We hope that you all had a lovely Easter holiday. The children have settled back in very well and we are making good progress in all areas.

In English, we began the term with our writing focus on poetry - specifically blackout poetry. All of the children were enthusiastic about creating their own redacted poem and then designing the background for this to create a specific tone or mood. We have now moved on to our new novel, The Explorer, which is an exciting adventure story, set in the Amazon Rainforest. We are working towards our writing focus which is a diary entry based on one of the characters. This book ties in perfectly with our Geography topic of the Amazon Basin, so there is lots of opportunity for discussion and research.

In Maths we have moved onto Measurement, Volume and Mass and have been estimating as well as converting units of measurement. We will soon be moving on to Perimeter and Area. The children are all practising their times tables daily in preparation for the MTC in June. Please help them to do more times tables fluency at home.

Our computing lessons this term are very exciting! We are learning to code Lego constructions to include movement, sound and lights. Everyone had great fun making a moving seesaw.

In Science, we are learning about Living Things and Their Habitats. We have had a go at classification/grouping and are learning about how and why scientists use classification keys. Linked to this, we have also started our Forest School sessions this term and the children have been out exploring the mini-beasts and their habitats on our school grounds.

This also links well with our current Art topic - in which we are studying 3D sculpture by looking at birds and bird nests. We have had great fun learning about installation art, which mixes media to engage the viewer, and are looking forward to creating our own nest sculptures soon.

Year 4 will be again be taking part in the statutory Multiplication Tables Check later this term. All children are expected to know their tables up to 12 x 12 by the end of year 4. Please support your child to become as fluent as possible as this will increase their confidence across every area of Maths. 

Our Homework continues to be Maths and English through Century.  We are setting Maths and English each week as well as some times tables units which can be done at home and at school.  Homework will now be uploaded on Mondays and due the following Monday.  Unless we have had a message from parents with a reason, any children who have not completed the Century homework by Monday morning will be asked to complete this during their lunch time.

Please continue to work on Times Tables with your child.  There are so many ways they can practise these online as well as on paper, so please try to make time to practise with your child.   It is very important that they are building up their speed when answering questions, as they need to be able to answer these in under 6 seconds.