Welcome Back!
Primary 6 have been very busy since our last blog update. It has been wonderful to see the pupils fully engaged across the curriculum, taking part in a wide range of exciting activities that support both their learning and personal development. Here’s a look at some of the fantastic things we’ve been doing this term.
Literacy
The children have continued to develop their spelling skills through the Active Literacy programme. They have been exploring root words, prefixes and suffixes and using a range of strategies to tackle common and tricky words. Pupils have also been working on identifying homophones and other easily confused words, with some looking more closely at phoneme families and the different ways sounds can be represented.
In reading, Primary 6 have been diving into two much‑loved novels: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Through these stories, pupils have been developing key comprehension strategies such as predicting, summarising, analysing character motivations and identifying themes. They have been discussing the authors’ use of language, exploring how emotions are conveyed and using evidence from the text to support their ideas. These rich and engaging texts have sparked thoughtful conversations and helped pupils strengthen their understanding of literature in an enjoyable and meaningful way.
In writing, the children have been exploring a variety of poetry and applying key comprehension strategies to deepen their understanding. They have been identifying themes and main ideas, considering the author’s intent, and analysing figurative language such as similes, metaphors and personification. Pupils have also enjoyed reading Scots poetry and having a go at writing their own poems. As they move into narrative writing, the children are working hard to incorporate figurative language into their stories to enrich their descriptions and bring their ideas to life.
Primary 6 had a brilliant World Book Day 2026! Pupils came dressed in comfy clothes, loungewear, pyjamas or fun character costumes, adding to the excitement of the day. They enjoyed the BBC Live Lesson, where they explored their “reading vibe,” learned that everyone reads differently, discovered new genres and reflected on their own reading preferences. The class left feeling confident as readers and excited about what they want to read next. They particularly enjoyed ending with a dance party and showing off their moves.
Maths and Numeracy
Primary 6 have been learning how to identify and represent fractions in a variety of forms, using visual models and practical strategies to strengthen their understanding. Pupils have been working on simplifying fractions by finding common factors and have gained confidence in recognising and creating equivalent fractions through hands‑on tasks and collaborative challenges. They have also been applying their skills to real‑life contexts and problem‑solving activities, helping them understand how fractions connect to everyday situations and other areas of numeracy. The children have particularly enjoyed applying their learning across a variety of active maths stations, allowing them to practise new skills in fun, hands‑on ways.
During Number Talks, our focus has shifted to multiplication strategies, where pupils have been exploring methods such as partial products, breaking numbers into factors, repeated addition, doubling and halving and using friendly numbers to make calculations more efficient. Many children are becoming more confident in selecting strategies that work best for them and clearly articulating their thinking during discussions.
Learning Across the Curriculum
In IDL, the children have been deepening their understanding of World War II through a series of focused learning activities. They began by examining the causes of the conflict, exploring the impact of the Treaty of Versailles and how rising tensions in Europe contributed to the outbreak of war. Pupils then studied a timeline of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, analysing key events that led to the beginning of the conflict.
The class has also investigated the global scale of the war by identifying the Allied, Axis and Axis‑controlled countries across Europe and the Pacific. Using historical maps, they plotted these nations and located significant battles, helping them build a clearer picture of how the war progressed.
Alongside this, the children have begun an expressive arts project linked to wartime soldiers. They have been developing shading techniques to create contrast and realistic shadows in their portrait drawings and will soon complete their artwork by adding camouflage‑inspired tissue‑paper backgrounds to reflect wartime environments.
Science
In Science, the children have been developing their understanding of the human body by exploring both the circulatory and respiratory systems. They learned about the functions of each system, how they work together to keep the body healthy and why both are essential for survival. To deepen their thinking, pupils took part in a lively classroom debate titled “Battle of the Body Systems”, where they presented arguments for which system they believed was most important. Building on this discussion, the children then wrote discursive essays, carefully considering both sides of the argument and using scientific evidence to support their conclusions. This learning has strengthened their scientific knowledge as well as their critical thinking and persuasive writing skills.
Health and Wellbeing
In Health and Wellbeing, the children have been learning about the safe and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. They explored how AI tools work, discussed their benefits and limitations and considered how to use them thoughtfully in everyday life. As part of this learning, pupils took part in the BBC Live Lesson on AI and chatbots, where they learned about digital safety, critical thinking and the importance of recognising reliable information online. This experience helped the children develop greater confidence in navigating technology while understanding how to use AI safely and responsibly.
In PE, the children have been developing their ball‑handling skills through both netball and basketball, focusing on control, accuracy, movement and teamwork. They have also enjoyed visits from senior pupils at Our Lady’s High School, who have been leading sessions and introducing a variety of fun and energetic PE games designed to build confidence and improve technique. In addition to this, the class has been participating in a range of team games, including rounders and hockey, giving them opportunities to apply their skills in competitive and cooperative situations while strengthening communication and sportsmanship.
This Is Our Faith
This term in RE, the children have been exploring a range of important themes in their faith learning. They began by investigating Christian Unity Week, learning about its purpose in bringing different Christian communities together in prayer, reflection and shared values. Pupils discussed why unity is important within Christianity and how cooperation and respect strengthen communities. They also deepened their understanding of personal beliefs by annotating the Creed, breaking it down section by section to consider what each statement means and how it connects to their own faith. More recently, the class has been learning about Lent, exploring the three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. They have reflected on practical ways to include each pillar in daily life throughout Lent, thinking about meaningful actions that can support others and strengthen their own spiritual growth.
Minecraft Build Battles
This term, Primary 6 took part in the North Lanarkshire Minecraft Education Build Battles, an exciting digital learning challenge that encouraged creativity, teamwork and problem‑solving. Each week, pupils received a themed build prompt which they had to prepare for collaboratively before completing during a live lesson alongside other participating classes. The challenge required them to think critically, manage time effectively and communicate clearly within their groups. One team: “Minecraft Kidz” earned the title of Class Champions and progressed to a live quarter‑final, where they worked together as a team of four to respond to a new build prompt under competition conditions. Throughout the experience, the children demonstrated impressive digital literacy, collaboration, resilience and imaginative design skills, making it a memorable and valuable learning opportunity.
Our Lady’s High School
Primary 6 had a fantastic day visiting Our Lady’s High School, where everyone enjoyed exploring life as a secondary school pupil. The children were fully engaged in each session and took part in three exciting subject areas: Physical Education, Religious Education and Modern Languages. It was a brilliant opportunity for them to learn new skills, meet new teachers and get a taste of what secondary school will be like next year!
