Year 6

RoadSense is a Year Six road safety package which looks at the transition from primary to high school. As part of their P.S.H.E. curriculum, Year Six were visited by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and were reminded about

The importance of wearing seatbelts and using appropriate car seats
Safe cycling including wearing cycle helmets
Pedestrian safety
Be safe be seen
Not causing a distraction when travelling in a car

Money Minds Workshop - September 2024

Money habits can be formed by the age of 7. So learning about money from an early age is important. Luckily, Year Six were visited by Yorkshire Building Society whose aim is to “Help financial wellbeing happen”. Year Six were tasked with ‘Vacation Venture’- a challenge where they were given a family profile and had to plan a holiday, sticking to a specific budget and ensuring each family member’s wishes were catered for. There were interesting conversations arounds ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ and the holidays planned sounded fabulous!

Y6 Money Minds Workshop

Cyber Escape Challenge - September 2024

This afternoon, Year Six became Cyber Crime Prevention Officers - working in teams to solve challenges and puzzles as well as interrogating evidence . The task was based on the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel and helped the children develop their STEM skills, critical thinking and problem-solving. Year Six also learnt about careers in computer science and law enforcement. The class were praised for their teamwork and their eye for detail. It was a fun-filled session and who knows, perhaps we have a future James or Jane Bond in our midst!

Y6 Cyber Escape Challenge

Year 6 2023 -2024

Goodbye Year Six - July 2024

Our Year Six this year have been outstanding; not just in their academic achievements but in the progress they have demonstrated around our Gospel Values of respect, love, faith, hope, forgiveness, responsibility and friendship. They are a credit to themselves, their families and our school and I would like to wish each of them every success in the future.

Thank you Year 6 and good luck!

Goodbye Year Six

Author Q&A - May 2024

Year Six read and analysed 'Unstoppable'- a novel by Dan Freedman, as part of their P.S.H.E.. We were lucky enough to have a Q&A session with the author himself and learn all about his career working in Premier League Football journalism as well as his subsequent work as a popular children's author.

Dan Freedman

Leavers' Hoodies - April 2024

Always in style, Year Six were excited to receive their Leavers' Hoodies which can now be worn with pride whenever they choose!

Hoodies

St. Bernadette's Feast Day - April 2024

Year Six celebrated this special day in the sunshine with their friends (and some delicious Manfredi's ice-cream)!

St. Bernadette's Feast Day 2024

Tyger Tyger Poetry - March 2024

Our class novel this half-term is Michael Morpurgo's "Running Wild"- a tale of adventure, survival and stewardship for the Earth. The protagonist of the novel, Will, becomes lost in the jungle and recites William Blake's "Tyger Tyger, burning bright..." poem to himself as he watches the magnificence of a real tiger before him. Year Six worked outside in groups to learn this poem off by heart. They also learned of the significance of the nameless 'Divine Creator' in the poem which ties in well to our work during Holy Week. "Did He who made the Lamb, make thee...?"

Tyger Tyger

Year Six Letters to Reception Buddies - February 2024

As part of their R.E. work regarding Scriptures, Year Six looked at the letters of St Paul- intended to advise and offer comfort to the reader. In a similar style, Year Six then wrote letters to their Reception Buddies to give them tips and helpful ideas on how to live out the Gospel Values, show kindness and be a good friend. They enjoyed imparting their words of wisdom and then the children had a collective playtime to celebrate.

St. Paul's Letters

British Red Cross First Aid Workshop - January 2024

Year Six have been fortunate enough to participate in a First Aid workshop led by the British Red Cross. They learned about how to safely administer first aid in everyday situations. They practised how to help someone who is unresponsive and breathing; unresponsive and not breathing and place someone in the recovery position. Every child had hands-on experience of administering CPR to a medical mannequin and were also introduced to a defibrillator. Chest compressions should be done to the speed of Baby Shark, Stayin’ Alive or Nelly the Elephant- a fun afternoon learning valuable life skills!

Y6 First Aid Workshop

Active and Passive Voice - January 2024

We have been working hard on our grammar in Year Six and have had lots of fun playing games to help us learn and revise concepts. Active and Passive Snakes and Ladders was a hit!

Y6 Active and Passive Voice

Christmas Card Creations- December 2023

Year Six had a relaxing morning creating Christmas cards for loved ones using a range of materials. Christmas trees, Nativity scenes, gifts and plenty of sparkle made then morning one to treasure. Year Six wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. May God be in your hearts and your homes over this festive period.

Christmas Cards

Blackpool Community Trust Christmas Presents- December 2023

During a winter P.E. session of a snowball-themed dodgeball match, Year Six were surprised by Marvin Ekpiteta and Mackenzie Chapman from Blackpool’s First Team Squad. Presents were delivered and the children were able to have a good chat with their dedicated and friendly role models. Thank you to everyone involved!

Y6 Footballers Visit

Year Six and EYFS Buddies Christmas Craft and Party!- December 2023

Dressed in their festive best, Reception Class and Year Six spent a lovely morning working together to create Christmas decorations to take home, before having a festive teaparty and a dance to some Christmas tunes. As always, Year Six showed such nurture and kindness to their younger buddies and the room was filled with smiles, laughter….and glitter!

Y6 Buddies Christmas Craft and Party

Year 5 and 6 Football Match: St. Bernadette's vs Marton- November 2023

On Tuesday, St. Bernadette's Football Team played a nail-biting match against Marton and the team, led by Captain Ben, soared to a 4,3 victory. Good sportsmanship was evident throughout both halves of the game. Well done team!

Y5 and Y6 Football Match

HSBC Money Management Workshop- November 2023

Year Six were fortunate to welcome Denise from HSBC who taught the children all about the world of work. She explained why people go to work, how people get paid, the choices we make around work and money and how work can impact our lives. Children learned about how people are paid for the work they do, how to decipher a payslip and how to keep their money safe. They were also taught about essential outgoings versus an income and how to prioritise their spending.

Y6 Money Management Workshop 23

Magistrate Visit- November 2023

On Thursday, a local magistrate spent the afternoon with Year Six. She explained how magistrates are appointed, what kind of cases they deal with, how guilt or innocence is decided and how magistrates decide to sentence. As part of our Anti-Bullying Week learning, the magistrate then ran a mock trial with Year Six focused on cyber-bullying. Year Six pupils took on various courtroom roles such as Prosecutor, Defense, Legal Adviser, Presiding Justice and Usher as well as the positions of those who were involved in the crime. We stopped at certain points in the trial to discuss what was being said and why particular procedures need to take place to ensure a trial is fair. Pupils took on these roles with relish and had some insightful questions to ask the magistrate.

Y6 Magistrate 2023

Painting Pottery- October 2023

When our wonderful Year Six children were in Year Five, they designed and made their own pottery pieces in conjunction with the Art and Design Department at Cardinal Allen. The pieces have been returned and Year Six enjoyed mixing colours and sprucing up their masterpieces ready to take home for the half-term holiday. What has been truly heart-warming is the number of children who are planning to give their pots to their loved ones as gifts...shhh!

Y6 Pottery Painting

Goodnight Mister Tom Roleplay- September 2023

Our Class Novel this half-term is the modern classic: "Goodnight Mister Tom" by Michelle Magorian. We are improving our reading and writing skills by looking at the techniques the author has used and embedding them into our own work. This novel also brings our history topic (World War Two) to life. Year Six have enjoyed roleplaying the characters from the book in order to explore traits and characteristics in detail, learning that the best authors are able to show, not merely tell.

Goodnight Mister Tom Drama Year Six

Teddy Bears' Picnic- September 2023

"Nurturing", "kind", "friendly", "patient", "sensible".....

Just some of the many adjectives used by our new Rceception children's families to describe Year Six during the Teddy Bears' Picnic. Our wonderful Year Six team buddied up with their new younger friends and read stories to them, played games with them and looked after them with great enthusiasm. We are very proud of you Year Six!

Teddy Bears' Picnic

Year 6 2022 -2023

Fitness Drills- May 2023

Shelley Woods supported Year Six for a round of fitness drills- lots of fun was had by all!

Y6 Games May 2023

Team Games - May 2023

Shelley Woods and Active Blackpool Coach, Jordan, supported Year Six again this week- the theme was 'Teamwork' and the chosen sport was basketball.

Y6 Team Games

Food Tasting - April 2023

As Year Six are currently enrolled in the Active Blackpool 'Sports 4 Champions' programme - involving Blackpool Paralympian Shelley Woods - , they had the opportunity to taste a variety of tropical fruits whilst discussing the merits of healthy eating and boosting their descriptive vocabulary. Mango and pineapple seemed to be the most popular choices!

Y6 Food Tasting 2023

St. Bernadette's Feast Day - April 2023

St. Bernadette’s Feast Day was celebrated by Year Six on the week beginning Monday 17^th April (this year, her Feast Day fell on Sunday 16^th). The children, now familiar with her life story and her faithful actions, took time to consider what lessons we can learn from St. Bernadette. We summarised what we can learn into five key areas:

Have courage.
Be obedient.
Be humble.
Live a life of prayer and sacrifice.
Live a life of faith.

After writing our thoughts, we spent some time in reflection, creating artwork of St. Bernadette to be displayed around the school. Our final celebrations took the form of Manfredi’s ice cream outside in the sunshine!

Y6 St Bernadette's Feast Day 2023

Happy Easter from Year Six!

Year 6 enjoyed creating Easter cards for their friends and family. We hope you have a wonderful Easter!

Lord Jesus,

We give thanks for Your life, death and resurrection.

We thank You for Your love and for giving us the chance to have eternal life.

We pray that You will help us to remember Your sacrifice and to follow You with our hearts always.

Amen

Y6 Easter Cards 2023

Stations of the Cross- April 2023

Year 6 visited St. Bernadette's Church to reflect upon Jesus' final journey as we walked the Way of the Cross. Each Station has been created by all classes from Reception to ourselves- Year 6. Spending time in quiet contemplation, we were able to record our thoughts for each subsequent visiting class to read.

Y6 Stations 2023

Year 6 Sciathalon- March 2023

Well done to four Year 6 children who represented the school in a Sciathalon for Science Week. They completed challenges around engineering and scientific knowledge whilst having to work as a team. A super job!

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service- March 2023

Year Six were visited by our local fire brigade for the afternoon. In this session, the children recapped fire safety and were reminded about the work they had done in Year Two on this crucial topic. The focus of the session, however, was 'Be Safe, Be Seen': a road safety workshop in order to prepare for the children's transition to secondary school. As pupils move onto the next stage of their school journey, they will be developing in independence which may involve walking to school, catching a bus or tram or cycling. The key messages to take away from the session were: wear a seatbelt in the car; always wear a cycle helmet when riding a bicycle; wear visible clothing that can be seen in the dark and be aware as a pedestrian of what is going on around you.

Pupils were also given an insight into what it takes to pursue a firefighting career: watch this space!

Year Six Road Safety 2023

World Book Day- March 2023

Along with our friends from Reception class to Year 5, Year 6 celebrated World Book Day 2023 in style. As you can see from the images below, it was a ROARing success! Our favourite characters paraded around the school grounds for our families to enjoy, before returning to the classroom to hot-seat those who wanted to share the trials and tribulations of the lives of their chosen characters! Year Six reviewed their favourite books, created bookmarks and participated in a quiz where all was not as it seemed. We then rejoined the rest of the school to hot-seat two characters from each year group as part of a whole-school World Book Day Assembly. Year Six were well-represented by Katniss Evergreen from The Hunger Games (otherwise known as Sophia) and Georgia Khatchadorian (our very own Ella) from Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life who could tell us all about their characters and the worlds that they inhabit!

World Book Day 2023

Blackpool Community Trust- February 2023

Year Six are enjoying their games lessons led by Blackpool Community Trust coaches. Teamwork, resilience, good sportsmanship and 'having a go' are all qualities that can be seen in the photographs below- as well as having a fantastic time!

Y6 Games Feb 2023

Author Workshop- February 2023

On Tuesday, Year 6 had a Zoom Call with author Dan Freedman. This follows on from a P.S.H.E. topic revolving around his book, 'Unstoppable'. Pupils asked him a range of questions about writing and authorship, around the gritty subjects within the novel and about who and what inspired him to be a writer. In his role as the in-house editor for the English Football League, Dan has met and worked alongside many big names in football such as Steven Gerrard, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish to name a few...The informative session was brought to an end with Dan describing Year Six as "delightful", having "fantastic concentration" and "excellent manners". Well done Year Six!

Y6 Author Dan Freedman

Anti-Bullying Week - November 2022

A representative from Blackpool Beating Bullying came in to visit Year Six and worked through various scenarios with the children. Fruitful discussions were had around how to react to a situation where bullying is present and the different roles involved. Year Six focused on the mantra: "Don't be a bystander, be an upstander."

Y6 Anti Bullying

HSBC Household Budgeting Workshop - September 2022

Year 6 were visited by Denise from H.S.B.C. who led a fascinating workshop on the topical subject of Household Budgeting. Fixed, variable, essential and non-essential costs were explained. The children learned about monthly expenditure that must be taken into account when running a household. Children were given advice on how to manage their money, how to make the most of what they have and were then given the opportunity to handle an array of currency.

Y6 HSBC Banking Workshop

Year 6 2021 -2022

Prayer and Liturgy - May 2022

A small group of pupils led a Prayer and Liturgy session on the theme of 'Pray for Peace'. The children read from the Book of Deuteronomy 20: 1-4 and said prayers for our neighbours in the Ukraine. The Scripture reminded us that no matter the obstacles we face, God is always with us. As we are in the Month of Mary, the children asked our loving mother, Mary, to intercede for the people of the Ukraine through her son, Jesus.

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

Y6 Prayer and Liturgy Ukraine

Celebrating St. Bernadette - April 2022

Along with our friends from across the school, Year 6 celebrated the Feast Day of St. Bernadette with a delicious ice-cream courtesy of Mr Manfredi, one of our school governors and owner of our local and much-loved traditional ice cream parlour. We reflected on the life of St. Bernadette through written work as well as demonstrating our creative flair through portrait art.

What lessons can we learn from St Bernadette?

1. Hold firm to the convictions directed by God. Trust in Him.

2. Be an instrument of service.

3. Do all that you can in your circumstances.

4. Happiness may not always be immediate- do not be deterred from doing what is right.

Y6 St Bernadette Feast Day

Happy Easter!

Year 6 wish everyone a Happy and Holy Easter! May God be in your hearts and your homes during this special time.

Y6 Easter Cards

Holy Week - April 2022

Year 6 have celebrated Holy Week in a number of ways. Aside from leading Prayer and Liturgy in class, pupils have also joined with Year 5 to celebrate Mass, taking us through the Stations of the Cross. Our entire school community was invited to join us.

As Pope Francis tells us, “Don’t be afraid of silence”. With this in mind, Year 6 spent some quiet time reflecting upon each stage of Jesus’ final journey by walking the way of the cross, visiting each station in turn and seeing the work done by each class in school. This was followed up during our R.E. lessons, where our focus was on the experience of Simon of Cyrene and the message of service that applies to our own lives.

Matthew 16:24: ‘Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” ‘

Y6 Holy Week 2022

Caribbean Workshop: Cultural Diversity- April 2022

On Tuesday 5^th April 2022, Mrs Page led a Caribbean workshop for Year Six. The aim of the session was to promote cultural diversity. Mrs Page began the session by outlining this aim and unpacking the term ‘culture’ with the children and explaining that Caribbean culture is very diverse due to the number of islands, each with their own identity, customs and traditions. Children were introduced to new vocabulary (e.g. Caricom, diaspora, indigenous) and encouraged to explore and handle the wide variety of Caribbean items that Mrs Page had laid out on display in the classroom such as musical instruments, fruits and vegetables, books, clothing, herbs and spices and items of interest. Pupils enjoyed participating in call and response, practising new dialects and languages and Caribbean dancing to traditional music. They were also given the opportunity to share their own cultural background. Pupils were treated to a story, were given an insight into Caribbean heritage and were taught about the wildlife that can be found on the Caribbean islands. One of the highlights of the workshop was the food-tasting! Yam, cassava, plantain, mango salsa, pineapple cake and banana bread were some of the dishes on offer! Pupils were encouraged to reflect on the importance of learning about a variety of cultures and sharing their own. Thank you Mrs Page for celebrating your culture with Year 6 and inspiring us to learn more about our wonderful world!

Y6 Caribbean Workshop

Gardening- February 2022

Year Six decided to add a bit of colour to the school garden by planting some sweetpeas. We are looking forward to seeing them flower later in the year!

Y6 Gardening Feb 2022

Remembrance Day- November 2021

On Remembrance Day, we assembled to remember the brave men and women whose lives have been lost through conflict. Year Six made poppies from natural materials and wool during their Forest School sessions ; these were placed in our Memorial Garden as we spent some quiet time reflecting and praying.

Year 6 Remembrance 2021

Conscription Day- October 2021

On Monday, as part of their World War Two learning, Year Six experienced Conscription Day. Captain Phil Hayes put his new recruits through their paces as they marched, crawled and ran from obstacle to obstacle! Inspection line-ups and camo-nets were the order of the day as the children gained some insight into the physical aspects of military training.

Year 6 Conscription Day 2021

Year 6 2020 - 2021

Electric Circuits- April 2021

During their science lesson, Year 6 made and investigated series and parallel circuits. They had great fun exploring the impact of changing different elements within their circuits and the classroom was filled with bright bulbs, sounding buzzers and spinning motors.

Year 6 Electricity April 2021

Stations of the Cross- March 2021

During Holy Week, Year Six enjoyed a period of reflection by visiting the Stations of the Cross in church. As narrators of the events of Good Friday during our Easter Story video, pupils felt confident with their knowledge of Jesus' journey. They were able to delve deeper into the experiences of Jesus and ask meaningful questions such as "Was it Jesus' destiny to die on the cross?", "Is there evidence that Jesus knew what was about to happen to him?" and "Why is Easter considered the most important celebration in the year of the church?"

Year 6 Stations of the Cross

"The Ickabog"- March 2021

"The legend of the Ickabog had been passed down by generations of Marshlanders, and spread by word of mouth all the way to Chouxville. Nowadays, everybody knew the story. Naturally, as with all legends, it changed a little depending on who was telling it..."

Using clues from the novel, we created clay versions of the elusive Ickabog. Can you identify which clues each of us used in our designs?

"The monster was said to eat children and sheep. Sometimes it even carried off grown men and women who strayed too close to the marsh at night."

"Some made it snakelike, others dragonish or wolflike."

"Some said it roared, others that it hissed, and still others said that it drifted as silently as the mists..."

"If you tried to kill it, it would mend magically, or else split into two Ickabogs; it could fly, spurt fire, shoot poison..."

"...the monster’s huge white eyes were gleaming at him."

"It had a wide, smiling mouth full of teeth and big, clawed feet."

Year 6 Ickabog March 2021

"The Hill We Climb"- March 2021

This week, Year Six returned to school (as a whole class) after several weeks of Home Learning.

There is no denying that recent times have been difficult for many people in lots of different ways. Year Six spent some time discussing their experiences during a period of lockdown. By looking at how some individuals (such as J.K. Rowling and Amanda Gorman) have used their creative talents during these challenging months to inspire, to contribute and to build something positive, Year Six spent time thinking of their own hopes, ambitions, ideas and things to be thankful for.

Year Six listened to excerpts from J.K. Rowling's charity-boosting novel, 'The Ickabog', and discussed the techniques of the author. They used clues from the text to deduce the appearance of each character.

Following on from this, Year Six learned about Amanda Gorman, a USA National Youth Poet Laureate, who recited her poem- 'The Hill We Climb', for President Biden's inauguration. They listened to her powerful words, analysed the language used and then discussed the ideas put forward by Amanda Gorman about hope, dreams and 'doing our bit'.

Year Six enjoyed finding examples of movement in the poem, performing them and then writing their own poem about the hill that they themselves continue to climb- and the positive messages that they can both learn from, and send to others.

Year 6 The Hill We Climb

Year Six- Home and School R.E.- February 2021

Lent is a time for new beginnings; for saying sorry for past wrongs and turning over a new leaf in preparation for Easter. By using natural items from outdoors (or interesting items from indoors), Year Six reverently created an image of the cross or an image to represent their Lenten promise. They were able to combine worship and creativity with the great outdoors.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbours and Lent is a time when we try to think about others. Year Six learned of a method to remember all the different people to pray for: The Five Finger Prayer. They then created their own poster to share their tips for praying for everyone’s intentions. Using this visual reminder, the children then wrote their own prayers.

Lent is a time to be thoughtful. Some pupils chose to perform a ‘random act of kindness’ as a warm-up for their Lenten promises. These acts ranged from waiting on and comforting an unwell sibling, to making the lunch of a busy parent working from home. These small acts all add up to something wonderful- a happier world. Jesus’ Passion was the ultimate act of love for another, and Year Six have enjoyed trying to follow in His footsteps.

Year 6 2019 - 2020

Year 6 - Reading

Year 6 enjoyed reading Macbeth, examining Shakespearean language features and identifying dramatic devices. They were tasked with learning the spell of the Three Witches. "Double, double, toil and trouble...".Pupils explored themes including ambition, fate, free will and kingship. Studying Macbeth also gave Year 6 the opportunity to compare different versions of the same text and by making predictions throughout the play, they were then excited to write their own 'extra scene' which could then be performed for their peers.

Year 6 - Reading

Expectations

Year 6 explored the difference between an expectation and a wish. They then examined the Gospel according to Matthew and learned about John the Baptist's expectations of Jesus. Following this, the children worked in groups to write a script for a children's television program. By writing for a younger audience with their purpose to explain John the Baptist's message about the Messiah, the children were able to explore baptism as one of several ways to prepare for Jesus.

Fishers of Men

Year 6 have been looking at the three Gospels which contain the phrase “fishers of men”. This was spoken by Jesus when He was calling two of His disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew, to follow Him.

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:16–18; see also Matthew 4:19).

Year 6 have compared the urgency in Simon Peter and Andrew’s following of Jesus to the urgency of Matthew (tax collector) and Zacchaeus (chief tax collector). All of these people did not take time to consider whether or not to follow Jesus; they did so immediately. Year 6 considered the reasons for this and how this would compare to modern-day situations.

The idea behind fishing is to know the fish you are looking for and attract it so you can make the catch. To catch a fish we must know what equipment to use, the habitat and depth of the water we are fishing in, as well as the kind of bait the fish will go after.

Can you link this fishing metaphor to the words, actions and intentions of Jesus?

Year 6 - 3D Shape

Year 6 used their knowledge of the properties of 3D shapes to draw nets (enabling them to apply measuring skills and 2D shapes) and worked in teams to complete a tower-building challenge where accuracy was crucial to the success of their construction.

Year 6: 3D Shape

Year 6 Hockey

Through learning how to play hockey, Year 6 developed spatial awareness, tactical gameplay, teamwork, how to change speed strategically during attack, an understanding of how different formations can achieve different results and how to appraise their own performance and that of others.

Blackpool Community Trust - Unstoppable

In the Spring Term, Year 6 began their 'Unstoppable' programme in conjunction with Blackpool Community Trust. Using the novel of the same name (by author Dan Freedman), pupils join the protagonists as they navigate a host of difficult life topics - many of which are pertinent to our local area. As they discuss these hard-hitting topics, the children will be able to refer back to when they are challenged in their daily lives and use their strategies for resilience to support their transition to secondary school and beyond. Reading for pleasure is intrinsically linked to mental wellbeing and pupils were excited to learn that the novel they will be immersed in is theirs to keep.

Y6 - Blackpool Community Trust - Unstoppable

Cook & Eat

Year 6 baked a healthy snack for a modern day soldier as part of their topic on World War II.