Year 6

There are two classes in Year 6. Please see below for our expectations for the year ahead and information about our curriculum. Click on the + icons below to find out more

LANGUAGE

While we are teaching English, other languages are always encouraged and home languages are celebrated.

At this age, we are encouraging students to become more responsible for their individual reading. As many books are a little longer, they are free to change their books when needed, but we suggest that this is at least twice a week.You may notice that your child starts to read independent readers from the class library, as they have progressed beyond the primary reading scheme. Students can sign their own reading records; however we do ask that parents sign at least once a week. Please discuss the books your child is reading with them and try to ask about the plot, characters and any issues or feelings raised by the text. In addition to their individual reading, we hope that students will be involved in many other reading experiences everyday, for example: looking at newspapers, magazines or instruction books. Most of all, we hope that you will work with us to encourage your children to enjoy reading and develop into life long readers.
We encourage the children to develop a strong understanding of many different genres of text and the features used in writing each one. These may include: newspapers, reports, journals, descriptive writing, instructions, poems and different types of stories. They will also be encouraged to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Children will develop an increased understanding of the writing process, including drafting, editing and revising their work. We aim to develop grammar and spelling and as a result your child will be given words to learn for a test each week.
Students are encouraged to participate actively in oral class discussions, games and drama activities. They will have the opportunity to develop their presentation skills, particularly focusing on how they would communicate to a range of different audiences. Students should feel free to speak about their own beliefs and experiences and understand that they may be different to other people.

MATHEMATICS

Students are encouraged to be ambitious mathematicians, who develop increasing confidence in their mental skills, in order to compute complex operations. Mathematical vocabulary and practical activities are as important as written work.

Students are expected to read, write and compare numbers to one million and beyond. They will explore fractions, decimals and percentages, including interchanging them, simplifying, adding and subtracting. It is important that your child knows their multiplication and number bonds well and is able to rapidly recall them. Students will be asked to explain their methods and thinking regularly; in order to improve their understanding and develop mathematical vocabulary.
Other areas of mathematics are just as important as number and computation. Students will increase their vocabulary for describing, classifying and comparing 2D and 3D shapes and angles. They will explore scale and ratio, as well as using notation and coordinates to describe to their position.
Students will learn how to collect and interpret a range of data confidently. They will describe their data using averages and explain the theoretical probability of events using a numerical scale.
Children will be expected to estimate and accurately find a wide range of measures using the correct tools, including weight, area, perimeter, volume, time, angles and temperature. Measurement is used regularly in everyday life, so please encourage your child to look out for different measures: to be aware of the time and it passing, look at the weight of food on packaging, watch the weather forecast to find out about temperature and so on.

UNIT OF INQUIRY

The PYP is a philosophy and not a written curriculum. In keeping within the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), Social Studies and Science will be taught within Units of Inquiry. These Units will run for approximately s6 weeks and will incorporate as many subjects as appropriate.

The Organizing Themes with Central Ideas for Year 6 are:

Central Idea: Changes people experience at different stages of their lives affect their evolving sense of self.
An inquiry into: The physical, social, emotional and intellectual changes that occur throughout life, Factors that contribute to well- being during adolescence, How relationships contribute to our self-concept.
Central Idea: Exploration leads to new discoveries, opportunites and understandings.
An inquiry into: Reasons for exploration, How exploration has taken place over time, The consequences of exploration.
Central Idea: Globalisation leads to cultural diffusion and influences social changes.
An inquiry into: The effects of Globalisation, Causes of Globalisation (migration, transport, colonisation, war, etc.), Cultural Identity.
Central Idea: Energy may be converted, transformed and harnessed to support human progress.
An inquiry into: The different forms of energy, Energy transformations, Sustainable energy practices.
Central Idea: Government systems influence the life of citizens.
An inquiry into: Structure and function of governments, Impact of governments on citizens, Governance and management, Current Affairs.
Central Idea: Scientific research may intervene with the natural order in the flora and fauna.
An inquiry into: Life processes of plants, Plant adaptations, Scientific intervention on plants.

ART

The Year 6 programme is designed to expose the students to a variety of artistic mediums and ideas and to further develop the skills students have learned previously in Primary. We encourage students to study the elements of design in the works of various artists, as well as through the works they produce in class. The skills will include observation, cutting, sticking, coloring and painting. We will also be looking at styles of art. We have a double art lesson per week.

MUSIC

At this level, the students will establish confidence as performers by participating in ensemble and solo performances. Fluency in reading basic music notation involving note and rest values; semibreve, minim, crochet and quaver will be expected. Students will participate actively in playing tuned and untuned musical instruments, composing, singing and listening to music from diverse cultures.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

We will consolidate our knowledge of desktop publishing, presentations, spreadsheets, flat file databases and word processing. We will learn about hardware and software, email and Internet researching. Touch typing with age appropriate exercises will also be practised. We will need exercise books for our lessons.

LIBRARY

Year 6 students will begin learning specific skills in selecting appropriate resources for finding out information and strategies to help them locate information for research tasks. Academic honesty will be emphasized. Finding specific information using traditional and digital resources such as the Destiny Web Path Express will be developed. The reference section of the library is analysed and lessons on how to use each part of it is taught. Students are allowed to borrow 2 books for a period of one week. Parents are welcome to borrow up to 5 books for 2 weeks.

FRENCH and SPANISH

Year 6 will start the year with the theme “How we express ourselves”. This theme allows students to look at Globalisation, which in Modern Languages translates in be introducing to a number of countries and cultures. We look at nationalities, languages, travel and exchange. There is special focus on French and Spanish cultures which allows for comparing and contrasting habits, food, practices and dress with those of their home countries. We also look at themes such as “Who we are”, “Where we are in time and place” and “How we share the planet”. These themes allow for focus on self-development, exploration and the impact plants and humans have on each other . This year, Modern Foreign Languages have added focus on two specific themes: How languages have oral and written aspects through “How the world works” and How languages are built on patterns through “How we organize ourselves”.

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

In addition to the school curriculum, teachers will be addressing issues of PSPE as and when appropriate. Students will identify and demonstrate a wide range of skills both on the floor and apparatus and use them in sequences with greater precision, fluency and consistency. Students will choose, combine and perform ball handling skills more fluently and effectively. In game making, they will use attacking and defending strategies. In swimming, students will progress from level 3 onwards.

The PE Department would like to remind and encourage the Year 5 students to come dressed in the recommended PE kit for PE lessons. As the season is getting hotter, students are also reminded to bring in an extra water supply to school on PE days. Furthermore, it is mandatory for everyone to acquire the accepted ISL swimming costume unless otherwise stated.

ZAMBIAN STUDIES

Zambian Studies has been introduced this academic year to celebrate the culture and heritage of the host country Zambia. Students will be encouraged to develop communication skills in Chinyanja using different strategies. These will be integrated within the organising theme.

HOMEWORK

Students should be reading every evening for about 30 minutes and should spend no more than 40 minutes on their homework each evening. Homework for the week will be given on Fridays and it has to be handed in on Thursdays. Homework may not always be about putting pen on paper. It could be that they are asked to play a game or make one up. It could be dramatic, musical or creative.

We look forward to working together with you this year and wish everybody a most enjoyable and fruitful year.