Year 6

Year 6 at APS offers a challenging and creative curriculum which is designed to equip our boys with the skills needed to make a seamless transition from preparatory to secondary school. We aim to develop independence and ensure that each boy leaves APS having reached their highest potential. 

We, at APS, recognise that preparing a child for secondary school is much more than an entrance exam and we truly believe in nurturing our boys to become independent, resilient and ambitious learners. Through a number of leadership, sporting and extra-curricular experiences, we aim to provide our boys with a broad and balanced curriculum that is both challenging and motivating.

In English, boys in Year 6 explore a range of genres and learn how to manipulate language for effect. We use a variety of media to engage the boys in creative writing, where they have the opportunity to apply their technical and grammatical skills into longer pieces of literature. In reading, we provide a plethora of books, both modern and classic, to expose the boys to different authors, genres and higher-order vocabulary. This, we believe, enables them to improve their analytical and inferential skills, along with developing their understanding of the English language.

In Maths, we build on and extend prior units of work taught throughout the boys’ time at APS. The application of methods in contextual problems allows our boys to see Maths in the real world and form links between different mathematical concepts. Reasoning and problem solving skills are key focuses, which encourage our boys to be resilient, think critically and find solutions independently. 

Our Creative Curriculum, encompassing History, Geography, Computing, RE, French, Music, Art and PSHE, provides us with a unique opportunity to inspire our boys and identify their skills and interests outside of the core subjects. Topics across Year 6 include The Normans, China and World War II. In these lessons, the boys are encouraged to debate, research and understand how events from the past have impacted our lives today. We also develop the boys’ understanding of themselves as citizens of the world and how they link to other people and cultures on a local, national and global level. 

Wherever possible, learning is enhanced through school trips, visiting speakers and extra-curricular events. The French trip at the end of Year 6 is a fantastic opportunity for the boys to apply their learning across all of these subjects, as they are required to converse with locals in the French language and put themselves out of their comfort zone to challenge themselves in a different learning environment. In addition to this international excursion, we offer an array of activities such as entrepreneurial projects, school productions, a LEGO workshop and Year 6 'celebratory trips’. 

Our Year 6 journey culminates with speech night, which acknowledges the boys’ time at APS and celebrates their significant achievements. This is a special moment which allows the boys to reflect on their time at APS, say goodbye in a momentous way and prepare for their next exciting chapter as individual and well-rounded young men. 

 

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