Shirehampton
Year 6
Welcome to Year 6 at Shirehampton Primary School.
Year 6 is children’s final year at Shirehampton Primary School and an important stage in their primary education.
Throughout the year, children continue to deepen their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum while developing the confidence, independence and responsibility they will need for secondary school.
We want children to enjoy their final year with us, take pride in everything they have achieved during their time at Shirehampton and feel excited and well prepared for the next stage of their education.
Our Year 6 classes are Honiara and Suva.
Meet the Year 6 Team
Honiara Class
Mrs Rachel Godfrey
Suva Class
Mr Richard McNerney
Mrs Lindsay Barnes supports across Year 5 and Year 6.
Our Year 6 team works together to provide a supportive, engaging and ambitious learning environment where children are encouraged to challenge themselves, develop their independence and achieve their potential.
Learning in Year 6
Children in Year 6 follow a broad and ambitious curriculum which builds upon the knowledge and skills developed throughout Key Stage 2.
Reading, writing and mathematics remain central to children’s learning, alongside Science, History, Geography, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Computing, Spanish, Music, PE, Religious Education and PSHE.
Children are encouraged to make connections between different areas of learning, use increasingly sophisticated vocabulary, explain and justify their thinking and apply their knowledge independently.
As children complete the primary curriculum, we also place increasing emphasis on independence, organisation, resilience and preparing them for the transition to secondary school.
Reading
Reading continues to be a priority throughout Year 6.
Children read and discuss a broad range of increasingly challenging fiction, non-fiction and poetry, developing their fluency, stamina, vocabulary and comprehension.
Children develop their ability to retrieve and summarise information, make and justify inferences, make predictions, explore vocabulary in context and consider how authors use language and structure to create particular effects.
We encourage children to read regularly and increasingly independently at home, exploring different authors, genres and subjects that interest them.
Talking about reading remains valuable even with older children. Asking children to explain their opinions, discuss characters or themes and explore unfamiliar vocabulary can help them develop a deeper understanding of texts.
What We Are Learning
Our Year 6 curriculum builds upon children’s previous learning and provides opportunities for them to deepen their knowledge and apply their skills confidently and independently.
You can find an overview of the learning planned for Year 6 below.
📄 Year 6 Curriculum Overview 2026–27
Year 6 Assessments
During Year 6, children take part in the statutory Key Stage 2 assessments, commonly known as SATs.
These assessments take place during the summer term and include:
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English grammar, punctuation and spelling
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English reading
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Mathematics
Writing is assessed by teachers using children’s work across the curriculum.
We prepare children for these assessments through our normal teaching of the Year 6 curriculum, alongside opportunities to become familiar with the types of questions and assessment arrangements they will encounter.
While the assessments are an important part of Year 6, they are only one part of children’s final year at primary school. Our focus remains on providing children with a broad curriculum and ensuring they feel supported, confident and able to achieve their best.
Information about the arrangements for SATs will be shared with Year 6 families during the academic year.
Home Learning
Home learning in Year 6 supports children in consolidating important knowledge and developing the independent learning habits they will need as they prepare for secondary school.
Children are encouraged to read regularly and continue practising important number facts, multiplication tables and spellings where appropriate.
Additional activities may be provided to consolidate learning taking place in school or support children in preparing for assessments.
We encourage children to take increasing responsibility for organising and completing their home learning independently.
How You Can Help at Home
There are lots of ways you can support your child during Year 6.
You can help by:
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Encouraging regular independent reading
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Talking about books and discussing your child’s opinions and interpretations
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Continuing to practise multiplication and division facts
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Using everyday opportunities to practise mathematics, including money, time, measures and calculations
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Supporting spelling and vocabulary development where appropriate
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Asking your child to explain what they have been learning
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Encouraging good organisation and routines
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Helping your child develop increasing independence
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Supporting a positive and balanced approach to SATs
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Talking positively about the transition to secondary school
As children approach the end of primary school, encouraging them to take responsibility for their own belongings, routines and learning can help prepare them for the increased independence of secondary school.
Preparing for Secondary School
Transition to secondary school is an important part of Year 6.
Throughout the year, we support children to develop the confidence, independence, organisation and resilience they will need for the next stage of their education.
We work with secondary schools to share relevant information and support children as they prepare for transition.
Children will have opportunities to learn more about secondary school and discuss any questions or worries they may have.
Where children may benefit from additional transition support, we work with families, secondary schools and other professionals where appropriate to help make the transition as successful as possible.
Useful Information
PE Days
[Add current Year 6 PE days]
Reading
Children are encouraged to read regularly and independently at home, exploring a range of authors, genres and text types.
Home Learning
Children are expected to take increasing responsibility for remembering, organising and completing their home learning.
What Children Need
Children should bring a named water bottle to school each day.
Please ensure that clothing and personal belongings are clearly named.
Children are encouraged to take responsibility for organising and looking after their belongings in preparation for secondary school.
Communication
Important Year 6 information, including information about SATs, transition and events, will be shared with families through Arbor.
If you have a question about your child's learning or wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher. For non urgent matters you can email your child's class teacher. These email addresses are checked weekly during term time.
Mrs Rachel Gofrey: honiara@shirehampton-jun.bristol.sch.uk
Mr Richard McNerney: suva@shirehampton-jun.bristol.sch.uk
For urgent matters or information relating to absence, please contact the school office.