Year 4

English

SPYFOX

All is peaceful on the Southern ocean as the penguins relax on their icebergs. That is until Dr. Hammer and his sardines decide to test their weapons of mass destruction.

Spy Fox will be our first focus in Year 4 English. Here, they will be introduced to the cunning Spy Fox, the heroic Lily and the wicked Dr Hammer. In this unit, the class will explore explanation texts. Here, they will think about the gadgets Spy Fox might need in his battle against Dr Hammer, inventing their own gadget for the furry agent to use.

 Rainforest setting description

An explorer is lost, looking for an ancient city. What they see around them fills them with awe...

Our second writing focus in Autumn 1 will be describing the setting of a rainforest. Children will be asked to describe the fascinating, wonderful environment around the explore. What can they see? What sounds can they hear? What is that smell lingering in the dense, thick foliage?

Non-chronological report - Keystone species

Why are bees so important? How do sea otters keep our oceans healthy?

Our final piece of Autumn 1 will be a non-chronological report. During this unit, children will research a chosen Keystone Species and compile an informative report about it.

Persuasive advert - visit Ancient Egypt
Escape from Pompeii - Diary Entry
Explanation - How did the Romans change Britain?

Instructional writing - How to keep our teeth clean.

Myths and Legends - Greek Myths

In this unit, the children will explore, read and write myths with The Orchard Book of Greek Myths (Geraldine McCaughrean) and Greek Myths (Marcia Williams). In addition the children will practise dialogue punctuation and use conjunctions.

 The Orchard Book of Greek Myths by Geraldine McCaughrean Greek Myths by Marcia Williams

Computing

PE

Our PE days for Spring One are a Tuesday and a Friday. Please ensure that you are wearing your school PE uniform, have long hair tied up and earrings either removed or covered with a plaster.

 

Tuesday: Real PE - indoor
Friday: Real PE - outdoor

Swimming

Year 4 will start their swimming lessons in the Autumn term.

Year 4 will be swimming every Friday, starting Friday 5th September. As swimming is a part of the national curriculum by the time your child leaves primary school we expect them to achieve the following: perform safe self-rescue in different water based situations, swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres and use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.

 The children will need the following items:

 GIRLS
A one piece-swimsuit should be worn for the lessons – bikini’s or two- piece type swimwear are not permitted. If your child has long enough hair, plaits are ideal for swimming days as the swimming hat goes on more easily.

 BOYS

Cycle type swimming shorts are permitted (shorts must be well above the knee). Bermuda style shorts or long shorts are not permitted as these can be dangerous. For reasons of safety, the swimwear should be sufficiently tight fitting to allow the freedom of body and limb movement without causing unsafe water resistance. In terms of the legislation that governs this, we are guided by AfPE (Association for Physical Education), Safe Practice in Physical Education and Sport 2012 and the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association).

 Towel.
Goggles and swimming cap are optional.

Please ensure that your child arrives at school beach ready (already in their swimming costume under their school uniform), has a coat, underwear, towel and a bag on that day. We leave school at approximately 9:40am and return at 11:00am. There is no charge for swimming lessons.

PSHE

Identity, society and equality
Democracy

Lesson 1: Pupils learn about Britain as a democratic society
Pupils understand that Britain is a democratic society and what this means
know that there are different political parties who differ in their views
understand that people have opportunities to influence decisions by voting in elections

Lesson 2: Pupils learn about how laws are made
Pupils know how laws are made and the importance of following them
understand the contribution and influence that individuals and organisations can have on social and environmental change
recognise that laws help to keep people safe

Lesson 3: Pupils learn about the local council
Pupils understand that the local council organises services under the guidance of the central government
recognise there are limited resources for the needs of the community
know that people may have different views about how council money should be spent

Drug, alcohol and tobacco education
Making choices

Lesson 1: Pupils learn that there are drugs (other than medicines) that are common in everyday life, and why people choose to use them.
Pupils are aware of drugs that are common in everyday life, such as caffeine, alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products, and when they might be used
can identify why a person may choose to use or not use a drug
are able to state some alternatives to using drugs

Lesson 2: Pupils learn about the effects and risks of drinking alcohol
Pupils know how alcohol can affect the body
explain why drinking alcohol may pose a greater or lesser risk, depending on the individual and the amount of alcohol consumed
know that there are laws and guidelines related to the consumption of alcohol

Lesson 3: Pupils learn about different patterns of behaviour that are related to drug use
Pupils can explain what is meant by the terms ‘habit’ and ‘addiction’
can identify different behaviours that are related to drug use
know where they can go for help if they are concerned about someone’s use of drugs

Exploring Mental Health

Lesson 1: Everyday feelings
This first lesson builds on learning from KS1 focusing on feelings and emotions, how these change over time and what helps people to feel good.

Pupils will learn:
• about the different feelings and emotions people experience; how feelings and emotions change and what helps people to feel good

 Lesson 2: Expressing feelings
This lesson focuses on learning to describe and express feelings and the importance of doing so.

Pupils will learn:
• about ways of expressing feelings and emotions and why this is important

 Lesson 3: Managing feelings
Building on the previous two lessons, this lesson teaches pupils about ways of managing when feelings (especially strong feelings) influence our actions and behaviour, sometimes negatively. Children will consider who is best to help them with their feelings and learn how to seek appropriate help and advice.

Pupils will learn:
• about managing feelings and emotions in different situations
• about getting help, advice and support with feelings and emotions

RE

EQ: What kind of world did Jesus want?

 1. How did the disciples feel about giving up parts of their lives in order to follow Jesus?

2. What special new jobs were the disciples given?

3. How can we show love and follow the example Jesus set when he healed the leper?

4. How do Christians, including church leaders, show that they are following Jesus’ example? (Impact)

5. How can WE follow Jesus’ example in the way we live our lives? (Connections)

Science

Spring One - States of Matter: Can materials change state?

This unit focuses on the different states of matter. We will explore solids, liquids and gases, as well as the processes involved in change.

What are solids, liquids and gases?

• To know the properties of solids, liquids and gases.
• To show the difference between the particles in solids, liquids and gases.
• To sort materials into solids, liquids and gases

 

Do all liquids behave the same?

• To identify similarities and differences in liquids
• To know what the viscosity means
• To investigate the runniness of a liquid
• To select which variables to keep the same (fair test) and to select one variable to change
• To make a prediction about which liquid is the runniest
• To take accurate measurements using a timer
• To record the results in a table
• To report my findings to the class

 

How do materials change state?

• To know that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled
• To know that heat can cause solids to change to liquids and vice versa.
• To identify materials that melt at different temperatures.
• To investigate the melting and freezing temperature of a material.
• To predict which temperatures of water will melt the chocolate the fastest
• To take accurate measurements using a stopwatch and a thermometer
• To record my results in a table and create a bar chart
• To report my findings to the class
• To know the different states water can be in.
• To know the temperatures at which water changes state.
• To identify and observe the processes that cause water to change state.

 

 

What is the water cycle? (Grammarsaursus)

• To know the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle
• To use scientific vocabulary to explain each process in the journey of a water droplet.

 

Does temperature affect the rate of evaporation?

• To understand that when towels dry the water will evaporate from them
• To explain the effect of temperature on the process of evaporation. (through the towel investigation)
• To plan and carry out a comparative test to investigate whether temperature effects how fast towels dry
• To think about how to make the investigation fair, what to keep the same and what to change.
• To make a prediction about whether they think that temperature will affect how fast the towels dry
• To measure accurately the temperature in which each towel was hung
• To measure accurately using weighing scales the amount of water in the towels before and after the investigation
• To record the results in a table
• To use the results explain the relationship between temperature and the rate of evaporation. They will be able to apply their science knowledge to suggest conditions that will accelerate or decelerate the rate of evaporation.

Music

History

After February Half Term, Year 4 will be focusing on:

 What was life like in Ancient Greece and was it the same for everyone?

 When did the Greeks exist and what is their story?

• To know when and where the Greeks lived.
• To know that the earliest settlers in Greece lived a simple farming lifestyle – similar to pre-historic Britain.
• To know that there are different periods in Greek history and we will focus on the ‘Golden Age’.
• To know that the name ‘Greeks’ was given to the people of Greece later by the Romans.

 

Which city state would you prefer to be from and why?

• To know that Ancient Greece was split up into different city states, each ruled in its own way.
• To know that Athens and Sparta were the 2 most important states.
• To know the similarities and differences between the ways of life in the two states of Athens and Sparta (location, how they were ruled, military, education, view and role of women etc).

 

Why was there a lot of conflict in Ancient Greece?

• To know that the city states were often rivals and went to war.
• To know that the threat of invasion from the Persians made the Greeks fight on the same side.
• To know some equipment and formations used by the hoplites during battles.
• To know that the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, defeated the Persians.

 

What do artefacts and archaeological sites tell us about culture and everyday life?

• To know about the daily life of people in Ancient Greece (rich vs poor, work, homes, clothes, entertainment) .
• To know that the Ancient Greeks believed in many different Gods and Goddesses.
• To know that only men could be full citizens and give reasons why they had a better life than women.

 

What did the Greeks achieve and how have they influenced our lives today?

• To know some of the key achievements of the Ancient Greeks (alphabet, democracy, architecture, science).

Geography

Our current unit we are focusing on in Geography is:

 PHYSICAL AND HUMAN:

What is a mountain and where are the key mountain ranges found?

 What is the climate zone of the Europe? (Place)

• To know that Europe has the following climate zones: polar, temperate, Mediterranean and mountains
• To know that polar means very cold and dry all year round.
• To know that Mediterranean mean dry hot summers and mild winters.
• To know that mountains means, very cold, sometimes wet all year.

 

What is a mountain? (Physical and Human Processes)

• To know that a mountain is a landform that is 600 metres above sea level.
• To know that the Alpine biome starts at the snowline of a mountain
• To know what vegetation is found in an Alpine Biome
• To know that a mountain has a summit, a slope and a valley.
• To describe these key features (summit, slope, valley)
• To know that the geography of a mountain may include the base, a plateau, ridge, snow line, face and tree line.
• To know that there are four different types of mountain- fold, fault- block, dome, volcanoes and to be able to describe the features of these mountains.

 

How is land height shown on a map? (Scale and Space: How is it mapped)

• To know that contour lines are lines that join up areas of equal height on a map.
• To know that by looking at how far apart the contour lines of an area are, we can tell how steep or flat the land is. This is usually on smaller areas.
• To know that shading is used on maps to show the height of the land.

 

Where are the key mountain ranges found?

• To name and locate the seven summits . (The tallest summit on each continent)
• Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe), Mount Vinson (Antarctica), and either Mount Kosciuszko or Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania). and know that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world
• To locate the tallest mountains in the UK- Ben Nevis (Scotland and the tallest in the UK 1345m), Snowdon (Wales1085m), Scafell Pike (England 978m), Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland 850m)

 

Assessment

Formal assessments of children’s learning across the Curriculum will take place once every term. However, continual assessments of children’s learning will take place every day, from questioning, observing and marking children’s work.

 School Council

Throughout the school, two children from each class are selected to represent their year group on the school council. Children who wish to participate prepare a speech or presentation of no longer than five minutes, explaining why they would make a good school council member. During the presentation, they will put forward practical ideas for how we could improve school life. Their peers will then vote for who they think will make the best councillor.

Reading

Reading at home is very important. Please encourage your child to read aloud each evening and discuss what they have read. You can support your child by asking them questions about what they have read, help them to make predictions and explore what a character is thinking and feeling. We will continue to use whole class guided reading, looking at a text together and studying various different comprehension skills. 

Times tables

As some you may be aware, the National curriculum requires that by the end of year 4 children should know their times tables up to 12 x 12. So this is the term to really push this at home and help children to master their multiplication and division facts. Learning by rote is one option (the old fashioned way!) and we use Numberlink boards at school (more information on the school website under the ‘About us’ and then ‘Curriculum’ tab). There are lots of great interactive games/ apps available on the net too. This is a good place to start: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/7-11-years/times-tables  

Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)

You may have heard announcements about the Multiplication Tables Check coming in for year 4 children. Here’s what you need to know:

• We love maths. It’s an awesome subject to learn and to teach.
• Maths is a big subject and we appreciate there’s more to it than times tables and there’s more to times tables than learning them off by heart. However, a lot of the rich, interesting maths is all about the multiplicative relationships and these are hard to fully grasp without fluent recall of the tables. For that reason, learning the tables is fundamental – they are a key facilitator to the maths that sits on top. We’ve always believed that.
• They will be done during the week commencing 2nd June 2025.
• The results of the test are not published publicly, they’re not going to end up on a league table and they’re not to worry about. There’s no pass or fail, there’s just a score out of 25 marks. They’re not to be used to compare children, they’re for us to reflect on so that we make the most of our provision. We’re actually looking forward to seeing how well we do.
• The checks consist of 25 questions. The questions will only be multiplication and they will go up to 12×12. There’s nothing novel about the questions and they don’t require problem solving so there’s nothing to trip them up.
• The checks are all about remembering the multiplication facts. That doesn’t mean we’ll forget all about the concepts, patterns, structures and relationships in multiplication. We’re going to be learning those too, partly because they go hand in hand with excellent recall.
• There are concerns shared in the public domain that this is “yet another test”. The government has been careful to call it a “check” and that’s important. It signals their intention to keep it low-stakes and we should remember that the data could prove useful to us.
• Given that the questions are relatively simple, age appropriate and the length of the check, which is carried out on a computer, is no more than 2½ minutes, we don’t think the checks are onerous.
• Tests in themselves don’t cause anxiety. It’s the perceived cost of not doing well. For that reason, we will actively downplay the checks with the pupils. The only thing that will stress the children is if we repeatedly refer to the checks in class or at home, even casually in front of them when they’re not supposed to be listening.
• So we will not ever be saying “Remember you’ve got the multiplication checks coming up.” Or “We must practice because you’ve got the checks this year.” We just won’t mention them. Please be supportive of that and refrain from referring to the checks at home too.

1. As far as they’re concerned, when it comes to the day itself, they’re going to have the computers or tablets out so it will just seem like the teachers have chosen to do something slightly different today.
2. You may notice us taking even more initiative when it comes to learning the tables with more options for home learning. If you are practising with your child, remember you’re practising for the benefit of their wider maths education, not for them to get a high score on the tests. So please enjoy the opportunity to work with your child and remember to hold back on comments about the checks.
3. Please be supportive of our approach in parent-parent communication channels. It’s important that we get behind the checks for the benefit of all our children.

 If you have a question or want to offer your thoughts on any of the above, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

 Mr Langhan and the Year 4 Team

Lost uniform and equipment

Please ensure all clothes, lunch boxes, bottles etc are labelled. There is a box of lost property in the Year 4 classroom which is never empty and a cloakroom which is always scattered with lost items. Please encourage children to take responsibility for looking after their belongings and to check that lunch boxes ,and bottles in particular are taken home daily.

Important Documents

 Written Calculation PolicyNational Curriculum Calculation ExamplesSpelling List Years-3/4Reading VIPERSCurriculum Overview Year 4

Useful links: