Year 4

Summer 1

                                                         Why are rainforests important? 

This half term in Geography, pupils will enjoy exploring the world around them by using maps, atlases, globes and digital tools to locate countries, cities and key physical features. They will learn about the Equator, latitude and longitude, climates and biomes, and how these affect the way people live. Children will compare places in the UK with regions around the world, discovering how landscapes and settlements have changed over time and how humans interact with their environment. They’ll also develop practical geography skills through fieldwork, route‑mapping, data collection and presenting their findings in creative and engaging ways.

Summer 2

                              How did the achievements of the Maya impact their civilisation and beyond? 

Next half term,  the children will become history detectives! They'll build their knowledge of Maya settlements, inventions, city states and gods as well as Ancient Maya time periods and some of the reasons behind their decline. They’ll learn how historians talk about time by using words like BC, AD, century and millennium, and practise placing events on a timeline. They’ll explore what life was like in different periods, comparing what changed and what stayed the same, and making links between different societies and cultures. Using artefacts, pictures, books and other sources, they’ll ask questions such as “How do we know?” and learn that the past can be interpreted in different ways. Through discussion, drama, art and writing, the children will investigate causes and consequences of events, spot similarities and differences with today, and build confident, evidence-based answers about how people lived in the past.

Summer 1

Fantastically Great Women Who Saved the Planet

Kate Pankhurst

Fantastically Great Women Who Saved the Planet introduces children to incredible women who have stood up for the Earth and worked to protect nature, wildlife and the climate. Through engaging stories and bold illustrations, the book highlights scientists, activists, conservationists and inventors from around the world who showed determination and courage to make a difference. It inspires readers to care for the planet, believe in their own power to create change, and understand that even small actions can have a big impact.

How we read in our guided reading lessons:

Summer 1

Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker

&

100 Facts Rainforests from Miles Kelly

For our Pathways to Write unit, we will be exploring the rainforest through two engaging and contrasting texts: 100 Rainforest Facts by Miles Kelly and Where the Forest Meets the Sea by *Jeannie Baker. 100 Rainforest Facts provides clear, accessible information about rainforest animals, plants and habitats, helping children build subject knowledge and gather key vocabulary. Alongside this, Where the Forest Meets the Sea tells a powerful, thought‑provoking story through detailed illustrations, following a child and parent as they visit a rainforest that gradually changes over time. The book encourages children to reflect on human impact, conservation and the importance of protecting the natural world. Together, these texts will support pupils in learning how to blend factual information with thoughtful description, enabling them to develop rich ideas and produce meaningful, well‑crafted pieces of writing.

In this unit, children will write a zoo information board for a rainforest exhibit.

Summer Term

This term, we will look at fractions and decimals, money, time, geometry and statistics.

We will make times tables our main focus, practising hard and building our confidence using Times Table Rockstars and timestables.co.uk as we prepare for the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC), which takes place at the beginning of Summer 2 after half term. We will undertake a practice MTC approximately three times a week so that the children are used to answering 25 times table questions with 6 seconds to answer each question. Further information about the statutory MTC can be found on the government website.

Check out www.timestables.co.uk for some fantastic games to aid learning as well as TTRS and www.topmarks.co.uk. The children should be practising as often as they can at home so that they know each times table from 1 to 12 off by heart. The MTC 6 seconds per question gives children enough time to recall an answer they have learnt by heart but not enough time to use their fingers on which to count. Being able to count in a certain number is not the same as knowing that times table!

PE - On PE days, children should wear school PE kit with jewellery removed. Earring studs that are not removed will be covered with microporous tape. 

Spring 2 PE Days      4C: Monday & Wednesday        4Ch: Wednesday & Thursday 

Coats & outdoor shoes- please can you send your child in with a coat every day as we will be learning in and out of the classroom in both rain and shine. Outdoor shoes are particularly important as the with our current wet and muddy weather. It is not safe for children to spend time in school without their shoes on, regardless of how wet they are. It is imperative that all belongings, including coats, are clearly named.

Water bottles - children should bring a water bottle in with them each morning so that they can access a drink during the day.

Reading - in Key Stage 2, reading continues to be something that children should be doing regularly so that they are able to build their fluency and comprehension. Please can you record in your child's reading diary each time that they read so that we can monitor their progress more accurately.

Bookbags -  Please bring in books/book bags every day. These will be kept in your child's drawer or on their peg. Where possible, please avoid sending your child in with very large back packs as we struggle to fit them all in the cloakroom