Autumn One

We've had an amazing half term in Year 4! It's been wonderful getting to know your children, and we're happy to say that everyone has settled in smoothly.

In English this half term, we began by looking at a descriptive narrative about a dangerous dragon from Krakow. We based this on a model text on the Polish Legend “The Dragon of Krakow”.  We completed a variety of lessons looking at different literary techniques, such as add appropriate description, as well as punctuation and grammar before combining our learning to create our own journey narrative themed as a “The Raven of Rome”, which ties into our geography learning journey. We then moved on to an information text about France to help us create our own about Rome. For this we focused on formal writing using technical vocabulary, well as the different punctuation and grammatical feature that make up an information text.

This half term in maths, we started by revisiting our previous year's learning on place value. We explored the different place value columns and worked on recognizing numbers up to 10,000. We practiced partitioning and flexibly partitioning these numbers, and the unit concluded with rounding and estimating. Next, we moved on to addition and subtraction, where we reviewed prior skills from Year 3 and built on them to learn how to add and subtract two 4-digit numbers, both with and without exchanges. After the half term, we will begin our new topic: multiplication and division.

This half term in science, we explored the topic of animals, including humans, with a focus on teeth and the digestive system. We started by studying the human digestive system, learning about its components and how they work together to process and digest food. Next, we examined different types of teeth, their functions, and how tooth types vary among animals. We then made connections between teeth, an animal's diet, and its position in various food chains. Our learning journey concluded with students designing their own animals, considering the habitat, food chain position, features, and types of teeth their animal would have.

In geography this half term we have been learning about Italy.  We began by looking at where Italy is in the world and locating it on a map using used coordinates to map out several parts of the city of Rome. We then took part in a research lesson about Rome looking at its characteristics such as climate, a brief history and its famous landmarks. We finished the topic off by creating a persuasive brochure encouraging people to visit Wonderful Rome!

This half term has been filled with fun and exciting opportunities. Each week we have had the pleasure of a specialised teacher who has been showing us how to play the trumpet. We also had a wonderful assembly from Surrey Hedgehog Association who told us about Hedgehog highways and how we can make our garden accessible for our spikey friendly fiends. We then had father Andrew from St Mary’s Church in Sunbury come in for our annual harvest festival celebration. And finally we were also lucky enough to be able to participate in a drumming workshop.

We're excited about the various learning journeys awaiting us next half term and look forward to welcoming you back after a well-deserved week of rest!

All the best,

The Year 4 Team

It has been a busy and productive half term in Year 4!

English

We began by studying The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and used it as inspiration for our writing. The children created their own narratives, developing characters and plots, and worked on descriptive techniques. We then moved on to persuasive letter writing, focusing on structure and using persuasive language. We also worked on key SPaG skills, such as tense consistency, pronouns, possessive apostrophes, relative clauses, and expanded noun phrases.

Maths

In Maths, we started with Area, learning to calculate the area of simple shapes. We then moved on to Multiplication and Division, where the children built confidence with times tables, column multiplication, and short division. They practiced problem-solving and applying their knowledge to real-life situations.

Science

In Science, we explored Electricity. The children learned about electrical appliances, how circuits work, and experimented with conductors and insulators. They created their own circuits and explored how electricity flows.

History

We studied Roman Britain, learning about the Roman invasion, key figures like Julius Caesar, and the lasting impact of Roman innovations like roads and baths. The children explored how Roman rule influenced British culture, language, and daily life. As part of this topic, we had a fantastic trip to St Albans Verulamium. The children visited the Verulamium Museum, where they learned about Roman life in Britain through artefacts and interactive displays. They also explored the remains of Roman roads and walls, which helped them make connections between what they had learned in class and real-world Roman history.

It’s been a wonderful term filled with engaging learning. We look forward to more exciting adventures next half term!

Best regards,

The Year 4 Team

We’ve had a fantastic start to the Spring term in Year 4!

English

In English, we’ve been reading The Last Firefox by Lee Newbery, a fantasy/adventure fiction book. The children have worked on setting descriptions and writing to entertain, using rich vocabulary and engaging plot development. We’ve also delved into newspaper writing (to inform), focusing on layout, formal writing, and informative language. The children practiced writing clear, structured newspaper reports while continuing to reinforce their SPaG skills from the fiction writing tasks.

Maths

In Maths, we have been working on Multiplication and Division. The children have used informal written methods to multiply a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number and are now moving towards formal written methods. They’ve also started dividing 2-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers and are progressing to dividing 3-digit numbers. In addition, we’ve explored Length and Perimeter. The children were introduced to kilometres and their relationship to metres, and have learned to measure and calculate the perimeter of rectilinear shapes, focusing on missing side lengths using addition and subtraction. The children also explored irregular shapes and learned how to identify unequal sides and angles.

Science

This half term in Science, our focus has been Living Things and Their Habitats. The children have been learning about classification systems, understanding how living things are grouped based on their characteristics. They’ve explored how environments can change and affect living things, and we discussed the impact of both natural and human-induced changes on habitats. The children also looked at different habitats, identifying various plants and animals, and learned how each habitat supports the basic needs of different organisms. We have introduced food chains, where the children have been constructing and interpreting food chains, identifying producers, predators, and prey.

Science Trip to the Natural History Museum

As part of our Science learning this term, we had an exciting trip to the Natural History Museum. The children were able to explore a variety of exhibits related to Living Things and Their Habitats, bringing their classroom learning to life. They enjoyed seeing real-life examples of animals and plants from different habitats and had the opportunity to learn more about classification systems and how species are grouped. The children were especially fascinated by the dinosaur exhibits, which tied in nicely with their understanding of evolution and natural history. This hands-on experience helped deepen their knowledge of how living things are classified and the importance of protecting diverse habitats. It was an enriching trip that inspired curiosity and excitement about the natural world.

It has been a term full of engaging and exciting learning. The children have made great progress, and we look forward to continuing our journey through the Spring term.

Best regards,

The Year 4 Team

We’ve had another exciting and productive half term in Year 4!

In English, the children have been working on writing tasks, including an Instructional Text (writing to inform) and a Setting Description (writing to entertain). Alongside these tasks, we have continued to develop key SPaG skills, focusing on pronouns, possessive apostrophes, relative clauses, subordinate and coordinate conjunctions, fronted adverbials, and direct speech. For spelling, we have continued to focus on the Year 4 National Curriculum words to help the children strengthen their spelling abilities.

In Maths, we have been working on Length and Perimeter, revisiting the concept of kilometres and their relationship to metres. The children have been measuring the perimeter of rectilinear shapes and applying addition and subtraction to find missing side lengths. They also explored irregular shapes and learned how to identify unequal sides and angles. We then moved on to Fractions, where the children learned how to partition mixed numbers and compare them. They practiced adding and subtracting mixed numbers and whole numbers. We followed this with Decimals, where the children explored tenths and hundredths as fractions and decimals. They also practiced dividing numbers by 10 and 100.

This half term in Art, our focus was Power Prints. The children learned how to create pencil tones and shading to give their drawings a 3D effect. They experimented with different pencil techniques, charcoal, and rubber to create contrasts of light and dark. The children also worked on cutting and arranging images to create compositions and practiced making marks and patterns in their artwork.

In Science, we have been exploring States of Matter. The children learned about the three main states: solids, liquids, and gases. They also investigated how matter changes state, focusing on processes like melting, freezing, and evaporation. They conducted experiments to observe these changes and explored the concept of temperature’s effect on different materials.

It’s been a wonderful term filled with engaging learning!

Best regards,

The Year 4 Team