Year 6 at Park Lane International School
Children aged 10-11
Literacy (Reading and Writing)
The school implements the National Literacy Strategy. The children are involved in a daily Literacy Lesson lasting for one hour. For the first 30 minutes of the lesson the whole class study texts to develop their reading or writing skills and focus on word or sentence work. During the next 20 minutes, one group works with the teacher on guided reading or writing, while the remainder of the class work on independent activities. The final 10 minutes of the lesson involves reviewing learning and / or discussing homework.
Fiction and Poetry
• Classic fiction, poetry and drama by significant and long established authors from more than one genre.
• A range of poetic forms.
• Play scripts.
Non-Fiction (content from English and other curriculum subjects)
• Autobiography and biography, diaries, letters and records of observations.
• Journalistic writing.
• Non-chronological reports.
• Discussion texts e.g. evaluating the pros and cons of an issue.
• Formal writing e.g. notices, documents.
• Reference texts including ICT resources.
Phonics and Spelling
• Taught through a progressive structure using a variety of resources.
Grammar and Punctuation
• Taught through a progressive system, in line with the Literacy Strategy, with a range of work linked to both fiction and non-fiction texts.
Reading
• All children are provided with a variety of reading experiences, through both shared guided and individual texts.
Numeracy
The school implements the National Numeracy Strategy. The children are involved in a daily Numeracy Lesson, which lasts for one hour. For the first 10 - 15 minutes of the lesson the class are involved in mental maths activities. During the next 10 - 15 minutes, the main focus of the lesson is introduced and again involves whole class teaching. For the third part of the lesson, approximately 20 - 25 minutes, the children work individually or in groups, on follow up activities. In the final 10 minutes learning is reviewed and/or homework is discussed.
• Multiply and divide decimals mentally by 10 or 100, and integers by 1000, and explain the effect.
• Order a mixed set of numbers with up to three decimal places.
• Reduce a fraction to its simplest form by cancelling common factors.
• Use a fraction as an operator to find fractions for numbers or quantities (e.g. 5/8 of 32, 7/10 of 40, 9/100 of 400 centimetres).
• Understand percentage as the number of parts in every 100, and find simple percentages of small whole-number quantities.
• Solve simple problems involving ratio and proportion.
• Carry out column addition and subtraction of numbers involving decimals.
• Derive quickly division facts corresponding to multiplication tables up to 12 x 12.
• Carry out short multiplication and division of numbers involving decimals.
• Carry out long multiplication of a three-digit by a two-digit integer.
• Use a protractor to measure acute and obtuse angle to the nearest degree.
• Calculate the perimeter and area of simple compound shapes that can be split into rectangles.
• Read and plot co-ordinates in all for quadrants.
• Identify and use the appropriate operations (including combinations of operations) to solve word problems involving numbers and quantities, and explain methods and reasoning.
• Solve a problem by extracting and interpreting information presented in tables, graphs and charts.
Science
The children are given activities in which they follow instructions, observe, predict and hypothesise, test, record, evaluate and develop scientific vocabulary. They are given the opportunity to investigate and explore science practically through the following topics:
More about dissolving
• Recognise what happens when a variety of solids dissolve.
Forces in action
• Measure, identify and describe how forces act upon objects and how they affect them.
Interdependence and adaptation
• Recognise the requirements of all living organisms and how they have adapted to their environment.
• Understand and represent feeding relationships in food chains.
Micro-organisms
• Recognise useful and harmful micro-organisms.
• Understand what micro-organisms need to feed, grow and reproduce like other organisms.
Science workshop
In Spring Term, further revision is undertaken, whereby children participate in practical workshops covering: light and sound, electricity and magnetism, Earth in Space, materials and their properties, human processes and health, data handling.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Multimedia presentation
• Use Powerpoint to organise, refine and present a set of linked multimedia pages, which incorporate images, sounds and text.
Spreadsheet modelling
• Explore the effects of changing data in a spreadsheet.
Control and monitoring
• Recognise patterns in programming and produce simple procedures to control devices.
• Use the internet to search large databases and interpret information.
• Search the internet using a range of operations to find a range of information and check for bias in presenting to a specific audience.
History
Children participate in activities where they place events, people and artefacts in chronological order, interpret historical information from a variety of sources, recognise similarities and differences between past and present and develop a historical vocabulary. They will be given the opportunity to develop these skills though the following topics:
Ancient Greece
• Use a variety of sources to look at important features of daily life and the main influences of the Ancient Greece.
World War II
• Study the cause and effects of World War II, particularly through the eyes of a child in that era, using a variety of historical sources.
Geography
Pupils participate in activities in which they use appropriate geographical vocabulary, recognise and name geographical features, compare and contrast features of different locations, develop and use geographical enquiry skills e.g. making and using photographs, maps and plans including symbols and keys. They will be given the opportunity to develop these skills through the following topics:
The mountain environment
• Study and compare different mountain regions of the world.
A contrasting Czech locality
• Develop a range of skills, describing the physical and human features of different areas of the Czech Republic
Art
Children develop creativity and imagination by building on their knowledge, skills and understanding of materials and through providing a range of increasingly complex activities. Developing their control of materials, tools and techniques children become more confident in using materials and processes.
• Artwork is topic-based and includes: drawing, painting, charcoal, pastels, collage, 3D modelling, textiles and clay.
• Study the work of Picasso.
Design and Technology
Activities in which children plan, design, make and evaluate are presented and opportunities created for children to consider appearance, function, safety and reliability when developing ideas. They will develop these skills though the following topics:
Shelters
• Children learn about structures. They learn that structures can fail when loaded, and the use of techniques for reinforcing and strengthening structures. The main outcome of this unit will be the design and construction of a framework-type shelter for an identified purpose. This can be a model or full-size structure.
Slippers
• Children learn how products eg slippers are designed for different purposes and people. They learn that designers must address a range of needs when designing slippers eg appearance, safety, warmth and size. Children learn about making accurate patterns/templates and detailed working drawings. They develop making and finishing skills to enhance the quality of their slippers. They learn to evaluate their products critically against design criteria and identify what to do to improve them.
Controllable vehicles
• In this unit, children develop their understanding of how products can be driven by electricity. They learn how to use motors within their models and how to control the speed and direction of movement. They develop their designing skills by using their own ideas and experiences to produce clearly labelled drawings. The children will produce a framework structure that will be controlled by an electrical circuit. The children will develop this structure with cladding and appropriate finishing techniques to create a quality product.
Music
• Continue to develop listening skills, pulse and rhythm, pitch and to explore the structure of music.
• Explore rhythm patterns, ragtime, jazz and blues styles, progressions and simple improvisational skills.
• Learn a wide variety of songs, sometimes topic-related.
• Pay attention to important singing techniques and the beginning of two-part singing.
• Further development of sound/symbol relationship in music reading.
• Compose and play sound graphs and pictures and explore the use of sound for description, feeling, movement, effect and atmosphere.
• Understand something about the science of sound.
• Develop skills of performance through school concerts and productions.
Physical Education
Gymnastics
• Create complex sequences on floor/apparatus and work within themes of balance, flight and partner support.
Swimming
• Refine all four strokes, working towards an unbroken rhythm and compete in races.
• Develop starts, turns and finishes.
Dance
• Experience planning, performing and evaluating movement sequences based on NC topics.
Athletics
• Develop greater speed of movement, jump higher and further, throw for distance and accuracy.
• Monitor own performance.
Outdoor Pursuits
• Develop map reading, orienteering and problem-solving skills in teams and become aware of outdoor safety issues.
Games
• Experience and refine skills related to invasion games, net game and racket games, and striking and fielding games.
• Develop and understand significant rules and sporting conduct.
Modern Foreign Language
Children will develop language skills and vocabulary related to the following topics: birthdays, the house, prepositions, expressing hunger and thirst, the weather, months and seasons, ordering drinks in a café, numbers up to 100, directions and places of interest, shopping, the family and clothes. Pupils will be given books to read and discuss in class as well as playing games and singing songs.