Escape from Pompeii

In this block, children will explore the historical narrative Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit, using the dramatic events of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius to inspire their reading and writing. Pupils will analyse the characters, setting, and structure of the story, and they will develop their descriptive language to create vivid imagery in their own writing. Through drama, discussion, and close reading, children will deepen their understanding of how authors build tension and atmosphere. They will also use the text as a model to plan and write their own historical narratives, focusing on powerful vocabulary, varied sentence structures, and clear story progression. This block encourages empathy, creativity, and strong links with their Humanities learning on the Romans.

Key Vocabulary : eruption, volcano, ash, tremor, lava, disaster, panic, destruction, settlement, flee, survival, atmosphere, tension, description, narrative

Multiplication and Division / Length and Perimeter

In this block, children will deepen their understanding of multiplication and division by exploring factor pairs, efficient written methods, and problem-solving using facts up to 12 × 12. They will work on choosing the most effective strategies and using mathematical reasoning to explain their thinking. Following this, pupils will move on to the topic of length and perimeter, where they will measure and convert units of length and calculate the perimeter of shapes, including rectilinear shapes. Through practical activities and problem-solving tasks, children will learn how multiplication, addition, and repeated calculations link closely with measuring and perimeter. This block strengthens fluency, accuracy, and confidence in applying mathematical skills to real-life situations.

Key Vocabulary: multiply, divide, factor, factor pair, multiple, product, quotient, efficient method, scaling, perimeter, rectilinear, centimetre, metre, convert, length, measure

Why Did the Romans Invade?

In this block, children will learn about the reasons behind the Roman invasion of Britain and explore why the Romans wanted to expand their empire. They will investigate key motives such as gaining valuable resources, increasing power, and controlling important trade routes. Pupils will also look at what life in Britain was like before the Romans arrived and how the invasion changed everyday life for different people. Through timelines, maps, and source analysis, children will develop their understanding of how historical events are connected and how the Romans left a lasting impact on Britain. The unit encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and an understanding of how the past shapes the world we live in today.

Key Vocabulary: Empire, invasion, conquer, civilisation, settlement, legion, emperor, resources, trade, territory, resistance, wealth, power, tribes, conflict

Sound

In this block, children will explore what sound is, how it is made, and how it travels. They will investigate how sounds are produced by vibrations and how these vibrations move through different materials to reach the ear. Through hands-on activities and simple experiments, pupils will learn how sound changes depending on the distance from the source and how pitch and volume can be altered. They will also explore how musical instruments create sound in different ways. By the end of the unit, children should be able to explain how vibrations cause sound and describe the factors that affect pitch and loudness.

Key Vocabulary: Sound, Vibration, Pitch, Volume, Sound waves, Source, Amplitude, Frequency, Eardrum, Insulator, Absorb 

Dreams and Goals

In this block, children explore their hopes, ambitions, and the steps needed to achieve them. They learn how to set realistic goals, break them into manageable steps, and recognise the importance of resilience and perseverance. Pupils also reflect on their own strengths and how these can help them overcome challenges. The unit encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and celebrating success — both their own and others’. Children also begin to consider how their dreams can make a positive difference in the wider world. Through discussions, reflection activities, and creative tasks, this block helps pupils build confidence, motivation, and a sense of purpose in their learning.

Key Vocabulary: challenge, goal, achievement, resilience, perseverance, aspirations, motivation, teamwork, success, strengths, learning steps, celebration

In this block, children will continue developing their vocabulary through rich texts, spoken language activities, and cross-curricular learning. They will explore new words linked to our English text Escape from Pompeii, as well as vocabulary from our Humanities and Science units. Pupils will practise using new words in sentences, discussions, and short writing tasks to build confidence and accuracy. The focus this block is on deepening understanding of ambitious vocabulary, using context clues, and recognising how certain words help create atmosphere, describe settings, and explain scientific ideas. Through regular review and retrieval tasks, children will expand their vocabulary and begin to apply it more independently in both their spoken and written work.

Year 4 Block 3 Spelling Rules

In this block, children will build on previously taught spelling patterns and focus on applying rules more consistently in their writing. They will explore common prefixes and suffixes, including how root words change when endings are added. Pupils will also revisit rules for plural spelling, word families, and words with challenging letter patterns such as -gue, -que, and -tion. Throughout the block, children will practise using strategies such as syllable breakdown, spotting letter strings, and using word families to support accurate spelling. Regular retrieval practice, dictation, and application in independent writing will help pupils become more confident and accurate spellers.

During Block 3, home learning will continue to support and reinforce the key skills taught in class. Children will complete a weekly English task in their writing journals, linked to vocabulary, sentence work, or our class text Escape from Pompeii. In Maths, a weekly MyMaths activity will be set to consolidate learning from our Multiplication and Division, and Length and Perimeter units. Children are also expected to read at home every day and record this in their reading record. Regular spelling practice will help pupils apply rules taught in class more confidently. 

Home learning is designed to encourage independence, strengthen understanding, and help pupils make steady progress across the curriculum.

In Computing, our topic for this block is We are Musicians. In this unit, pupils explore digital music tools such as GarageBand or LMMS to create their own musical compositions and performances. They begin by recalling how to build a simple percussion sequence before experimenting with virtual instruments and creating melodies using the piano roll tool. Pupils also explore live loops and learn how electronic music is constructed. As they progress, they create their own multi-track composition using different instruments and refine their work based on feedback from classmates.

Key Vocabulary: Beat sequencer, Live loops, MIDI, Piano roll, Sample, Stave, Touch instrument, Tracks, Velocity, Voice

Children explore how artwork presentation affects meaning. They design and build plinths or mini-galleries to display sculptures, experimenting with height, space, and arrangement. Through collaborative design and reflection, pupils understand how context influences perception and how display can transform ordinary objects into significant artworks.

Key Vocabulary: form, shape, line, texture, space, plinth, display, sculpture, gallery, arrange, present, design, height, context, audience

This block introduces rap and hip hop through the song Stop!, which explores anti-bullying themes. Children learn to speak rhythms clearly in time with the beat, focusing on flow, rhyme, and confident delivery. Listening tasks highlight the backing track, structure, and repeated sections. Children write and perform their own short rap verses, sharing messages about respect and kindness. The block develops rhythmic control, creativity, and performance skills.

Key vocabulary: rap, rhythm, pulse, beat, verse, chorus, rhyme, flow, spoken, word, message, compose, structure, performance, dynamics

Based on Escape from Pompeii, children use soundscapes, freeze frames, and monologue to explore Roman life and the eruption of Vesuvius. They build contrasting scenes of everyday life and sudden disaster, focusing on tension, emotion, and point of view. The block develops voice, movement, and ensemble skills, leading to a structured historical drama presentation.

Key vocabulary: Pompeii, volcano, eruption, freeze frame, soundscape, monologue, narrator, tension, emotion, setting, reaction, historical drama

This block, classes 4A and 4C will be taking part in dance lessons designed to build confidence, creativity, and enjoyment through movement.

This unit immerses children in Roman life through structured dance. They begin as disciplined soldiers, marching in formations that show strength and unity, then explore everyday Roman routines, invasion scenes, and celebrations. Across the weeks, pupils develop motifs for army drills, conflict, and festivity, refining timing, clarity of shape, and control. The block ends with a rehearsed performance piece that highlights precision, cooperation, and expressive storytelling.

Key vocabulary: Roman, legion, march, formation, unison, invasion, celebration, routine, strength, control, motif, canon, pathway, dynamics, performance

Netball: Pupils are introduced to the fundamentals of passing, catching, footwork, and shooting. They begin to play small-sided games, learning the importance of teamwork and space awareness.

Key vocabulary: passing, catching, footwork, shooting, spacing, small-sided, teamwork 

This block, classes 4B and 4D will be taking part in swimming lessons designed to build confidence and enjoyment in the water. Our programme follows a structured level system that ensures steady progression, tailored to each child’s ability. Alongside stroke development, children also learn important water safety and personal survival skills. We aim for every child to leave Junior School as a competent, confident swimmer with the skills to participate safely in a range of aquatic environments.