Isle of Wight

Year 6 recently visited the Isle of Wight for a 5 day residential. We had a fantastic time taking part in a range of outdoor activities as well as learning about coastal features. Some of our highlights include: raft-building, including testing it in the swimming pool; an 8 mile hike across to Shanklin, which including some shopping and an ice-cream; and the rope course through the trees.

Caton House

6OL had a brilliant time visiting Caton House Residential Home. We joined some of the residents for a sing-song and enjoyed juice and biscuits. It was a really fun visit and we loved meeting and chatting with the residents. 6B and Year 5 will be visiting soon – we know they will have a brilliant time.

Wonderboxes

As a creative way to wrap up our work on the Odyssey we worked in groups to create something to present using only the items in the wonderbox. Each box contained a character and setting card and a range of materials which could be used in any way.

British Museum

Year 6 visited the British Museum as part of their Topic on Ancient Greece. After an early start and a long coach journey we were amongst the first visitors in the museum. We had a brilliant time viewing the many Greek artefacts on display including the notable Parthenon marbles. In class we have discussed the history of the marbles and have considered different viewpoints about whether they should remain in Britain or be returned to Greece. We also had the chance to explore the great court in the museum and found the modern roof and old King’s Library very impressive.

Shakespeare Costumes

As part of our Shakespeare topic, Year 6 have been learning about the work of craftspeople and designers making theatre costumes. We looked at the costumes made for the theatre as well as carnivals and festivals. Then we practised some paper craft techniques before making our own headdresses which could be worn by our chosen character from a Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was lots of fun creating a costume for a fairy as it allowed us to be very imaginative.

Food Chains

Year 6 have been learning about food chains and food webs in Science. We made food web paper chains which linked together rainforest animals. The sun was at the centre of each web but there were many different options for how the rest of the web could be constructed. We worked well in groups, talking and listening to each other, in order to succeed in the lesson.

Judaism

During Judaism week, we were lucky to have Mrs Elijah come and talk to us about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We learnt all about the importance of the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement as well as how these special times are celebrated. In the session, we got the opportunity to ask lots of questions and we even got to try apples dipped in honey! We learnt this was a special food to signify having a sweet new year.

Shakespeare Schools’ Festival

Thirty children from Year 6 took part in this year’s Shakespeare Schools’ Festival. The children have worked on their production of Twelfth Night since September. Each week at drama club the cast rehearsed and took part in ensemble activities and two children prepared the lighting and sound cues. On 8th November the children went to Stantonbury Theatre to perform their play in front of two other school casts and a packed theatre of parents and staff. The performance was a great success – it was funny, easy to follow and all children spoke with great clarity. The audience were laughing loudly throughout the play showing that the children had really grabbed their attention

Ukuleles

Year 6 had a session with visiting teacher Mr Dungate. We learnt about how to hold the instrument, how to play two chords and two different strum patterns. We had the chance to listen to Ukulele music from different cultures and to sing while we played. Thank you so much for our first session!

Young Shakespeare Company

The Young Shakespeare Company came to visit the school to perform Macbeth for Year 6. The actors were fantastic in acting out the play and explaining the action. There were lots of opportunities to get involved and take part ourselves. Having watched the play we have gained a good understanding of the storyline and have picked up some of the Shakespearean language.

Drama Club

Year Six’s Drama Club are preparing to take part in this year’s Shakespeare Schools Festival. We visited Stantonbury theatre to take part in a workshop day along with New Bradwell School. We had a fantastic time collaborating with other children and developing our acting skills. We picked up lots of tips and had some professional input on one of our scenes. Check the website again in November for pictures of our performance.

Tasty Trifles

Year 6 have made delicious trifles this week. Trifle is a dessert which originates in Elizabethan times. We have been learning about the life and times of Shakespeare and thought it was a good excuse to practise our skills in the kitchen and enjoy a treat!

The Prodigal Son

In RE we have been studying the topic ’Loving’. As part of this topic we have learnt about the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the parable of the Prodigal Son. This gave us the background knowledge to take part in a Philosophy for Children session. We took part in a full enquiry thinking of our own questions to explore. We worked well in small groups and as a whole class to listen well, share ideas sensibly and build upon the ideas of others.

Role Play

As part of our Shakespeare topic, we acted in role to set up a pretend courtroom. When we came into class the tables were moved to recreate a courtroom. Children were allocated a role as either: a judge, an usher, a clerk, a lawyer for the prosecution or defence, the jury or Shakespeare himself.

We pretended that Shakespeare wanted to prosecute people who were copying and selling his plays. Shakespeare set out his case, the defence team responded and then the whole class took part in debating the issues raised.

Circuits

In Science Year 6 have been learning about circuits. We have used challenge cards to build a variety of circuits using a range of equipment. We explored what happens if lots of components are added to one circuit and tried to create a simple circuit with the fewest possible number of components. We found that in a simple circuit only one wire is required to make a bulb light up.

Tag Rugby

Year 6OL have been learning Tag Rugby from a visiting teacher from St Paul’s, Mr Manders. We have enjoyed learning how to throw and catch the rugby ball and have been playing games which help us to find space, dodge and work with our team.