This term, our core text is "The Accidental Prime Minister" which focuses on engaging children in a variety of reading activities to enhance comprehension and critical thinking skills. Children will be tasked with making plausible predictions about the text, identifying conventions in print awareness, and listing five key facts about the character. Then the emphasis shifts to echo reading for fluency, making predictions based on textual evidence, and exploring a wide range of genres through reading. Children are encouraged to actively listen, support peers, and discuss vocabulary in context. They will also engage in text marking to make connections, ask questions, and draw inferences to deepen their understanding of the fiction genre and its themes. Additionally, they will practice making comparisons within and across texts, deducing characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions. These activities aim to develop comprehensive reading skills and foster a deeper appreciation for literature.

This term in geography, Year 4 will deepen their knowledge of physical and human geography by exploring the similarities and differences between contrasting countries: Sri Lanka and UK and distinguish between the terms ‘continent’, ‘region’, ‘country’, and ‘city’ along the journey. They will also find and use images and maps on the internet and in atlases. 

The children will develop their understanding of base 10 and place value up to 10,000. This includes learning how to identify different numeral representations and partitioning methods. This will be followed on with adding up to 4 digits.

Our science topic this term is 'Living Things and their Habitat'. The children will build on their learning on how plants and animals adapt to their various environment. They will visit Kew Garden to deepen their understanding of this topic.

This term, we will focus on art where the children will  explore a range of shading techniques. They will also explore the work of Jill Pelto and create mood boards in sketchbooks. They will continue to develop their drawing and sketching techniques to create a composition and will develop this further by  using watercolour to illustrate their background.

This term, Year 4 French's lessons will focus on the topic "Ma famille" (My Family), guides students through learning vocabulary related to family members, practicing possessive adjectives, discussing siblings, and communicating family members' ages and basic family-related terms, then learn to use possessive adjectives (e.g., "mon," "ma," "mes"). They also practice introducing family members using the 3rd person and learn numbers 1-70 to express ages. 

We will explore the characteristics of  different genres: the rhythms, notations, instruments, before composing and performing our own creations. 

This lesson explores how communities celebrate by examining the rules, guidelines, and rituals followed by various religious groups. It includes activities that encourage students to reflect on the importance of rules in society, understand key religious concepts such as the Buddhist Five Precepts, the Eightfold Path, the Five Pillars of Islam, and the symbolism of the 5 Ks in Sikhism. Students engage in discussions, creative tasks, and assessments to deepen their understanding of how these elements guide and influence the lives of individuals within different communities.

Our topic for PSHE/ RSE this term is New Beginnings. The children will have the opportunity to see themselves as valued individuals within a community, and to contribute to shaping a welcoming, safe and fair learning community for all. They will also be taught the following: setting ground rules; respect and manners; physical and emotional barriers; the impact of bullying and recognising stereotypes.

Outdoor P.E will focus on invasion games: hockey and tennis and Indoor P.E will focus on balance and control- working on footwork (hop, skip, or hop-scotch and find the matching item games). They will develop their fluency each week by engaging in various activities. 

Through the use of the core texts 'The Girl Who Stole an Elephant' the children will generate vocabulary for a setting description which they will go on to write. They will then move onto 'Greta's Story' when the children will examine the personality and traits of Greta Thunberg. They will create a fact file on her and use paragraphs to effectively group sentences into relevant topics. Using her speeches as inspiration, the children will develop their own persuasive speeches.

During whole class reading, the children will be focusing on 3 different texts all related to climate change. One of these books will be the core texts mentioned above, the other willl be another book about Greta Thunberg.

With the focus on climate change, the children will be looking at different climates around the world and how people have learnt to adapt to them. The children will learn how humans have impacted climate change and the effects it has on wildlife around the world.

Area will be topic at the start of Autumn Two. The children will learn how to calculate area by counting squares and compare the area of different shapes. 

The rest of the term will be focusing on multiplication and division using both mental and written methods. They will look at what happens when a number is divided by 1 and by itself.

Different states of matter is the focus in Autumn Two. The children will learn about the properties of solids, liquids and gases. They will learn how a material can turn from one state to another through processes such as melting, freezing, evaporation and condensing.

The children will be making simple drawstring bags from fabric this half term. They will start by analysing different objects made from fabric and explore the work of different textile designers. The children will learn how to use fabric pieces to measure, mark and cut fabric.

This half term the focus will be on phonics and pronunciation. The next unit will be on talking about themselves. By the end of the unit pupils will have the knowledge and skills to be able to introduce themselves, say how they feel and have a wider appreciation for the countries where the French is spoken.

Developing their skills that they learnt in year 3, the children will be playing glockenspiels with increasing accuracy and rhythm.

This half term the children will be learning from religion, asking the question 'How do I show I’m part of a community?' This will follow a sequence of lessons looking at how different religions use inclusion to avoid alienating others. The last two weeks will be about Christmas when the children will discuss their feelings about this time of year.

Children will be reminded of the importance of looking after their teeth. They will learn about how relaxation can help our mental health and discuss happiness and dealing with their own emotions.

For PE the children will be perfecting their jumping and landing skills. For outdoor PE they will be practising their netball skills, learning the rules of the game and working up towards a match at the end of the term.

For writing this term the children will be responding to the the book, 'The Adventures of Odysseus'. They will start off by writing a detailed character description of Odysseus and their writing will progress to develop their own adventure story using the same setting and characters from the book.

For reading the children will start by exploring the text we are using for our writing, 'The Adventures of Odysseus'. After two weeks we will move onto three more texts, one fiction and two non-fiction.

This term, the children will focus on Ancient Greece, learning about its expansive empire reaching Afghanistan and India. Their skills in understanding primary and secondary sources, collecting evidence to understand life during that time. They discovered a class system, where aristocrats enjoyed wealth and education. Importantly, they grasped how events from the past, like those in Ancient Greece, have shaped the world we live in today. This journey not only deepened historical knowledge but also emphasised the lasting impact of the past on our present.

In math this term, the children focused on factor pairs, multiplication, and division facts. They learned about the connection between these operations. The teaching emphasized key points but also addressed potential mistakes, especially when deriving division facts from multiplication rules. The goal is to help the children grasp the relationship between multiplication and division accurately and correct any misconceptions that might arise during their learning process.

For science, the topic is electricity. The children will be working with circuits and identify how electricity flows through one and what variables can be changed without breaking the circuit. They will learn how to record discrete data and experiment with the different uses of switches within circuits.

This term, the children delved into a fascinating activity centered on investigating and understanding the use and design of Ancient Greek vessels. Through hands-on experiences, they honed their skills in shaping techniques, particularly focusing on the art of pinching clay to create authentic replicas of Ancient Greek pots. This hands-on approach not only allowed them to explore the historical significance of these vessels but also provided a tangible connection to the craftsmanship of the ancient civilization. The culmination of their learning involved designing and building their own Ancient Greek pots, showcasing their creativity and understanding of the intricate details that characterized this ancient art form. This immersive and artistic endeavor not only enriched their historical knowledge but also fostered a sense of pride in their ability to recreate and appreciate the craftsmanship of the past.

During French, the children will learn to become more familiar with traditional colours in French. By the end of the term, the children had achieved a level of proficiency that allowed them to actively engage in conversations and participate confidently in discussions, showcasing their newfound skills in the French language. The outcome reflects the success of the curriculum in fostering effective communication and participation among the students in their French language learning journey.

The unit for this term contains warm-up games, flexible games, progressive improvisation resources, and a new compose tool.

The six-week unit of work that builds on previous learning. It is supported by weekly lesson plans and assessment. All the learning is focused around one song: Stop! - a rap/song about bullying. The children  will learn about the interrelated dimensions of music through games, singing and composing.

This term, the children engaged in a meaningful exploration of contemporary issues by understanding ways people experience discrimination today. They will actively examine the unfortunate reality of discrimination and look at the reasons behind judgements and labelling without getting to know individuals personally. Through thoughtful discussions and activities, the students will aim to comprehend the negative consequences of such biases. Their goal is to foster a sense of understanding and respect for everyone, emphasising the importance of embracing diversity and treating others with kindness and fairness, regardless of their background or identity. This educational journey sought to instil in the children a commitment to empathy and inclusiveness, promoting a more harmonious and accepting society.

Children will be exploring how to keep safe in a changing world before learning about how thier bodies change over time.

For P.E. this half term, the children will be learning the skills to play hockey. They will start by learning how to correctly hold a hockey stick and move onto learning how to successfully pass the ball. Different strategies of attack and defence will be covered. 

This term, the children will focus on both poetry and explanation writing. In poetry, they will explore different poem styles and learn how to use language features like rhyme, imagery, and descriptive phrases. They will create their own poems by generating vocabulary, similes, and rhyming couplets. As they improve, they will also practice performing their poems, using the Oracy framework to make their delivery engaging. By the end of the term, they will have written and performed their own rhyming poem.

For explanation writing, the children will learn about ancient Greek life, focusing on topics like games, family life, and education. They will practice writing clear sentences using new vocabulary and learn how to organise information. They will also look at how to use adverbials, conjunctions, and rhetorical questions to make their writing more interesting. By the end of the term, the children will have written their own explanation text, including pictures and engaging details

This term, children will analyse and describe the similarities and differences between the human and physical geography of the UK and Greece. This will involve comparing factors like climate, land forms, population density, and cultural aspects. Pupils will present their findings on the similarities and differences between the UK and Greece will create a digital double page spread to show their knowledge and understanding.

In maths this term, pupils will learn Fractions. They will learn to understand the whole. They will also build on their knowledge of the whole to explore fractions greater than 1 by partitioning mixed numbers in different ways. In addition to that, pupils will build on their learning developing a deeper understanding of how mixed numbers are represented on a number line.

In our science exploration of sounds, children will embark on an exciting journey to understand the fundamentals of sound production. They'll learn to identify how sounds are made, discovering the connection between sound and vibrations. By exploring various objects and altering their pitch or volume, like adjusting the length of a guitar string or the amount of water in a container, they'll grasp the concept of sound modulation. Through hands-on activities, they'll recognize how vibrations travel through a medium to reach the ear, unlocking the mysteries of auditory perception. Additionally, they'll delve into the intricate workings of the ear, understanding the functions of its different parts and gaining insights into the remarkable process of hearing.

In this Design & Technology project, children will embark on a journey to ancient Greece. They will explore the Parthenon, a magnificent temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, and gain insights into its historical significance and uses.

This term, pupils will learn 10 familiar activities that they are able or are not able to do in French. This will introduce them to the negative form and will allow the children to build more interesting and complex sentences including the option of using conjunctions.

In their musical journey with "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers, children will have a blast while honing their musical skills. They'll dive into the song's melody, learning the right pitch and mastering the timing for introducing it into the song. With the accompaniment of the recorder, they'll explore this versatile instrument, understanding its unique tone and how to use it effectively within the song's arrangement. Through joyful exploration and practice, they'll not only enhance their musical abilities but also deepen their appreciation for the power of music to connect and uplift.

This half term, the children will learn about how different communities celebrate festivals. They will start with Vaisakhi, a Sikh festival, learning about the birth of the Khalsa and the customs like the Amrit ceremony and the renewal of the Nishan Sahib flag. They will also write about their experiences of Vaisakhi and learn about the Nagar Kirtan parade.

They will also explore Wesak, a Buddhist celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. The children will learn about the 5 precepts Buddhists follow and the traditions of cleaning homes and offering food.

Next, they will study Pesach (Passover) in the Jewish faith, learning about the story of Moses and the importance of the Seder plate and other symbols. They will also discuss why it's important to remember events from the past.

Lastly, they will learn about Easter in Christianity, including Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. They will explore the meaning of these days, including Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, his crucifixion, and resurrection. Activities will include making palm leaves and writing about Easter’s significance.

Through these lessons, the children will understand how different communities celebrate important events and traditions.

This term, the children will be learning about safety and the changing body. They will explore important topics such as internet safety, understanding age restrictions, and how quickly information can spread online. They will also learn the risks of sharing personal material and how to assess and give first aid to someone with an asthma attack. The children will understand the differences between privacy and secrecy and how to consume useful information online. As they grow, they will learn about the physical and emotional changes they will experience, including the introduction to puberty. Additionally, they will discuss the risks of smoking and the benefits of staying tobacco-free. The key vocabulary covered includes terms like asthma, puberty, smoking, privacy and age restrictions. Through these lessons, the children will develop a greater awareness of their safety, health and the changes they will face as they grow older. 

In P.E. this term, the children will develop and apply their sending and receiving and counter balance with a partner through focused skill development sessions, healthy competition, cooperative games and group Personal Best challenges.

This term, Year 4 will explore the powerful themes of Social Justice and Equity by reading the novel, "The Boy at the Back of the Class," which will ignite discussions about fairness, equality, and the importance of understanding those who may seem different.

They will grapple with critical questions: Is fairness always about equal treatment? What are the causes and effects of poverty and inequality, both locally and globally? 

They will engage in a variety of writing activities designed to hone their communication skills and express their newfound understanding of these complex issues. 

This term, Year 4 will learn about The Roman Empire and its Impact on Britain. They will learn about the chronology of the Roman Empire and its arrival in Britain; identify key figures and events associated with the Roman invasion of Britain; explore the reasons why the Romans invaded Britain; Analyse the impact of the Roman Empire on Britain, focusing on: technology (e.g., building techniques, aqueducts, central heating); Infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges, towns); culture (e.g., language, laws, baths); lifestyle (e.g., clothing, food, entertainment); compare and contrast the lives of Roman citizens and Britons under Roman rule; evaluate the legacy of the Roman Empire on Britain today (e.g., place names, language, ruins).

Now that children have an understanding of tenths as fractions in the Spring Term, they move on to looking at them as decimals. This is the first time that children have encountered decimal numbers and the decimal point. Model making, drawing and writing decimal numbers, showing that the decimal point is used to separate whole numbers from decimals. Children look at a variety of representations of tenths as decimals, up to the value of 1 whole. This leads to adding the tenths column to a place value chart for children to see how tenths fit with the rest of the number system and to understand the need for the decimal point. This will be developed further in the next step, which explores decimal numbers beyond 1 whole.

This term, Year 4 science curriculum will focus on Animals Including Humans (Teeth & Digestion). By the end of the term, pupils would have learnt the following:

• To be able to identify the different types of teeth in humans (incisors, canines, molars).

• To be able to explain the function of different types of teeth.

• To be able to describe the human digestive system (mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum).

• To be able to explain the different stages of food breakdown in the digestive system.

• To be able to understand the importance of a healthy diet for good digestion and overall health.

This term, Year 4 Design and Technology will involve making a Roman Catapult.This Design and Technology project will allow Year 4 pupils to delve into the world of mechanisms while exploring Roman history. They will design, build, and test their very own Roman catapult! By the end of term, they will understand the concept of mechanisms and their application in Roman technology (levers, tension, release); they will have explored different designs of Roman catapults (spoon, onager, etc.).; developed design skills through sketching, labelling, and planning; learnt a range of woodworking and craft techniques (cutting, joining, decorating) and evaluated the effectiveness of their catapult design through testing and refinement.

This term in French, pupils will continue their learning from last term. They will learn 10 familiar activities that they are able to or are not able to do in French. This is one of the first units introducing the negative form, allowing the children to build more interesting and complex sentences including the option of using conjunctions. By the end of term, pupils will be able to:

Recognise, recall and spell 10 action verbs in French.  Use these verbs in the infinitive to form positive and negative sentence structures with ‘je peux’ (I am able) and ‘je ne peux pas’ (I am not able).  Attempt to combine positive and negative sentence structures to form longer and more complex sentences using the conjunctions ‘et’ (and / ‘mais’ (but). 

This term in music, Year 4  music focuses on developing skills in expression and improvisation, aligning with the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2.

They will learn the following this term:

• Develop confidence in using their voices expressively through singing.

• Explore and experiment with improvisation techniques in singing, playing instruments, and movement.

• Create simple musical ideas using improvisation.

• Respond to musical stimuli through improvisation.

• Develop musical awareness through active participation in music making.

• Understand basic musical elements like rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and pitch.

• Use musical vocabulary to describe their musical experiences.

In Year 4 Religious Education, we will focus on  Christianity -The Ascension and Pentecost in the Christian Religion.

Pupils will learn the following:

• To understand the Christian belief in the Ascension of Jesus.

• To explore the story of the Ascension in the Bible (Acts of the Apostles).

• To explain the meaning and significance of the Ascension for Christians.

• The significance of the Christian festival of Pentecost.

• Identify the key events of Pentecost and their connection to the Holy Spirit.

• Explore how Christians celebrate Pentecost today.

This term, Year 4 pupils will embark on a journey to develop essential life skills in Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education with a focus on Financial Literacy (Money Management) and Careers and Aspirations. Pupils will learn the following:

• Making Wise Choices (KS2/PSHE.4): Pupils will learn to:

  • Recognise factors influencing value for money (e.g., comparing prices, quality).

  • Understand the importance of monitoring money through simple budgeting techniques.

  • Describe different ways of keeping money safe (e.g., piggy banks, savings accounts).

• Exploring the World of Work: This will help pupils:

  • Understand why people can have more than one career in their life.

  • Recognise and challenge stereotypes associated with different jobs (e.g., gender bias).

  • Develop their aspirations for the future (linking to personal skills and interests).

This term, we will focus on the following skills:

• Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities.

• Participate in competitive sports and activities.

• Lead healthy, active lives.

These skills will be developed through Batting & Bowling (Cricket focus); Multi-Skills Games and Athletics.

We are reading the book 'The Goldfish Boy'. The children will write a description of a secret box with objects of their choosing inside. This is a similar box to the one in the story. The children will then write a narrative around the box, ensuring it has the proper structure of a story. 

Building on their story, they will be writing their own newspaper report based on the book.

In reading we will be completing weekly 'selfies' to improve the comprehension of the children and a 'Big Picture' which is a longer piece of comprehension.

This term, children will focus on understanding geometric shapes by comparing and classifying quadrilaterals and triangles based on their properties and sizes. They will learn to identify acute, obtuse, and right angles, and find lines of symmetry in 2D shapes in different orientations. Additionally, they will practice plotting points on a 2D grid, drawing polygons and describing movements as translations. In data handling, children will solve problems using bar charts, pictograms, tables and other graphs, as well as describe and plot positions using coordinates.

This term, children will learn important ecological concepts, starting with defining key terms such as producer, consumer, predator, and prey. They will explore different types of consumers, including herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, discussing their categories and clearing up any misconceptions. Additionally, they will learn how to construct food chain diagrams and understand how food chains can vary across different habitats.

This term, children will research and learn about the work of Valentina Brostean, exploring surrealism through her artistic lens. They will experiment with collage techniques and create digital image banks that express their own identities. Discussions will focus on how the digital images they collect should reflect and represent their personal identities.

This term, children will learn to name and recognize up to 10 fruits in French and express simple opinions such as "I like" and "I do not like." They will practice spelling some of these fruit names, ask others if they like a particular fruit, and say which fruits they like or dislike. Throughout the unit, children will develop memory, recall and retention skills using images and learn to ask and answer questions in French, including expressing simple opinions.

This term, children will engage in a comprehensive music unit focusing on listening, appraising, performing and reflecting. They will explore various musical pieces, including "La Quinta Estampie Real," Handel's "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba," Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," Wagner's "Bridal March/Chorus," Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," and Philip Glass's "Einstein on the Beach." They will also listen to modern songs like "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, "Can’t Stop The Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake and "Let It Be" by The Beatles. Activities will include composition using the Music Explorer resource, rhythm grid work and learning the language of music. Throughout the term, children will revisit and revise songs from the year, preparing for a performance that showcases their learning and musical skills.