These are the two "senior" years of the primary school and they precede the transition to secondary education. It is well appreciated that this is an important stage in the education of the child.
Children in Primary 6 & 7 are at an age when they have many growing interests and enthusiasms. They are approaching the brink of adolescence but as yet without the problems that this can bring. As senior pupils of the school, they take part in the everyday running of the school through tasks and responsibilities, and they receive opportunities to participate in various sporting and musical activities. They set an example to younger pupils and their conduct and dress should reflect their privileged position in the school.
The maturity of Primary 6 & 7 pupils is apparent in the way they talk and interact with the adults in the school. It is satisfying when pupils adopt positive, trustworthy, helpful attitudes to these relationships.
The pupils have a growing awareness of the approach of their transfer to secondary school. They have increasing expectations and apprehensions about this change. In cooperation with our colleagues in the secondary school, we arrange a number of induction visits and activities which prepares our pupils for this change.
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To consolidate and extend the work of the Primary 4 & 5 stages and to develop the children’s abilities throughout the curriculum. |
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To develop the character and personality of the pupils by involving them in everyday tasks and responsibilities, and curricular and extra-curricular activities. |
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To prepare the pupils for secondary education. |
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Please ensure clothing and possessions are labelled |
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Provide gym shoes or trainers for use in hall and class |
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Supervise homework and assist with mental arithmetic |
The school uses the term ‘Language Development’ to describe the complex processes whereby children learn to understand the spoken word, to express themselves orally and to read and write effectively.
The school builds on the systematic and varied approaches of language development used in the Primary 4 & 5 stages, i.e. providing rich "language experiences" through the chlldren’s reading programme, through stories, poems, centres of interest and classroom discussion and through the children’s own recreative reading.
At the Primary 6 & 7 stages, pupils will be working towards the 5-14 Levels C, D and E.
Parents have a natural role in complementing this process by talking and listening to their children, by explaining new vocabulary, discussing things of interest to them and by encouraging them to read for pleasure.
In Primary 6 and 7, pupils develop their reading abilities substantially with more emphasis being placed on reading effectively to comprehend a text fully, and to develop reading for enjoyment. We develop reading in the following three ways :
A Reading Programme is organised for pupils. They come together, in reading groups, two or three times a week, to read and discuss the passages in their reading material. and receive new reading for homework Additional reading material is used in the classroom, to provide a focus for further listening, reading and writing activities which improve the effectiveness of the children’s reading skills.
Children’s own recreative reading has a very important function and is timetabled on a regular basis (usually daily). We would expect all pupils to be choosing books from the class library, reading these in school and often taking them home. This kind of reading has substantial benefits for overall language development, and it cannot be emphasised enough. The teacher tries to encourage recreative reading by reading passages aloud and talking about the books and their authors. Pupils are asked to talk and write about their books and to keep a record of what they have read.
Centres of interest contain a significant amount of reading component which requires the pupils to use their reading skills to a purpose within the study of a topic. The pupils are directed to use class texts, reference books and computer software to read for information. New vocabulary and terminology is introduced from a wide range of subjects e.g. Environmental Studies, Religious and Moral Education.
While it may no longer be important for parents to hear all reading, parents should still supervise and discuss the homework reading with their children. Discussion of new vocabulary and the meaning of the text will be appropriate and useful for the pupil’s full understanding of new texts..
Establishing a regular home reading pattern ( for example in bed before lights out ) has proved to be an effective way of helping to encourage recreative reading.
A good deal of written work is carried out at this stage. It is important that the pupils can write fluently and legibly. At the beginning of the session, lessons are given to improve handwriting and presentation of work. Pointers will be also be given to improve the pupil’s presentation skills - setting out work with heading and date. Word processsors, ring-bind folders and plastic sleeves are becoming increasingly used in the presentation of important work.
Spelling is taught on a regular basis (usually along with handwriting). Word lists are given for learning - these may be words with a common phonic root, words on a topic, or particular words that the individual child finds difficult. Pupils are given regular practice in using dictionaries and thesaurus, and they should be able to use these themselves to find out the meanings of words.
Lessons and exercises are given to teach the pupils the correct use of punctuation marks - including apostrophes, direct speech marks and the use of paragraphs. Pupils are taught to use different sentence structures in their writing and are made aware of certain aspects of English Grammar, the derivation of words and styles of language.
At home, parents are encouraged to supervise any written homework. A comfortable and quiet location is desirable. Parents should expect and encourage their child to present written work neatly and in line with work produced at school.
Help can and should be given with spelling and punctuation. Dictionaries should be used for checking spellings and meanings of words. The LOOK, COVER,WRITE, CHECK method is used for learning new words. The parent shows the correct spelling to the child, the child LOOKS at this. The spelling is COVERed and the child then tries to WRITE it . The child then CHECKS the spelling.
A child’s writing ability will depend on their imaginative and cognitive powers, often drawing on their own experiences, and their skill in articulating their thoughts . Pupils are given opportunities to write for a variety of interesting purposes - stories, poems, letters, descriptions, etc. A personal writing jotter is kept, and pupils are stimulated with suggestions for writing using their own ideas.
Children receive help from the the class teacher to improve both the quality of writing and their functional skills. Particular attention is paid to help children plan a piece of writing and to have a clear ideas of the main points to be included. Sometimes a rough draft will be used in preparation for a more polished, well presented piece of writing.
Pupils are encouraged to write so that other pupils can read their work and they may produce stories and booklets for display on the walls or in the class library. Word processors are being increasingly used for the presentation of written work.
In project work, pupils will also be using their writing skills. They may be required to make notes, write descriptions, record information - and present their findings in a folder or on a wall frieze.
Parents can help children in their writing by helping children think clearly about what they are going to write - discussing sentences, talking about the use of words, and their meaning. Having a clear idea of sentences and content will help the child concentrate on the functional processes of writing e.g. spelling, handwriting and punctuation.
Mathematical work is based upon the teaching materials published by Heinemann which cover work at Level C, D and E of the Scottish 5-14 Curriculum. In addition we have supplementary teaching ideas, materials and computer software, for catering for different ability groups at each stage.
Strong conceptual development is aided by the use of practical classroom activities and the use of mathematics in real contexts e.g. the school tuck shop. Special emphasis is placed on mental numerical skills in school and for homework.
Primary 6 use Heinemann 6 materials which cover work at Level C and Level D of the 5-14 curriculum. Learning activities include:
Collecting, organising, displaying and interpreting information by bar, spike and line graphs.
Work with numbers greater than 10 000;
Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Addition and subtraction of fractions; Multiplication tables ;
Decimal fractions to two places ; Money - various problems;
Introduction to percentages; Calculator work
Measurement Length- kilometre, scales and plans;
Area - rectangles and composite shapes, square metres centimetres;
Weight - reading scales, net and gross weights;
Time - seconds, start and finish times, 24 hour clock;
Volume - millilitres, reading scales, volume of cuboids
Patterns Patterns and sequences of numbers and shapes.
Nets of 3 dimensional Shapes ; Tiling of shapes;
Angles - rotation and angle size; properties of shapes
Problem Solving Various problems in contexts
Primary 7 use S.P.M.G. Stage 5 and Heinemann 8 materials which cover work at Level D and Level E of the 5-14 Curriculum. Learning activities include:
Collecting, organising, displaying and interpreting information by bar, straight line, curve graphs and pie charts.
Revision of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division;
Negative numbers; Fractions; Decimal fractions; Percentages;
Money; Approximations and calculators;
Measurement Length- millimetre, scale calculations and drawing;
Area - right-angled triangle, estimating area in square metres;
Weight - revision of weights and estimating weights;
Time - 24 hour clock, duration of time, speed, calendars & dates
Volume - reading scales & millilitres
Patterns Square and triangular numbers; Prime numbers.
2 and 3 dimensional Shapes ; Circles; Grid references;
Angles, degrees , compass points; Scale drawing.
Various problems in contexts
* The content detailed above relates to the general progress of pupils at this stage. Individual pupils may have activities at different levels which are appropriate to their learning needs.
Mathematics homework will be given every week and will include various mathematical activities for the children to do at home. Parents have a very valuable role in helping the children with their mental arithmetic homework. Sound mental proficiency provides the foundation for work in Primary 6 & 7.
Pupils in Primary 6 & 7 show a good deal of enthusiasm for the expressive arts. They are at the age when particular strengths in these aspects of the curriculum are becoming apparent and this is influencing their personal confidence and perception of themselves. It is important that the school offers a range of activities to interest the pupils and develop their expressive skills.
A number of sports and games are offered to the senior pupils including: gymnastics, athletics, swimming, cross-country running, football, mini-rugby, softball and basketball.
In the winter term instruction is also given in Scottish social and country dancing . The teachers take their classes for P.E. to complement the work of the visiting specialist teacher.
The pupils get regular opportunities for singing and music making with the visiting music specialist and at the weekly assemblies. In addition the class teachers use the BBC radio programmes "Singing Together" and "Music Workshop" to develop singing, percussion playing and sometimes drama. There are also opportunities for the pupils to sing in the school choir.
During this stage, children gain experiences in painting, printing, drawing, modelling and design. They will be taught to observe the natural environment around them closely and to be aware of colour, texture, shape and form. They will begin to use paint constructively, mixing it carefully, and learning how to draw from direct observation. Art work will often be used in the development of a centre of interest.
Environmental Studies covers the formal subject areas of History, Geography, Science & Technology, Health Education and Information Technology. To cover the content and skills in the national guidance on this area of the curriculum, the school uses ‘ topic’ studies and ‘on -going’ sets of lessons on important aspects of the programme. Through the study of a topic we look for suitable ways for the pupils to make good use of their language, mathematical and expressive skills.
Included in the programme for Environmental Studies are ;
Geography Environments, Solar system and Planet Earth Europe, A Third World study
Mapping and Atlas Work;
19th & 20th History and Heritage;
Science & Various Science and Technology topics
Technology, Nature Study and Environment Education;
Health Education Good Health Issues; Relationships; Growing Up; Sex Education P.7 Drug Education P.7
Information Computers and technology
Technology Word processors, data bases etc.
The programmes of Religious and Moral Education follow the guidelines of the Highland Council and the national guidance outlined in the Religious and Moral Education 5-14 document published by the Scottish Office.
The content of the programme covers three aspects: Christianity, Other World Religions and Personal Search.
While emphasising the place of knowledge and understanding of Christianity, it is recognised that pupils should also be encouraged to develop an understanding of andrespect for people of other faiths. The R.M.E. programme is delivered by classroom topic studies "Friendship", "A local Church", "Home life in Palestine" etc, the use of a weekly religious education radio programme produced by the BBC and by participation in the weekly school assembly.
Parents have an important role at home in supporting their child’s educational progress through Primary 6 & 7. In particular, parents are encouraged to help with the supervision of homework.
At these stages homework will be set for Monday to Thursday evenings and consist of :
Home reading from reading books, or paperbacks;
Spelling, sentences or language work;
Mathematics work (numeracy, mental arithmetic, number skills, sums or problems) .
Occasional work in environmental studies
It is useful for parents and children to agree on a time and routine at home for carrying out homework. A comfortable, quiet location is recommended.
As indicated previously in this pamphlet, parents are encouraged to actively supervise homework : in particular - discussing home reading, helping to maintain a good presentational standard in written work, developing the home use of dictionaries and thesaurus and supporting the learning of basic mental numeracy skills.
In Primary 7, homework may be set over a period of a few days for completion, in asimilar pattern to homework assignments in Secondary School.
Recreative reading is also to be actively encouraged.