Y6 Correspondent: Mr. Johnston

As the children continued to settle into life in Year 6, the curriculum continued to come thick and fast. Building on key English and Mathematics skills in the morning and exploring the wider curriculum in the afternoon, the children of Year 6 started their journey into a world of new units. 

Excellent English

Macbeth has received a number of prophecies from the weird sisters out on the heaths of Scotland. Soon, the first prophecy is realised as he is promoted to become the Thane of Cawdor as thanks for defeating the invaders of Norway. Could he soon become king?

This was something that the children in Year 6 were asked to consider as they continued to explore Shakespeare's epic tragedy. With the class working on what they needed to focus on, the children learnt about, practised and applied key skills including identifying the difference between phrases and clauses. 

Phrases are a group of words that add meaning, but do not contain a verb i.e. the dark, gloomy clouds.

Alternatively, clauses are a group of words that add meaning and do contain a verb (action, emotion or state) i.e. Macbeth trudged wearily toward a distant, weather-beaten tree. 

Throughout the week, the children explored a wider range of key skills and sought to practice those that they had learnt previously in Year 5. Eventually, the children will embody the devious soul of Lady Macbeth and write to their darling, warrior husband (Macbeth) to encourage him to realise his destiny and take control of the crown of Scotland.

Magnificent Mathematics

Within Mathematics, the children continued to consolidate their knowledge and understanding of place value with numbers up to 10,000,000. From reading and writing numbers using words and numerals to identifying them upon number lines, the children were required to apply their knowledge to complete a series of reasoning and problem-solving tasks. Why not try one for yourself?

Wonderful Wider Curriculum

Of course, school is not all English and Mathematics. At Coten End, the children are fortunate enough to have a detailed, wide-ranging and challenging curriculum in other subjects including Science, Design Technology, Physical Education, Modern Foreign Languages and much more.

In Physical Education, the children worked to develop their Tag Rugby and Hockey skills building on their first week's lessons to develop passing techniques and even began to participate in small team games. Similarly, in Science, the children continued to explore the concept of light and sought to consider how light travels and how the structure of the eye enables them to see using it. Using string and an iPad the children sort to produce physical representations of scientific drawings to show how light, which they had previously proven travels in straight lines, enables them to see an object!