Bear Class (Year 6) 2025 - 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the class page for Bear Class.

Class Staff

Teacher: Mr Dunning

Teaching Assistant: Mrs Cavanagh

Here you will find all of the exciting and wonderful things that your child will be learning during their time in Year 6. If you have any questions, please use Class Dojo or speak to a member of our team at drop off/ pick up.

Thank you 

Autumn 2 - 'A story like the Wind'   

In English this half term, we will be looking at the book A story like the Wind by Gill Lewis.

On a fragile boat of displaced people, a boy with a violin tells a mythical tale of a free-spirited stallion and the origin of his instrument, offering the others hope through music and story — reminding them that even when stripped of everything, their spirits can still soar like the wind.

In Reading, the children will explore Survivors by David Long.

Survivors: Extraordinary Tales from the Wild and Beyond by David Long is a gripping anthology of true-life survival stories that span history, geography and the most extreme conditions imaginable. Through vivid short narratives (and dramatic full-page illustrations by Kerry Hyndman) we meet people like 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke, sole survivor of a plane crash in the Peruvian rainforest, and adventurer Aron Ralston, who amputated his own arm after being pinned by a boulder — the book explores how knowledge, courage, resilience and sometimes sheer luck allow humans to endure the unthinkable. Each story celebrates human survival against overwhelming odds, making the book both an inspiring and awe-inspiring read for young people who are fascinated by real-world adventure and endurance.

We will be using our different VIPERS skills: Vocabulary, Infer, Predict, Explain, Retrieve and Summarise to improve our understanding of what we read.'

'Reading for Pleasure' has great amounts of benefits for your child. In Year 6, we ensure your child has time to read for pleasure and each day, we set time aside to read our class book for pleasure. 

Benefits of 'reading for pleasure':

Inspires imagination and creativity.

Enrinches cultural awareness and understanding. 

Increases empathy and improves relationships with others.

Lifts well-being levels and improves mood.

Improves progress in vocabulary, spelllings and even maths.

Encourages children to take a screen break.

Read with your child every day even if it is just 2 minutes- this can make all the difference. 
Record in their reading diaries to ensure that your child is receiving their stamp for their book from the vending machine, or reading buddy. 

You could ask your child about what they think might happen next in the story, how do they think the character is feeling, who is the author and what do they do. 

This half term, the children will explore Fractions!

During our maths topics, there is a large focus within TimesTables. We will, therefore, be building on our times table knowledge as we will be using this to help us solve our maths problems. 

Children will have ongoing access to their TT Rockstars logins at home. I will set your child specific times tables for them to practice. Please ensure that your child is practising them at home as it is very beneficial for their learning.

If you have misplaced your child's login, please drop me a message on Dojo and I will resend for you.

In science this half term, our class will learn all about Electricity!

In Year 6, children study Electricity by exploring how electrical circuits work and how electricity is used safely in everyday life. They learn to identify and name basic electrical components such as bulbs, wires, switches, buzzers, and cells (batteries), and to construct and draw simple series circuits using correct circuit symbols. Pupils investigate how the brightness of a bulb or the volume of a buzzer changes when the number of components or the voltage of cells is altered. They also develop their understanding of conductors and insulators, discovering which materials allow electricity to flow and which do not. Safety is a key theme, as children learn about the dangers of mains electricity and how to handle electrical equipment responsibly. Through hands-on experiments and investigations, pupils build scientific enquiry skills while deepening their understanding of how electricity powers the world around them.

In our upcoming Geography lessons, we will be learning all about Energy!

In Year 6 Geography, the topic of Energy helps children explore where our energy comes from, how it is produced, and the impact it has on people and the environment. Pupils learn about different energy sources, including fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) and renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power. They investigate how energy use varies around the world and how access to energy can affect quality of life and development. The topic also encourages children to think critically about sustainability and climate change, discussing how we can reduce our carbon footprint and make choices that protect the planet’s future. Through maps, data, and case studies, pupils develop their geographical enquiry skills and gain a deeper understanding of the link between energy, the environment, and human activity.

In our music lessons, the children will explore their musical abilities.

This half term we will be looking at dynamics, pitch and texture, with a focus on Fingal’s Cave by Mendelssohn.

Your child will have 2 PE lessons each week. Their days this half term are Wednesday and Friday. Please ensure they come into school in their PE kit on these days. This half term we will be developing your child's Netball skills  as well as learning how to play Football!           

I will often upload additional activities and links for your child to support their learning at home, however this is not specific homework, this is just a little extra for them. For example, I may upload interactive links to games that I know they will like. 

Other useful links:

Please see below links to useful websites for your child to use when they are at home. I will be adding to the list throughout the course of the year so please make sure you check for updated links.

Oxford Owl - Linked to our phonics Read, Write Inc programme https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/free-ebooks/   

Story Nory - A range of stories by classic authors as well as poems musicals and fairytales. https://www.storynory.com/archives/classic-authors 

Story Berries- Read along with audio clips. https://www.storyberries.com

Monkey Pen-  Free downloadable children’s books in PDF format. https://monkeypen.com/pages/free-childrens-books

Free Children’s Stories-  https://www.freechildrenstories.com

Keeping Safe Online-  www.esafety.gov.au/kids 

Topmarks- A great way for children to practise many of their maths skills https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=16&AgeGroup=3

Newsround is a very good outlet for your child to watch each day to gain a wider understanding of what is happening not only in our country, but the rest of the world. We will be watching newsround every afternoon in class.