Term 4 

Another term of fantastic learning has flown by! Australian Kangaroos have continued exploring their topic, ‘Frozen Kingdom’, and have now become experts on the polar regions!

English

This term, we began by writing letters of application to join Shackleton’s crew on the Endurance, using formal language and persuasive techniques to make our applications stand out. We are now working on newspaper reports about the recent discovery of the Endurance, Shackleton’s long-lost ship. The class is focusing on using the passive voice and a range of cohesive devices to link ideas within and across paragraphs. We are also including direct and reported speech, ensuring that our punctuation is accurate.

Guided Reading

To prepare for the upcoming SATs reading exams, we have been practising SATs-style texts. Pupils have improved their reading speed and developed key strategies such as skimming and scanning to locate and retrieve information efficiently. Additionally, we have focused on answering 3-mark questions, ensuring that responses are supported with evidence and well-justified inferences.

Maths

In Maths, we have been learning how to find percentages of amounts and applying these strategies to reasoning and problem-solving questions. Students have been working on breaking down problems into manageable steps, applying analytical thinking to solve them.

We have also explored perimeter and area in detail. Pupils recognised that shapes with the same area can have different perimeters, and vice versa. We practised calculating the perimeter and area of a variety of shapes, including rectangles and irregular shapes. We also solved missing length problems in relation to area and perimeter.

Further into the term, we worked on more complex problem-solving tasks related to area and perimeter, applying our understanding of these concepts to different scenarios. Pupils have now learned how to use formulas to calculate the area and volume of shapes.

Science

Our Science lessons have been all about electricity! Through practical investigations, we designed circuits and explored how the number of cells affects the brightness of a bulb or the loudness of a buzzer. Pupils also learned how to represent circuits using symbols and wrote evaluations of their findings.

Computing

In Computing, we have been working on website creation using Google Sites. Pupils successfully designed and built their own websites, incorporating links to other pages for seamless navigation. After completing this project, we moved on to working with spreadsheets in Google Sheets. We have been learning how to create and manipulate data sets, organising information effectively within spreadsheets.

Music

Our weekly Ukulele music lessons with Mr. Singer from Kent Music have continued to be a fantastic experience! We’ve built on our previous work with the 12-bar blues, expanding our skills by learning more chords and picking patterns. Recently, we’ve started looking at chord progressions and applying this knowledge to classical and folk songs. We are also continuing to explore the blues scale and working on our improvisation skills. Pupils are developing their ability to read and notate music using tablature (tab), which allows them to play and understand more complex pieces.

PE

In PE this term, we have been learning to play dodgeball and basketball. In dodgeball, we worked on improving our throwing, dodging, and team strategies. In basketball, we developed our passing, dribbling, and shooting skills, while also learning the key elements of attacking and defending as a team.

Term 3 

English

In English, we have written flashback narratives, using transitional phrases and figurative language to create vivid and engaging stories that take readers between past and present events. We are now working on writing formal letters of application to join Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition. Students have chosen their desired roles on the crew and are crafting persuasive letters to convince Shackleton to select them, using formal language and strong arguments.

Maths

This term in Maths, we have learned how to add and subtract fractions, multiply fractions by both integers and other fractions, and divide fractions by whole numbers. To deepen our understanding, we have tackled a variety of problem-solving questions involving mixed operations with fractions. Additionally, we explored how to find a fraction of an amount and how to determine the whole from a given fraction. More recently, we have been studying metric and imperial measures, learning how to convert between different units, calculate using metric measures, and compare miles and kilometres. This has helped us develop real-world mathematical skills that we can apply in everyday situations.

Topic – Frozen Kingdoms

In Topic, we have been learning about the Polar Regions. We studied the divisions of the Earth, lines of latitude and longitude, and explored the similarities and differences between the Arctic and Antarctic. A key focus has been Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition, which has helped us make links with our English writing.

Computing

This term, we have been busy creating websites about are favourite hobbies or interests using Google Sites. As part of our learning, we have also explored the importance of copyright and how to use online content responsibly.

Music

Our weekly Ukulele music lessons with Mr. Singer from Kent Music have been a fantastic experience! We have been learning about the 12-bar blues, including playing the chords and rhythm. More recently, we have started exploring the blues scale and are working on improvisation. We have also been learning to notate using tablature (tab).

Art

In Art, we have been developing our sketching skills through observational drawing. We have been focusing on detail, shading, and different techniques to bring our artwork to life.

Science

Our Science lessons we have been investigating inheritance and natural selection, including carrying out an experiment to explore how different beak shapes affect a bird’s ability to gather food. Using tools such as tweezers, spoons, and chopsticks to represent different beak types, we attempted to pick up various food items like seeds, rice, and pasta. This hands-on investigation demonstrated how birds have adapted to their environments through natural selection.

We have also been learning how to collect, record, and analyse scientific data. As part of this, we investigated continuous and discontinuous data by recording information about height and eye colour within our class. We measured and recorded each other’s heights to collect continuous data, which we then used to create line graphs. For discontinuous data, we recorded and analysed eye colours, presenting our findings using bar charts. This helped us understand how data can be categorised and represented in different ways.

PE

In PE, we have been learning how to play hockey. We have focused on attacking and defending strategies, finding space, and working as a team to move the ball effectively. Our skills in teamwork and positioning have improved greatly over the term.

Term 2

We have had a fantastic term in Year 6! The pupils have worked incredibly hard and continue to set an excellent example for the rest of the school. Their enthusiasm, determination, and teamwork have been evident in everything they have done, making this a very successful term.

In our English lessons, we explored the question, “Should children have been evacuated during World War 2?” by writing balanced arguments. The pupils carried out detailed research into the reasons for and against evacuation and presented their findings clearly and thoughtfully. They worked on writing strong introductions, structured arguments, and well-rounded conclusions. Additionally, they focused on linking their ideas within and across paragraphs by using cohesive devices, helping their writing to flow smoothly and effectively.

In maths, we concentrated on fractions this term. The pupils worked hard to simplify, compare, and order fractions, as well as to add and subtract them, including mixed numbers, by finding common denominators. They also learned how to multiply and divide fractions. Using these skills, they tackled word problems and reasoning tasks, applying their knowledge to real-life situations and showing great problem-solving abilities.

Our Topic lessons have focused on Britain at War, linking the end of World War 1 to the start of World War 2. The pupils investigated the main causes of the Second World War and created priority diagrams to debate which causes were the most significant. They also worked in groups to research key events from the early stages of the war, such as the invasion of Poland and the evacuation at Dunkirk. Together, they created an interactive human timeline, which made history come alive in a fun and memorable way.

In Science, we continued our work on light theory. The pupils conducted hands-on experiments to explore how shadows are formed, making predictions and testing their ideas. They recorded data, created graphs, and analysed their results to find patterns, such as how shadow size changes with distance. We have since started learning about Evolution and Inheritance, where the pupils have explored the five kingdoms of living organisms and discussed how traits are passed down through generations.

In D&T, we studied the Make Do and Mend campaign from World War 2. The pupils learned how people repurposed materials during wartime and practised sewing techniques such as running stitch, blanket stitch, and whip stitch. They showed great creativity and perseverance in completing their projects.

Term 1

It's been a great term of learning in Australian Kangaroos, and we've all settled well into the responsibility of being the oldest year group in the school. We've been working hard in many areas and can’t wait to share everything we've been up to with you!

English

In English, we've been writing evacuee diary entries inspired by our class reading book, Goodnight Mr Tom. We explored some of the key settings from the novel and used these to bring our diary entries to life, imagining what it would have been like to experience wartime England as a young evacuee. We focused on writing in an informal tone, making good use of contractions to reflect this style. In addition, we worked on improving our use of punctuation, including colons, semi-colons, and ellipses.

Maths

This term in Maths, we focused on place value, working with numbers up to 10 million. We practised partitioning numbers and recognising the value of each digit. We also rounded numbers to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, and 100,000, which improved our ability to handle large figures.

In addition, we tackled problem-solving with addition and subtraction through multi-step word problems. We learned a new division method called 'chunking', which involves repeatedly subtracting manageable groups (or chunks) of the divisor from the dividend.

We also reinforced our understanding of factors, multiples, and prime numbers, which connected with our multiplication and division work. Overall, we've made great progress and increased our confidence in these mathematical areas.

Science

In Science, we’ve been learning about light. We explored and tested scientific facts about light, such as how it travels in straight lines and how white light can be separated into a spectrum of colours when passed through a prism. We investigated refraction by creating periscopes, which helped us understand how light bends. Additionally, we examined the structure of the eye, learning about how we see, and created some amazing drawings of the different parts of the eye.

Topic

This term, our topic has been ‘Britain at War’, where we’ve learnt about the causes and events of World War I. We discussed the main causes of the war using the acronym MAIN (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism) to understand the key factors that led to the conflict. The class also researched and wrote reports about life in the trenches, focusing on the harsh conditions that soldiers endured.

PE

In PE, we’ve been learning about tag rugby, focusing on how to attack and defend as a team while finding space and making passing moves. We also had lots of fun choreographing dance routines as we explored samba dancing.

Art

In Art, we explored distortion and abstraction, focusing on how line, colour, and shape can be used to create abstract pieces. Here are some examples of the artwork we created.

Music

In Music, we’ve started learning to play the ukulele. We’ve focused on how to properly hold and tune our instruments, as well as learning the names of the strings. We also learned to play a rag using the open strings, practising how to keep in time and play together as an ensemble.

Term 6 - 2023/24

English

In English this term, we’ve finished off our Greek myths and moved on to writing some balanced arguments.  To stay within our Greek topic, we have explored the much-debated question of ‘Should the Elgin Marbles be returned to Greece?’ The children have researched the subject online and then compiled their findings in a way that clearly displays ‘both side of the argument’.  After writing their conclusions, it appears that the majority of the class thinks that the British Museum should relinquish control of the marbles and return them to their rightful home.

Maths

We’ve used our previous experience of place value and equivalent fractions this term, and delved into decimals and percentages.  The prior learning that we’d done in previous terms became immediately useful and, after only a short while, we were able to identify and record numbers in decimal form whilst also showing the same number as a fraction and a percentage.

Science

This term, our science lessons have seen us looking at mixtures of substances.  We first explored heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures and worked out how the two types differed from one another. 

After that, we conducted experiments by sieving substances to see if we could separate mixtures.  The task saw us creating our own sieves (using paper plates) and then shaking a mixture of dirt, stones, grass and twigs through the devices until we separated the fine soil from everything else.

Art

This term, the class looked at Expressionism and how colour, form and text can be used to capture feelings and emotions in art.  The children started out by sketching their own facial expressions as they grinned, grimaced and growled.  After that, they use colour pastels and a variety of words and fonts to enhance photographic self-portrait in a way that helped convey their feelings at that time.

Theatre Trip

The Indian Tigers were lucky enough to enjoy a fantastic trip to the theatre and to witness a performance of Frozen on the West End stage.  Everyone agreed that the show was amazing and that some of the on-set special effects were incredible. Fuelled by snacks and interval ice-creams, we headed home knowing that we’d had a great day.

The whole class has done well this term and is now looking forward to moving on to their final year at Jubilee!