Welcome to Our Year 6 Class at St. James’
Welcome to Year 6, my name is Mrs Hayden and I am the Class Teacher. Our Teaching Assistants in Year 6 are Mrs Judd, Mrs Camm and Mrs Hudson, who support at various times throughout the week. In Year 6, the children will focus on SATs preparation during their Maths and English lessons. However, we make sure we have a lot of fun in all other subjects along the way. Our one class rule is “try your best”; this is all I ever ask of the children in Year 6. We have lots of rewards for 100% effort in class, one of which is meeting up with our special friends in Reception Class during “Golden Time”.
Year 6 Noticeboard
- Homework is given out each Friday and should be returned for the following Tuesday.
- Spellings are handed out on a Friday and will be tested on a Friday. In Year 6 if children misplace their spellings spares are readily available.
- Accelerated reader – The children will read their reading books for 15 minutes every Wednesday and Friday. The children can take their book home for extra reading at the weekend, but this must come back on Monday ready to read in class.
- Children have access to SATs Bootcamp which is a fantastic additional resource. If your child needs reminding of their login then please don’t hesitate to ask.
- PE in Year 6 is on Thursdays. Make sure you have your full St James PE kit.
- Please bring fresh water daily.
- We pray every day in school. Please help your child to become familiar with our prayers here Little Book of Prayers KS2
Spring Term in Year 6
After an action-packed Autumn term, Year 6 will be entering the Spring term with a busy curriculum and the introduction of some exciting topics. In English, we will move on from our historical narratives based on the Titanic and will focus on poetry and the Tudors which links to our core text ‘Treason’ by the author Berlie Doherty.
In Maths, the children will be revisiting fractions and well as decimals and percentages. The children have been working incredibly hard to build up their maths fluency in Year 6 and have fully embraced the regular times table tests and arithmetic tests which we complete at the start of each morning. They have shown great resilience and confidence and I know this will continue throughout the year as they prepare for their SATs.
The children will begin their new geography topic this term which explore the continent of South America, with a particular focus on physical geography and natural disasters. We will also begin our first Design and Technology unit which may involve a little bit of cooking!
Tips on how to help your child’s learning during the Spring Term:
- Times table knowledge is needed in all areas of the maths curriculum so it is crucial that the children are fluent in knowing their times tables up to 12x12. Children should be practising their times tables for at least 10 minutes per day, particularly if they are not secure. The children all have times table rockstar accounts; if would like a reminder of their login details then please do not hesitate to ask.
- Spellings make up 20 marks out of 70 in the Year 6 SPAG paper so it is important that the children learn their spellings which are provided each week. Whilst we review spellings within class, the more they practise at home, the more confident they will feel when they enter their SATs in May. If your child has lost their spellings then spare sheets are always available.
SATs Boot Camp is a fabulous resource which is designed to help your child feel more prepared for their SATs tests. Children are not classed as being secure in a topic area unless they are achieving at least a 70% pass rate. Please monitor your child’s progress and encourage them to use SATs Boot Camp at least three times a week
Summer Term in Year 6
Watch this space! This page will be populated in the Summer Term!
Year 6 are visiting Lockerbie Manor!
As you know our Year 6 Residential visit will take place this year on 15th, 16th and 17th of June. This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to achieve fantastic things. The exciting activities offer challenge, develop teamwork and stimulate the imagination. This is a chance for our children to make lifelong memories with their peers.
Due to the increase in travel costs and accommodation the total cost of this residential trip is £300. As discussed in the meeting this cost is still subsidised by our school fund. The payment will be set up within your Arbor account and you can pay as instalments. The suggest instalments are as follows:
£50 – 1st December (This is a commitment payment and will confirm attendance)
£50 – 5th January
£50 – 2nd February
£50 – 2nd March
£50 – 1st April
£50 – 1st May
You can of course pay in full if you would prefer. If you do not have access to online banking and would prefer to pay cash please let the office know.
*A reminder and we cannot stress this enough, please do not let the cost deter you. We want every child to be given this opportunity. We will be happy to chat to anyone that feels they may need support please get in touch.
- SATs week will take place from Monday 11th - Thursday 14th May 2026
- There will be a meeting in school on Wednesday 26th November at 3:30pm to share information about the SATs
Our Year 6 pupils have been working incredibly hard during their first few weeks back at school and the children have already been introduced to some past SATs-style questions. This is to give them an early insight as to how the assessments are presented and to show them that SATs are not so scary after all! I am very proud of the resilience that the children have shown and everyone has tried their hardest, which is all we can ever ask for.
Alongside your child’s weekly homework, they will also have online access to an incredible revision tool called ‘SATs Boot Camp.’ This can be accessed on any electronic device and the website link is: www.yearsix.co.uk
Your child has been shown how to log in to their account at school and their login details are written at the top of this letter. I ask that you make note of their details as it is a resource which your child will be using regularly throughout the year.
SATs Boot Camp records your child’s progress and highlights which areas of Maths and Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar that they may be finding tricky. Children’s progress will also be closely monitored in school and children will be rewarded for how regularly they engage with SATs Boot Camp and how much progress they make.
The children have got off to a wonderful start during their final year at St James and I know their hard work and determination to succeed will continue.
If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Autumn Term in Year 6
The children have already made fantastic progress in their first few weeks in Year 6 and are demonstrating the maturity and determination we expect of our oldest pupils. Over the next few weeks the children will be engaging in some fun PSHE lessons which will include their first field trip to South Shields fire station.
Year 6 have also had the opportunity to engage in many extra curricular activities throughout this half-term, with many of the class participating in our fantastic Arts Award scheme and Faith in Action. The children have really impressed us all with their commitment and enthusiasm and we look forward to seeing their achievements by the end of the term.
Beyond Maths and English, the children haven been looking at ‘Evolution and Inheritance’ in science, ‘Conflict through History’ within History and propaganda posters during their art lesson. We are starting to see some wonderful pieces of artwork collating in their books and I expect to see some eye-catching final pieces on one of our display boards in a few weeks to come.
The children will move on to their first geography unit which will be North America with a particular focus on map work and physical geography. We will also continue to focus on biology in science by beginning our unit on the human body, with a focus on how drugs and exercise have an impact on our bodies. Our first Design and Technology unit also falls within this term which will look at cooking and nutrition.
Tips on how to help your child’s learning during the Autumn Term:
- Encourage your child to spend 10 minutes a day in Sats Boot Camp- it is an easy way to build up their learning and understanding of the English and Maths curriculum
- If you can take a trip to the Great North Museum where they have a fantastic exhibition on evolution and fossils
- When taking local walks with your child, look around and discuss the potential hazards in your area. Are there any busy roads they should take extra care when crossing? Is there a pylon nearby or a train track? Discuss with your child how they can keep themselves as safe as they possibly can, particularly when playing out with friends.