Welcome to our classroom!

Learning to Learn "Since we cannot know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned."  John Holt

say which is better and why gather all the evidence RESILIENT LEARNERS: stick at something set targets and practise have a positive attitude find interest in what they are doing RESPONSIBLE LEARNERS: work effectively as part of a team plan ahead get on with it know right from wrong REASONING LEARNERS: choose the best method say which is better and why gather all the evidence take time to do something properly RESOURCEFUL LEARNERS: learn in different ways use their imagination take risks ask good questions REFLECTIVE LEARNERS: learn from mistakes listen to different opinions ask why stay calm

Working Walls No longer displays We encourage the children to engage with the walls throughout the week (add information, answer questions, provide examples etc.) Act as a learning aid to promote independence Information on the walls change as the learning develops

Homework As laid out in the ‘Welcome to Year 6’ letter at the start of term, the minimum requirement for homework is 100 points over a half term, including one piece of compulsory maths and one piece of compulsory English. Children are encouraged to continue with homework after they have completed this however. The child who earns the most points wins a prize each half term.

Behaviour Policy Our 3 school rules that encompass all positive behaviours: We follow instructions with thought and care We show good manners at all times We care for everyone and everything

Catering for the Individual Needs of the Children Booster/intervention groups Differentiated work Support from adults in lesson time Most importantly children are aware that we are looking for progress rather than every answer being correct.

Assessment SATs – May 2017 1 hour reading paper 2 x 45 minute maths ‘reasoning’ paper 1 x 30 minute arithmetic paper 1 x 45 spelling, punctuation and grammar paper 1 x spelling test Writing is assessed by Year 6 teachers based on the government provided framework – there is no SAT writing paper. http://www.holycross.plymouth.sch.uk/web/year_6bw _mrs_watters/155386

READING AT HOME Make time to listen to your child read. Sit comfortably and limit distractions. Before reading, discuss the cover or illustrations – what might the story be about? When listening, don’t rush to correct mistakes unless it significantly alters meaning. Characterisation – put on voices to make them come to life. After reading discuss what has been read. Ask questions about events, characters and predict what might happen next. Always praise and comment on progress. Read to them yourself and communicate your own enjoyment.

Writing It is school policy that children write cursively We believe that writing is important not only in English lessons, but across the breadth of the curriculum The ‘Big Write’ Reading regularly boosts writing! Encourage children to write at home: Film reviews Stories Instructions Biographies Diaries Newspaper articles Poetry

As part of our commitment to continually improving standards and attainment for all children, we have implemented the Read, Write, Inc. Spelling programme to boost standards in writing, grammar and spelling. The children take part in daily, bite-sized lessons that build knowledge cumulatively.  Three friendly aliens introduce the spelling rules on an exciting online spelling planet.  There is a lot of emphasis placed on partner and oral work to ensure children fully grasp the spelling concepts. 

The children also have their own practice book that provides a range of activities to enhance understanding. Any errors or misconceptions are logged in the children's personal log books so that these can be practised at other times and also taken home for additional practice. The programme also provides teachers with the opportunity to assess progress each half term and ensure children are understanding the spelling rules and filling the gaps in their knowledge. The programme was written by Ruth Miskin who is one of the UK's leading authorities on how to teach children to read. Writing across the school, especially spelling and punctuation, is our key area for development this year.

Maths Times tables! Children in year 6 are not yet confident in their times tables, particularly the 6,7 and 8 times tables. Not 6,12,18…but 1 x 6 =6, 2 x 6=12 etc. Place value – discuss the value of each numeral Use TT Rockstars and Doodlemaths to support at home Units covered so far: Ordering Numbers Place Value Sequences Rounding X 10,100 and 1000

We have made changes to our marking policy...

Research from Education Endowment Fund and John Hattie There are 4 main effects that help ensure effective learning happens Feedback Peer Tutoring Collaborative Learning Meta-cognition and Self-Regulation

We have also asked our children... Feedback is crucial for getting better They like working with their friends They think teacher feedback is still important But they really like to get feedback from their friends Children prefer immediate feedback and think waiting for books to be marked halts the progress they could make

Therefore, our teaching and learning seeks to make the most of these by... Children often feeding back to one another, against clear criteria Children being encouraged to keep a log/track of their next steps in reading, writing and maths Children being able to talk about their progress and what they need to do next This means that traditional teacher marking in books will change as most feedback will be immediate and verbal

Dartmoor training centre 2017 Monday 22nd to Friday 26th May Fully catered mountain biking forest orienteering a night walk climbing, scrambling, weaselling caving archery.

Buddies Each child has at least one buddy. Lunch times they can visit them once a week and eat together. Y6 should be responsible and be role models for the buddies It provides the children with a chance to develop their social skills and empathy.

Thank you for coming Any general questions? If there are any questions related specifically to your child, then please see me.