Year 5 and 6 Information Evening Miss Rachel Whitewood September 2015

Welcome to Year 5 and 6 The aim of tonight is to help you to understand what you and your child can expect in Year 5 and 6. I would also like to identify some opportunities for you to help your child as they progress through this important year!

The Year 5/6 Team Miss Whitewood is the class teacher. Mrs Holdaway (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and Mrs Stritch (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) are the class TAs. Mrs Bourner provides some PPA cover for teachers, and she will be taking the class on Tuesday afternoons for Science.

Homework Children in Year 5 and 6 will be given two pieces of homework a week. As we work towards the Year 6 SATs, there will also be revision sets during February half term and during the Easter holidays. Year 6 children may receive homework more regularly at times as we work towards the SATs. This, most often, will be a combination of Literacy and Numeracy, to reinforce work that is covered in class that day or week, as well as some topic based learning, to enhance our creative learning experience. Children should spend about 30 minutes on each piece of homework. If you find homework is taking much longer, consistently, please stop and write a note on it. Children will also be set spellings and times tables each week in addition to homework. Reading remains a vital skill in Year 5/6, and I would encourage children to read as often, and as widely as possible.

Ongoing Tests Spellings: 20 words will be given out on a Monday, for testing on the following Monday. The words will follow a spelling pattern each week. Please make sure your child learns the spellings for the test. Times Tables: There will be a Times Table test every week, or if children are confident with those, they will move on to ‘Competencies’ (Squared numbers/Prime numbers etc.) We will also be focussing on Mental Maths skills, giving the children one Mental Maths test in class each week. There will also be an informal maths test every other Friday (the week we don’t do extended writing) to consolidate knowledge from the previous fortnight’s class work. In keeping with the school policy, the children will do Extended Writing (an unsupported, independent piece of work based on the week’s genre) every other week, which contributes to their writing assessment.

Y6 SATS Whilst clearly being a fairly major focus during the year, they are by no means the only one. The SATS will take place in May 2015 (9 th – 12 th May) between the Easter Holiday and the May Half Term. We will of course be working really hard to ensure that all the children perform to their full potential, but please try to discourage your children from worrying about them! In addition to the work on the core subjects required for the SATS, we will continue to offer a broad, balanced, challenging and engaging curriculum, in keeping with the vision of the school. There will be a large number of enrichment opportunities throughout the year which I am sure the children will love!

Behaviour Management There are a number of behaviour management strategies used in Year 5/6, consistent with those used across the school. House Points Awarded for excellent work in lessons, and for exceptional behaviour and helpfulness. Dojo Points: Awarded for adherence to the Golden Rules and Class rules. Star of the Week Awarded for excellent work throughout the week. We will of course be following the school behaviour management consequences, as detailed in the Parent Partnership Books.

Post All post will be sent home on a Friday with the children. Please try and remember to extract the messages from your child’s school bag so they don’t get lost! If you want to talk to me, messages can either be written in the Parent Partnership Books or left at the office, or please feel free to come and speak to me in person in the playground after school.

PE There are two PE sessions each week – currently timetabled for Monday and Wednesday. The children need suitable trainers for outdoor PE, particularly as the field begins to get muddy again. PE kits must be in school ALL week in case a sporting activity arises on the spur of the moment! Please ensure that all PE kit is labelled.

Drinks Please encourage your child to drink water regularly during the day and ensure that they have a named water bottle.

Booster groups: Literacy and Numeracy Literacy: Some children will work with Mrs Holdaway or Mrs Stritch in a regular booster group to make sure that they make the progress that is required during this term. Maths: Groups of children will work with Mrs Holdaway or Mrs Stritch regularly during our maths lessons to support their understanding and progression, and also to stretch and extend their learning.

World War 2 The children have already made an excellent start on our topic, and have embraced it very enthusiastically! We will be looking at a wide variety of writing genres this term. The children will be familiar with them from previous years, but we will looking to enhance their understanding, and further develop progression within the genre. The genres covered include: Newspaper reports; Diary writing; Poetry; Persuasive writing; Debates; Story writing; Letters. If you would like any more information about these, please let me know, and I will be pleased to assist! Topics for the remaining terms will be Oliver Twist (T3/4) and Around the world in 80 days (T5/6).

Trips this term Our trips have already started, when Year 5 and 6 had the opportunity to visit the Imperial War Museum. (See the website for photos!) We are planning on visiting the Maidenhead Heritage Centre on the 12 th October, for a trio of WWII workshops. In January, we will be visiting a Workhouse near Guildford. (Either the 6 th, 7 th, or 8 th January) In the summer, we are looking at a trip to the V & A Museum to look at historical voyages across the world – to link to our Summer Term topic. Year 5 will have the opportunity to go on a residential trip to Hooke Court, Wales from the 22 nd – 24 th June. Year 6 will have the opportunity to go on a residential trip to Bude, Cornwall, from the 16 th – 20 th May.

Parents’ evening The first parents’ evening of the school year will be on the 29 th and 30 th September. Being so early in the term, this will be to share the targets your child to decide on, and any ways we can work together to achieve them.

Finally, the most important aim for this year is for the children to enjoy their time in Year 5 and 6. They will be able to make the most progress, and work to the best of their ability, when they are happy in school! Please don’t hesitate to talk to me if you have any concerns about how they are getting on.