Welcome to 6N!
This is my first year at Blakehill Primary and I am very excited to teach your child…and to get to know you. Every child has settled nicely into Year 6, and I am very excited for us to get ‘stuck in’ to the learning.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Year 6 team, please do not hesitate to contact us at any point in the school year. You can contact us through the office and we will be happy to help. Also, during drop-off and pick up times, there will always be a member of staff on the Year 6 door with any queries you may have.
Below you will find key details about school routines. I have also attached our Mission Statement, which helps us to do our best learning in the classroom, and our class letter.
That’s me for now.
Kind regards,
Mr Nicklin
Attendance and punctuality
We would like to emphasise the importance of excellent attendance and hope that you and your child will make every effort to make sure that you are on time and ready for the school day. Pupils should be in the playground ready to line up at 8.45am, where they will be greeted by their teacher.
Mobile Phones
We understand that some pupils have mobile phones and that they use these as they walk to and from school on their own. We must stress that mobile phones should be turned off once your child has entered the school grounds. Mobile phones should then be given to a member of staff so that they can be securely put away during the school day and returned at the end of the day.
Homework
Homework will typically be set on a Friday, to be returned the completed by the following Wednesday for marking. This will be set on Google Classrooms. The homework provided is given to support and consolidate pupils’ learning from that week or a previous week. It is used to check understanding of topics covered and helps us identify areas of learning that need further development. In the run up to SATs, we must stress that homework is important in preparing your child. If your child needs extra support with their homework, please contact a member of the Year 6 team via the school office.
Spellings
Spellings will be handed out to pupils on a Tuesday and tested the following Tuesday. These spellings will cover the Year 6 spelling curriculum. It is important that pupils are learning their spellings and we ask that you support your child with this. Spelling is a big part of your child's SAT tests. 20 marks are dedicated to the spelling test within the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS) tests and children’s spelling is also taken into account within the GPS paper. In addition to this, pupil’s spelling is taken into account when the overall judgement is given for writing.
Home Reading
In Year 6, children are typically given daily opportunities to change their reading books and we expect them to be independent enough to identify when they need to do this.
It is essential that your child reads as frequently as possible to build their stamina for reading and we are looking for children to read at least three times a week at home – this should be recorded in their home reading record. Every time your child reads and records this in their reading diary. We understand that parents/carers live busy lives but any time you can spare to listen to your child really would be extremely beneficial.
***BREAKING NEWS***
A new reward system for home reading will follow soon!
PE
Indoor PE: this takes place on a Tuesday afternoon. It is important that children have the correct, named kit for this: a white or blue plain t-shirt; black or blue shorts (tracksuit bottoms are also permitted) and black pumps.
Outdoor PE: this takes place on a Thursday afternoon. It is important that children have the correct, named kit for this: a white or blue plain t-shirt; black or blue tracksuit bottoms; a plain black or blue sweatshirt and a pair of trainers.
Mr Brigg, our Sports Coach, will lead both PE sessions.
PE kits should be brought into school either in your child’s daily school bag or in a named pump bag that can be left in their cloakroom.
Water Bottles
To enable your child to have a drink of water, we would encourage a named water bottle be brought into school. Try to ensure your child’s bottle is of the non-spill variety. Bottles should be taken home daily to be cleaned.
Uniform
Please ensure that your child has the correct uniform (named so that it can be easily returned if lost), including black school shoes. If your child does not have suitable black school shoes, they will be given black pumps to wear throughout the day inside. Children can wear trainers at play times and lunch times but these must be changed back to school shoes ready for returning to lessons. Pupils are also required to wear a school tie with a white shirt or polo shirt and children in Key Stage 2 should have a school cardigan or V-necked school jumper.