Miss Lillis - 4 Craufurd  and Mrs Smith - 4 Field

supported by Miss Rubery, Miss Connolly and Mr Lawrence.

PE in the Spring term will take place on Tuesdays.  The units this half term cover dance and hockey.

The children can take part in PE lessons in their OPAL active uniform.  If your child has opted for a more formal uniform, please send them to school in black shorts/joggers/leggings on PE days.  

Forest School for Year 4 will take place this term.  

4C Wednesdays

4F Thursdays

Children will wear their usual school uniform (Long sleeves and long trousers are required for safety.  Their school fleece or jumper is ideal) but please send in wellies and waterproofs/coats which can be kept in their lockers for the duration of the term.  

Please make sure wellies and waterproofs are named.  

We strongly encourage children to complete set homework. This can really help them to embed and extend the learning that takes place in school.

Reading for fifteen minutes every day at home can make an impact on all areas of the curriculum. In Year 4, we have a "STARBOOKS"  reading incentive. Children are rewarded for reading five times a week and having their reading diaries signed. They will have their Starbooks loyalty card signed each week and after eight weeks, will get a reward! Each week, everyone who reaches cup five enters our prize draw and two lucky winners get to a enjoy a hot chocolate treat at the Starbooks bar. 

Please make sure your child has their reading diary and book in school everyday.  Home readers will be swapped on Fridays.  If they finish their home reader before Friday, they are free to choose a book from 'Starbooks', the library or a book from home.  

Tips for reading at home: 

1. Try to hear your child read aloud as much as possible. If this is not possible every day, then ask them to summarise for you, what they have read independently.

2. If your child comes across a tricky word which they can't read, try not to tell them the word straight away. Encourage them to sound it out or re-read the sentence to see if they can work out the meaning. 

3. Always check that your child understands what they have read by asking them questions about the book.

4. Aim to change home reading books every 1-2 weeks. Book change day is Friday in Year 4.

5. Read as widely as possible- not just your school book- read your library book, books from your shelf at home, swap books with friends, read on a kindle device, read magazines, newspapers- whatever you enjoy! 

6. Read to your children as much as possible. Hearing stories really helps them to develop attention and listening skills, imagination and vocabulary. It even impacts on writing skills. Plus, it's a lovely way to spend quality time together. 

7. Look out for the books we are reading in school and treat your child to their own copy at home. We often refer to them on Dojo. 

Children now have their Doodle Learning Username and Passwords.  They can access Doodle Learning from the internet or as downloaded apps on phones, i-pads/tablets or PC's.  

https://doodlelearning.com/

There are 4 areas/apps:

Spellings, Maths, Times Tables and English. 

Evidence shows that practising little and often enables learning to be transferred from the short term to the long term memory.  Therefore, we suggest 5 minutes a day. School homework policy expectations are that children access Doodle Maths, Doodle Times and Doodle Spell each week. Doodle English is there for any children who wish to use it but is only optional.  Children can receive Dojo Points weekly if they stay in the 'Green Zone'.

Our BIG QUESTION is:

What would the world be like if there were no rainforests? 

Our class reader is, 'The Explorer'. If your child has a copy at home, they are welcome to bring it in to read along.  You can also purchase a copy off Amazon The Explorer: From the author of the internationally bestselling phenomenon Impossible Creatures: Amazon.co.uk: Rundell, Katherine, Horn, Hannah: 9781408882191: Books

A thrilling story of adventure, friendship and survival in the Amazon, The Explorer is an unmissable, Costa Award-winning modern classic from internationally bestselling author Katherine Rundell

From his seat in the tiny aeroplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him. He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries. If only he could land and look about him.

As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice. He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place. With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small.

Except, it seems, someone has been there before them.

Geography

This term in Year 4 Geography, we are going on an exciting journey to explore the world’s rainforests 🌍🌳.

We will travel across the globe using maps and atlases to locate the seven continents and five oceans, and discover where rainforests are found. Along the way, we will learn that the Earth is made up of different biomes, such as deserts, grasslands, tundra, oceans and rainforests, each with its own climate, plants and animals.

We will zoom in on tropical rainforests and learn about their four main layers – the emergent layer, canopy, understory and forest floor. We will find out how each layer is important and how plants and animals are specially adapted to live there.  We will even build our own models of the rainforest layers.

PLEASE SAVE ANY SHOE BOXES FROM CHRISTMAS AS WE WILL NEED THEM FOR OUR RAINFOREST MODELS.  Look out on Dojo for more information closer to the time. 

Our learning will also include an exciting comparison between the Amazon River, one of the longest and most powerful rivers in the world, and our local Stour River. We will look at maps, photographs and data to compare their size, location and how people use them. We will ask important questions such as:

Do rivers in different parts of the world face the same problems?
How do pollution, flooding, and human activity affect both rivers?

By the end of this unit, you will be able to use maps confidently, explain what makes a rainforest special, compare places near and far, and think carefully about how humans can protect rivers and rainforests for the future 🌱💧.

ART

In Year 4 Art, we are going to explore the colours, patterns and textures of the rainforest through a traditional art technique called batik. Batik is a special method of creating patterns using wax and dye, and it has been used by artists around the world for hundreds of years.

We will begin by looking closely at rainforest plants and animals. We will notice the shapes of leaves, the patterns on animals, and the bright and dark colours found in the rainforest. These ideas will help us design our own rainforest-inspired artwork.

During this project, you will learn how to plan a design, apply wax carefully, and use colour to create strong contrasts. You will discover how batik works as a resist technique, where the wax protects parts of the fabric so patterns appear when dye is added.

By the end of this unit, you will have created your own unique rainforest batik artwork, showing your understanding of pattern, colour and design, while celebrating the beauty of one of the world’s most important environments 🌿🎨.

PSHE

This term, our classroom has burst into life as we step beyond the walls of our school and into the wild! With binoculars at the ready and curiosity leading the way, we are proudly taking part in the RSPB Wild Challenge and the Big Schools’ Birdwatch—two exciting adventures that turn learning into exploration. From spotting fluttering wings in the playground to discovering how nature thrives all around us, our class is becoming a team of young wildlife champions. Every bird counted, every habitat explored, and every challenge completed brings us closer to understanding how amazing the natural world really is—and how we can help protect it. Let the wild learning begin! 🐦🌿

Science 

Habitats and food chains

We are going to become habitat explorers and learn how living things depend on each other to survive 🌍🔍. A habitat is the natural home of a plant or animal, and different habitats around the world provide different conditions, such as food, water, shelter and space.

We will learn about a range of habitats, including oceans, deserts, grasslands and woodlands, but we will make a special link to the rainforest. Rainforests are one of the most exciting habitats on Earth because they are home to a huge variety of plants and animals.

As part of this unit, we will explore food chains and discover how energy moves from plants to animals. We will learn about producers, consumers and predators, and how every living thing has an important role. Using rainforest examples, we will build and explain food chains, such as plants being eaten by insects, which are then eaten by birds or larger animals.

We will also think carefully about what happens when a habitat changes. What might happen to a rainforest food chain if plants are cut down or animals lose their homes? By the end of this unit, you will be able to describe habitats, explain food chains, and understand why it is important to care for environments like the rainforest so living things can survive and thrive 🌱🦜.

Key Question- What kind of world did Jesus want?

Christians believe that Jesus taught people how to live well and how to treat others through his words, actions and stories called parables. We will learn that Jesus spoke about love, kindness, forgiveness, fairness and helping those in need. He encouraged people to care for one another, especially the poor, the sick and those who were treated unfairly.

During this unit, we will listen to and talk about stories Jesus told, such as the Good Samaritan, and think about what they teach us about making good choices. We will ask questions like:

• How should people treat one another?

• What does it mean to be kind and forgiving?

• How can we help make the world a better place?

By the end of this unit, you will be able to explain what Christians believe about the world Jesus wanted, and think about how his teachings can still inspire people today to build a world full of love, justice and peace 🌍❤️.

In this English unit, we will be exploring the powerful picture book The Great Kapok Tree. This story is set in the Amazon rainforest and tells of an important change, when a man’s actions are challenged by the voices of the rainforest itself.

We will read and enjoy the story carefully, thinking about how the characters’ thoughts and feelings develop. A key focus of this unit will be dialogue. We will learn how speech can be used to show character, share important messages and move a story forward. We will practise using inverted commas, reporting clauses and expressive language to make our dialogue clear and interesting for the reader.

As we explore the story, we will think about how the animals speak to the man and how their words help bring about change. We will use this idea to help us plan and write our own change stories, using dialogue to show how characters persuade, warn or inspire others.

By the end of the unit, you will be able to write a thoughtful story that uses dialogue effectively, shows clear change, and shares an important message about caring for our world 🌳✏️.

Get ready Year 4 because in our second unit, we are becoming master persuaders! 🖊️💥 In this English unit, we will learn how to write persuasive texts that make people sit up, listen, and take action.

Have you ever tried to convince someone to do something? Maybe to let you stay up late, try a new food, or even help you win a game? That’s persuasion in action! This term, we will explore how writers use powerful words, reasons, and emotions to change minds.

We will learn to:

• Grab attention with strong openings

• Use reasons and examples to support our ideas

• Write with emotion to make people care

• End with a bang, so our reader can’t ignore us

Our challenge will be to write persuasive texts that could convince a king, a school council, or even the whole class. By the end of the unit, you will be able to write texts that are clear, convincing, and impossible to ignore! 🎯✉️

Handwriting

The children are very excited to be using a pen in Year 4.  Children can bring in their own pens if they wish to but these must be proper handwriting pens (See picture above).  Biros are not allowed.

Our handwriting scheme follows Kinetic Letters. We will practise our letter formation then move onto cursive handwriting.  

See below for letter formation:

 If you would like to support your child at home with their handwriting, please follow these video links on quick 'how to' guides. 

The Abracadabra Family

https://youtu.be/sFUMIZ0hs4c

The Jumper Family

https://youtu.be/k4i7NGKBVsU

The Window Cleaner Family

https://youtu.be/jpfbqTal660

The Slider Family

https://youtu.be/98n63jCwDBI

This Spring term, we will be teaching the children cursive writing.

Phonics

We follow the scheme, 'Rocket Phonics'.  Please use the sound mats below to support your child with their writing at home. 

In June, children will sit a statutory Year 4 Multiplication Check.  Throughout the year we will consolidate times tables learned from previous year groups and teach the rest of the tables up to 12 x 12.  We suggest children practise their times tables at home.  This can be done through Doodle Learning or the following sites:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button

https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/

This term in Maths, the units will cover Multiplication and Division.  We will continue to develop our skills and knowledge through concrete (practical resources), pictorial and abstract methods.  Once confident through fluency, the children will be stretched through reasoning and problem solving.

In this unit, we will:

• Multiply and divide larger numbers, including 3-digit by 1-digit and 2-digit by 1-digit numbers

• Multiply and divide by 10 and 100, exploring patterns in the digits and place value

• Use written methods to solve multiplication and division problems

• Explore factor pairs and multiples to help us work efficiently

• Solve real-life problems, from sharing chocolate bars to arranging objects in groups

We will also practise checking our answers and explaining our reasoning so that we understand the methods, not just follow the steps. By the end of this unit, you will be able to tackle tricky multiplication and division problems with confidence and use your skills in everyday situations.

Get ready to become a maths problem-solving champion! 🏆💡

Examples:

Class Dojo

Please keep a regular watch on Class Dojo where you will find messages, reminders, photos of the learning and fun activities that take place in our classrooms and the reward points that your child receives.  Be mindful that we can only check our Dojo messages at certain points in the school day.  Therefore, if you have an urgent message or want to let us know that someone else is collecting your child at the end of the day, please contact the school office who will pass this information on to us.  

 Please note- any links above will take you away from the Oldswinford CE Primary website- we urge you to check ahead for unsuitable adverts on YouTube