English

Speaking and Listening

There have been several opportunities for the children to practise their speaking and listening skills throughout the past year. Freya contributes with enthusiasm and her efforts in class have been greatly appreciated. She can be relied upon to make sensible, mature responses during class discussions. Freya will also respond to the views and ideas of others. In whatever situation she is an avid listener and responds with answers that belie her young years!

Reading

Freya is clearly an avid reader and she does this with fluency and enjoyment. Her love of books is exemplary and will stand her in good stead as she moves into secondary school. She has demonstrated an understanding of a range of texts, including information books, anthologies and novels. Freya can select essential points and will use inference and deduction when answering questions. She can also identify key features, themes and characters. Freya is able to quote phrases and sentences if this supports her views. She has collate information from a range of sources.

Writing (including handwriting)

I really do enjoy reading Freya’s work. She has made even more progress with her writing over the past year, if that’s possible, and her work shows imagination, care and a strong awareness of the reader. The people in my house have looked forward to Freya’s book coming home to be marked so they can share in the maturity of her writing! She has experienced writing in different styles, using a more formal one when appropriate. Freya is able to write in different forms, whether the purpose is non-fiction or fiction. She has a particular strength for descriptive writing, using literary devices such as personification and metaphors with a real flair. Freya writes fluently in sentences and is now experimenting with more sophisticated punctuation within a sentence. She has also started using non-standard English when writing dialogue. Freya spells words with increasing accuracy, improving all the time and her handwriting is fluent and joined.

She uses a range of connectives to link sentences. Freya forms her letters neatly and is able to use neat, cursive script.

Target for improvement

• To manage surprise in my writing by using devices such as flashbacks or time shifts

Using and Applying

Throughout the year, Freya has shown real enthusiasm and determination to succeed in maths lessons. She is a fabulous mathematician and has demonstrated consistently high levels of work. In all areas of maths, Freya is able to apply her subject knowledge carefully and appropriately. She makes judgements and solves problems with a maturity, logic and understanding well beyond her years; even to the point of challenging me and the question makers!

Number

Freya is able to use sophisticated mental and written methods effectively when using any of the four number operations. She can solve incredibly complex calculations using written methods, even when they involve decimals, several steps or negative numbers. We have also done a great deal of work involving decimals, percentages and fractions. Such concepts have proven to be no obstacle to Freya’s learning this year. She is able to calculate detailed percentages, simplify complex fractions and operate with decimals to a seemingly endless number of decimal places. She also understands improper fractions and mixed numbers.

Shape, space and measures

Freya understands the names, properties and patterns of all regular and irregular shapes and can visualise and create nets for 3D shapes. She understands how to find missing angles in a polygon or on a straight line; can calculate area and perimeter for some exceptionally unusual polygons; and can solve complex problems involving measures of length, capacity, mass or time.

Handling Data

We have looked at a range of data interpretations this year, including line graphs, pie charts and sorting diagrams. Freya has a real talent for being able to interpret really complex and obscure data from all representations; she reads line graphs quickly and can identify data which may be flawed. She is also able to find the average from a set of data using mean, median or mode.

Science

Topic

Freya really enjoyed the revision aspects of Science as we prepared for our tests; these included the properties of materials, and in particular how to separate different materials. She understood the difficult concepts of dissolving, solubility, evaporation and condensation. In studying space in our spring topic, Freya showed a deep rooted interest in the solar system, an excellent knowledge and a genuine fascination by all things celestial. Year 6 revised a much broader range of subjects than described here. Overall, Freya has a very advanced understanding of scientific concepts and a fabulous general knowledge.

Scientific Enquiry

This year, children in Year 6 have been revising a wide range of topics in science lessons in preparation for their SATs. Freya has a very advanced understanding of scientific investigation. She is able to work independently to plan and undertake intricate experiments with a clear purpose. She always ensures the tests are fair and purposeful. She also records data and information accurately, and identifies data which may be flawed. Freya is able to then use these results to form sophisticated conclusions which help to deepen her scientific understanding.

Themed Work

This year children in Year 6 have been studying a range of topics including To Infinity and Beyond, World War II and The Tudors. During our topic studying World War II, Freya showed real empathy with people who lived during that difficult time. She was particularly mature and sensitive when learning about the suffering faced by people during the Holocaust. She was able to use artefacts, books, newspapers and stories to gain a real insight into the time and to bring the past to life. Freya showed similar enthusiasm when learning about the Tudors. She spent time investigating some of the historical figures such as Henry VIII using a range of sources. With Mr Clark, in her work building a model Tudor house, she demonstrated incredible skill and patience when using tools, very careful attention to detail, and a talent for sketching, drawing and measuring. In other topics, Freya has shown an amazing range of skills and interests including a talent for painting, research and ICT and a sophisticated understanding of the world: at a local, regional and global level.

Other Subjects

Music

Freya shows a clear talent for all things rhythmical and it comes as no surprise that she is a born performer! She was able to lead a group and keep them in time, responding to direction well in terms of dynamic and tempo. Freya has also been a valuable choir member and she will be missed in this area next year!

Religious Education

Freya has explored the ways Christians and Hindus celebrate important religious festival and has developed understanding of similar and distinctive features of celebrations. Freya has discovered how Christians and Buddhists express their faith through art, drama and song, creating her own stained glass window design, music, poetry and artwork. Freya has investigated Jewish beliefs and lifestyles and has discussed what Christians believe about the relationship between humans, their environment and other living creatures. Freya shows curiosity and interest in religious beliefs and has displayed a sensitive response to questions on religious topics, showing tolerance of the religious beliefs of others.

Physical Education

In PE lessons this year, children have been developing their skills in games. We have been working hard to improve our technique in dodgeball, basketball, rugby and tennis. In these games, Freya has been making excellent progress and is showing good ball skills and agility. Freya also has an excellent attitude in PE; she supports other children, demonstrates good team spirit and accepts results with good grace.

General Comments

Freya has had a wonderful Year 6 and has really grown and matured more, if that’s possible! I am going to miss Freya so much – she is just one of those children who takes life in her stride, nothing seems to phase her and she manages to keep cheerful, always looking for the best in people.

Her general knowledge is fantastic and it has sometimes been a blessing to know that a question posed will get a sensible and intelligent answer from the Hopkins corner! She is extremely well-rounded, loving books and maths as much as gymnastics and music. If there has been anything that she hasn’t enjoyed, I haven’t heard about it; in fact, most things are met from Freya with an encouraging ‘Yes!’

Freya, I know that you are going to go on to great things. I look forward to keeping tabs on what you do and where you go and hope that you might pop in occasionally to tell us all the exciting things that you will encounter. Good luck – I am one very proud teacher! .

Headteacher’s comments

Freya is definitely a young lady who we are all proud of. She is kind, polite and enthusiastic. If I had a daughter I would like her to be just like Freya! I know that Freya has a very bright future ahead of her and I can’t wait to hear about her next achievements!

Level 3 and below represent achievement below the nationally expected standard for most 1 year olds. Level 4 represents achievement at the nationally expected standard for most 11 year olds. Levels 5 and 6 represent achievement above the nationally expected standard for most 11 year olds.