Prep 6 Curriculum Brief

Spellings will continue to be based on the children’s own targets and focus on Year 5/6 spelling rules. Spelling tests will still be held each week on Wednesdays.

Grammar – within our grammar work this term, we are going to continue looking at using devices to build cohesion within a paragraph and think about how we link ideas across paragraphs (using adverbials of time or place, tense choices, repetition of a word or phrase and grammatical connections).  In our non-fiction topic, we will revise how to use a variety of descriptive devices but again focus on layout (e.g. headings, subheadings, columns, bullets, or tables to structure text). In our poetry topic, we will recap poetic devices (rhyming, personification, onomatopoeia, similes/metaphors etc) whilst continuing to develop our vocabulary and try to use words that have a powerful impact on the reader.

We will also refresh our understanding of key grammatical terms (adjectives, verbs, adverbs, adverbial phrases etc) and recap newer terms like hyperbole and idiom.

Punctuation – we will revise key punctuation learnt in lower KS2 whilst continuing to master the use of semi-colons, colons and brackets, dashes, or commas to indicate parenthesis.

Reading/ Comprehension – in our reading this term we will continue to read our own target books but also read a variety of genres and gain a deeper understanding of different writing styles and widen our vocabulary. We will continue to answer comprehension questions that get us to support answers with evidence from the text and be able to identify key literary devices in our model texts. This term, we will also develop our ability to infer information from fiction texts. This skill becomes harder as our texts become harder – so we will practise this skill using abridged versions of older texts (Treasure Island, Oliver Twist etc).

Creative Writing – During this term, we will start by linking our writing to our history topic and read ‘My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright’ by Marcia Williams. From this text, we will write a sequence of diary entries related to a specific time in history. If we have time, we will finish our year by studying the poem ‘I am a Cat’ by Jackie Morris. From this, we will create our own poem using new, complex vocabulary.

Punctuation – we will revise key punctuation learnt in lower KS2 whilst continuing to master the use of semi-colons, colons and brackets, dashes, or commas to indicate parenthesis.

Reading/ Comprehension – in our reading this term we will continue to read our own target books but also read a variety of genres and gain a deeper understanding of different writing styles and widen our vocabulary. We will continue to answer comprehension questions that get us to support answers with evidence from the text and be able to identify key literary devices in our model texts. This term, we will also develop our ability to infer information from fiction texts. This skill becomes harder as our texts become harder – so we will practise this skill using abridged versions of older texts (Treasure Island, Oliver Twist etc).

Creative Writing – During this term, we will start by linking our writing to our history topic and read ‘My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright’ by Marcia Williams. From this text, we will write a sequence of diary entries related to a specific time in history. If we have time, we will finish our year by studying the poem ‘I am a Cat’ by Jackie Morris. From this, we will create our own poem using new, complex vocabulary.

During the summer term, Prep 6 will continue to have times tables practice and mental

maths sessions. The children will be challenged to be problem solvers throughout the topics

covered. The main areas of topic work will include the following:

Fractions, Decimals and Percentages: decimal and fraction equivalents; understanding percentages; converting fractions to percentages; equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages; ordering fractions, decimals and percentages; percentages of amounts in multi-step word problems.

Area, perimeter and volume: Area of triangles and parallelograms; volume of cubes and cuboids.

Statistics: Working with line graphs and dual bar charts; reading, interpreting and drawing pie charts with percentages; calculating the mean.

Geometry – Shape: measuring and classifying angles; calculating angles; vertically opposite angles; angles in triangles, quadrilaterals, and polygons; circles; drawing shapes accurately; nets of 3D shapes.

Geometry – Position and direction: reading and plotting points in four quadrants; solving problems with coordinates; translations and reflections.

This term Prep 6 will be learning about Animals including Humans. They will identify and explain the different parts of the human circulatory system, describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood, and why it is important to keep our bodies healthy.

We will continue our work on Trade and Economics this term, looking in detail about what it would be like to work at one of Europe’s busiest ports. We will discuss the importance of Fair Trade e.g. how it can improve the life of the families of a coffee grower in El Salvador and discuss the term globalisation. We will describe an example of a global supply chain and evaluate the overall impact multinational companies have on local trade.

During the Summer Term, we will finish our topic on WW1 by focusing on the events that lead to peace in 1918. Through this, we will discuss how the war ended and study the effect of the war on Britain. Once we have finished this, we will start our topic on WW2 which will link to our English topic well. We will carefully study how WW2 started and its impact on the people of Britain and the wider world. We will also focus on the D-Day landings and their impact within our local area.

This term we will learn about Odysseus’ clever plan to defeat the Trojans and continue to discuss aches and pains in Latin!  We will look at the Roman baths in detail – the different rooms, who visited them and why. We will also learn numbers from 1-10 and consolidate our knowledge of Latin colours.

During this Summer Term, we will focus on ‘Pentecost’ and how the arrival of the Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles and the early Church.  We shall look at the fellow workers of Paul and how we can continue their work in our own lives. After our half-term break, we will prepare for our leaving assembly and use some time to carefully reflect on our time at St Christopher’s.

Prep 6 will start the new term by wrapping up their ‘Patterns and Portraits’ project which consists of creating a mask like clay relief portrait adorned with symbolic patterns and motifs. Our summer project will focus on the brightly coloured landscape work of the artist David Hockney. We will have a go at some ‘plein air’ observational drawings which will develop into a large-scale collaborative ‘Hockney’ style landscape piece!

This term prep 6 will be developing their performance skills as they rehearse for the summer show.

In DT this term, we will create a model that uses hydraulic or pneumatic designs using syringes and plastic tubing to create reciprocal movement. Materials used: syringes, PVC tubing, block wood, laser plywood and modelling card.

This term the pupils will be completing work on documents and slides in relation to other curriculum subjects. They will be designing a programme in preparation for the school play. They will also look at animated programmes and create a short piece of their own creation.

They will rehearse the school play in the summer term.  They will be learning acting and performance techniques and working with musical theatre.  They will also be learning how to create characters on stage. They will also gain an understanding of how to put a play together including lighting, props and backstage instructions

Simple cricket activities, based around limited game situations. The skills involved in catching, throwing, bowling and hitting will be developed. Athletics – to include sprints, hurdles and relays. In field events simple javelin/long jump/high jump.

Swimming: Water time will be spent on the development of correct technique and other related activities. All work based on the ASA ‘National Plan for Teaching Swimming’.