Inside the academic world of our year 6 girls

It has been a pleasure welcoming the girls back to school, and we are all looking forward to a term full of learning and new experiences.

In Maths, pupils have plunged into shapes and Cartesian coordinates. Hands-on lessons have involved geoboards and mirrors to assist our understanding of geometry and symmetry, bringing the subject of shapes into more material, 3D terms.

In English, we have begun reading the intriguing novel "Floodlands" by Marcus Sedgwick. Pupils have been engrossed in the story and will soon begin writing their own setting descriptions of a flooded area, combining English and Geography learning with developing their own writerly voice. 

Considering writing as a practice, we discussed the perils of thesaurus-itis, where writers overuse complex synonyms and lose all clarity. The girls were challenged to take a piece of writing and use an online thesaurus to find appropriate synonyms and improve the work.

Our new Humanities topic, "Prisoners of Geography", has started with an exploration of what geography truly involves. The girls have already begun to make connections between geography and their daily lives, as well as recognising its relevance all throughout the news. We’ve been discussing how geography shapes the world around us, and we look forward to delving deeper into this fascinating subject over the coming weeks. In Science lessons, the girls have been learning about our circulatory system; what it is, what it does and why it is so important.

Pupils' conducted an experiment comparing the blood flow through healthy arteries and restricted arteries. We learned that blood flows much more slowly through restricted arteries and this can be very dangerous, linking to our PSHCE topic around living a healthy lifestyle and what that involves. Suggestions included: spending valuable time with friends and family, nurturing friendships, being in the moment, getting fresh air and exercise, eating fewer processed foods, and prioritising sleep.

We are looking forward to sharing more exciting learning experiences over the next few weeks of the Spring Term.