Michael Morpurgo’s amazing novel ’Private Peaceful’ will be our focus this half-term, as we chart the journey of a family through the hardships of the First World War. From the battlefields, the main character’s memories are full of family life, deep in the countryside, until an event occurs, which will change his life forever…

The text will allow us to further develop our ability to construct formal letters, create detailed recounts and personal diary entries, which allow us to empathise with the characters. Furthermore, we will explore the relevant language used to construct different text types and apply this independently.

Throughout this half-term, our Year 6 mathematicians will be collaborating, as they take part in a range of challenging investigative activities. Such activities, will give the pupils an opportunity to apply the many maths skills they have developed over the course of the year. Furthermore, this will contribute towards the transition to Year 7.

For the remainder of the term, pupils will discover that variation can help the survival of species and that Darwin described this as his theory of evolution by natural selection.

We will be continuing the ‘We are marketers!’ unit of work and marketing a software application which we designed in an earlier computing unit. Working collaboratively, we shall gain an understanding of how computing can be used in marketing, using a variety of software, on a range of digital devices.

This half term, we will continue to explore the era of the Vikings. In particular, we shall learn about the lifestyles and traditions of these groups, as well as the hardships that they faced.

Throughout the final half-term, pupils will be given the opportunity to learn and perform a range of songs, as part of the Year Six Production.

This half-term will allow us to put the finishing touches to our already impressive Viking weaponry. We will explore the various colours, patterns and techniques which were traditionally used in the making of these shields. In addition to this, we will be making show-stopping props for our production.

‘Special leaders’ are the focus of this half term’s topic and throughout it, we shall be identifying the leadership qualities that we possess and learning how to develop them, using role-play. We shall also be developing our noticing and empathy skills, which will allow us to have a greater awareness of what makes an effective leader.

During our geography lessons, we will be concentrating on the changes which have occurred to land masses over time, represented in varying maps and other historical documents.

This half term we will be developing our skills in cricket, athletics and dance and preparing for Sports Day. Throughout these lessons, we will focus on the use of hand-eye coordination, speed, flexibility and agility.

In preparation for our upcoming visit to France in June, we will be refining our spoken French, including greetings and short conversations about our interests and hobbies.