1. Year 6 Curriculum Meeting
20th September 2012
If I am there, I will welcome the parents and thank them for coming.
I would tell the parents that if they have any questions to some and see you after as we need this meeting to finish on time so the children are waiting to be collected.
If anyone does try to ask a question, field them off and say we can talk after the meeting.
Explain the handouts:
Powerpoint handout;
Spelling Guidance;
Maths targets;

2. Learning
English-Focus pupil outcomes- rich texts, extended writing, Drama developing Oracy and enriching writing, drafting and editing work, Finished Polished Product.
Mathematics focus on pupil outcomes-Developing Mental Strategies that underpin understanding, using and applying, rich contexts for problem- solving, using Maths in real life.
Rich, stimulating projects AND VISITS!
Links made between subjects
Skills based curriculum-Literacy and Numeracy across the curriculum-using the skills learned meaningfully.
Our focus is the learning which takes place within the classroom and at individual pupil level.
We must focus upon Literacy and numeracy as without these vital skills, children have great difficulty accessing other parts of the curriculum. These areas are the national priorities of Wales
We are continually developing rich and exciting projects for the children as it is when the children are engaged and motivated that the best learning takes place. These projects may be based upon a rich text, an important national event such as the Olympics, an item in the news. We aim to make links between subjects for the children so if we can teach them a literacy skill through history or apply a numeracy skill through science then we will. Children need to see the purpose of their learning.
The focus is upon the skills which the children are learning rather than the content as nowadays with the Internet people can find out information at the touch of a button. We need to teach the children the skills of deciding what they want to find out, how they are going to do this etc. After teaching the children the skills we allow them the opportunity to apply these skills in new situation as then the children’s understanding and learning is really evident.

3. Things to remember… Named Water bottles, to be taken home everyday
PE – Mondays PPA and Management day. Navy school PE tops and navy shorts or jogging bottoms with dappers for the hall and trainers for outside.. Jewellery including watches need to be removed.
Named School Bags
Punctuality-essential. Children to be in school between 8:50 and 9:00am. Lessons start promptly and learning time is lost with lateness.
End of the day routines-going home alone, children going with other parents
Pencil cases-colours, pencil, pen, eraser, sharpener, notebook.
Bottles with a sports cap to prevent spilling, must be brought into school everyday and returned home for refreshing nightly. Please could these be named to prevent confusion.
PE is on ? And ? The children must have their PE kit in school everyday. This is the navy t-shirt with the logo and plain navy shorts or jogging bottoms and dappers or trainers. Please could everything be named. No jewellery must be worn for PE. If you are planning on having your child’s ears pierced please do so in the long summer break.
School bags need to be named and only big enough to hold their reading books, purses, home learning book and letters. Large bags don’t fit on the pegs and get knocked off.
Children must arrive on time – between 8.50am and 9.00am. If children are late, they often miss the first learning of the day.
Class teacher will bring the children out onto the yard at the end of the day and will stand in their designated spot so parents can make eye contact with the teacher and the child will be released. If anyone different is collecting your child that day, we must have a little note, we don’t hand children over on other people’s say so or a child’s say so. Please could children already collected and younger siblings stay with families at the end of the day as if they run around accidents happen, it’s also confusing for staff.
Pencil cases are not required by the children. They only need a ‘best pen’ (show families one of these) from Y4 upwards and a pencil everyday. These pens have been chosen as they allow the children to present their work neatly and join their handwriting easily. Other pens don’t give the same results and ink often bleeds through the paper. The reasons we stopped allowing children to bring in pencil cases and other items of stationery were 1) the children were bringing in pencil cases that were taking up lots of room on the tables, 2) some children would often misplace their belongings and this would cause them angst, 3) some children would spent lots of learning time organising their stationery, sharing items etc. We also would like children to keep notebooks at home as again these were taking up lots of room on their tables and causing some children angst as little notes were being written which weren’t always helpful for relationships within the classroom.

4. Reading Vital skill-reading strategies are explicitly taught.
Shared Reading
Guided Reading
Independent Reading
Reading books
Focused skills-led activities
Reading activities will be sent home via homework
Reading is a vital skill and is essential for accessing other areas of the curriculum. We spent a great deal of time teaching children the skills of reading and allowing them time to practise, develop, refine and apply these skills.
Children are taught reading skills everyday, there are shared reading opportunities whereby all the class or a group will read a text together at the same time and discuss it.
There is a daily guided reading session whereby all the children are reading the same text at the appropriate level. This will be at their own pace, either silently or with a quiet voice, here there are also opportunities for discussion and reflection. During this time the children are either reading with an adult or are completing reading response activities i.e. activities related to the reading skills on which there is a current focus.
(You only need to talk about your class but given all details here.)
Y3/4 – Most children read every day and at home they are required to re-read the book they have read that day.
Y5/6 Children read several times a week to an adult, depending on their stage of reading. The children are either asked to re-read the pages read in class at home again as opportunity for familiar reading is very important as the child is familiar with the text and should read it fairly fluently, or they are asked to pre-read a chapter or two at home in readiness for a group discussion back in class. It is important the children complete their reading prior to the session so that they can participate fully – if they haven’t read the pages, it makes them unable to contribute to their group.
There are also independent reading opportunities whereby the children can read their own text either to themselves or to an adult or a reading buddy.
Y6 can discuss the reading buddy system here.
The children should be bringing their guided group reading text home on a nightly basis as well as having their self-selected library book. These are chosen by the child and are usually returned on a weekly basis depending on the time required by the child to read the text.

5. Spelling
Spelling strategies-Phonics session in class at least three times a wee, teaching the spelling sounds. Some children may get extra support, when needed.
Spelling Journals and Spellpads- collecting mis-spells through the children’s writing and practised. We use these to assess and plan our spellings.
Weekly spelling lists are sent home, handwritten, so that the children can practise writing them and making the link between spelling and handwriting.
Spelling strategies – spelling is a vital skill but often a challenging one for lots of children. Writing is such a tricky task as the children have a great deal to focus upon; content, spelling, grammar, punctuation, layout and organisation, handwriting. Confidence with spelling is important as it allows the child to focus on the other aspects of writing. We focus on helping the children to learn a variety of spelling strategies and rules that will enable them to become proficient spellers. How do I spell X? Do I know a word that sounds like it? Will that help? Is their a prefix which I know how to spell? What sounds can I hear in the word? We also teach children strategies to help them learn new, tricky words e.g. looking for words within words to-get-her, writing them in different handwriting styles, different coloured pens, using mnemonics. (Please refer to relevant spelling booklet which needs to be given out.)
Talk through paired spelling or spelling journals explaining that this is targeted individual spelling appropriate for the needs of the child.
Weekly spelling lists go home each Monday. The children are grouped according to the spelling patterns and rules they already know and ones which are next in line to learn.
KS2 - The children carry out daily spelling activities either independently or with an adult to help them learn the spelling pattern for this week. The children are encouraged to find other words with this pattern. When marking, the teacher looks for the children independently applying this spelling pattern as this is the goal.

6. Assessment for Learning
Daily basis-We teach and assess all the time, using the childrens responses, work, resources and testing to help us assess and plan.
Marking- we encourage, explain and move the learning forward when we mark. The children have time to read our response and through dialogue.
Peer and self assessment-working together
Assessments- Spelling, Baseline Writing Task, Alfiesoft at the start of the year and Reading, Spelling and Mathematics test at the end of the year.
In order for children to reach their learning potential, they must be part of all aspects of the learning process including the assessment process. Assessment for learning is where the children and teacher identify the child’s current strengths – what they can do and their next steps.
Teachers assess children’s learning on a session basis and plan accordingly for the next session.
Marking and discussion with the child highlights successes and next steps – ‘To improve, you need to…’
Children are very much part of this process and are able to identify their own successes and judge whether they have met the lesson objective and set their own next steps. Children traffic light their learning – a green shows they were confident with the task and were able to meet the lesson objective, amber shows they feel ok about the learning but they still need a little bit of support to fully understand and red shows they require extra support and now!
Children use 2 stars and a wish for either their own learning or a classmates – here they say 2 things they think the child did well and 1 thing they need to work on. Children work with a partner regularly to help move their learning on.
Y2 and Y6 need only talk briefly about the end of KS outcomes/levels.

7. Home Learning
Issued on a Monday to be returned on a Friday, though for more extended pieces, longer time may be given. Essential that Homework is completed and returned to school.
Homework completed in homework book, neatly.
Reading
Spelling – group spellings (tested on a Friday)
Maths
Times Tables – tested weekly on a Friday
Project
Please could you give a brief run down of what homelearning you set. Explain that you keep a register of home learning returned and that you will keep families informed if home learning is not being completed. Explain that home learning is completed in a book.

8. Home-School Links
Sharing concerns with me. I am always willing to meet with you.
Extra support
Communication- , Twitter, School Website.
Stress the importance of coming into school and seeing you about any concerns or worries they have over their child. We can nip any problems in the bud before they escalate.
We aim to build effective communication links between parents and school. We will keep you informed of your child’s progress either formally at consultations of informally at the end of the day, if required. We sometimes ask families to provide additional, focused support at home, to ensure your child makes good progress.
You can communicate with the class teacher via brief written notes, phone call after or before school and through appointments.

9. Autumn Projects Moving Toys-automaton Amazing Art! Amser Sbar
Magical Motion
Apple Macs, Film Making, Excel, Publisher, Powerpoint
Autumn Term
New York, Paris, Newport- the world and any news!
The Arrival, Hugo Cabret.
Here, please give a few details of the projects you are planning for this term – this is Year 1’s.
Please tell families that planning isn’t set in stone as we are always flexible and if something significant occurs in the news or an issue in school, we may run with a different topic.
World War Two