Welcome to Year 6
Maple and Magnolia
On this page we have information about the curriculum, homework, PE days and useful websites for both families and children.
Miss E Marriott and Mrs Woodhams
We are really looking forward to a fantastic year ahead and getting to know both you and your children. Year 6 is an exciting and important year, filled with opportunities for children to develop their independence, resilience and confidence as they prepare for the transition to secondary school. It is also the year in which children complete their Key Stage 2 SATs, and we will work hard to ensure every child feels well prepared, supported and ready to achieve their very best.
Alongside academic learning, we have a busy and engaging curriculum planned, with a range of exciting topics, practical learning opportunities, residential visits and memorable experiences that will make this final year of primary school both rewarding and enjoyable.
We are committed to helping every child feel safe, happy and successful, and we place great importance on building positive relationships with both children and families. We believe that working together is the best way to support children to achieve their full potential, so please do come and speak to us if you have any questions, concerns or information that may help us support your child. We are always happy to help.
We look forward to celebrating your child's achievements, supporting them through the challenges of SATs and helping them grow into confident, responsible young people who are ready for the next stage of their education. Together, we hope to make this a successful, memorable and enjoyable final year at primary school.
Meet the Team
Miss Emma Marriott
Year 6 Maple Class Teacher and English Lead
During my time at Elburton, I have led several curriculum areas, including Art, Science and, most recently, English, which is where my passion truly lies. Working closely with the LAT English team has enabled me to collaborate with colleagues, develop my subject knowledge and bring new ideas back to the school. I am passionate about reading and enjoy sharing high-quality books with children. Having taught in Year 6 for many years, I particularly enjoy watching pupils grow in confidence and preparing them for the next stage of their educational journey.
Outside of school, I enjoy spending time outdoors and exploring all that Devon has to offer. I love walking in the local area with my golden retriever and keeping active through a variety of fitness activities. Travel remains a lifelong passion and I enjoy visiting new countries whenever I can. I am also an enthusiastic reader and particularly enjoy books set in different parts of the world, as they offer a fascinating insight into different cultures and ways of life. Teaching is an incredibly rewarding profession, and I take great pleasure in watching children grow in confidence, flourish as learners and develop into capable, independent young people.
- emma.marriott@elburtonprimary.co.uk
Mrs Charlotte Woodhams
Year 6 Magnolia class teacher and Design and Technology lead
Alongside my teaching role, I continue to work for AQA during the summer, leading a team of examiners and supporting the assessment of qualifications across the country. This helps me stay up to date with developments in education and assessment.
Outside of school, I enjoy travelling and exploring new places, as well as spending time walking and running outdoors. I am a keen Pilates enthusiast and enjoy keeping active. I also love cooking and trying new recipes, which links closely to my role as the school's Design and Technology Lead.
- charlotte.woodhams@elburtonprimary.co.uk
Miss Laura Downey
Apprentice Teaching Assistant
Mrs Kerry Rhodes
Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Keeping in Touch
We value strong partnerships between home and school and believe that regular communication helps children to thrive.
If you have any questions, concerns or information that may help us support your child, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
How we communicate
- Class Dojo will be used to share class updates, reminders and celebrations.
- Important whole-school information will be sent via e mail.
- Teachers can be contacted via email using the addresses listed above.
- Please contact the school office regarding absences, appointments or changes to collection arrangements.
We aim to respond to messages as promptly as possible during the school week. If a matter is urgent, please contact the school office directly.
Thank you for working in partnership with us. We greatly value the support of our Year 6 families.
Learning in Year 6
Year 6 Long Term Overview
At Elburton Primary School, we follow a carefully planned and ambitious curriculum that is fully aligned with the National Curriculum. Our curriculum has been designed to ensure that children build knowledge and skills progressively as they move through the school, helping them to know more, remember more and achieve more.
The Long-Term Overview provides an outline of the learning that children will experience throughout the year across all curriculum subjects. Each topic has been carefully selected and sequenced to build upon previous learning, make meaningful links across subjects and deepen children’s understanding of the world around them.
We encourage parents to explore the overview to gain an understanding of the exciting learning opportunities planned for Year 6 and how these fit within our wider whole-school curriculum journey. Throughout the year, children will revisit key knowledge and concepts to strengthen their understanding and support long-term memory.
Year 6 Expectations
In Year 6 We Encourage Children To:
- Take full responsibility for their learning, showing maturity, independence and self-motivation.
- Arrive each day organised, prepared and ready to make the most of every learning opportunity.
- Consistently produce work of a high standard, taking pride in presentation, accuracy and effort.
- Demonstrate resilience, perseverance and determination when faced with challenge, setback or unfamiliar learning.
- Think critically, justify their ideas and contribute confidently and respectfully to discussions and debates.
- Read widely and regularly, complete home learning to a high standard, and take ownership of practising and securing key knowledge and skills.
- Manage their time effectively, meet deadlines and develop the organisational skills needed for secondary school.
- Work collaboratively and inclusively, showing empathy, respect and support for others.
- Lead by example, acting as positive role models and taking on responsibilities within the school community.
- Uphold the Elburton Charter at all times and contribute positively to our school’s values, culture and reputation.
What Are We Learning This Term?
Year 6 Autumn Term Overview
Our Termly Overview provides a snapshot of the learning your child will be covering this term across the curriculum. It outlines the key topics, texts and areas of study that will be explored in class, helping you to understand what your child is learning and how you can support them at home.
The overview sits within our carefully planned whole-school curriculum and shows how the learning for this term builds on previous knowledge while preparing children for future learning. We encourage parents to take a look and use it as a starting point for conversations about learning at home.
PE Information
PE Days
- Outdoor Games:Â Thursday
- Indoor Games:Â Tuesday
Please ensure that children come to school wearing their PE kit on PE days and are ready to take part in all activities.
PE Kit
Children should wear:
- White PE t-shirt
- Navy blue shorts
- White socks
- Elburton PE hoodie (available through the PTA)
- Navy blue tracksuit bottoms during colder weather
- Suitable sports trainers that provide good support
On indoor PE days, children may wish to wear tracksuit bottoms over their shorts when travelling to and from school. These can be removed for PE and put back on afterwards if needed.
For health and safety reasons:
- Earrings should be small stud earrings only.
- Children should not wear nose piercings or other jewellery to school.
- Watches and jewellery remain the responsibility of the child.
- Long hair must be tied back for all PE lessons.
Home Learning
In Year 6, regular home learning plays an important role in helping children develop independence, strengthen key skills and prepare for the transition to secondary school.
Children are expected to:
- Read at home at least five times each week, recording their reading in their reading record.
- Practise weekly spellings, linked to the Year 5 and 6 National Curriculum spelling patterns and statutory word lists.
- Learn and practise times tables regularly, ensuring rapid recall of multiplication and division facts to support more advanced maths learning.
- Complete a maths and an English homework task.
We encourage children to complete little and often, as regular practice has the greatest impact on progress. Thank you for your continued support at home. By working together, we can help every child develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for a successful final year of primary school and a smooth transition to secondary education.
Reading
Reading in Year 6
In Year 6, we support children in developing:
- Fluency – reading confidently, accurately and with expression across a wide range of increasingly challenging texts.
- Vocabulary – understanding, discussing and applying ambitious and subject-specific language.
- Comprehension – analysing, interpreting and evaluating texts in depth, drawing on evidence to justify ideas.
- Reading Stamina – sustaining concentration and engagement with longer and more complex books.
- Critical Thinking – making inferences, comparing perspectives and explaining viewpoints using evidence from the text.
- Preparation for Secondary School – developing independent reading habits and the confidence to tackle a variety of genres and authors.
To support your child, please:
- Encourage your child to read at home regularly, ideally at least five times each week.
- Sign their reading record each time they read.
- Discuss books together by exploring characters, themes, vocabulary, plot developments and the author's choices.
- Encourage your child to explain, justify and debate their opinions using evidence from the text.
- Continue reading aloud with your child occasionally and share a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
- Encourage your child to read widely and independently, including books, magazines, newspapers and online texts.
Reading books are carefully matched to your child's reading ability and are reviewed regularly. Children are assessed throughout the year and book levels are updated to ensure they continue to make strong progress. Reading books are checked regularly and changed when children are ready for a new challenge.
Children continue to read through our Accelerated Reader award system, which monitors the level of challenge, quiz performance and the number of words read.
To access a parent's guide to Accelerated Reader, please click on the link below.
Parents guide to Accelerated ReaderÂ
AR link for quizzing in school
AR BookFinder can help you and your child choose books that are both enjoyable and appropriately challenging. We have attached a guide for your information.
As children approach the end of Key Stage 2 and prepare for secondary school, reading independently and widely becomes increasingly important. Regular reading helps children develop vocabulary, comprehension, writing skills and knowledge across the curriculum, while fostering a lifelong love of reading and learning.
In Year 6, children continue to develop their spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) skills to help them become confident and effective writers. Throughout the year, pupils revisit and build on key grammar concepts, learn how to use a wide range of punctuation accurately, and develop strategies to improve their spelling.
Children take part in daily Read Write Inc. spelling sessions, which provide structured teaching of spelling patterns, rules and strategies to support accurate spelling in their independent writing. SPaG is taught through dedicated lessons and is also embedded across the curriculum, helping children apply their knowledge in their reading and writing.
Regular practice, discussion and feedback support pupils as they prepare for the end of Key Stage 2 and the transition to secondary school.
On this page, you will find information, resources and useful links to help support your child's SPaG learning at home.
Maths
In Year 6, children build on their learning from previous years and apply their maths skills with increasing confidence and independence. A secure understanding of key mathematical concepts will help children prepare for the transition to secondary school.
In Year 6, children will develop:
- Fluency – recalling facts quickly and using efficient calculation methods.
- Reasoning – explaining their thinking and justifying their answers.
- Problem Solving – applying maths skills to a range of real-life and multi-step problems.
- Number Confidence – working confidently with large numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Mathematical Resilience – tackling challenges, persevering and learning from mistakes.
Key areas of learning include:
- Place value with numbers up to 10 million
- Formal written methods for all four operations
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Ratio and proportion
- Algebra
- Measurement, including perimeter, area and volume
- Geometry, including angles and coordinates
- Statistics and data handling
Times Tables Matter
A secure knowledge of multiplication and division facts remains essential in Year 6. Rapid recall of times tables allows children to focus on more complex mathematical reasoning and problem solving.
Children should continue to practise their times tables regularly, aiming for quick and accurate recall up to 12 × 12.
How You Can Help at Home
- Encourage regular times tables practice using games, apps or quick-fire questions.
- Ask your child to explain how they worked out an answer.
- Involve your child in everyday maths, such as shopping, cooking, budgeting and measuring.
- Help them practise mental calculations and estimation skills.
- Encourage a positive attitude towards maths and praise effort as well as success.
SATs Preparation
During Year 6, children will prepare for the Key Stage 2 SATs assessments. The maths papers assess arithmetic fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. The best preparation is regular attendance, consistent practice and a positive approach to learning.
Useful Websites
- Times Tables Rock Stars - Regular practice of multiplication facts.
- Topmarks - Maths games and activities for all areas of the curriculum.
- NRICH - Rich problem-solving activities and challenges.
- BBC Bitesize - Videos, explanations and interactive maths activities.
By the end of Year 6, we aim for all children to be confident mathematicians who can apply their knowledge, explain their thinking and tackle new challenges with resilience and independence.
Celebrating Success
At Elburton, we believe that recognising effort, achievement and positive behaviour helps children grow in confidence and develop a love of learning.
Throughout the week, children are celebrated through:
- Positive praise for demonstrating our school values and learning behaviours.
- Class Dojo points awarded for effort, resilience, kindness, independence and following the Elburton Charter.
- Sharing outstanding work and achievements with classmates and other members of staff.
- Opportunities to celebrate successes in class and during whole-school assemblies.
Each Friday, we celebrate a Star of the Week. This award recognises a child who has shown something special during the week, whether that is:
- A positive attitude towards learning
- Excellent behaviour and role-modelling
- Outstanding effort or perseverance
- Kindness and respect towards others
- Significant progress or achievement
- Living out our Elburton Charter values
We love celebrating the successes of every child and helping them to feel proud of their achievements, both in and out of school.
E Safety
E-safety has never been more important than it is today. As Year 6 pupils become increasingly independent and prepare for the transition to secondary school, many are spending more time online through gaming, social media, messaging apps and internet-based learning activities.
Helping children develop the knowledge and confidence to use technology safely is a shared responsibility between home and school. By having regular conversations about online behaviour, privacy, screen time and respectful communication, we can work together to ensure children enjoy the benefits of technology while staying safe.
Below, you will find a range of useful resources, guides and websites designed to help parents understand the online world and support their children in navigating it safely and responsibly. These resources cover topics such as social media, gaming, online friendships, cyberbullying, privacy settings and age-appropriate content.
We are looking forward to an exciting and successful year in Year 6. As the children begin their final year of primary school, they will continue to grow in confidence, independence and resilience while preparing for the transition to secondary school.
We value the strong partnership between home and school and look forward to working together to help every child achieve their very best. Thank you for your continued support. We can't wait to see all that our Year 6 children will achieve this year.