Year 4

Teachers - Miss Thomas (4T), Mrs Ward (4W) and Miss Ritchie (4R).

Teaching Assistants - Miss Jubb, Mrs Zaman, Mrs Mayet.

Below is the AUTUMN TERM overview - this covers everything that your child will be working on throughout the autumn term in Year 4. 

For the full year overview of all subjects covered across this year group, please click on the Long Term Plan link below:

Year 4 Long Term Plan 2023-2024

PARENTS' OVERVIEW - AUTUMN TERM 2023/24 (downloadable doc)

AUTUMN TERM 2023

Maths

In Year 4, we follow a progressive approach ensuring the children get experience of mathematical concepts in blocks of a week or two weeks. They then revisit these concepts over the year to ensure they have mastered previous knowledge and understanding that has been taught.  We encourage the children to be independent learners in maths and they utilise their Maths Toolkit to support their learning when required.

During the Autumn term the children will learn about: Number, place value and rounding, Mental addition and subtraction & baseline assessments, Multiplication grid method, Division, Geometry: properties of shapes, Geometry coordinates, Measures, fractions, time, data handling, number and place value and rounding will all be covered.

Times Table Rock Stars

This year your child will take their multiplication check. This is a timed test similar to TT Rockstars so we highly encourage the children to practice their times tables and challenge themselves on TT Rockstars as often as possible.

Literacy

In Literacy, over the Autumn Term, Year 4 will be looking at a variety of fiction texts.

For the first few weeks the children will have looked at a class novel. Our first year 4 text is Egyptian Cinderella. I am sure you all know the story of Cinderella but this one is a little bit different. It is set in Ancient Egypt with a young lady called Rhodopis. In years past, the children have really enjoyed reading this text and creating their own version of the story. After then, the children will be writing a newspaper report about Tutankhamun – linking to our History topic. Later in the term we will be reading and completing work based on George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl – a popular children’s (and adults) author. I wonder what the children will decide to put in their medicines?

The focus will be on narrative writing using empathy and the children will be introduced to and encouraged to use subordinate clauses.

PE Physical Education

During autumn term 1, Year 4 children will be developing their cognitive skills in their PE lessons.

This will include: Unit 1: Personal
The children will be developing balancing and coordination as part of their lessons. In the lessons there are choices to be made, easy, hard or harder – Which will your child choose?

During autumn term 2, children will be encouraged to develop their social skills as part of their PE lessons. They will be developing seated balances in pairs and accuracy in jumping and landing. When demonstrating, the children will be asked to observe carefully the sequences shown and offer support in improving their techniques. This will require high level listening skills.

PE Days: Tuesday – 4R, Tuesday – 4W, Thursday – 4T

Science

Our first year 4 topic in science during the first half of the autumn term will be concerned with ‘Animals Including Humans.

Our Science lessons will look at different parts of the human body, what impact food and drink can have on the body and animal food chains. We will also need our lab coats and goggles out as we will be our own conducting experiments!

Music

Year 4 will be listening to Mamma Mia and popular song by the group ABBA and learning to sing this. They will also listen to other ABBA songs and learn about popular music.

As part of the performance element, the children will compose their own accompaniment to the song and perform this to the class. Dynamics and tempos will be discussed as we perform.

MFL Modern Foreign Language (French)

In French this half term the children will be learning the days of the week, dates and seasons through maths, songs, surveys and the research of French festivals finishing with a birthday celebration.

Computing

In the first term the children will be learning about keeping safe online. Please see the safeguarding drop down tab on the school website and click on online safety for some additional support for yourselves to help the children.

In the second half term the children will be learning about the world of spreadsheets using Purple Mash. All children will be provided with new log on details.

PSHE Personal Social Health Economic Education

In the first half term our topic will be ‘Being Me in My World’. The children will learn about becoming a class ‘team’, knowing their attitudes and actions make a difference to our team. Learning more about our school community – who is in it and the roles we all play. We will learn about why we have rights, responsibilities and rules, linking these to rewards and consequences. Throughout this topic, we shall learn about our learning charter and how important it is as a class and whole school community.

In the second term our topic will be ‘Celebrating Differences’. The children will learn about differences between people’s looks and personalities, learning how to not be judgemental, to accept people for who they are. They shall also discuss the issue of bullying, how to help/stop these situations and link this to team work and problem solving. Finally, they will learn about what is special and unique about themselves and how their impressions of people can change once they get to know them.

RE Religious Education

Over the Autumn term, in year 4, the children will be exploring the big question:

How are important events remembered in ceremonies?

Children will be learning about different ceremonies and festivals and how light is an important symbol for many of these religions. We will also be preparing our year 4 Nativity to perform at the end of Autumn term.

Art and Design

During the autumn term the children will be looking at formal elements of art.

Children will be exploring texture and pattern – developing a range of mark-making techniques, making and printing with textured stamps for printing, drawing ‘flip’ patterns and recreating a famous geometric pattern.

DT Design Technology

During the autumn term, the children will make a pavilion. They will look at different structures, design and make a structure for a pavilion.

The children will be given criteria for their structure – it may be it has to be waterproof and they had to include this criterion in the design. They will make a prototype and them the real thing!

Geography

In this unit the children will be trying to answer our big question:

Why are rainforests important to us?

Throughout this unit children will describe tropical rainforests and why they are important. They will also begin to understand the threats to the Amazon.

History

Our History topic for the term is: ‘Who were the Ancient Egyptians?’

The children will learn about the Pharaoh’s, including the most famous of them all! They will find out about the interesting procedures that happened when someone died! About their houses, and lives, about the River Nile and why it was extremely important to them. 

Spelling

We follow the spelling patterns from Spelling Shed.

The children can then use the website to practice their weekly spellings choosing the level of support they need. Each child in Year 3 has a copy of the spelling lists in their school book bag.

Children who are having phonics teaching will get spellings from their phonic phase.

We will also cover the spellings from the Statutory Year 3/ 4 list

Homework

Every week Year 4 children will:

• be given a maths activity, either linked to their learning that week or revisiting a previously taught skill
• be expected to read their reading book and get their reading record signed x3 weekly
• play on TTRockstars and Spelling Shed
• learn their weekly spellings (each week has a different list focus that the children have been practising in school that week)

Each term Year 4 children will:

• be set their black book homework tasks. They need to be as creative as possible so it could include art work, writing, computer presentations, 3D models, posters etc. It is hoped an adult at home will work collaboratively with the child and help them with their learning and presentation. When this happens the work is often simply stunning.

Black book homework

Choose at least 3 activities from the list below to complete over the Autumn term and during the half term holidays (due in on Monday 11th December).

You are going to share all your homework with your class mates and teacher. It could include art work, writing, computer presentations (printed out), 3D models, posters, photographs etc. You will have to explain to the class what you have done.

Homework for research to be completed in Black Books: