Year 6 - Full STEAM ahead!

Our ‘Take One ‘Picture’ painting has been revealed and much interest and excitement has ensued. The children, who are never short of enthusiasm and ideas, are already giving their subject teachers suggestions for learning activities that they would like to pursue. Both children and teachers alike are eager to begin this work. It is an absolute pleasure to suspend the normal curriculum for a week and immerse ourselves in creative activities. Watch this space!

Year 6 are beginning preparations for the English Speaking Board exams which will take place at the end of term. They are choosing poems and books to perform and considering their area of expertise or interest for a presentation. Although to some this seems a daunting activity, the sense of achievement and the boost of confidence that the children experience afterwards is wonderful to witness. Speaking clearly and articulately, engaging an audience and listening to others are vital life skills and are ones we hope the children will take with them when they leave us.

At the time of writing, we are looking forward to a special STEAM event in Year 6 this Friday, which will give the children an exciting opportunity to work in house groups combining learning across Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The children will be challenged to develop their own ideas for a healthy snack and suitable packaging, pitching their ideas in a Dragon’s Den style to Mrs Bufton-Green and our invited guest judges! To be successful, they will need to draw on their mathematical geometry knowledge and measuring skills, in order to make accurate nets of 3D shapes for effective packaging. At the end of the event, awards will be given for best teamwork and best problem-solvers, as well as the best designs. We can’t wait to see and taste the winning product when it is made by Gateway's kitchen team into an actual snack that we can all try at lunchtime!

As we begin our new Humanities topic, the children have been interested to learn about the causes of World War One, debating which they think were the most significant in the complex chain of events. This week, we will be examining what life was like for people at the time, as well as the way propaganda was used to encourage young men to join the war effort and women and children to support from home. This will develop thinking skills further as we discuss the ethics of presenting biased information and also try to empathise with how it would have felt to be separated from loved ones.

Year 6 have enjoyed taking ownership of their Science learning by designing their own investigation to learn about the growth of microorganisms (in this case mould!) First, they decided on a scientific question before planning how to set up their experiment, including which materials to use. For example, some groups want to know whether certain types of bread turn mouldy more quickly, while others are keen to discover whether different liquids will affect the rate at which mould grows. The children were also challenged to think about how and when they would record the changes they observe in an accurate way. Many drew on their Maths skills to suggest that they could work out the approximate area that the mould covers as it grows. We look forward to watching the changes and drawing conclusions from these over the next two weeks!