Welcome back to school! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the summer weather and that you are all refreshed and ready to get going with a new year at school. We’ve had a great start to the year with Bikeability for the Year 6s, and we are all excited about heading off to PGL. There’s lots to look forwards to this term, especially as we head towards Christmas, and I hope we can continue with the positive start we have already made.
Our overall theme for this term is ‘Stone Age to Iron Age’. This will involve a study of what life would have been like in Stone Age times while also concentrating on its place within Britain’s historical timeline. We will also learn about the geography of the time, appreciating the changes to the British Isles in ancient history. The topic gives us a great opportunity to be creative thanks to the study of Stone Age Art /cave paintings and stone artefacts. After half term, we will then start to look at the development from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
If you have any questions, or need to speak to me about any issues, please contact the school office in the first instance.
We start the year by learning about place value and number, the building blocks of mathematics. We then move onto working with all four operations, (addition, subtraction, division, multiplication), before starting our work on fractions before the end of term.
Art
In art, we will start the year by focusing on our drawing skills. We will then be using different natural materials to create our own versions of cave paintings.
DT
After half term, we will be learning about mechanisms like gears and pulleys.
PSHE
In PSHE this year we will be following the ‘Jigsaw’ scheme. In our first term, we will be looking at ‘Being Me in the World’ where children will learn about their role in making school a positive place. After half term, we will be studying the unit ‘Celebrating Differences’.
Computing
In computing, we will learning about search engines and handling data.
Music
Singing will continue to take place each week.
English
During the first part of this term, we will be studying a book called ‘Stone Age Boy’, a time slip story that also gives lots of information about the Stone Age. After half term, we will be reading the classic text ‘Stig of the Dump’. We will also be reading ‘Deadman’s Cove’ by Lauren St John during our whole class reading sessions.
Spellings
There is a spelling session each day Monday – Friday, where children in Key Stage 2 are split into their year groups in order to cover the year group objectives using Superhero Spelling. Children will also be given a list of words each term from their year group’s statutory spelling list. These lists will be need to be learned over the whole term, and we will be doing dictation sentences using the words each Friday. Each term’s list will be added to the class page on the school website.
Science
In science we will be learning about electricity, understanding what it is and how it’s made, before looking at simple circuits. We will then be studying light after half term.
RE
This term, we will be studying Hinduism, answering the questions: ‘What do Hindus believe God is like?’ And ‘What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today?’
PE
This term, our Tuesday PE sessions will be run by Bright Sparks, who will be teaching the class about football. Children will then be learning about basketball and rugby in our second PE lesson of the week, with rugby being taught by Heathfield Rugby Club. After half term, Miss Zara will be teaching the class about dance on a Tuesday.
Geography
Homework
Homework will be set each week on a Wednesday. A homework menu will be given out which will feature mainly reading and writing tasks, with some extra maths activities at times. Don’t forget, you can do some extra work at home on Times Table Rock Stars, and make sure you keep reading – Reading records have been given out, and we are keen for children to earn some certificates! Please ensure that children do still get the chance to read at home with an adult – it is important that they get the chance to discuss their reading as much as possible outside of school as well as in class.
Monday: Homework handed in. PE with Mr Boorman Tuesday: PE with Bright Sparks. Wednesday: Homework handed out. Friday: Spelling dictation sentences.
Key Dates
Monday 8th September – Year 6 Bikeabaility (all week) Monday 15th September – PGL. Drop off at 4.15pm Friday 19th September – pick up from PGL at 1.30pm Wednesday 24th September – Cross country tournament Friday 26th September – European day of languages breakfast Tuesday 30th September – Harvest festival. KS2 children to hike back to school Thursday 2nd October – Flu spray Wednesday 8th October – Creation day Thursday 9th October – Year 5/6 assembly Friday 17th October – Maths parent meeting Monday 20th October – Parents Evening Wednesday 22nd October – Parents Evening Friday 24th October – Last day of term 1 Monday 3rd November – Return to school for term 2. Pupil photos Friday 28th November – INSET day Friday 5th December – Senior citizen Christmas party. Uckfield late night shopping Wednesday 10th December – Open the Book donkey walk Tuesday 16th December – Whole school Christmas lunch. KS2 Carol concert. Thursday 18th December – KS2 Christmas party Friday 19th December – Cup assembly. End of term 2.
