol and evaluated the information provided by three websites to identify which would be the most reliable source.