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2. Introductions:
*Mrs O’Boyle
*Miss Dean
*Miss Williams
*Mrs Hall
*Mrs Brookes

3. Year 6 curriculum
Non-core curriculum:
We are using a programme throughout Valley Primary
called Prospects Improve. Themed blocks, within the
scheme, cover the statutory knowledge and skill
requirements, stipulated in the new national curriculum
(Sept, 2013), across all non-core subjects. In addition to
this, there are built in opportunities to develop
mathematical and literacy skills.

4. Over the year, year 6 pupils will learn about the following
themed units:
• Out of this world (Solar System, universe, space exploration and alien life)
• Yes Minister (British Politics and Parliament)
During this term we have been studying:
• Disaster! (Natural Disasters-Volcanoes and Earthquakes)
Next term we will be studying:
• Antarctica (Great Artic Explorers)
Each unit also covers D &
T, Art, MFL, PSHE, PE,
Music and ICT national
curriculum requirements.
We will also be
teaching these
subjects
discreetly to ensure
• Rule Britannia (Invasions and Settlements in Britain)
• Greece Lightning (A study of modern and Ancient Greece)

5. Science
• Out of this world (Solar System, universe, space exploration and
alien life)
In addition to the above Science based theme, we will be teaching
the following topics from the Year 6 Science National Curriculum:
• Light
• Heart and Lungs
• Evolution
• Classification
• Electricity
• Field Studies
Where possible, we will link the above topics with
the Prospects units
E.g. Out of this world: Evolution or creation?
Although there are no formal science
SATs for all, ‘science sampling’ was
reintroduced in 2014. Under this system,
9,500 children-five children from 1,500
schools are randomly selected to take a
science test. Selected schools will be
notified by mid-May, and are legally
obliged to participate if chosen.

6. Maths
We are following the Bright Pi scheme for maths in preparation for the
2016 SATs. The maths curriculum is organised into blocks, which are
revisited in a spiralling programme:
• Number:
number and place value
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
fractions (including decimals and percentages)
• Ratio & Proportion
• Algebra
• Geometry:
properties of shape
position and direction
• measurement
• statistics
Where possible, we will link the above topics with
the Prospects units
E.g. Disaster: Number and place value
The idea is to re-visit concepts in order to build upon the children’s understanding
rather than being taught in ‘one-off’ isolated blocks.

7. Spelling
In order to meet the new elevated spelling expectations outlined in the new
NC, we have introduced the following changes to how spelling is taught
across the junior site:
1.) The autumn term is spent re-visiting and consolidating the spelling
requirements from the previous year.
2.) Monday’s English lesson is devoted to spelling:
-introducing and exploring spellings rules, conventions, families, patterns and
exceptions
-distributing differentiated sets of spelling lists that children write into their
Spelling Logs, which move between home and school for practise.
3.) Children are tested-in the form of a brief teacher written dictation or
cloze procedure sentences-the following Friday. Children are awarded
house points for using spellings within their writing across all subject
areas.
4.) One of the Guided Reading groups (per week) is dedicated to
practising their spellings
Where possible, we will link the above topics with the
Prospects units
E.g. Disaster: words ending in ous, tious & cious.

8. In addition to the children progressing through a
programme of spelling conventions and patterns, the
new NC have introduced a list of
words-which follow no particular pattern-which the
children can spell by the end of year 6:
accommodate accompany according aggressive appreciate attached
committee communicate community controversy correspond criticise
curiosity definite embarrass exaggerate existence guarantee
harass identity immediate immediately individual leisure
lightning occupy occur parliament persuade prejudice
programme queue recommend sacrifice secretary stomach
suggest symbol system thorough twelfth vehicle
yacht
We are building in learning opportunities, during our spelling
workshop on Monday s, to learn these. You will find them in
your child’s planner. Please can you help in learning them
outside of school.

9. EXEMPLAR GUIDED READING TIME (6O)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Yellow
Group
Spellers Free Readers De‘text’ives Handwriters Interpreters
Blue
Group
Interpreters Spellers Free
Readers
De‘text’ives Handwriters
Red
Group
Handwriters Interpreters Spellers Free
Readers
De‘text’ives
Green
Group
De‘text’ives Handwriters Interpreters Spellers Free
Readers
Purple
Group
Free
Readers
De‘text’ives Handwriters Interpreters Spellers

10. Teaching Guided Reading at Valley:
KS2 classes now focus on developing the following ten
reading comprehension skills in Guided Reading:
• retrieval
• prediction
• summarise
• decoding
• viewpoint
• analyse language choices
• analyse text structure
• clarify new words
• inference

11. Teaching Guided Reading at Valley:
De‘text’ives:
Children independently-or with a partner-answer questions on a a
range of short fiction or non-fiction text (classic, historical,
mythical, cultural, traditional tales) which focuses on the
development of lower level reading comprehension skills:
-retrieval
-prediction
-summarising
-viewpoint

12. Teaching Guided Reading at Valley:
Interpreters:
Teacher supported session to refine lower level skills (noted in
De‘text’ives section) and develop higher-order comprehension
skills:
-clarify of new words
-analyse text structure
-analyse language choices
-inference

13. HANDWRITING AT VALLEY
Accurate
The new Valley handwriting motto is…
ALF
What do you think each letter stands for?
Fluent
Legible

14. COMPETITION TIME.
The new Valley handwriting moto is…
ALF
Accurate Legible
FluentPupils to design a ALF handwriting
mascot.
Winning design will become the Valley
Handwriting Mascot and win a prize
awarded in assembly.

15. week (by child or adult at home)
-endeavour to read for at least 15 minutes each day
outside of school
-ideal if you can listen to your child read and initiate
a discussion about what they have read in order to
deepen understanding
-signed or note from parent/carer to acknowledge
reading
-children to also be encouraged to read books-outside
of the school home reader scheme-from class, school,
local library or own collection
-planners are checked and signed on a Friday by class
-if you record a note in the planner for the class
teacher please notify your child so that they can bring
it to our attention.

16. -issued on a Thursday
-due back the following Monday
-homework sheets given to children and kept in homework
folders (in school) once completed
-marked and house points awarded
-Homework Club available for children every Thursday
after school
-teachers happy to assist with ‘homework confusions’ during
lunchtimes
-spare homework sheets housed in every classroom and
pupil’s responsibility to collect if original copy is lost or
damaged
-we encourage the children and yourselves to communicate
with us regarding homework misunderstandings or issues with
completing at home.