Welcome to Year 4! On this page you can see our curriculum focuses for the term, as well as keep up to date with pictures and posts of what we have been up to.

Autumn 2022

RE:

This term, the Come and See topics for RE are:

• People
  Learning about the human family tree of Jesus.
• Belonging
  A close at how Christians confirm their beliefs through baptism and are called to witness.
• Gift                                                                                                                                                                                               We are learning how Advent is a time when we appreciate the love in our lives and prepare to celebrate love becoming a reality in the person of Jesus.

English:

Children have been enjoying reading a wide variety of texts and learning to write in a wide range of genres. This term we will be reading from a diverse range of literature including British Poet, Valerie Bloom (the winner of the UK’s only award for published poetry for children, the CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) .

Writing

Children will use the above texts to inspire their writing for a variety of purposes: setting descriptions, character descriptions, diary writing, letter writing, newspaper reports, chronological and non-chronological reports, narrative prose, poetry composition and performance.

The model texts help children to identify the key structures/features that may be used within a particular piece of writing. Key writing techniques are then explored to ensure pupils develop a strong understanding of these before creating extended pieces of writing that aims to include these.

Reading:

We aim to continue the school-wide “Destination Reader” programme, in which daily lessons are taught to explicitly study each of the necessary skills for reading and comprehension of texts. Pupils also learn about each of the learning behaviours required for reading and will discuss texts with their partners and small groups. Children will also continue to answer “Big Picture” questions as a written comprehension skill that they need to master in preparation for Years 5 & 6.

Key skills: prediction, questioning, clarifying, summarising, inferring, evaluating and making connections.

Grammar:

Grammar is taught alongside the teaching of writing.

Key skills focused on for this term are: conjunctions, adverbs, prepositions, fronted adverbials, punctuating direct speech and possessive and contractive apostrophes, present tenses, standard English usage, pronouns, determiners.

Spelling:

Spellings are taught via a weekly list of words which are introduced to pupils in class, then set as activities on the Spelling Shed website.

https://www.edshed.com/en-gb/login

Maths:

In year 4, we will continue to use the White Rose scheme of learning which aims to provide pupils with key mathematical skills and knowledge using a mastery approach. The autumn term is a focus on fundamental skills for year 4 as well as recapping on the key learning from Year 3.  Using the CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach ALL children are encouraged to use equipment and visual representations in maths lessons and to learn conceptual and procedural variation to tackle problem solving and reasoning questions.

Key skills this term include: place value, addition and subtraction, area and multiplication and division. We also continue to visit foundational aspects of maths through twice weekly Maths Meeting to revise all other topic areas.

There is a statutory times-tables test in June, whereby children are expected to know all multiplication facts up to 12 x 12. Please encourage your child to log in and practice on TT Rockstars to help increase their fluency, accuracy and speed.

https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school/student

Science

• States of Matter
  Investigating the three states of matter and how they can change from one state to another.
• Animals including humans
  Understanding the human digestive system and investigate and compare human teeth and those of other animals.

Children will develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that will help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them. They will be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We will achieve this through practical investigations – working scientifically – as well as knowledge-based lessons.

Computing:

Children will use Chrome Books and iPads to develop their computing skills. E-safety is taught explicitly and is at the heart of all computing lessons. Alongside this, pupils are expected to use technology responsibly.

Pupils will build on skills and topics taught in Year 3:  to use computing to communicate, problem solve, research and code.

History

• Alexander the Great
  We will expand upon our topics studied in Year 3 to enable children to become more History-literate. Our exploration of Alexander the Great examines his early life and lasting legacy.
• The Roman Republic                                                                                                                                                                     This is the beginning of an ongoing topic which will be building on throughout Year 4 into Spring 1. This term we are starting with the origins and myths of Rome, we will be establishing how Rome began and its development from the early kings  into a republic.

Geography

• Climate and Biomes                                                                                                                                                                     We will be identifying the names of the continents and oceans. We will be learning about the reasons for differing climates and biomes using skills such as the world map and key lines of latitude.
• The Rhine and the Mediterranean                                                                                                                                  Pupils will learn about how the course of the river has been changed by human activity including canals.
  This scheme of learning was developed through the Haringey Education Partnership.

PE

Year 4s have a teacher-led PE lesson every Wednesday afternoon and an LFA coach-led PE lesson every Thursday afternoon. Sports coaches will focus on games and team sports such as: football, tennis, cricket and athletics.

Art & Design

Art and design focuses on linking to our humanities topics as well as cross-curricula links with other subjects. Children will use a variety of media including chalk, pastels and water-colours in their art. In addition to weekly lessons, we try to incorporate art and creativity into as many other curriculum subjects as possible. In Art this term we will be developing our skills in drawing, collage and painting inspired by William T Williams. In Design and Technology we plan to recreate our own Roman Colosseum using recyclable items.

MFL
Children will resume Spanish lessons this term with Miss Barratt.

Music
Children will take part in Music lessons once a week with Miss Swift. Singing, instruments, appreciation and composition.

Year 4 Autumn Curriculum Map 2022-23