Welcome to Year 6

1. Welcome to Year 6 Meet the Teacher 3.45 – 4.15 • 6A – Mr Aldridge • 6C – Miss Cowley • 6MC – Miss Clarke If you would like to talk about your child specifically, please feel free to make an appointment.

2. Presentation • We have high expectations around presentation. • Children will be encouraged to use cursive handwriting in every lesson; we will continue to support children who are still working towards their pen licence. • Children may bring in their own pencil cases but these must not distract them from their learning. All children should be writing in black ink (NO BIROS!)

3. Maths Home Learning • Maths Paper Home Learning will be sent home in a green folder every Friday. Extra challenge available through Sumdog. • Sumdog and TTRockstars will continue. • Maths Quiz – Every Friday • Maths Passports will continue. These cover times tables up to 12 as well as other important mental recall facts.

4. Literacy Home Learning • Weekly Creative Writing – This will be sent home every Friday and reviewed in class. • Daily reading is encouraged at home to support your child’s development in reading, and book bags are required in school on a daily basis. • Spelling: Each child will be given a spelling book, which should be kept in their book bag. Each week, there will be a new spelling focus, and children will be given spelling patterns, exceptions, irregular spellings and cross-curricular vocabulary to practise. Spellings will now be set on the Friday 2 weeks prior to being tested, so that students can practise in class for the first week, then consolidate at home for the second week. • Half-termly learning letters will continue. These will outline up-coming learning foci. (Electronic).

5. Clothing • Please ensure that children are always dressed appropriately for school - e.g. raincoats on wet days. • Children may wear stud earrings and watches. These should be covered/removed for PE. No other jewellery is allowed. • Outdoor P.E. kits should consist of black/navy blue tracksuit bottoms, a white t-shirt, a black/navy blue fleece and trainers. • Indoor P.E. kits should consist of black/navy blue shorts and a white t-shirt. • Please ensure all clothes are labelled. • Your child does not need a phone in school. If they do bring one in, they must hand it into the school office straight away and collect it again at the end of the day.

6. Healthy Eating • We are a healthy eating school – please ensure your child's lunch promotes this. • Due to allergies, you need to ensure that there are no nut-based products in your child’s lunch. • If children bring in sweets as a birthday treat, they will be given out at the end of the day to be taken home. • Children may bring in a healthy snack for morning playtime.

7. Medical Needs • If your child has been prescribed medication, this needs to be given to the office and a form must be completed. This can only be administered by a school first aider. • It is your responsibility to ensure that asthma pumps and epipens are all in date and in school.

8. Good to be Green • We continue to have high expectations of behaviour here at Fairlawn. • Each class will be using the Good to be Green system but the chart will no longer be on display. • Each child starts on green. • When necessary, children may be given a verbal warning. Repetition of this will be followed with a warning card and then a consequence card. • Children who receive a consequence card will have time to reflect on their actions during their next morning playtime in reflection zone. • All three classes are using a marble reward system.

9. Timetables • Class timetables have been emailed out to the children via their school Gmail account. • Please pay special attention to PE days.

10. PPA Cover • All teachers are entitled to time out of class to plan, prepare and assess: Mrs. Griffiths (Art) Mr. Balogun (PE) Mrs. Milner (Performing Arts)

11. Attendance and Punctuality • Please ensure that, as far as possible, your child attends school every day as this is extremely important for their learning. • Please ensure that your child is in the playground by 8:50am (the bell rings at 8:55am). Research has shown that consistent lateness does impact on learning.

12. End of Day Arrangements • KS2 ends at 3:35pm. • Thank you for letting us know about your child’s end of the day arrangements. If anything changes, please send a message to school via Fran. • If we have not received a message, we will hold onto your child until further clarification has been made.

13. Topic Based Learning • Here at Fairlawn we use topic based learning across many of our subjects. • Remember to read your half-termly learning letter for further details. • This year’s museum night will be on Thursday 17th October- please come along! (4-6:30pm)

14. Mindfulness- This year, we will continue to provide opportunities for mindfulness. Our main purpose for this is to help our children understand what mindful, calm thoughts are and how to access them. We hope this will help to reduce anxiety, promote self-reflection and develop self-awareness. • There is very sound academic research to support this decision.

15. Oracy • Oracy – KS2 will continue to develop their Oracy skills in addition to their Literacy and Reading sessions. • Each child will perform their Oracy once a half term. • At the start of every half term, you’ll be sent further information about the task and when your child will be performing. • They should try and practise as much as they can, so that they feel comfortable reading to the class.

16. Communication • @mclarkefairlawn • @MrTeachAldridge • @MissLCowley • Emails to teachers should be sent during working hours (8am – 6pm). • Please follow our learning journeys on Twitter:

17. Secondary School Visits • Thank you for attending Tuesday’s meeting. It’s really important that you spend some time visiting schools over the next few weeks. • Please make sure that you let Fran know when your child will be out of school. • Application Deadline: Thursday 31st October