Our Year 4 Class

A very warm welcome to our Year 4 class page.  In Year 4 we are looking forward to the challenges ahead as the children are now fully settled into KS2. During this year the children will be encouraged to be proactive in their independent learning as well as building good relationships in order to work effectively as teams. The children will be nurtured and encouraged to work alongside others in a variety of contexts with a focus on problem solving, research and sharing ideas. 

Our Year 4 Class 2024-2025

Class Information

This half term.... Spring Term 2 (February - April 2025)

In English, we will start the half term with persuasive writing (writing to persuade). The children will write their own persuasive letter thinking carefully about the structure and their use of language. After this we will move onto poetry. The unit is called 'Still I Rise'. It gives the children the opportunity to research Maya Angelou and discuss the important issue of bullying.

You may write me down in history. With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt, But still, like dust, I rise. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes and springing highs, Still I rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like tear drops, Weakened by my soulful cries. Out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise. Up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise. I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise. Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise. Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise. 

by Maya Angelou (Adapted version)

Our reading skills sessions in English will focus on a range of different texts and the children will continue to develop their VIPERS skills (vocabulary, infer, predict, explain, retrieve, sequence, or summarise). It is important that the children continue to read regularly a range of books/comics/newspapers at home and develop their comprehension skills and vocabulary. This will help consolidate the reading work we will be doing in class. In Year 4, we feel it is important for the children to develop a love of reading as this gives their 'imagination wings'. 

We will also continue with our SPAG work. We will also be extending our grammar knowledge and learning some more about determiners, fronted adverbials, and past, present, and perfect verbs! 

 Non-Negotiables for Y4:

• Capital letters for the start of sentences, 'I' and all proper nouns. 

Example: Can I go to London this weekend? 

• Spell of and off correctly.

 Example: The BFG ran off into the night. 

                Beware of the dog!

• No misplaced capital letters.
• Full stop (or ?/!) is used correctly at the end of every sentence.

In Maths we will begin the half term by completing our unit on area and doing some sticky learning around the four operations of number to see what the children have remembered. After this, we will move onto the tricky units of fractions and decimals. We will begin by looking back at the children's previous work on fractions to celebrate what they already know and identify any gaps that need to be addressed. We will then move onto our Power Maths units. These units include:

• tenths and hundredths 
• equivalent fractions
• simplifying fractions
• fractions greater than 1
• adding and subtracting fractions
• calculating fractions of a quantity
• problem-solving
• dividing by 10 and 100 

At home, it would fantastic if you could keep some of the children's previously learning 'bubbling':

• Reading times on analogue and digital clocks
• Place value
• Roman Numerals
• Rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1000
• Number Bonds
• Counting in a range of different multiples
• Written strategies for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

By the end of Year 4, the expectation is that children can recall all their times tables facts up to 12 X 12. You can support your child by regularly asking them times tables questions at home. Making this fun will have more impact. TT Rockstars continues to be a fantastic game that all the children enjoy, especially when they are competing with each other. It is important that the children use this as much as possible.

RE - Why do Christians call the day that Jesus died ‘Good Friday’?

In this unit, we will explore how the Christian Salvation story fits into the overarching narrative of the Bible. We will learn about the key events of Holy Week, considering how people at the time might have felt and reacted to these significant moments.

Through studying Bible texts, we will examine the events of Holy Week and discuss their meaning for Christians today. We will also explore how Christians remember, celebrate, and respond to Easter in modern times. As we progress, we will begin to make connections between these religious events and life in the world today, helping us understand why some Christians choose to live in certain ways.

This unit encourages thoughtful reflection and discussion, supporting a deeper understanding of religious beliefs and traditions.

Science - Our topic for this half term is 'Sound'. During this topic, the children will have the opportunity to:

• Identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating. 
• Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear. 
• Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and the features of the object that produced it 
• Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it. 
• Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases. 

This topic will link well with the children's knowledge understanding from their WOPS Music lessons.

History - We will continue from where we left our timeline with the Anglo-Saxons in Britain. We will:

• Focus on a key historical figure – Vortigern, Hengest, Horsa.
• The introduction and role of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon life.
• Who were the Vikings and when and why did they invade Britain?
• Anglo-Saxon kings and their significance across the period, including King Ethelred II and Danegeld, and the last Anglo-Saxon Kings.
• Law, order and justice as an Anglo-Saxon.

After this, we will continue to move back through History to focus on the arrival of the Romans and the impact of the Roman Empire on Britain. We will focus on:

• The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain.
• The Roman Empire by AD42 and the power of its army.
• The successful invasion by Claudius.
• British resistance. (Boudicca) 
• 'Romanisation.' of Britain. (Technology, culture, and beliefs)

Key Questions will be:

• Why did the Roman Emperor Claudius leave Italy to invade Britain?
• The Roman Invasion: have the books got it right?
• Should the Celts take on the Romans?
• What image do we have of Boudicca today?
• How were the Romans able to keep control over such a vast empire?
• What have the Romans ever done for us?

Key Skills

• Chronology, knowledge & understanding – When I talk or write about the past, I include details which show some understanding of what things were like before and after this at local, national and world level.
• Chronology – I can place historical periods I have studied on a timeline, as well as information about my topic.
• Significance – I can suggest which people and causes& consequences of change are more historically important.
• Understanding historical interpretation – I can compare evidence to help me identify reliable information

Art - We will be focusing on sculpture this half term. This will link with our History work on the Anglo Saxons. The children will learn:

•  that Anglo-Saxon art includes intricate jewellery made using precious stones, sculpture and carving in rock and bone, as well as delicate embroidery (such as used in the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry.) 
• The children will create and decorate their own clay sculpture based on typical Anglo-Saxon stone carvings and may have the opportunity to investigate intricate Anglo-Saxon jewellery before designing and making their own brooch.
• Children will understand the properties of clay and how to impress patterns. Children will develop their modelling and sculpting skills, learning to control the use of tools and their suitability for different tasks, such as refining.

Computing - Our unit this half term is HTML. During this unit the children will:

• Add text between the heading and paragraph tags.
• Easily activate the goggles to investigate a web page.
• Explain how they altered the HTML to create their own posters.
• Change the colours and sizes of their object elements. Explain how they created their story.
• Adapt the basic elements of a story within a web page using the ‘Inspect Elements’ tool.
• Change an image within a web page and create their own news story, replacing the text and images of a webpage.

     
Heartsmart- 'Don't rub it in, rub it out!'

This unit focuses on Forgiveness and learning how to process negative emotions, disappointment and hurt.

Don't rub it in, rub it out is about choosing to forgive, leaving the pointing finger in our pocket and accepting that we too need grace just as much as we give it away. Everyone makes mistakes. Don't demand perfection, instead celebrate progress, that's what loves does.

Visit the website www.heartsmartprimary.com for more information on what Heartsmart is all about.

French - Our topic is French Food - Miam, miam!

This unit will introduces food vocabulary and revises numbers to 100, this time in the context of money and prices. The unit encourages the children to develop their language detective skills and confidence with practical conversational French.

Music - The children will be continuing with their WOPPS guitar lessons on a Thursday afternoon with Barry and Sam. So far, the children have learnt the open string notes: E, A, D, G, B, E.  This half-term the children will be continuing to develop their guitar playing whilst learning new songs.

P.E - Our sporting value for this half-term is 'Respect' 

'Treating everyone equally, supporting each other and working together to have fun and achieve. Celebrate each other's success and be a positive team player.'

Football

Football is an invasion game, and in this unit, we will develop our understanding of attacking and defending principles. Through various activities, we will think about how to use skills, strategies, and tactics to outwit the opposition. In football, this involves maintaining possession and moving the ball towards the goal to score.

We will also explore the importance of fair play and honesty while self-managing games, following key rules, and developing teamwork skills.

This unit links to key areas of the National Curriculum, including running, jumping, throwing, and catching both in isolation and combination. We will take part in competitive games, adapting them where needed, and applying basic principles suited to attacking and defending.

Handball

Handball is an invasion game, and in this unit, we will develop our understanding of attacking and defending principles. Through various activities, we will think about how to use skills, strategies, and tactics to outwit the opposition. In handball, this involves maintaining possession and moving the ball towards the goal to score.

We will also explore the importance of fair play and honesty while self-managing games, following key rules, and evaluating both our own and others’ performances.

Spring Term 1 NEWS!

What a fantastic and productive half-term it has been! The children have worked incredibly hard and made great progress across all subjects.

In Maths, they have developed a strong understanding of multiplication and division, with noticeable improvement in their times tables. They have also strengthened their knowledge of written methods for all four operations. It is essential that they continue practising these skills at home. As a class, we have been refining our problem-solving and reasoning abilities, which we will continue to build on next term. One key focus has been using practical resources to explore different methods of solving problems, helping the children develop true mastery.

In English, we have been working on narrative writing, using The Iron Man as inspiration. The children then created their own stories with a twist, showcasing their creativity and growing confidence in writing. I have been particularly impressed with their expanding vocabulary and how effectively they use their jotters and writing rainbow symbols. The presentation of their work has also improved significantly. A key target moving forward is to keep checking the basics to ensure accuracy and clarity.

In Science, the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about electricity and building their own circuits. They showed a strong understanding of how circuits work and applied their knowledge to create their own torches in DT—an exciting and hands-on experience!

In PE, the children did exceptionally well in our dodgeball sessions and truly impressed me with their control and skill during our hockey lessons. Their confidence, teamwork, and resilience have grown, and it has been wonderful to see their progress.

Through Heartsmart, RE lessons, and Picture News, the children have engaged in meaningful discussions, demonstrating maturity and confidence when sharing their opinions. It has been a joy to watch them reflect on global and important issues with thoughtfulness and curiosity.

It has been a very busy and rewarding half-term, and I am sure the next will be just as exciting. Well done, everyone! Keep up the fantastic work!

Autumn Term 2 NEWS!

What a busy and action-packed half-term it has been!

The children have continued to work hard in Maths this term and show a good understanding of multiplication and division. Their times tables are improving, and they have developed a good understanding of the written methods for all four operations of numbers. It is very important that they continue to practise these at home. As a class, we have continued to develop our problem-solving and reasoning skills and will continue to do this next term. One area where we have re-focused is our use of practical resources. It remains crucial to be able to answer questions in a variety of different ways to achieve mastery.

In English, we have been working hard on narrative writing with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Once we finished, the children then went on to make their own stories with a twist. The children’s confidence continues to grow along with their vocabulary choices. I have been impressed with how they are using both their jotters and writing rainbow symbols. The overall presentation of their work has also improved. A key target is to continue to keep checking the basics!

In Science, the children have been learning about the dangers to living things. We explored how pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change can harm animals and plants. The children were able to discuss how these dangers affect ecosystems and what we can do to help protect living things in the environment.

In PE, the children have made excellent progress in both tennis and gymnastics. During tennis, they showed impressive control and precision with their swings and serves, demonstrating a clear improvement in their coordination. In gymnastics, the children displayed increasing confidence and skill, especially when performing sequences of movements and balancing exercises. What stood out most was their strong sense of teamwork and determination. It was fantastic to see them working together, supporting each other, and pushing through challenges to improve their skills.

In PATHS lessons, the children have been developing their social and emotional skills. Through activities and discussions, we’ve focused on building self-awareness, understanding emotions, and learning how to manage them effectively. The children have worked hard on recognising their feelings, learning how to express them appropriately, and practising empathy towards others. It has been wonderful to see their emotional growth and their ability to handle different situations with maturity.

Through our Heartsmart, RE lessons, and Picture News, the children have shown maturity, created lots of discussions, and grown in confidence when giving their opinions. It is a joy to see the children discussing global and important issues with each other and reflecting deeply. Great job everyone!

It has been a very busy half-term, and I’m sure the next will be just as busy. Well done, everyone!

Autumn Term 1 NEWS!

During the first half of Autumn Term, we have found our feet! We had a great half-term, developing routines and relationships and the children have amazed me with their work ethic and teamwork. We have shared learning in our Geography, Science and RE lessons as well as in English and Maths. We have shared our ideas and understand how working as a team or with a partner can help our own learning journey. I am proud of all the hard work the children have put into their learning this half term!

I have absolutely loved sharing The Nothing to See Here Hotel with the children and seeing their love for reading develop. The children have developed both their reading and writing skills through our class novel and it has been wonderful to see them engaged and reading for pleasure. The children are really growing into confident writers who are not afraid to challenge themselves. I am also pleased that they are beginning to proofread their work more and working hard to make sure all their sentences make sense. We will be introducing more editing this half-term, another important skill for a developing writer. The children's inference skills are slowly starting to develop and they are now starting to use evidence from the text which is pleasing to see. We will continue to develop our comprehension skills through our VIPERS questions.

In Maths, we have spent the half-term focusing on place value. The children have shown through their explanations that they are developing their reasoning skills and are able to show examples of their thinking. This is a key area we will continue to develop throughout the year. They have enjoyed using all the concrete equipment and have become more confident with 4-digit numbers. The children must continue to practise all the skills we have learnt to keep it bubbling! 

Our Science lessons have been a hive of activity. The children have loved our topic on teeth and eating, especially our lessons on the Digestive System. It is been wonderful to see them so engaged and enthused about their learning and thinking scientifically. They also worked well and participated fully in class discussions which was a pleasure to see!

In Geography we learnt more about the UK, understanding the difference between the UK and Great Britain, the different types of geography of the UK as well as looking at energy uses and the many renewable energy sources that we have in the United Kingdom. Through our RE, Heartsmart lessons and Picture News, the children have shown great sensitivity and really developed their reflective thinking. They have really thought about the choices they make and what God looks for in our hearts. We have also explored friendship and the qualities of a good friend.

Our first unit of French, ‘Moi et ma famille’ (Me and my family) got off to a promising start! We spent a lot of time on phonetical work, grasping the French alphabet and revisiting previous learning.  We also made some progress with early vocabulary learning (focusing on who is in our family).

I can't wait to get back and start Autumn 2!