Year 4

In Year 4, we seek to provide opportunities for all children to take forwards the independence and enthusiasm for learning, which is established in Year 3. We have daily English lessons which are based on the National Curriculum (September 2014) requirements combined with quality and engaging text. Our English units are cross-curricular - focusing on topics children are learning in other areas of the curriculum. During lessons, children have opportunities to identify the key features of a range of genres and develop key writing skills which are often linked to grammar and punctuation objectives. Children will then be shown how to apply these skills to extended pieces of writing. We try to ensure that writing activities are always purposeful and for a specific audience.

Whilst handwriting and spelling are taught explicitly in additional lessons, pupils are expected to have neat handwriting and correct spelling in their daily English lessons. Pupils are encouraged to use adventurous vocabulary in their work which they find themselves during their reading.

The main spelling focus for children in Year 4 is how to add prefixes and suffixes to a root word. We continue to support the children in learning the statutory Year 3 and 4 spellings. These are words which the children must be able to spell by the end of Year 4 and a list of them can be found in the children's planners.

Reading skills will be explicitly taught during dedicated reading sessions each week. Children will then be shown how to apply these skills to a class focus text, which will be used throughout the term.

Maths

In Year 4 we endeavour to support the pupils to become increasingly fluent with the manipulation of whole numbers, fractions and decimals. We build on the understanding of the 4 operations from previous year groups. The children will use manipulatives to help them to understand how the more conventional methods work so that the children can use these methods more automatically when solving problems.

We follow the White Rose Scheme of Learning. This gives the children the opportunity to learn the fluency, build to problem solve and then move on to reasoning in an area of learning. The children are supported through a mixture of directed and self-selected tasks and extend learning through applying and mastery tasks.

Children work independently and collaboratively using a range of manipulatives to develop their mental imaging of new methods. They are encouraged to develop the skill of explaining how or why an answer is found. As with Year 3, the children are expected to continue to learn their times tables at home (up to 12 x12) and we have regular quizzes at school to develop rapid recall and application of these number facts.

Science

The focus of our science teaching in lower Key Stage 2 is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. In Year 4 we do this through exploring, talking about, modelling with familiar every day objects, testing and developing ideas. We encourage the children to ask their own questions and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them. The children are given opportunities to make predictions and use results to draw simple conclusions.

In Year 4 our topics will cover Living things and their habitats, Animals, including humans, States of matter, Sound and Electricity.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

All our learning is linked to our school mission statement and school aims. Our whole school values of resilience, respect, resourcefulness, responsibility and being reflective are embedded throughout the curriculum and help to develop SMSC. We promote the British value of democracy through our school council. Each class elects a representative to attend regular meetings; members share and discuss proposals, as well as further ideas and actions. During circle time we are able to allow children time to discuss moral and social issues and coach them to resolve any problems they may face. We have developed an environment where all children respect and celebrate cultures and languages. We celebrate positive behaviour choices through class reward systems, our whole school house system, golden tea party and celebration assembly.

Top Tips for Year 4 Parents

Encourage and help your child to become independent through organising themselves for school, sorting out friendship issues on their own and completing homework tasks.
Help children to develop routines such as when they will read each evening and when they will complete their homework
Encourage children to read books at the appropriate level for them and complete the Accelerated Reader quiz at school.
Look for opportunities to rehearse times tables. By the end of Year 4, children should confidently recall all times tables up to 12 x 12 as well as the related division facts.
Talk as a family about your child's day
Talk to children about their use of IT and remember that most social media websites as well as the game Fortnite require children to be at least 12

Homework

You can find our KS2 Homework Policy here.

Our approach to homework is one where we believe that homework should complement our learning in school and not be a stressful experience at home.

Parents are key educators in their children’s lives and have a critical influence over the success of children’s learning. We suggest that in the early stages of a child’s school life at least 10 minutes is set aside each day to talk to your child about their learning, to read with your child, play games and develop their self-help skills.

As your child moves through the Primary phase they will begin to have more formal tasks such as learning multiplication tables and spellings, projects; and be expected to work for longer periods and with increasing independence.

Homework can also be a walk in the park, a swimming trip, baking, an art activity, visiting family.

For the full version of the spelling lists, please click on the following link:

Spelling Lists

To find out more about the curriculum we follow, please click on the following link:

The National Curriculum