In Maths, this week, we have started our algebra unit. We began with one- and two- step function machines, then moved on to representing unknown numbers using letters. This was an interesting lesson and gave us the opportunity to use maths counters to represent number sentences during the lesson. Please see some highlights below.

Algebra is a tricky unit! If you are struggling, check out the following links: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z2p6tyc#z4x7b7h , https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/z7jrkmn

Tahha recommends The Beano annual! Over 75 years old! Wow! Roger Dodger and Denice the Menace are out!

JJ recommends the Third Chronicle of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. All about the son of a fisherman who goes on a fantastic adventure. We learn the back story of some of the characters from the Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Keilan recommends a non-fiction book all about electric cars. It explores how both types of vehicle can be harmful to the environment.

Izzy recommends ‘The 1000 Year Old Boy’ by Ross Weltford. It’s about this boy who was born around the Viking age. There are these things called ‘life pearls’ which can make you live forever. He takes a pearl at aged 8. Later in the story, his mum passes away but it’s an eventful book with a series of stories about his life.

Emilia recommends ‘Over the Line’ by Tom Palmer. It’s about someone called Jack who is a professional footballer. The story is set at the start of the war and he has to go to war. Members of his football team die but football is forbidden. He wants to fight for his country but is surrounded by death and description.

Max recommends Shrapnel Boys. It is also set in WW2. It is about a group of boys, every night after the bombing for a game, they go and collect pieces of the bomb and see who can collect the most. The main character finds that his sister is doing secret work in the war.. Max also mentioned his Ross Montgomery book which he has finished and recommends again.

Zara recommends: Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr. Jimmy and his brother have to be evacuated to the South of England.

Izzy recommends: Geek Girl by Holly Small. There’s a girl who is bullied at school. Nat’s dream is to become a model and be noticed until Harriet Manners accidentally gets spotted by the modelling agency. They ring Harriet’s parents. Harriet accepts and becomes a new version of herself.

Max recommends: Small Wonder by Ross Montgomery. He has written a lot of great children’s books. It is set in some kind of fantasy, medieval world. The main two characters are Tick and Leaf. They live on the coast of their kingdom (Elya). Another island comes to invade Elya and they have to get to a safe place in the mountains. They uncover secrets along the way…

Emilia recommends: Billionaire Boy by David Walliams. It’s all about the richest twelve-year-old. But everyone uses him for his money (from his father’s toilet roll business). He is looking for a friend and to find one, pretends to be a poor person. A funny and entertaining read.

Meer recommends: Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange. It’s all about WW2. Her mum is a German and they live in a lighthouse. The town think that her mum is a spy so her mum might be hanged. They have heard that there are some English soldiers stuck on an island.

Parishy recommends: The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club. It’s about Stella Starflake Pearl (an explorer), Felix (her adoptive father) and he finds her on an expedition that he went on. Girls aren’t typically allowed on expeditions. One exciting thing that has happened is that they got trapped when they are going over an ice bridge – another character gets frostbite on his fingers and toes and they heal it with moutache wax!

Aydin recommends: Buckfizzle: The Best on Planet Earth by Patrick Forde. It’s based on a made-up planet called BuckFizzle. They go on missions to try and get more and more people to come on this mysterious planet. Very funny

Today, we have the pleasure of having a visitor from the National Holocaust Centre. Our visitor (Alex) told us all about ‘Leo’ – a Jewish child living in Nazi Germany before the outbreak of war in 1939. We discussed prejudice against Jewish people and how this affected Leo’s life. We tracked Leo’s story through a variety of objects which Alex brought to show us from the National Holocaust Centre.

A massive thank you to the students involved in organising our Year 6 disco. Students loved playing a variety of games, dancing and sharing some delicious treats. We are very grateful to the time and efforts put into organising the disco by these students. A big well done as it isn’t easy organising an event for so many people! Good job!

What a busy week we’ve had in 6D! Before the holidays, we had the pleasure of visiting Moor Allerton Library. The students enjoyed working in groups to select 5 books for us to borrow with our class library card. Students then had the opportunity to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the Library.

This week, we learned about the mistreatment and prejudice towards members of the Windrush Generation. We learned about why people migrated from different Carribean countries to the UK after World War 2. We were suprised by how poorly they were treated, even though they were promised a brighter future.

We are so grateful to have such lovely buddies! On buddy book night, we enjoyed sharing new stories with each other, creating book marks and reading our new books! Thank you Year 6 for a lovely evening and for being so caring with your buddies.

This week in Year 6, we took part in Anti-Bullying Week, an important time to learn about kindness, respect, and standing up for others. The theme this year was “Make a Noise About Bullying”, reminding us that everyone has a voice and can help make school a safer, happier place.

We began the week by joining the BBC Live Lesson on Anti-Bullying, where we listened to stories, watched videos, and took part in interactive activities. The lesson helped us understand the different types of bullying—physical, verbal, and online—and what we can do if we ever see it happening. We learned that even small actions, like checking in on a friend or speaking up to a trusted adult, can make a big difference.

After the live lesson, we worked together to create colourful posters to summarise our learning. Each group designed a poster showing positive messages such as “Be Kind, Be Brave” and “Together We Can Stop Bullying.” We included facts, slogans, and illustrations to spread awareness around our school.

Today, we had a virtual visit from The National Archives. The session focused on the effectiveness of different forms of propaganda during World War II. We found it fascinating how certain photographs were used by both the axis and allies during the war. For example, the photo below of St Paul’s cathedral – a symbol of national hope – was used to heighten morale in Britain, whereas, in Germany, it was used to promote anti-British sentiment.

We further discussed the concept of a “total war” – technology had significantly advanced since WW1, allowing war to affect civilians on the home front more directly. This provided ample opportunity to recall our learning about air raids, rationing and expansion of the ‘Home Front’ workforce to include women. Students got a chance to compare a original propaganda posters and create propaganda slogans of their own.