Welcome to Maple - Year 6!

Autumn Term

Maple Class have settled into the new term brilliantly and are already working hard and enjoying their learning across all subjects. It has been fantastic to see their enthusiasm and determination shining through in everything they do.

Recently, the children have been learning the names of body parts in French. To help them practise, they performed “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” in French — with lots of energy and some impressive pronunciation!

On Thursday 18th September, we had National Fitness Day ... what a day!

Yoga
We started with yoga in the studio, which everyone enjoyed. We tried lots of fun poses, some of which made people smile and laugh. Working in pairs, we attempted some more challenging poses before learning a calming skill called co-regulation. Afterwards, we shared our favourite moves with each other—most people chose to do a backbend (or “crab”). We finished the session by stretching out our backs.

Dance
Next, we moved on to dance. We began by sitting in a circle and doing some stretches, which had everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. Our dance was based on a Lilo and Stitch scene, and we worked hard to practise the routine together. Everyone loved it, and even the teachers joined in and danced along to the music. At the end, we performed the full routine, which looked amazing. It was such a fun and memorable experience - everyone had a great time!

This week in P.E. (w/b 22/09), Maple began their tag rugby lessons. We focused on learning the basics of the game, including passing, movement and developing our teamwork skills. Everyone showed great energy and enthusiasm as we worked on building confidence with the ball and understanding how to move into space. We’re looking forward to putting our skills into action in the coming weeks.

Year 6 had a fantastic opportunity today (01.10) when a special French teacher visited the class. The children took part in a lively French lesson, practising new words and phrases while having lots of fun.

The session was designed to give them a taste of what’s to come in the brand-new French Club, which will begin after half term. The class absolutely loved the experience and are already excited about learning more!

Science

As part of our science topic on the circulatory system, Year 6 took part in a heart dissection this week. Pupils had the opportunity to examine a real heart up close, identifying key features such as the chambers, valves and major blood vessels. It was a fascinating, hands-on way to see how the heart’s structure links to its vital role in pumping blood around the body. The children were incredibly focused and curious throughout — a brilliant example of scientific learning in action!

Year 6 Visit to Duxford War Museum

This week, Year 6 enjoyed an unforgettable trip to Duxford War Museum, immersing themselves in the fascinating history of aviation and World War II. A highlight of the day was the American air exhibition, where pupils became documenters for the day. Equipped with a microphone, a camera, and a clapperboard, they reported on key moments and artefacts they found poignant and worth sharing widely.

The experience encouraged them to reflect on the bravery and sacrifices of those involved in the war. They also explored modern aircraft, including the iconic Concorde, marvelling at the technological advancements in aviation. It was a truly engaging and inspiring day, bringing history to life in a unique and memorable way.

Blesma Visit – Inspiring Talk on Prosthetics

Last week, we were delighted to welcome Mrs Warwick who works for Blesma, a charity that supports limbless veterans. She spoke to the children about her work with prosthetics and how technology has developed to improve people’s lives. Pupils were amazed and deeply engaged, finding it fascinating to see how prosthetic design and innovation have advanced over time. It was an inspiring talk that encouraged great curiosity and thoughtful questions from the children.

Computing

Year 6 have kicked off their exciting new computing topic all about Artificial Intelligence (AI). This week, they began exploring how machine learning works and discussed the ways AI is used in everyday life.

The class had the opportunity to apply the problem-solving process to train their own AI bot — learning how data, patterns and feedback help computers learn to make decisions. Pupils experimented with different training methods and reflected on how important high-quality data is for fair and accurate outcomes.