Within the first part of the Autumn Term, we will be focussing on developing children's basic literacy skills through word classification, use of punctuation and understanding, summarising and predicting events within the text. We will study Classic Tales (with a twist!), including Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, and Alice in Wonderland. We will be answering comprehension questions about the key texts and write answers using full sentences and lots of detail! We will also focus on key skills, including identifying verbs, nouns and predicates, as well as discovering rules when adding -ed and -ing to root words.

Children should continue to read on a daily basis at home, both independently and with an adult. Teachers will keep their own records of children's reading. Children are continuing to access Accelerated Reading books and quizzes.

During the first part of the Autumn Term, the children will have focus on place value, recognising the value of, reading and writing numbers up to and beyond 1,000 and addition using the column method. We will be working on real-life problems to apply our skills to addition. Throughout the second half of the Autumn Term, we will be developing our skills of subtraction, using the column method (including regrouping).

We continue to use practical resources within lessons and are encouraging children to choose appropriate resources and to work systematically to solve mathematical and number problems.

Children should continue to practise times tables at home to ensure they can recall these rapidly (up to 12 x tables).

During this half term, we are focusing on our families and being part of a diverse community. Children will be learning about areas including: challenging assumptions; stereotyping; understanding influences and celebrating differences. We will be identifying the similarities and differences between our own and other families, through sharing photographs, stories and memories with one another. Within RE lessons with Miss Hodgson, children will be learning about religions within our class, local and wider communities.

In our physical Health and Wellbeing lessons we will be taking part in team building games and learning how to be an effective team participant. The children will be developing their own team games which they will then share and experience with other members of the class. We look forward to seeing how much Year 4 develop as a team!

Our Science learning this term is 'The Human Body' focusing on learning on muscles and bones, so far. We will learn key facts, research questions based around the areas and even carry out a few exciting experiments!

Welsh lessons involve lots of games, role-play and fun activities based around everyday language. We have daily "Helpwr Heddiw" sessions where the children engage in group questioning activities and are then encouraged to use these within day to day conversations. This half term, we are focusing on numbers, days of the week, introductions and the weather. Children will also continue to develop their knowledge of different sports and school activities to help them create a Welsh fitness video.

During all of our lessons, we are continuing to have an element of technology. The use of our Google Classroom is ongoing and children have had the opportunity to use Google Slides, Jamboard and research a variety of questions based on their topics.

Within our classroom, we will be encouraging the children to take age appropriate responsibility whilst continuing to be clear, firm and compassionate.

Activities will provide opportunities for children to take different levels of responsibility for a range of tasks. We will also be creating situations with different roles, to explore situations from each person's perspective.

Each morning the children will take part in a wellbeing check in with their teacher. This will identify pupils who need a 1:1 conversation with their teacher if needed. At the end of each day the pupils will share something they have done that has made them feel proud of themselves. This is a fantastic initiative to support the pupils development of self confidence and belief in their abilities.

PE will take place on a Wednesday and children should wear their PE kit to school on this day.

Children should bring a water bottle with them each day.

Children should bring their Accelerated Reading books to school every day.

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To contact your child's teacher please drop us an email via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk or call us 01656 815790.

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