The Year 6 team consist of Dr Collins, Mr Taplin and Mr Whitehouse. Our ethos is to build on the strong start that pupils have made in Year 5, whilst also encouraging more independence and responsibility for pupils as they progress towards SATs and Key Stage 3.
Trips and activities
In the Autumn Term, Year 6 pupils will spend a week at a Kingswood activity centre, an experience which they will find both challenging and rewarding. It is an experience which often becomes a highlight of their time at Ralph Sadleir. As part of their studies pupils will go on a river walk, take part in an architecture workshop, visit GlaxoSmithKline, attend a workshop on being safe and visit Duxford Imperial War Museum. In order for many of these trips and activities to go ahead we rely on voluntary contributions from pupils. If insufficient contributions are received then trips may have to be cancelled.
Assessment
On-going assessment:
Throughout their time at Ralph Sadleir pupils’ work is assessed by teachers using ‘APP’ which means ‘Assessing Pupils’ Progress’. This involves the close monitoring and recording of whether pupils can use a range of different skills in each subject. These records are used, along with formal tests, to give pupils a national curriculum level at the end of every term. The APP records are passed up to the next teacher when pupils move year group and Key Stage so that we can adequately personalise their targets and future learning.
End of Key Stage 2 assessments (SATs):
In addition to on-going assessment, pupils will sit their end of Key Stage 2 assessments (commonly known as SATs) in May when they are in Year 6. Somewhat unknowingly, pupils will be preparing for these from the moment they arrive at Ralph Sadleir in Year 5, and previously in their First Schools. Therefore, both pupils and parents need not be anxious about the final part of the preparation process. We try to make pupils feel as comfortable and familiar as possible with the types of questions that they will encounter in the tests and with ‘exam technique’ and routines associated with SATs, which will stand them in good stead for the future.
Changes to the SATs in 2013:
This year the SATs tests in Reading and Mathematics will be the same as in previous years. However, pupils’ writing will be assessed in a different way: pupils will not sit a long and short writing test; instead they will sit a grammar and punctuation test along with a spelling test. Pupils will also be given a teacher assessed level according to a portfolio of tasks that they have completed throughout Years 5 and 6. For more information about the new grammar tests see this link
Practice SATs week:
In order to prepare pupils for the logistics of SATS week, we also undertake a practice SATs week early in the Spring term, which is run identically to the real tests so that pupils become familiar with the routines and are not daunted by the process. It is vital that pupils are in school on these dates, so we ask that you do not book holidays or arrange appointments during this time, where possible. In the event of illness, (if at all possible) we ask that pupils come into school to sit the tests, after which they can go home.
How parents can help:
Many parents will wish to know how they can best prepare their child for the tests and we would advise that your continued support with homework and reading will help hugely. Similarly, helping to ease pupils’ stress levels by adopting a relaxed attitude will send a healthy message to your children. We run workshops for parents in the Autumn Term, which will give you many practical strategies for supporting your child at home for both Maths and English in preparation for SATs.
All pupils in Year 6 have been given Sam learning logons and it is clear in lessons and tests which pupils have been using this the most, so please urge your child to use Sam learning as often as possible. Pupils can access SAM learning by following this link
You may also wish to purchase revision guides, of which there are many different varieties. We recommend that you show your child a selection of guides so that they can choose one which they feel is accessible for them.
Routine and behaviour expectations
On entering their second year at Ralph Sadleir, pupils are now fully familiar with the school’s daily routines and behaviour policy. Therefore the year 6 team will have the highest expectations of pupils from the very beginning of term. There are several aspects of this which I would like to remind you about:
Planners: These will be issued to all pupils and will be used for recording homework and rewards as well as for communication between home and school. It is essential that you sign your child’s planner every school week. Tutors will check that planners have been signed every Monday and a sanction will be issued for any pupil whose planner is not signed or brought in. It is also very important for you to initial any comments that have been written by staff in your child’s planner to show that you have read them. Staff will initial any messages from home as they read them.
Rewards: We look forward to giving out lots of credits and merits to all pupils throughout the year. Other rewards to look out for include: letters of commendation, sent at the end of each term to pupils who have been working particularly hard and ‘Ralphie of the month’ for those pupils who are outstanding in upholding the values and ethos of the Ralph Sadleir community.
Behaviour policy: The year 6 teachers will be enforcing the whole school behaviour policy consistently from the very beginning of term. Details of this can be found in your child’s planner and in your parent handbook. Warnings and detentions will be recorded in the pupil’s planner and we would appreciate it if parents could discuss any issues with their child to discourage future problems.
Reading logs: All pupils will be issued with reading logs and must take responsibility for recording their daily reading. Additionally, an adult from home is expected to sign the pupil’s reading log once every week to show that they agree with the pupil’s records. Class teachers will collect in and countersign pupils’ reading logs every Monday morning. As with planners, a sanction will be given to pupils who have not had their reading log signed.
Homework
The homework routine in year 6 will be similar to that of year 5, which should allow pupils to make an easy transition into year 6. A key part of this will be cross-curricular homework projects, which have been incredibly successful so far and which we hope to make even better this year! Three times each term pupils will be given a project to work on for several weeks instead of their weekend homework. You will receive information about the themes and deadlines for these projects soon so that pupils can begin thinking of creative ideas.
Pupils will also have a structured weekly homework routine as follows:
Maths homework for most pupils will be a maths-a-day sheet which will consist of an activity for each school day of the week. Activities may relate to the day’s learning but may be broader revision of other topics. As well as this, pupils will be given a weekly ‘mental mind-stretcher’ activity which will be introduced in class and then completed for homework.
‘Weekend homework’ will be given on a wide variety of topics and will be set on a Friday and due in on the following Monday or Tuesday, depending on the task. Pupils are expected to spend between 30-45 minutes on this homework. Tasks and expectations will be differentiated according to pupils’ ability and will usually be explained on a printed sheet which will be stuck into the child’s planner.
Pupils will sometimes be given homework in other subjects such as science or MFL. They will always be given more than one day to complete these pieces of work. When a piece of homework is late, a sanction will be given and we will expect the late homework to be handed in the following day.
