Upper Key Stage 2 · Ages 10–11
Year 6.
Shaun Tan Class & Joseph Coelho Class. The final year of primary school — World War Two, the Polar Regions, the Maya, Shakespeare, SATs and the residential in May, then leavers' production and the move on to secondary.
The team
Two classes, two children's authors.
Each Year 6 class is named after a much-loved children's author whose books we read together throughout the year. Our Year 6 teaching assistants are Miss Martin and Mrs Bowen. They work across the Year 6 classes rather than in one class, so they can go where they are needed.
Upper KS2 · Year 6
Shaun Tan Class
Mr Dew
Class teacher
Upper KS2 · Year 6
Joseph Coelho Class
Mrs Pariser (Mon, Tue) and Mrs Davies (Wed–Fri)
Job-share class teachers
Curriculum
What they're learning, this year.
Year 6 spans the most ambitious stretch of the curriculum: World War Two, the Polar Regions, early Islamic civilisation, the Maya and Shakespeare. SATs are in May, there's a residential, a trip to the Globe Theatre, and the leavers' production in July. The biggest year, in every sense.
The year at a glance
Autumn 1
WWII
Autumn 2
Polar Regions
Spring 1
Early Islamic Civilisation
Spring 2
Maya
Summer 1
Shakespeare
Summer 2
Production
Autumn term · this term
WWII, then the Polar Regions.
WWII.
Year 6 open the year with the Second World War. In English we're reading The Arrival and writing our own narrative retelling, then The Invention of Hugo Cabret for biography writing. In history the children write diary entries from the point of view of an evacuee on the Kindertransport. In maths it's place value and the four operations, with weekly arithmetic all year. Science is the circulatory system, and in DT we're building moving toys with cams.
Autumn 2 topic map: Polar Regions
After half term, Autumn 2: Polar Regions. The Arctic and Antarctica: how animals, plants and people survive there, Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, and how climate change is affecting the poles, finishing with the children's own polar poems. In English, The Last Bear, ending in a newspaper article; fractions and measurement in maths, polar watercolours in art, and carols for the community.
By the end of Year 6
What success looks like.
Year 6 is the end of primary — every child should leave secondary-ready in the core skills. These are the milestones, not a checklist. The KS2 SATs (May) sample these in reading, GPS and maths.
Mathematics
Use negative numbers in context. Compare and order numbers up to 10,000,000. Identify factors, multiples and prime numbers. Multiply 4-digit by 2-digit; divide 4-digit by 2-digit. Add and subtract fractions with different denominators and mixed numbers. Multiply and divide proper fractions. Calculate percentages of whole numbers. Use order of operations.
Reading
Refer to the text to support opinions and predictions. Distinguish fact from opinion. Comment on how vocabulary, structure and arrangement create effect. Recognise complex sentences with more than one subordinate clause. Skim and scan to aid note-taking.
Writing
Use subordinate clauses to write complex sentences. Use the passive voice where appropriate. Use semi-colons, colons and dashes to mark independent clauses. Use the full range of punctuation matched to text type. Use cohesion devices within and across paragraphs. Write legibly, fluently and at increasing speed.
Just for Year 6 parents
Things only you need to know.
A few Year 6 specifics — SATs and the residential in May, the leavers' production in July, and the move on to secondary school in September.
KS2 SATs week (mid-May)
The statutory KS2 SATs sit in mid-May — Reading, Grammar & Punctuation & Spelling, and Maths papers across one week. We've been preparing steadily all year without making a thing of it. There's a SATs information meeting for parents in the spring term (date to follow). Trust the process — the children are well-prepared and we keep stress low.
The residential (May)
This year's Year 6 residential is with Grittleton Adventures in May. There'll be an information meeting for parents in the spring term, with all the details. A real highlight — outdoor activities, dorm rooms, mealtimes together, the whole thing.
Secondary transition
Secondary school place offers come out in early March. Most of our Year 6 children move on to Shoreham Academy or Sir Robert Woodard Academy. Transition days at the new schools usually fall in the last week of June or early July. The school office helps with any questions about the application process.
The leavers' production
The Year 6 leavers' production runs in the last week of the summer term — a whole-class show that's the year's emotional finale. All families welcome; tickets via the school office in early July.
Want to see Year 6 for yourself?
Contact the school office to arrange a visit at a time that suits you — we're happy to help.