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Year 4

Indoor PE Wednesday afternoon
Outdoor Games Thursday afternoon
PPA/COSMIC Tuesday afternoon
Library Thursday afternoon

Year 4 – Curriculum Map 2023-24


Spring Term

Art

The lovely Darrell Wakelam sent our classes a lovely video message


The children have had a fantastic start to 2024 and have all settled back in brilliantly. Please see below for a summary of our learning so far.

Reading

In English, we have been reading ‘The Princess who Hid in a Tree’ where we have been predicting what might happen from details stated and implied. We have also been drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions and justifying inferences with evidence.

We were unbelievably excited to get the opportunity to have a Zoom call with the author Jackie Holderness! We had lots of exciting questions and enjoyed finding out what it is like to be an author.

Writing

This term, we have continued our writing journey by producing an alternative perspective prequal to the book ‘The Lost Happy Endings’ and a letter based on the book ‘FArTHER’. To develop our non-fiction skills, we have written an explanation text and linked this to our Science topic of States of Matter. We are looking forward to coming back in Spring where we will be looking at playscripts first.

Maths

Throughout Year 4, we will all be working incredibly hard to learn our times tables in preparation for the Multiplication Tables Check in the Summer term. To support this, we have been visually representing times tables in a variety of ways to include multiple representations, models and images to support learning. If you would like to extend your learning further at home, please feel free to use your Wonde login to access Education City, Times Table Rock Stars or access www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check

In lessons across the Autumn term, we had a first visit to most of the domains. These included; Number and Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, Measurement, Fractions, Geometry and Time. We are going to start Spring term with revisiting the domain fractions. We will focus mainly on finding equivalent fractions using diagrams.

Science

During the Autumn term, we were learning about States of Matter.

If you like a challenge, please help us work out if slime is a solid or a liquid.

To begin our new topic this term, we were discussing the things we already know about sound. To support our discussion, we used retrieval practice from our prior learning to justify our thoughts. We also considered the following questions:

  • What is Science all about?
  • How do you know you’re learning about Science?
  • What does Science look like at Warren Park?
  • Can you tell me about the Science you’ve been doing?

We found out that sound waves are caused by vibrations (‘back and forth’ movements) of, for example, a string, drum ‘skin’, air in a pipe or vocal cords.

The loudness of a sound is determined by how far something is moving backwards and forwards (or up and down) and is known as the amplitude of the vibrations. Bigger vibrations make louder sounds, smaller ones make quieter sounds.

The pitch of a sound that you hear is determined by the frequency (how many times something vibrates in one second). The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch of the sound.

Geography

During the Autumn term, we were trying to answer the question ‘Is the Costa Blanca a world away from our local area?’

To launch our topic, Warren had hidden his treasure around Europe and needed our help to locate it. To help Warren find his treasure, we had to use a range of geographical skills, maps and atlases to:

  • locate Europe’s environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries and capital cities.
  • identify the oceans bordering Europe
  • identify features using the four points of a compass

To support our findings, we included symbols and a key to show the different features on a map of Europe.

This term, we are excited to be learning about Mountains and Earthquakes.

Art

This half term, we have been learning to become sculptors. Our key artist that we have been studying is Darrell Wakelam who is a 3D artist who works predominantly with paper, card and cheap, everyday materials. We have enjoyed looking at his art work and have used a well-known, cheap technique called papier mâché to begin sculpting our very own Sutton Hoos.  We enjoyed getting our hands very messy and we are looking forward to adding detail once our papier mâché is dry and has been painted.


Computing

During our Computing sessions, we are expanding our understanding of the features of the Scratch environment before decomposing a working game together as a class. We have started to utilise the PRIMM strategy to promotes Predicting, Running, Investigating and Modifying code before Making something.

Music

In Year 4, we are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work with the Hampshire Music Service where we have been learning to play the ukulele. To celebrate our success, we enjoyed inviting family and friends in to watch us in action. During the Spring term, we are beginning the Power of Music project where we are learning to create music using technology.

Spanish

We have enjoyed our unit learning how to say what pets we have and to give an opinion on animals. In the Spring Term, we look forward to learning about different hobbies.

Cosmic

During the Spring term, our children experience our Cosmic curriculum every Tuesday afternoon.  See our Long-Term plans to find out which topics are being covered each half-term.


Email the Year 4 Team at year4@warrenpark.hants.sch.uk


Autumn Term Archive

Welcome to Year 4 at Warren Park! We would like to start by thanking you for your kind support. It has been wonderful to welcome all of our children back into school. We have been so very impressed with just how well they have settled back into school life and the positivity with which they have approached their learning so far. As we begin Year 4, we wanted to update you with some key information.

P.E. Days
Please make sure that your child is sent into school wearing their PE kit on Tuesdays and Fridays. This will limit the amount of kit in school and maximise learning time for the children.

On PE days, we kindly ask that you ensure that your child wear their normal Warren Park polo shirt and jumper or cardigan with either shorts or tracksuit bottoms (blue, grey or black preferred if possible). We would ask that children do not wear jeans on PE days and that they avoid wearing a football kit as well. PE lessons will be held outside wherever possible so your child should wear their trainers rather than school shoes.

Please remember that your child will remain in this kit throughout the day.

Earrings should not be worn to school on PE days. If they are newly pierced then you should send your child in with surgical tape covering them. We only allow small stud earrings in school at any time and sleepers or dangly earrings are not permitted for health and safety reasons.

Reading

Your child will bring a reading book home every evening and we would ask that you read with your child as often as possible.  We ask the children to read at home a minimum of four times per week and hand their Reading Record in at school every morning.

Your child has been given their new Home Reading Record for the year.  These Home Reading Records have been professionally designed and printed and we are sure you’ll agree that they look fantastic.  We kindly ask that these Home Reading Records are carefully looked after – along with the reading book that they will accompany.  The school has made a huge investment into reading books again this year and we ask you to value the books at home as much as we do in school.

Please be assured that we will be working hard to make sure the children begin on a suitable book band colour, especially to encourage fluency and confidence. These bands will be under regular review so don’t be surprised if they seem to move quite quickly through the colours this term!

Times Tables

The children have also received a Times Tables Record. This is to be used by you and your child to record their Tables practise and it also contains some ideas in it about how you can best support them at home.  We would encourage children to practice their Tables a minimum of 4 times per week and to ensure that they bring their record in every day so that we can record and celebrate their progress.

Year 4 Multiplication Check

During the Summer term, the children will sit the Year 4 Multiplication Check. The MTC is an on-screen check consisting of 25 times tables questions. In July, your child will answer 3 practice questions before moving on to the official check and will then have 6 seconds to answer each question. On average, the check should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. We will be working incredibly hard over the year to engage the children in a huge variety of multiplication challenges and activities and we would be extremely grateful if you could encourage and challenge the children as much as possible at home.

During Year 4, we will send a range of booklets and times tables activities home but will also offer additional challenges on Education City and Times Table Rock Star which are both accessible online through your child’s Wonde login. www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check is also a fantastic website to check out.

COSMIC
In Year 4, our COSMIC time will be on Wednesday morning.

We are here to help!

We have been delighted to see the children settle back into school brilliantly and we are really excited to explore all the interesting aspects of Year 4 life at Warren Park over the coming year.  If you have any questions about your child’s progress or any other aspect of their time in Year 4, please do not hesitate to come and see us and we will be more than happy to help with any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support.

Year 4 Team

Welcome to Year 4

The children have had a fantastic start to the year and have all settled in to Year 4 brilliantly. Please see below for a summary of our learning so far this half term.

Reading

In English, we have been reading ‘The Princess who Hid in a Tree’ where we have been predicting what might happen from details stated and implied. We have also been drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions and justifying inferences with evidence.

We are unbelievably excited to get the opportunity to have a Zoom call with the author Jackie Holderness! We have lots of exciting questions to ask and look forward to finding out what it is like to be an author.

Writing

In Writing, we have been reading ‘Beowulf’. Throughout this unit, we have used figurative language such as similes and alliteration to build a picture in the readers head. We have also begun to use inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech. The legend of Beowulf also makes interesting cross curricular links to our upcoming unit on the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England.

Maths

Throughout Year 4, we will all be working incredibly hard to learn our times tables in preparation for the Multiplication Tables Check in the Summer term. To support this, we have been visually representing times tables in a variety of ways to include multiple representations, models and images to support learning. If you would like to extend your learning further at home, please feel free to use your Wonde login to access Education City, Times Table Rock Stars or access www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check

In addition, we have also been recognising the place value of each digit in a 4-digit number and using this to understanding to add numbers with up to 4 digits using column addition.

Science

In Science, we started our ‘States of Matter’ unit by sorting materials into different states and describing the properties of solids, liquids and gases. We then played the part of particles and organised ourselves into the three states of matter.

Please see our photos for some of the steps in our scientific enquiry – Knowledge, Exploration, Scientific Thinking, Enquiry, Challenge and Application!

If you like a challenge, please help us work out if slime is a solid or a liquid.

Geography

In Geography, we are trying to answer the question ‘Is the Costa Blanca a world away from our local area?’

To launch our topic, Warren had hidden his treasure around Europe and needed our help to locate it. To help Warren find his treasure, we had to use a range of geographical skills, maps and atlases to:

  • locate Europe’s environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries and capital cities.
  • identify the oceans bordering Europe
  • identify features using the four points of a compass

To support our findings, we included symbols and a key to show the different features on a map of Europe.

Art

In Art, we have been learning about the work of Carol Sabo. We have made links to our Geography topic and have enjoyed developing our skills to create a watercolour postcard from Costa Blanca. We started by experimenting with adding black and white to colours to create tints, tones and shade. After that, we practised two watercolour techniques – wet on wet and wet on dry before working towards our final piece.

Computing

During our Computing sessions, we have recapped the features of the Scratch environment before decomposing a working game together as a class. We have started to utilise the PRIMM strategy to promotes Predicting, Running, Investigating and Modifying code before Making something.

Music

In Year 4, we are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work with the Hampshire Music Service where we have been learning to play African drums. We look forward to inviting family and friends in soon to watch us in action.

Spanish

In Spanish, we have been learning how to say what pets we have, to describe our pets and say what animals we like.

Cosmic

Every Wednesday morning, our children experience our Cosmic curriculum.  See our Long Term plans to find out which topics are being covered each half-term.

Art

This half term, we have been learning to become sculptors. Our key artist that we have been studying is Darrell Wakelam who is a 3D artist who works predominantly with paper, card and cheap, everyday materials. We have enjoyed looking at his art work and have used a well-known, cheap  technique called papier mâché to begin sculpting our very own Sutton Hoos.  We enjoyed getting our hands very messy and we are looking forward to adding detail once our papier mâché is dry and has been painted.


Jackie Holderness