Year 6 - Magpie Class

Welcome to Year 6 Magpie Class

Class Teacher: Mr Chappell

Teaching Assistant: Mrs Dwyer

Hello everyone, and welcome to the final chapter of your primary school journey — Year 6 in the fantastic Magpie Class! I hope you’ve all had a joyful summer break, feel refreshed, and are ready to embrace the exciting challenges and opportunities ahead.

This year promises to be full of growth, discovery, and memorable moments. I’m truly looking forward to working alongside each of you, getting to know your unique strengths, and supporting you every step of the way. Year 6 can be demanding, but together we’ll rise to every challenge and prepare confidently for the next stage of your learning adventure.

Let’s make this year one to remember — full of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. I can’t wait to begin this journey with you! 

Warm wishes,

Mr Chappell

Class Teacher – Magpie Class

This page will be your go-to hub throughout the year. Each term, it will be updated with:

• Our current learning enquiries

• Key dates for your diary

• PE days and Forest School sessions

• Home learning updates and useful resources

Where does our energy come from?

This term, our geography enquiry explores the vital question: Where does our energy come from? Building on the children’s growing understanding of sustainability, we’ll investigate the different types of energy sources — from solar and wind to fossil fuels — and examine why they matter. Pupils will weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of each source and consider their impact on our planet.

We’ll have a closer look at how the UK generates energy and compare it with another major energy consumer: the United States. This will lead to rich discussions and debates around the most effective and responsible ways to produce energy.

As our new-build school continues to take shape, we’re excited to connect our learning to real-world developments. Part of our sustainable promise includes installing solar panels on the school grounds. We hope to catch up with the building team to learn how these panels work and how they’re positioning energy-saving technology across our site.

      

We love the outdoor environment and plan to make the most of our Forest School area while the sun continues to shine. This term, our activities will be inspired by our class book The Girl Who Speaks Bear and our enquiry question “Where does our energy come from?” — blending storytelling, nature exploration, and sustainability. This term our forest school sessions will be held on the following dates:

Please ensure your child brings their Forest School kit on these days to avoid disappointment. As always, be prepared for the British weather — waterproofs and layers are essential, and wellies should be in school at all times.

We’re looking forward to a term of adventure, creativity, and connection with nature!

PE is an important part of our weekly routine, and we ask that children have their full school PE kit ready for each session. Ideally, kits should stay in lockers so they’re available when needed. After PE, kits can go home to be washed and returned when ready.

Our PE day this term is Wednesday (outdoors).

We’ll be taking part in tag rugby sessions led by the Team Theme group — a great opportunity to build teamwork, fitness, and confidence.

Reminders for PE days:

• Earrings must be removed for health and safety.

• Long hair should be tied back.

• Children may bring deodorant or body spray for personal hygiene (roll-on preferred).

All children have access to their TT Rockstars accounts to practise timetables regularly. We’ve also introduced a new platform called Twinkl Learner, which can be accessed both at school and at home. It’s packed with learning games, challenges, and opportunities to practise weekly spellings and maths skills in a fun and engaging way.

Please support us by encouraging your child to use these accounts at home to reinforce their learning. If you’re unsure of any login details or need help accessing the platform, just let me know — I’ll be happy to assist.

Every child will have a home reading record and is expected to read frequently throughout the week. They’ll complete reading quizzes on Fridays and change their books regularly throughout the term. Reading records should be in school every day, so adults can check progress and listen to children read during the week.

We’ve updated how we use Dojo points and Merits to celebrate positive behaviour and learning achievements.

Each pupil will begin the term with 0 dojo points and aim to reach 30. Once they hit this target, they’ll earn a prize from the class prize box — then their points will reset, ready for the next challenge!

Children can earn merits for:

• Demonstrating school values

• Exceptional work in class

• Receiving the weekly Star Award

• Other learning achievements

Once they collect 12 merits, they can trade them in for a gold coin to use in the school book vending machine — a brilliant way to reward reading and effort.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You’re welcome to speak with me or a member of the class team — we’re always happy to help. We’re available before and after school, or you can message me via Class Dojo to arrange a meeting.

We’re looking forward to continuing this amazing Year 6 journey with you and your child — full of growth, curiosity, and memorable moments.

The Year 6 Magpie Class Team

The Term 1 knowledge organisers below provide information on our learning for this term.

Teachers can be contacted via Class Dojo if you have any questions or queries regarding home learning. 

Please click here to access extra phonics, reading and spelling resources.

Please click here to access links to other useful home learning resources published online.

If you are unsure of any log-in details, please contact the teacher through Class Dojo or email office@pilgrims-way.kent.sch.uk