Year 4

Autumn 1 

This term in Geography, Year 4 will be developing their map skills. The children will learn how to use the 4 and 8 compass points and practise using coordinates to locate features on a map. They will begin to recognise common symbols used on Ordnance Survey maps and use them to identify significant places and environments. The children will also have the opportunity to explore both large- and medium-scale OS maps to build their confidence in navigating and understanding the world around them. As well as identifying countries from each continent, our focus will be on Africa, creating a fact file on this fascinating region and discovering the similarities and differences between two African countries.

Autumn 2

After half term, Year 4 will be travelling back in time to the Victorian era. We will use timelines to help us place and order important events, and we will learn about the life and reign of Queen Victoria. Our enquiry will focus on the big question: “How does Victorian life compare with life today?” We will explore what life was like for children, looking at school, work and play, as well as investigating public health, medicine, crime and punishment. We will also discover how Victorians enjoyed their free time and compare their entertainment with our own. Along the way, we will identify similarities and differences between then and now, and find out how some of the changes in Victorian times still impact Britain today.

Autumn 1

Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories by Amanda Li

This book tells the stories of girls and boys from around the world and the challenges they have faced and overcome. It features over 29 tales of amazing young girls and boys who have achieved the unimaginable – from surviving a plane crash in the jungle to striking against climate change. There are tales of triumphing over illness and injury, and of overcoming bullying. Entries include Greta Thunberg, Boyan Slat and Phiona Mutesi, to name a few.

How we read in our guided reading lessons:

Autumn 1

Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker 

Meet Katherine Johnson, the mathematical genius who helped make the historic Apollo 11 moon landings possible. Counting on Katherine is a beautiful illustrated biography about a young girl who defied the odds, sure to inspire young readers.

As a child, Katherine loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about maths, about the universe . . .

From Katherine's early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, this is the true story of a groundbreaking African-American woman who went above and beyond what was expected of her in the 1960s, saving lives and making enormous contributions to history.

Helaine Becker interviewed Katherine and her family for this authorized biography, which features Dow Phumiruk's gorgeous full-colour illustrations throughout.

In this unit, children will create a fact file about Katherine Johnson, including a short biography.

Autumn Term

This term, we will look at the place value of 4-digit numbers, addition and subtraction, area, and multiplication and division. 

We will look ahead to the Times Table Check that takes place towards the end of the year. Check out www.timestables.co.uk for some fantastic games to aid learning as well as TTRS and www.topmarks.co.uk. 

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

Coats - 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. 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