Year 6

For even the most confident of 10 year olds (and their parents!), the move into Year 6 can be a daunting time but it really doesn’t have to be. Being in Year 6 truly is the most memorable time in your child’s primary education. Year 6 is a key moment in your child’s life; they will develop more independence, a huge amount of resilience and, most importantly, they should become very aware of who they are as both learners and as young adults.

What will my child do in Year 6?

As in all other year groups, Year 6 follow statutory schemes of learning set down by the government. Children are now assessed at the end of the year as to whether they have met the ‘expected’ national standard. All teachers will do their best to follow these schemes whilst also making their teaching personalised, exciting, creative and thematic.

Key Stage 2 SATs

Firstly, no guide to Year 6 would be complete without some mention of the SATs — the assessment tasks that all Year 6 pupils sit in May of each year. The results of these will determine whether your child has met the ‘expected’ level in English and Maths.

In both Maths and English, there is a wide range of expectations for the children. Some of the content previously covered in Year 7 in secondary school has now been moved to Year 6.

For Maths, this includes things like simple algebra, missing angles in a range of shapes, and pie charts using percentages. In English the children are now expected to understand how to use a full range of punctuation, to write with a wide variety of sentence structures, use powerful vocabulary and have generally accurate spelling of all words. There are many more ‘expected’ aspects to both English and Maths but these are some of the newer ones.

Although testing is part of the focus during the year a great deal of work is carried out to prepare children for this time. Our aim is to keep the stress levels down, with plenty of fun AND valuable learning.

The wider curriculum

There are many other valuable subjects that are not assessed in the tests which many children excel in – and these are equally as important. In Year 6 the children always love our history topics. History schemes vary from school to school but many Year 6 classes will look at World War 2. It makes for some amazing cross-curricular learning involving art, drama, DT, music, geography and fabulous English writing activities. Some schools explore the Ancient Maya and South American cultures and others will look at Islamic civilisations or other aspects of Ancient History instead.

The science topics in Year 6 have recently changed. In evolution and inheritance, your child will get to look at dinosaurs, fossils, genetics, Darwin and so much more. Other topics include the circulatory system, microorganisms, and light and electricity. Where possible your child will carry out a variety of scientific investigations during all of these topics, building on the skills they have already acquired. Most children love practical lessons and the opportunity to use scientific equipment.

Moving on up

Of course, a big part of your child’s summer term in Year 6 will be preparing for the move to secondary school — a huge milestone in their lives. This may involve going to their new schools, maybe a visit from some of their new teachers, and shared classroom activities which should help with any concerns they have.

Your child is likely to have lots of fun in in their last year of primary school.

How can I help my child in Year 6?

Help with homework

For parents in Year 6 the most important thing is to continue to help where possible with reading, homework, times tables and projects whilst stepping back just a little more than in previous years. Your child will learn during this year possibly more than any other that it is their own hard work and effort that matters; not someone else’s, and their teacher will be aiming to help them develop their independence, organisation and self-motivation in time for the increased demands of secondary school — a tricky thing for both parents and teachers!

Keep on reading

As ever, it is still important that your child continues to read, both alone and to you, as much as possible. It is never too late to develop a love of reading. Spend time finding the best books for your child — speak to their teacher too, or a librarian, if this is proving a challenge.

Prepare for SATs

You will probably want to support your child in the lead up to the SATs. Working with your child, when needed, will help you see where they need the most support. It is often a surprise to some parents just how much the children are expected to know and just how clever they have become — they may now know more than you!

Be sure to speak to your child’s teacher at various (non-parent evening) times during the year when you need to. They will be keen to help with any areas of concern you might have.

Please view the Year 6 curriculum maps and overviews below.