1. Monday 11 th July 2011

2. Transition from Year 5 to Year 6 The aim of this meeting is to inform you of the changes in both routine and the curriculum that occur in Year 6, in order to make the transition from the Year 5 to Year 6 run smoothly and not cause too much anxiety for both Parent and Child! In fact, the transition to year 6 is a very straightforward one for most children. The teachers are already familiar to the children and the children are familiar with the schemes of work and used to the demands of daily homework. The emphasis in Year 6 is on growing independence and responsibility both in school and when completing homework.

3. Year 6 Great Expectations! The children will be expected to be more independent and to think ahead. By Year 5 all children will have had the responsibility of looking after their own belongings, including games kit, hence now in Year 6 this should not be a problem for them! They will be expected to read their timetables and know which lessons they will have during the day. They should hand in their homework at the beginning of each day and then prepare themselves for the day ahead. The children will have the majority of their lessons in both of the Year 6 classrooms but as in previous years will have to move around for lessons such as Art, ICT and Science. They know that they must move around the school sensibly and quietly. They need to be organised and to have the correct equipment ready for each lesson. When they lose pens, pencils etc these need to be replaced ASAP. In the form rooms your child will sit at their own desk and will be responsible for the neatness of their books inside their desk!

4. Curriculum In Year 6 the children are not streamed in any subjects. The teachers will plan for differentiation in their lessons, so that extension work and consolidation is available when required. Lessons such as: FRENCH ICT MUSIC DRAMA SPORT SCIENCE will be taught by specialist teachers.

5. Equipment required. Your child’s requirements will not differ greatly from Year 3. HB pencilsHandwriting pens EraserPencil sharpener 30cm transparent ruler Pencil case (Not tin) Coloured crayons/pencils and felt tipsGlue stick Calculator (not too large) Dictionary Also useful: Geometry set Scissors Highlighters

6. Homework It is important to create a special time when homework becomes a priority and your child is given time and space to work quietly, without disruption. The children will be given homework diaries in which they will write down their homework each day. The diaries are expected to be checked by a parent each night and signed at the end of the week. They are also used as a communication between parent and teacher. This is the best way to communicate any minor concerns or to convey information, although, of course, your teachers will always be happy to meet you to discuss any issues that may arise. Homework in Year 6 will probably have taken no more than 40 minutes. Maths homework will be given on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. English homework is set on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Normally homework is handed in on the following day. In Year 6 children should be able to do their homework independently. If you need to help your child with their homework please inform the class teacher. A note in the Homework Diary is again probably the best way to communicate this information.

7. Reading Since the children joined Year 3 they have been encouraged to become independent readers. By Year 6 most children will be silent readers. However please encourage your children to read each day. Year 6 children should be reading fact and fiction books as well as newspapers. The children are encouraged to use the school library so there is no reason why a child does not have a book to read. Some children will still need additional support with their reading. These children will read to both the teacher and to the available teaching assistants. E.R.I.C. (Everyone Reading In Class!) Once a week the children will have a silent reading session with everyone reading in class at the same time.

8. PE/Sports In addition to Breaside’s outdoor space, we use the facilities of Bromley Cricket Club (BCC) for sports, which is a 10 minute walk from the school. Children will bring their PE kit to school on both sports afternoons and will walk to BCC and get changed. The children also have the opportunity to play in matches (fixtures) against other schools, both at home and away. Swimming Lessons will continue to be part of the KS2 curriculum. BoysGirls RugbyNetball (at school) FootballHockey Cricket Rounders Both boys & girls will do Athletics, Tennis and Gymnastics.

9. Labelling Please, please, please ensure that all items of clothing are adequately labelled. Parents are justifiably annoyed when things go missing, but it is very difficult to ensure that items are returned to their rightful owner without a name. Play it safe and label everything, from blazers to calculators to pencil sharpeners!

10. Assessment Each term and where appropriate the children are given tests in certain subjects to check on the progress they have made. In the Autumn Term the children will be given the standardised NFER tests, which give an age related standardised score. The children are tested in English, Maths and are given Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning papers. As you are fully aware of, Year 6 will do their Grammar School entrance exams in September. Entrance exams for independent schools will continue through the Autumn term into the Spring term. SATS exams to take place in early May. As well as the above, the children have ongoing teacher assessment in all areas of the curriculum and will also undertake regular self-assessments in both Mathematics and English.

11. Reports and Parent Meetings In line with the other year groups there will be 2 parents evenings, one in the Autumn Term and the other in the Spring Term. At the end of the Autumn Term the children are given Grade Cards to take home which show their levels for effort and achievement in each subject. In the Summer Term the children will be given a full report of their year’s achievements and where appropriate their levels. Of course at Breaside we very much have an open door policy. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress then please do not hesitate to make a parent/teacher meeting.

12. Rewards and Recognition We believe in recognising effort and achievement. The children are divided into 4 coloured houses and house points are awarded for effort, achievement, behaviour and courtesy amongst many other things. Each child collects stars and 5 stars = 1 house point. Every class in the school collects tokens for their behaviour and attitude and every week the class with the most tokens will win the token Trophy. We also reward class behaviour with a ‘We Can Do It’ trophy every week. At the end of every term, we total all the house points and a cup is awarded in the final assembly of term.

13. School Trips A trip to The Wallace Collection in the Autumn Term A trip to Dickens World in the Spring Term A trip to France in the Summer Term

14. Life after SATs Apprentice Project Cross – curricular projects ( e.g. “Dr Who Script to Screen” competition) Summer production