This terms our design and technology unit is called Textiles: Bags

Designing pattern pieces, making a bag for a specific user and thinking about aesthetics and functionality.

Pupils who are secure will be able to:

• Explore and compare real textile products, thinking about how they look, how they are used and how they affect the environment.
• Develop and test design ideas by creating pattern pieces and making prototypes to explore how well they work.
• Use labelled drawings and diagrams to show clear design ideas, including how pattern pieces will fit together.
• Use fabrics and materials suitable for the product, thinking about how they look and how well they work.
• Make 3D textile shapes by carefully cutting, folding and joining materials to match the design.
• Join fabrics securely using stitches or knots and add decorative details to improve the appearance.
• Use pins, scissors and other tools carefully to keep fabric flat and measure and cut accurately.
• Evaluate how well the final product meets the design criteria and suggest improvements.

This terms Topic topic is Portraits - Desccribing in French

Pupils who are secure will be able to:

• Understand that adjectives change depending on whether they are describing a boy or girl, for example: sérieux and sérieuse.
• Identify a person correctly from a description of their hair and eye colour.
• Place word cards in the correct order, with the adjectives following the noun.
• Compose a spoken sentence to describe a friend.
• Write four sentences accurately with the correct adjectival agreement, helped by a support sheet.

This term children are looking at a story book called Letters from the Lighthouse.

End of Unit Writing Outcome 

By the end of the unit, pupils will independently write a polished historical narrative inspired by Letter from the Lighthouse. They will demonstrate their ability to write for an intended audience by creating an engaging narrative opening that develops character, setting and plot through carefully chosen vocabulary, varied sentence structures and cohesive paragraphs. 

Their writing will showcase secure application of the Year 6 National Curriculum objectives by: 

• describing characters and settings with increasing precision and atmosphere;  

• integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action;  

• selecting ambitious vocabulary appropriate to the historical context;  

• varying sentence structures for effect;  

• using a range of Upper KS2 grammatical features accurately, including relative clauses, fronted adverbials, parenthesis, passive voice and cohesive devices;  

• applying punctuation accurately, including commas, colons, semi-colons, dashes and speech punctuation;  

• editing and improving their work to enhance clarity, cohesion and impact. 

Story Overview

Set in February 1941, during the height of the Second World War, the story follows 12-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her younger brother, Cliff. After terrifying bombing raids force them out of London, the siblings are evacuated to the quiet Devon coast town of Budmouth Point.

They are sent to stay with Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper—a gruff man who isn't used to company and initially doesn't want evacuees. However, Olive soon uncovers a massive mystery close to home. During a London air raid just before their departure, their older sister Sukie mysteriously vanished. Left behind with only a strange, coded note, Olive becomes convinced that Sukie's disappearance is linked to secret activities happening right there in Devon.

Key Themes We Are Exploring

As we read through the novel in class, we are looking closely at several important historical and personal themes:

• World War II & Evacuation: Understanding what life was really like for children sent away from their families for safety.

• Bravery and Resilience: Following Olive’s courageous determination to find out the truth about her sister.

• Friendship and Tolerance: Exploring how characters learn to overcome prejudice, accept newcomers, and stand up against unfairness.

• Mystery and Code-Breaking: Piecing together clues, secret radio messages, and hidden dangers alongside the characters.

This terms History topic is World War II

Pupils will learn about World War II, a major global conflict that took place from 1939 to 1945 and involved countries around the world. They explore the causes of the war, such as the rise of dictators like Adolf Hitler in Germany, and the effects of events like the invasion of Poland, which sparked the conflict. Students learn about key countries involved, including the Allies (like the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union) and the Axis powers (like Germany, Italy, and Japan). They also examine life during the war, such as the impact on civilians, including rationing, evacuation of children, and the Blitz in Britain. By studying World War II, students gain an understanding of the resilience shown during challenging times and learn why peace and cooperation between nations are essential. This topic encourages empathy and helps students appreciate the importance of remembering history.

By the end of the topic children will be able to:

• Identify the causes of World War 2.
• Identify the different phases in the Battle of Britain.
• Make inferences and deductions about a photograph.
• Describe how children may have felt when evacuated.
• Evaluate the accuracy and reliability of sources.
• Describe the impact WW2 had on women’s lives.

This term in Maths, children will cover the following topics:

• Number and place value to a million.
• Rounding numbers to a million.
• Comparing and ordering numbers to a million including decimals.
• Multiplying by 10's, 100's and 1,000's.
• Multiplying numbers by 1 digit and 2 digit numbers using long multiplication.
• Dividing by 1 digit and 2 digit numbers using bus-stop method and long multiplication.
• Solving word problems using all four operations.
• Finding common multiples.
• Finding common factors.
• Finding and understanding prime numbers.

This terms topic for PSHE is 

My healthy self: How do my choices today shape my future health?

Developing knowledge of how making informed choices now can support future wellbeing by exploring the effects of mindset, behaviour, dental hygiene and care for others and self.

Pupils who are secure will be able to:

• Describe how brushing, flossing and limiting sugar over time can protect teeth.
• Interpret traffic light food labels and select healthier swaps for a balanced diet
• Explain how past experiences can influence strong and complex feelings.
• Choose helpful ways to regulate strong feelings.
• Explain the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.
• Suggest positive ways to respond to challenges and setbacks.
• Explain how unkind behaviour, including bullying, can affect self-esteem and how to support others.

This terms RE topic Creation stories and Christianity.

Children will look at the Christian creation story before comparing it to other creation stories, looking at the similarities and differences from different religions around the world. They will then being to look at the concept of belonging in both a religious and non-religious aspect before looking at Baptism in Christianity.

This terms Science topic is Living things: Classifying big and small.

Students learn about classifying animals and plants, a topic that helps them understand the diversity of life on Earth. They explore how scientists group living things based on shared characteristics, using classification systems that organise organisms into categories like kingdoms, species, and families. Students study the major groups of animals, such as mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and insects, along with different plant types like flowering plants, ferns, and mosses. By examining features like body structure, reproduction methods, and habitats, they learn why certain organisms are similar and how they differ. This topic encourages curiosity about the natural world and highlights the importance of classification in biology, helping students see patterns in nature and understand how scientists make sense of the vast variety of life around us.

• Use a classification key to group and identify organisms.
• Make a simple classification key.
• Define the term ‘organism’ and name the seven life processes of all living things.
• Describe the work of Carl Linnaeus. 
• Define the term ‘vertebrate’ and name the vertebrate groups.
• Describe the characteristics of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
• Compare the characteristics of the vertebrate groups. 
• Define the term ‘invertebrate’. 
• Describe the characteristics of worms, snails, spiders and insects. 
• Compare the characteristics of the invertebrate groups. 
• Name the plant groups. 
• Describe the characteristics of flowering plants, ferns, mosses and conifers. 
• Define the term ‘micro-organism’ and name some examples.