Languages and literacy
Argument and debate planning frame
Build and respond to an argument using relevant evidence, a fair challenge and a reasoned final judgement.
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Head of Prep, curriculum lead and Year 6 teacher
Nicholas Blaker
I use a clear curriculum map to connect what pupils have learned with what comes next, keeping Year 6 preparation proportionate across different secondary-school pathways.
Explore the collectionA little about me
I lead the Prep and whole-school curriculum and teach Year 6. The year needs strong core teaching as pupils prepare for different secondary-school pathways. Some will move to local state schools and some will take entrance assessments elsewhere, so preparation needs to be honest and proportionate.
A clear curriculum map helps teachers understand what pupils have learned and what comes next across the school. I want the timetable and sequence to support a full curriculum rather than repeat a topic in a way that makes learning feel circular.
I look for resources that help pupils practise important knowledge while keeping a wider view of their education. A test or entrance task should not become the whole purpose of Year 6. I value calm preparation, clear information for families and teaching that continues to make sense regardless of the school a pupil attends next.
How I approach a lesson
Protect core teaching while preparing for different pathways.
Map learning across the school without unnecessary repetition.
Give families calm, honest information about transition.
Templates I'd use with my class
Explore these templates and decide what fits your own setting.
English reading
The Keeper’s Lantern
Find stated details, use context to consider word meaning, support an inference with a quotation and summarise the story briefly.
Geography
Volcanoes and plate tectonics
Recall and explain vocabulary, Earth structure, plate-boundary processes and differences between composite and shield volcanoes using the organiser as a study aid.
Wellbeing and personal development
Settling in: transition and reflection
Support pupils to share a manageable part of their experience, notice a strength or question, and identify one practical next step for settling into a new setting.
Languages and literacy
Writing editing checklist
Use a staged checklist and agreed editing marks to identify possible changes in punctuation, grammar, cohesion and vocabulary, then give feedback about the writing rather than the writer.