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