Year 4

SPRING TERM Learning

English

The theme for the first half term is ‘Darkness and Light.’ We will start the term working with the text, The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde, where our writing outcomes include; letter writing, first person recount, posters, reports and our own version narrative about kindness.  We will then move onto the text, Winter’s Child by Angela McAllister & Grahame Baker-Smith, where we will explore themes and languages used within a story, making predictions and ending with writing a fantasy story sequel. After half term, our theme will be ‘Taking Courage’.  We will be working with the texts ‘Odd and the Frost Giants’ and ‘The lion and the Unicorn’, where we will explore retellings, recounts, diary entries and setting descriptions 

We will also have daily whole class reading, a weekly spelling test and taught handwriting and spelling sessions to support your child’s literary development.

Maths

In the Spring term, we will be using the NCETM scheme to help deliver our maths mastery curriculum. We will be deepening our understanding and manipulating multiplicative relationships. Reviewing our existing knowledge of fractions that we have learnt so far in Lower key stage 2 and exploring ‘Time’ in all concepts. After this, we will be stretching our fractions knowledge and extending our understanding and ending the spring term with decimals. On top of our daily maths lessons we are also talking part in the NCETM’s Mastering number programme which provides children with repetitive practice of key number facts. As well as continuous practice of our Times tables.

Science

We will begin the term learning about ‘Materials: States of Matter’, where we will identify solids, liquids and gases, describe the different stages of the water cycle and investigate how temperature affects the rate of evaporation. We will use our scientific skills to raise questions, draw conclusions, make predictions and record findings. 

After half term, we will move onto ‘Sound and Vibrations’. By the end of this unit we will be able to describe how sounds are made, explain the relationship between vibration strength and volume. Using our observing, research and presenting skills.

Computing

In Spring 1, Our unit of work is Creating media: Website designs. The children will create a clear plan for their web pages and begin to create them, thinking about a professional look, useful information and a clear style which is easy to find information from. In Spring 2, we move onto understanding the role of HTML, recognising the role of HTML in a web page and then altering the HTML to change the text and images.

Geography

Spring 1
This half term, we will be answering the question, ‘Where does our food come from?’ We will identifying that different foods grow in different biomes and say why, explaining which food has the most significant negative impact on the environment and consider what changes we can make to reduce the negative impact of food production.

History

Spring 2
After half term, we will be answering the question, ‘What changed in Britain after the Anglo-Saxon invasion?’  By the end of this unit we should be able to explain how Britons felt when the Romans left Britain, suggest reasons for the Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain and explain the threat the Vikings posed to the Anglo-Saxons.

Art & Design

Spring 1
We will be exploring ‘Painting’ and ‘Mixed Media: Light and Dark’. By the end of this unit, children will be able to describe the difference between tints and shades, discuss real-life examples of how colour can appear different and create a final painting that shows how colour can be used to represent light, dark and three-dimensional form.

Design & Technology

Spring 2
During D&T, children will identify the features, benefits, and disadvantages of different types of fastenings. They will write design criteria and create a design for a book sleeve that meets those criteria. They will then make a template for their sleeve and assemble their final product using a stitch they feel confident with.

PSHE

We will start next term looking at Safety and the changing body. We start by looking at reasons for legal age restrictions, how information can quickly spread on the internet, moving onto the understanding that children go through changes to develop into adults and being aware of them.

Music

Our Spring unit starts off by looking at changes in pitch, tempo and where we will learn to sing in tune and in harmony with growing breath control and also create our own ostinatos. In Spring 2, we are learning about Haiku, music and performance where we will recognise, name and describe the effect of the interrelated dimensions of music, leading up to performing a piece of music as part of a group.

PE

PE will be taught by both our specialist sports coaches and class teachers. We will begin with units focussing on Gymnastics and Fitness.  After half term, we will move onto Tennis and Dodgeball. The Spring term is also when Year 4 start their swimming lessons. 4AC will go the first half of term and 4C the second.

Our PE days are Thursday and Friday. 4AC will be swimming the first half term on Thursday afternoons – if there is any change we will endeavour to let you know through class dojo as soon as we can.

Please make sure your child comes to school wearing appropriate PE kit for the weather on both days.

Spanish

Year 4 will continue with fortnightly Spanish lessons building on what they studied last year. This will include work on sounds and spellings.  They will also continue with manipulating numbers and using some common adjectives.  They will then move on to learn names for some sports and food and drinks associated with healthy and unhealthy lifestyles.  We will revise the days of the week and learn to say what activities they do on particular days.

RE

In RE this term, we will begin by exploring the question, ‘Just how important are our beliefs?’ before moving onto ‘Who was Jesus?’  In both units, the children will have the opportunity to ask questions and explore a range of beliefs, including their own.

Trips and Special Events

We will be visiting our in-school Forest school on Wednesday.

Swimming will be on Thursdays (4AC the first half term, 4C will then swap and go after half term).

We will continue our Chess learning on Tuesdays (4C will have weekly sessions the first half term, 4AC will then swap and have weekly sessions after half term).

We are going to the Science Museum on Monday 19th January to support our Science learning.

Reminders

Encourage your child to spend some time each day reading (independently or with an adult) and completing activities on Doodle Maths. These activities should be at a suitable level for your child to complete independently, but please speak to a member of the Year 4 team if you are concerned that they are not at an appropriate level.   Children should be practicing on Times Tables Rockstars at least 4 times a week. 

Each week, we will complete a spelling test – the spellings have already been sent out so please continue to practice these with your child.