A guide to your child’s learning this half term.

 

‘It’s all Greek to me!’

 

Autumn Term 1 – Year 5 and 6

 

The Elders

Mr Beahan,  Mr Heynes and Mrs Sargen

 

Topic

The main focus this term is Ancient Greece. This will flow through as many of our lessons as possible, including play scripts and narrative writing in English and designing and building Greek ships in DT.

 

In reading and writing, we will be looking at:

• Narrative writing based on the structure of a Greek myth (including
• Writing and performing play scripts based on Greek myths
• Continued comprehension style questions whilst studying the book ‘The Trials of Apollo –The Hidden Oracle’ by Rick Riordan.

 

Grammar and punctuation work includes:

• Consolidating the KS2 range of punctuation including basic sentence structure
• Organising work into paragraphs and consolidating using cohesive devices.
• Using commas, brackets and dashes for parenthesis.

 

Spellings:

• A range of Y5 and Y6 spelling words from the National Curriculum. These will be taught with a range of different spelling games each day and sent home to learn each Monday. You can help your child at home by:

• Making sure your child reads for at least 20 minutes daily, recording this in their reading record and writing at least one detailed comment
• Asking your child to talk about the book they are reading and talk around the story (using skills of inference and deduction)

 

Help your child to practise and learn their spellings from the Year 5 and 6 list by asking them to:

 

Look at the word. Say the word. Cover the word. Write the word. Check the word. Ask your child to think of a strategy to help them learn this spelling e.g. hidden words, saying the word phonetically, breaking them down into syllables etc.

 

Maths

• Number and Place Value: Place value of numbers to 1,000,000 incl. negative numbers, rounding, Roman numerals and solving number and practical problems.
• Addition and Subtraction: including adding and subtracting numbers mentally, estimating and rounding, using formal written methods and solving addition and subtraction multi step problems.

 

• History – Ancient Greece.
• Science – Living Things and their habitats Computing – to explore program design and put computational thinking into practice
• RE – What do different people believe about God?
• PSHE – Being Healthy – including the importance of looking after our mental health.
• French – Bonjour! – Meeting and greeting – revision of basic conversational language? 
• Music – Aspects of the music curriculum will be taught whist your child learns the songs for the Young Voices concert in January 2020.
• Design and Technology – Designing and building a Greek ship.
• PE – Invasion Games including football and tag rugby

 

Key Dates:

17.9.19:           After School Clubs to begin incl. Archery, sewing and STEM

19.919:            Football Festival at Tideswell – pm

24.9.19:           Swimming starts

26.9.19:           Whole School Cross Country at Bakewell – pm

14 and 15.9.19: Parents Evening

 

Useful Websites:

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/Egypt.html

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/history/egypt/ten-facts-about-ancient-egypt/

http://www.historyforkids.net/ancient-egypt.html

 

Homework

 

Children will be given one piece of English and one piece of maths work that will either develop or consolidate our learning in class. They should spend at least 20-30 minutes completing it to the best of their ability. They will also get a longer project linked to our topic, which will be due in during the last week of term. They could spend a little bit of time each week, or complete the whole project in one week. Completed work should be handed in every Wednesday and will be returned on Fridays.

 

Reminders!

• Named PE kit needs to be in school for Friday every week
• Help your child to practise their weekly spellings. Look at the word. Say the word. Cover the word. Write the word. Check the word. Put the word into an accurate ‘Five Star’ sentence (correct punctuation, correct spelling, cursive handwriting).Please do not hesitate to contact staff at school if you have any questions regarding your child’s learning. Thank you for your continued support!

 

For parents/carers of children in year 6. 

 

Dear Parents/Carers

 

Your child will be taking their end of key stage SATs in May 2020.  We hope the information below will help you understand your child’s SATs tests in a little more detail.

 

What are SAT’s?

 

SATs (Standard Attainment Tests) take place at the end of year 6 and are designed to test pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the key stage 2 programme of study. All year 6 children across the country are tested in English and Maths and this gives the government a clear picture of what standards look like. It also helps parents compare their child’s progress with children of the same age nationally. This is the third year that a year 6 cohort has been tested on the new curriculum that was introduced in September 2014. Consequently, the testing process has been changed to previous years to account for this.

 

What will my child have to do?

 

English grammar, punctuation and spelling test (SPAG)

Paper 1 – short answers (45 minutes)

Paper 2 – spelling (15 minutes)

 

Reading test (60 minutes)

 

 

Maths tests

Paper 1 – arithmetic (30 minutes)

Paper 2 – reasoning (40 minutes)

 

Maths tests

Paper 3 – reasoning (40 minutes)

 

 

What happens to the tests?

 

Tests are sent for external marking. Schools usually receive the results in July. Parents will be given a copy of their child’s test results and teacher assessments. The results of the school are used to inform school ‘performance tables’.

 

What do the results mean?

 

It is important to understand that children cannot ‘fail’ SATs. The information is used as a snapshot of where children across the country are currently working. Since the removal of the ‘old’ levels, the government has had to think of a new way of measuring attainment. From 2016 onwards, the raw score from each test will be converted into a scaled score and each child will receive an overall result indicating whether or not they have achieved the required standard on the test.

 

What is meant by ‘scaled scores’?

 

It is planned that 100 will represent the ‘national standard’. Each pupil’s raw test score will therefore be converted into a score on the scale, either at, above or below 100. The scale will have a lower end point somewhere below 100 and an upper end point above 100. A child who achieves the ‘national standard’ will be judged to have demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the areas assessed by the tests.

In July 2020 for publication of test results, each pupil will receive:

• A raw score (number of raw marks awarded).
• A scaled score in each tested subject.
• Confirmation of whether or not they attained the national standard.  In year 6, it is only natural that your child might feel a little nervous or apprehensive about what the week will hold – so there are a few things that you can do to help them at home.

     

How can I help them at home?

• Support your child in helping prepare them for the tests – but don’t overdo it.
• Explain that SATs are a way of showing off what they can do – and they cannot fail.      
• Make any learning as fun as possible.
• Give your child the opportunity to talk about any concerns.
• Help them with any revision homework in the run up to SATs.
• Encourage them to be confident in their ability – they have been working hard in school.
• Do something fun the weekend before the SATs tests to take their mind off them. Don’t overdo the revision or practice this weekend – it is important your child feels fresh and ready to tackle the tests on Monday morning.
• Make sure your child has a good night’s sleep before each test.
• Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast each morning.
• Send your child to school with some healthy snacks to have in between or after the tests.
• In the evenings of SATs week, keep any work you do at home short.
• Make sure your child is in school every day of SATs week. If they are feeling unwell it is important that they still come to school and try to do the test. If you are concerned that your child is feeling unwell during this week, please contact school as early as possible.
• Make sure your child is in school on time every day – the tests start first thing in the morning.

 

In school, we feel that we will support the children for them to achieve the very best results that they can.   We have every confidence in them!

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Mr Beahan and Mr Heynes

 

Please find attached the presentation from the parents meeting from April 2018 and the information booklet that accompanied the meeting:

 

KS2 2018 presentation

 

KS2 Sats info for parents 2018