Our Year 4 Class
A very warm welcome to our Year 4 class page. In Year 4 we are looking forward to the challenges ahead as the children are now fully settled into KS2. During this year the children will be encouraged to be proactive in their independent learning as well as building good relationships in order to work effectively as teams. The children will be nurtured and encouraged to work alongside others in a variety of contexts with a focus on problem solving, research and sharing ideas.
Class Information
Who's Who?
Mr Wilkinson - Year 4 Class Teacher
Miss Blakeley - Teaching Assistant
Things to remember
- Please remember that homework is due in by Thursday each week
- PE lessons for Spring 2 is on a Wednesday and Friday. Please remember to write your child's name on all of their uniform and sports kids to avoid confusion.
- Reading is encouraged both in school but also at home. Reading for enjoyment is as important as reading to learn. It is important that the children read a range of books/comics/newspapers at home and develop their comprehension skills and vocabulary. This will help consolidate the reading work we will be doing in class. In Year 4, we feel it is important for the children to develop a love of reading as this gives their 'imagination wings'.
- We will be continuing with Spelling Shed this year and the children will be encouraged to use this at home as well as in school. The children will also be bringing home a list of the Year 3/4 words they are still not sure how to spell. Please practise these at home (little and often).
- In Year 4, the children have the fantastic opportunity to learn to play the guitar. This lesson takes place on a Thursday afternoon. They will bring a guitar home to practise and will need to bring this back to school each Thursday for their lesson.
- The expectation at the end of Year 4 is that the children will be able to recall their times tables up to 12x12. It is important that the children regularly practise these at home. TTRockstars is a fantastic tool for this as well as 'Hit the Button'.
This Half Term: Summer 2 (June – July 2025)
English
This term, we’ll continue working hard to incorporate as much of the Writing Rainbow as possible into our writing. We’ll also be developing our comprehension skills, focusing on our reading VIPERS strategies: Vocabulary, Infer, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, Sequence/Summarise.
We’ll begin the half term with a persuasive writing unit, where children will learn how to:
- Identify the features of persuasive texts
- Use emotive and persuasive language
- Structure arguments clearly
- Write a formal persuasive letter on a topic they care about
Later in the term, we’ll move on to a narrative writing unit inspired by the book The Whale. In this unit, children will:
- Explore themes of mystery and discovery
- Develop descriptive writing techniques to create atmosphere
- Use fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases, and dialogue to enhance their storytelling
- Plan, draft, and write their own imaginative narrative based on the story
It’s important that children continue reading a wide range of texts at home—books, comics, and newspapers—to strengthen their comprehension and vocabulary. This supports the work we’re doing in class. In Year 4, we believe nurturing a love of reading gives children’s imaginations wings!
Maths
We’ll be consolidating our understanding of the four operations, as well as our work on fractions and decimals during our daily morning Maths sessions. In our main lessons, we’ll explore a range of topics, starting with linking fractions, decimals, and percentages, then moving on to statistics, measurement, and geometry.
Topics include:
- Recognising and writing decimal equivalents of tenths and hundredths
- Pounds and pence
- Ordering and rounding money
- Problem-solving with money
- Identifying, ordering, and comparing angles
- Recognising regular and irregular shapes
- Classifying triangles and comparing quadrilaterals
- Lines of symmetry and completing symmetrical shapes
These activities will help develop children’s reasoning and problem-solving skills. We’ll also continue with daily reasoning questions to strengthen mathematical thinking.
By the end of Year 4, children are expected to recall all times tables up to 12 × 12. In our first week back, we’ll complete the Multiplication Tables Check, giving children a chance to showcase their hard work.
How you can help at home:
- Regularly practise times tables in fun ways
- Use websites like Topmarks (especially Hit the Button) and TTRockstars
- Keep previous learning fresh by revisiting:
- Reading analogue and digital clocks
- Place value and Roman numerals
- Rounding (to the nearest 10, 100, 1000, and decimals to the nearest whole number)
- Number bonds
- Written strategies for all four operations
- Recognising, adding, and subtracting fractions
RE – How and Why Do People Mark the Significant Events of Life?
Children will explore beliefs from different worldviews about commitment and promises. They’ll learn about ceremonies of commitment—both religious and non-religious—and reflect on the connections between love, commitment, and promises. We’ll also study rites of passage and consider whether life should be seen as a journey marked by milestones.
PATHS – Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies
This half term, we are continuing with Unit 3: Improving Self-Control, Self-Awareness, and Anger Management. Children will explore how to recognise and manage strong emotions, especially anger, and how to make thoughtful decisions in challenging situations.
Key learning includes:
- Understanding and managing feelings using the Feelings Dictionary
- Using the Control Signals Poster to calm down and think before acting
- Identifying problems, setting goals, and exploring solutions
- Reflecting on the intensity of emotions and how they affect behaviour
- Practising good listening and decision-making skills
These lessons help children build emotional resilience and strengthen their social and emotional learning.
History – The Vikings
This half term, we’ll dive into Viking history through these key questions:
- What image do we have of the Vikings?
- Why have the Vikings gained such a bad reputation?
- How did the Vikings try to take over the country, and how close did they get?
- How have recent excavations changed our view of the Vikings?
- What can we learn about Viking settlements from place-name endings?
- Raiders or settlers: how should we remember the Vikings?
Science – Changing States
Children will:
- Group materials as solids, liquids, or gases
- Observe changes in state through heating and cooling
- Set up simple practical enquiries
- Understand evaporation and condensation in the water cycle
- Identify similarities and differences in materials based on scientific ideas
Computing – Data Handling: Investigating Weather
Learning objectives:
- Search the web efficiently for temperature data and record it accurately
- Design a weather station and explain how it works
- Create an automated machine that responds to sensor data
- Record and explain weather forecast data in a spreadsheet
- Create a video presenting weather forecast information
Design & Technology – Textiles
This term, we’ll focus on sewing skills. Children will:
- Use cross-stitch to join fabric
- Design and cut a cushion template
- Decorate with cross-stitch and appliqué
- Make a cushion using both techniques
French
Using the theme of the Eurovision Song Contest, children will work in groups to write and perform original songs in French, using vocabulary from Years 3 and 4.
Music
Children will continue their guitar lessons with Barry and Sam. They now have a solid understanding of different notes and will apply this knowledge to various songs. We’re looking forward to their upcoming guitar concert!
PE – Sporting Value: Determination
- “Treat everyone equally, support each other, and work together to have fun and achieve. Celebrate each other’s success and be a positive team player.”
Indoor PE (Tuesdays): Dodgeball – developing throwing, dodging, and teamwork skills through fun and competitive games.
Outdoor PE (Fridays): Basketball – learning dribbling, passing, shooting, and defensive skills, while understanding the rules of the game and working as a team.
