Curriculum & Projects
Year 6 children enjoy the annual Enterprise Project which is the focus of the autumn term and requires a real-life business skills approach. A bigger and better version is developing every year as the international links are increasing and the liaison between the children with USA and Holland is becoming more frequent and effective via webcams, email and the BCPS intranet. Our Clyst St Mary partner has also been extremely successful with exchange visits in order that the children can work with their ‘branch colleagues’ in person as they develop and test their products and markets. This cross-curricular ‘real-life’ purpose-led project allows the children to experience the full process of business creation, branding, market and product research and analysis, product costing, prototype testing, a real life ‘Dragon’s Den’ where each company pitches for their £20 investment, marketing strategy development, production, advertising and the development of selling techniques with ongoing financial management. The children are always highly motivated and determined to ensure that they maximise their profits at the major selling opportunity, the PTFA Christmas Fayre, in December, with their profits funding their Summer Leaver’s Party.
Many Science / Maths investigations also take place throughout the year including the ‘Eggy Challenge’ where groups compete to ensure their egg makes it safely to the finish through good design and engineering including crumple zone structure and material properties consideration! Practical Science is enjoyed over the year with visits to Clyst Vale Community College to experience chemicals, explosions and ‘jelly baby cremation’!
20th Century History is a focus throughout the course of the year with children discovering the importance and influence of events and people over the century on our lives today resulting in a number of BTV programmes which are screened for the whole school.
Debates, discussions and presentations form a key aspect of learning in Year 6 on a variety of topics including religion, logic, science, and much, much more. Of course, the basic foundation of Maths and English is practised and consolidated over the course of the year in order to build and use the children’s confidence and creative thinking skills with success and high standards.
Dartmoor Residentials
Year 6 children enjoy two Outdoor Education residential trips in year. The first is at Dartmoor Training Centre. The weekends on Dartmoor are highly successful and much fun allowing the children to develop their independent lives away from home and meet new challenges which require both physical effort and teamwork. Usually, under blue skies, all the children take part in a Tor hike, caving, proving a challenge for some as they haul themselves through the narrow tunnels and over the ‘cheese grater’, and forest orienteering.
The second week-long residential runs in the Summer term usually at Heatree Outdoor Activity Centre, with the opportunity for all children to learn teamwork, social skills and push themselves to achieve and experience success with highly physical activities they’ve not tried before, including climbing, abseiling, canoeing and rock scrambling.
Cycle Week, Life Skills
All Year Six children have the opportunity to participate in Bikeability Cycle Training run by Devon County Council. If competent, the children complete Levels One and Two which teaches everything from basic bike skills to real traffic conditions on local roads.
Life Skills, organised and led by Devon & Cornwall Police involves a number of workshops covering first aid, water safety, fire, alcohol, drugs, road safety, food safety, and hazards. With other schools in the area this is a chance to acquire important life skills ready for their next life step onto secondary school.
Christmas Production
Every year the Year 6 children develop and deliver a joyous Christmas Production at the local church for parents and KS2 year groups. As always, there are plenty of Christmas carols and more modern songs for the congregation to join in with. There is always a modern twist which over the years has included appearances by Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, and Doctor Who.
