Year 4 School Information and Curriculum Overview

Welcome to Year 4

Meet the Year 4 Team Class Teachers: Mrs Tavender (Mon-Thurs) Miss Gill (Mon-Thurs) Mrs Dobbs (Wed p.m. & Fri) Teaching Assistant: Mrs Watson (Tues Thurs) Day Morning Mon Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Tues Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Mrs Watson Wed Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Mrs Watson Thurs Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Mrs Watson Fri Mrs Dobbs Afternoon Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Mrs Dobbs Mrs Tavender & Miss Gill Mrs Dobbs

Daily Routines Gates to school open at 8:40am and close at 8:50am. Please help your children to be independent coming into school by saying goodbye at the steps and letting them come into class on their own. At the end of the day Y4 come out to the playground and wait by the bench at the bottom of the stairs. The children must come and say goodbye to me (or Mrs Dobbs) before they come to you. Gates will then close promptly at 3:40pm If you need to see me, after school is best or send a note/email in. Reminder: children are not allowed to play on any of the playground equipment before or after school.

Timetable The children have settled back into school life and routines quickly. This is an outline of the week but as always subjects may move around depending on what else is going on in school.

Values Our school values are: Autumn 1: Autumn 2: Spring 1: Spring 2: Summer 1: Summer 2: Respect Courage Love Forgiveness Kindness Joy These will be taught through all the different subjects and collective worship.

Topics The topics for this year will be: Autumn 1: Victorian Children (History) Power Prints (Art) Autumn 2: Antarctica (Geography) Food Technology (D&T) Spring 1: Where Our Food Comes From (Geography) Light & Dark (Art) Spring 2: Roman Britain (History) Electrical Circuits (D&T) Summer 1: Anglo Saxons (History) Sculpture & 3D Structures (Art) Summer 2: Rainforests (Geography) Textiles - Sewing (D&T)

Curriculum Information Mathematics Herts Essential Maths scheme - Spiral curriculum Addition and subtraction Multiplication and division Measurement and statistics Geometry Decimals Fractions Problem solving

Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) This is a statutory test for Year 4. It is a computer based test using times tables knowledge up to 12 x 12. There will be 25 questions all in the same format (e.g. 6 x 8). Once the question appears there will be 6 seconds to answer. In previous years we found that, although the children knew their times tables well, they found the time factor and inputting the answer correctly difficult.

Literacy Reading Writing Grammar and Spelling Speaking and Listening Taught through use of different books and texts, fiction and non fiction, using Herts for Learning teaching sequences. These have been updated this year and we have added the texts to our class wish list

Science The following topics will be covered by Mrs Dobbs on a Friday: Animals including humans Electricity Materials - solids, liquids and gases Energy- sound and vibration Living Things - classification and changing habitats Making connections - How does the flow of liquids compare?

P.S.H.E. (Physical, social, health education) This year P.S.H.E. will be taught through a scheme of work called Kapow. Pupils learn about families and relationships and physical health and mental wellbeing. The issue of influence and choice is explored and understanding of online safety is further developed. Pupils learn basic first aid and are introduced to puberty. The following topics will be covered: Families and relationships Health and wellbeing Safety and the changing body Citizenship Economic wellbeing

General Information P.E. Swimming will be every Monday at SportSpace. We walk there and back. Children need to wear swimsuits under clothes and bring a bag with towel, hat and goggles (and underwear!) in. They can also bring a healthy snack to eat on the way back fruit, veg or cereal bar (not chocolate). In school P.E. will be on a Thursday. They will be outside as much as possible so need full named school P.E. kits including trainers and tracksuits/joggers. Earrings and jewellery cannot be worn for P.E. or swimming. Please remove earrings on P.E. days. If children have earrings on they will be asked to remove them so please ensure they are able to do this independently.

Google Classroom We will continue to use Google Classroom. Homework will be put on here along with messages and pictures so please encourage the children to keep checking it regularly. Homework Homework will be sent out on GC each Thursday to be completed and returned each Tuesday. Children should complete homework in their Homework book and it should be well presented. They should bring their Homework book in on Tuesdays and put it in the box to be looked at. Homework consists of Maths questions to practise, a reading task and a spelling pattern to practise. Reading should be done every day and should be logged on the children s bookmarks. Children will also be bringing home their Blast Off sheets to show you. Times tables need to be practised regularly little and often. In summary Every day = reading and short times tables practise Every week = Homework sheet (Maths, Reading task & Spelling)

Reading Children should be reading daily at home and at school. Children will have at least 1 book from school to bring home and read but can of course read anything else they have an interest in fact or fiction, comics, magazines, online books or articles etc. All the children will have a bookmark in their school book to record all reading they do so please encourage them to use these. When they have finished their school book they should bring the bookmark to show me before choosing a new book and getting a new bookmark. We will be checking the bookmarks to see the range and the frequency of their reading. Part of their weekly reading homework is a reading task which will demonstrate their understanding of what they have read.

Class Trips We are planning a class residential trip to Woodrow High House in the summer term. This is being booked for May but we will send out more information when dates and prices have been confirmed. I hope to also plan a trip to the woods when the children fill their pebble jar and there will be some sports trips. There will also be some visitor coming in to school and special days for the whole school which we will let you know about in due course.

Dates for your Diary Parents Evening: Tuesday 22nd October Wednesday 23rd October Half term: Monday 28th October Friday 1st November Occasional Day: Monday 2nd December Break up: Friday 20th December

Finally Useful website https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/at-school/year-4-at-primary-school/what-to- expect-in-year-4-age-8-9/ If there is anything you would like to let us know or ask us about please do so via the class email year4@stmarys916.herts.sch.uk I will also be on the playground at the end of day pick up or you can send a note in with the children. Thank you