The Key Stage 2 'Statutory Assessment Tests' are taken during this week! 
These tests are designed to establish children’s knowledge and understanding of specific elements of the Key Stage 2 programmes of study. They provide an understanding of a child’s attainment at the end of the key stage.

The Tests!

Maths, Reading Comprehension and the SPaG test (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) are taken at the end of Year 6. There will be no Level 6 tests - as in previous years - now that assessment  of the curriculum has moved to 'Assessment without Levels'. Higher attaining children will be challenged through questions in the mainstream papers.
 
Throughout Year 6, teachers also assess children’s attainment in writing; this replaces the old 'writing test'(which the children previously took during SATS week). Here, at Holy Cross, we keep an Independent Writing Assessment Book - which is a collection of writing that the children have completed, on their own, throughout the whole year. Towards the end of the year, assessment judgements  for writing are reported to the Local Authority, as well as to parents.
 

I have put a range of websites below, for both parents and children; they offer information for parents on supporting and helping your child at this time, as well as fun games and activities to help the children revise (great for during the Easter break!). We are also more than happy to speak with individual parents (about their child's progress and how they can help them prepare for this time) should you feel it would be of benefit.

The school will provide a hot breakfast for the children during this week - to ensure that they are not only well fed, but have the opportunity to relax and speak with their friends or teachers, prior to the day starting.

We wish all the children the very best of luck during this time and, as ever, we only ask them to try their best.

They have worked so hard
and we are very proud of them!

This week's statement to live by is:
I know what human dignity means.


Our topic for the Spring Term is:


Are you ready to become an Egyptologist?
We are about to embark on an exciting journey to discover the disgusting details of their groovy gods, their potty pyramids and (of course!) their mad mummies? 

Let's investigate the men and women who studied the kingdoms and explore their discoveries; let's learn about the mighty rulers of Ancient Egypt, their dynasties, battles and burials. Let's explore the Pharaohs and the development of the pyramids - as well as the mythology that surrounded this early civilisation; let's discover the truth about the cool queen 'Cleo' and the curse of Tutankhamun!

Let's build our knowledge of the period when the Ancient Egyptians were powerful in the world and compare this civilisation with the society, climate and terrain of Britain at the time.

Let's be Egyptologists and make observational drawings of Egyptian artefacts; let's devise and record an interview with a real Egyptologist and debate the removal of artefacts from Egypt! Let's Learn about the tombs of the Egyptians and how to draw and paint Ancient Egyptian style figures; then make and decorate our own 3D model of an Ancient Egyptian rock-cut tomb!

Let's then share all our knowledge with the rest of the school by staging an Ancient Egyptian exhibition!

Let's step back in time to the age of the Ancient Egyptians!
 

 
Our topic for the Autumn term is:

 

Let's be palaeontologists! Let's excavate fossil blocks! Let's find out how fossils are made and make some of our own! Let's learn how fossil footprints can tell us a great deal about the animals and humans of the past and record footprints using drawing, photography, measuring and plaster casts! Let's design our own dinosaur perfectly adapted to either the Triassic, Jurassic or Cretaceous period!

Let's step back in time to the dawn of the dinosaurs. 


We have had a democratic vote:
Big congratulations to our Class Eco Warriors Jessica and Finley
Very well done to our Class School Councillors Oliver and Nancy