The Junior Years

L6

In L6, pupils are following a timetabled day. They are taught by Senior School teachers in French, Mandarin, Art, Drama, Home Economics, Music, RE and PE, and this involvement with the Senior Years, and the organisation required to follow a timetabled day, prepares the pupils to move confidently into Senior School.

‘I really like having a varied timetable and especially visiting the Senior School for Art, Mandarin, French and some Science lessons.’

Language

All four elements of language - reading, writing, listening and talking - are taught. 

We believe in teaching spelling and there is a structured scheme in place, called Quota, in which children work at their own pace, setting their own limits. The children experience reading activities, tailored to the pupils' needs, based on a range of short stories, novel studies and formal comprehension activities. Personal reading is also encouraged. Grammar lessons, teaching knowledge about language, punctuation and structure, continue. Listening and talking activities take place on a regular basis.

Our writing programme for L6 contains the following:

Creative Writing - Poetry with a focus on techniques that can be used in other forms of creative work; Character description and setting the scene, leading into story structure with a focus on plot.
Functional Writing - Writing for a purpose with argumentative and persuasive techniques.

All pupils visit the school’s well-stocked Library each week where they receive instruction in Library Skills by our School Librarian and they take out books of their own choice for reading at home.

Maths

Maths is taught in ability groupings. This means that we can vary the size of groups, and the content and pace of lessons, to match the ability of the pupils. Our less able group is taught in a small group where pupils are given individual support and consolidation. Our most able are given a wide variety of challenges and problems to solve.  The core texts in operation are Tejay Levels C and D; Heineman Level 6 and Maths in Action D, according to the ability group. 

Number work focuses on using numbers up to millions, decimals and fractions. Work on angles and the use of the protractor also takes place. 

Practical Maths includes work on shape, length, weight, volume and time. Consolidation work within class consists of mental maths plus written number work.

Environmental Studies

In our teaching of Science, History and Geography, we aim to develop in pupils a curiosity and a greater understanding of their past and heritage and of the world around them. We develop their research and investigative skills as well as their analytical thinking skills and their evaluation of evidence. Much of the work will involve the pupils in discussion, in working as a team, in drawing on information from different sources or in practical experiments. Topics include:

Term 1

History: Tudors, Stuarts
Science: The Body Machine, including Senses
Geography: World Geography; Hot/cold Deserts

Term 2

History: Jacobites
Science: Light and Sound
Geography: Rainforests

Term 3

History: Modern Studies: Citizenship and Democracy
Science: Life in Water
Geography: Rivers/Mapwork

RE

Topics covered include Judaism.

PE

Pupils go on the bus up to Mayfield, our superb sports facility. There are two sessions each week, taught by specialist teachers, one focusing on indoor PE activities such as gymnastics, games and dance, and the other focusing on outdoor Games such as Rugby, Hockey, Cricket and Tennis. 

Music

Children are taught by a specialist teacher once a week.

Art, Drama and Home Economics

Art, Drama and Home Economics are taught by specialist teachers from the Senior School. This lays the foundation for continuing these subjects into the Senior Years.

ICT

Pupils visit the ICT suite each week for an exciting lesson with our specialist teacher. 

French and Mandarin

Pupils are taught by Senior School Modern Languages teachers. All pupils will also take Languages in Senior School.

Homework

Parental supervision with homework is hugely beneficial. It is the pupil’s responsibility to note down homework set in their homework diary. Normally homework in L6 consists of reading, learning spelling and completing a short written exercise either in Maths or Language. Occasionally research work for an environmental studies topic will be set. Homework in L6 should not take more than 45 minutes per night.