This will maximise the time spent in PE by cutting out time spent changing, it also means PE kits can be washed weekly, as opposed to termly, which is more hygienic. This policy encourages children wear the correct kit, this consists of a school logoed navy t-shirt, navy shorts or navy/black tracksuit trousers (not leggings) and a navy/black jumper along with trainers to be worn to school and plimsolls/indoor shoes in case PE is in the hall.

If your child does not turn up at school in their kit on their specified PE day they will be doing PE in their uniform and school shoes. It is a legal requirement of the curriculum for children to take part in PE weekly.

Please visit our policy page to read our uniform policy.

Homework

Homework will be handed out every Friday in booklet format.

Reading

See our English page for Reading updates.

See our library page for recommended reading lists.

Spellings

Children will learn about a spelling pattern each week. They will then receive 10 spellings to learn that are linked to this each week. They will be tested the following Friday.

In addition to this the children also need to learn how to spell words on the Year 5/6 Statutory Word list. The children will also receive a list of 10 of these to learn weekly. A copy of the full list will be sent home during the first few weeks of Advent 1.

Times Tables

By the beginning of Year 6, pupils should know their 2x – 12x tables confidently and the inverse operation. Please, help your child to practise their times tables and corresponding divisions at home. Children will have a login to Times Tables Rockstars which will enable them to continue to practice these. Please encourage your child to login regularly to practice.

The School Day

Start of the day

Gates Open at 8:30am.

School Starts at 8:45am

Break time

Children may bring in a healthy snack to eat at morning break. Milk is available for those who have signed up for it.

Break is at 10:30am.

Lunch

Children can bring a packed lunch to school or sign up for a hot meal provided by Farm Kitchen. Please contact our school office for more information on how to sign up for school lunches.

Children eat their lunch at 12:30pm with 30mins of breaktime prior to this.

End of the day

School finishes at 3:15pm

Supporting Your Child At Home

You will find useful information and resources to help support your child at home on our curriculum pages.

Secondary School

We encourage parents and carers to start considering secondary school choices and visiting some schools. Applications need to be made early in Year 6 and some parents find that looking around schools over a couple of years allows them to get a better understanding of what the choices are. All the local secondary schools hold open days/evenings for prospective students and Spalding Grammar and Spalding High schools can provide further information about the 11+ tests.

Application arrangements for places in Year 7 are coordinated by Lincolnshire County Council’s admissions team. Parents who live in Lincolnshire should apply online, while parent’s resident in other areas must apply through their home local authority (LA).

11+ Examinations

The 11+ is an optional test taken by some Year 6 pupils in primary schools in England. It’s a way of selecting who’s academically suited to attend a grammar school or selective school for Year 7 onwards. It is a parental choice as to whether your child takes part in these exams, therefore any preparation for the tests is the responsibility of the parents.

At Saint Norbert’s, Year 5 children whose parents have signed them up to take part in the 11+ will sit two practice tests in the Pentecost Term on two separate days. These tests are NOT marked but are held securely in school and then sent back to the respective Secondary schools.

The official tests are conducted by and sat at Spalding High School for Girls and Spalding Grammar School for Boys. Prospective pupils to Spalding High School or Spalding Grammar School must sit two 11 Plus exams on two separate dates. These exams are multiple-choice and cover the following:

Verbal Reasoning – this 50-minute test is made-up of 80 questions. Questions are divided into 15 or more sections, with 5 or 6 questions in each section.

Non-Verbal Reasoning – this 40-minute test is made-up of 70 questions and is split into five sections. Questions must be answered one section at a time, with seven minutes allocated for each section. Pupils cannot move onto the next section until they are told to do so. Two of the five sections cover Spatial Reasoning.

Standardised Attainment Tests (SATs)

At the end of Year 6, children sit tests in:

Reading
Maths
Spelling, punctuation and grammar

These tests are both set and marked externally, and the results are used to measure the school’s performance (for example, through reporting to Ofsted and published league tables). Your child’s marks will be used in conjunction with teacher assessment to give a broader picture of their attainment.

You will be given your child’s scaled score and whether they have reached the expected standard set by the Department for Education (‘NS’ means that the expected standard was not achieved and ‘AS’ means the expected standard was achieved).

The range of scaled scores available for each KS2 test is:

80 (the lowest scaled score that can be awarded)
120 (the highest scaled score)

The expected standard for each test is a scaled score of 100 or more. If a child is awarded a scaled score of 99 or less they won’t have achieved the expected standard in the test. The Department for Education expects at least 65 per cent of children to reach the expected standard (the figure was initially 85 per cent but has been revised).

The Year 6 KS2 SATs dates for administration are to be confirmed.

Parents Meeting Teachers

Parents’ Evenings are held in the Lent term. This will consist of a 10 minute appointment with your child’s teacher to discuss progress.

During Advent Term a brief written report will be sent home.

During Pentecost 1 parents are invited in to look at books with their children and teachers will be available to answer any questions.

During Pentecost 2 a full Academic Report will be sent home.

At other times, please feel free to come and see us if you have any concerns or worries about your child at school. For anything further, an appointment can be made to discuss your concerns in more depth, or you can email the school on enquiries@st-norberts.lincs.sch.uk

We want parents to feel welcome in our school. Please contact your child’s teacher if you would like to help, for example, by accompanying classes on outings.

Birthdays

St Norbert’s is a ‘Healthy School’ and, as such, we would prefer not to share sweets, chocolate or cakes brought into the classroom. This includes birthday cakes.

If you wish, donate a book to your child’s class and write a birthday message inside. Check the Recommended Reads for Years 5 & 6 for ideas.