Welcome to our Year 4 Class Page.  

Y4 Curriculum Information for Parents and Carers – Year 4 Autumn Term 2023

The Autumn Term is here and we would like to share with you a summary of what your child will be learning in class.  We would also like to share some ways that you can support your child at home.

Detailed information about the topics can be found in the Knowledge Organisers.  The Knowledge Organisers contain the key vocabulary and learning for each topic and you can look at these with your child over the course of the term. 

English

Autumn Half Term 1: Our class text will be ‘Gregory Cool’.  During our English sessions, the children will be planning and participating in discussions about what it would be like to arrive in a new environment.  The children will be planning and writing their own stories with a set theme.  We will be looking at the work of the poet Grace Nichols and writing and performing a poem, written in free verse.

Autumn Half Term 2: Our class text will be ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis.  The children will be improving their letter writing skills and exploring how different characters behave and feel.

Mathematics

Place Value: The children will learn to represent 4-digit numbers using a variety of concrete apparatus.  They will confidently use a number line to order and compare a variety of 4-digit numbers and be able to round to the nearest 10, 100 and 1,000.  We will also focus on reading Roman numerals to 100.

Addition and Subtraction: The children will learn how to find totals and differences using the column method of addition and subtraction.  They will confidently apply their knowledge when solving word problems.

Measure: The children will learn that 1 km equals 1,000 m and will be able to use this equivalence to convert lengths given in one unit of measurement to the other.  They will understand the concept of a shape’s perimeter and use their knowledge to find solutions involving perimeter, including where there are missing measurements.

Multiplication and Division: The children will begin to rapidly recall all multiplication and division facts from the 1 to 12 times tables.  They will use their knowledge to find solutions to word problems.

RE

Family: The children will describe with increasing detail and accuracy; the life and work of key figures in the history of the People of God.  They will make links between beliefs and life, giving reasons for actions and choices.

Called: The children will describe religious symbols and steps involved in religious actions and worship and those actions of believers which arise as a consequence of their beliefs with a particular focus on Confirmation.

Judaism: The children will learn about the faith Judaism, with a focus on the Jewish Holy Book.

Loving: The children will make links between the stories that they read and the religious beliefs contained in them. During the season of Advent, the children will explore the gift of love and the promise of Jesus’ return at the end of time.

Science

Autumn Half Term 1: We will describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the human digestive system.

We will construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey.

Autumn Half Term 2: We will explore some uses of electricity and the importance of safety before constructing simple circuits.  We will learn how to change a circuit by changing its components.

History

The children will learn about the Roman invasion of Britain and its impact on the lives of the Celts.  They will consider whether the Roman settlement was a positive experience for all involved, and explore the long-term legacy of the invasion.  They will use a variety of sources of evidence to investigate the topic, including visual sources of artefacts.

Geography

The children will develop an understanding of biomes, ecosystems and tropics; mapping features of the Amazon rainforest and learning about its layers; investigating how communities in Manaus use the Amazon’s resources; discussing the global human impact on the Amazon; and carrying out fieldwork to compare and contrast two types of forest.

Computing

Autumn Half Term 1: The children will learn to work collaboratively on a document.  They will use a variety of different slide styles to convey information including images and transitions.

Autumn Half Term 2: The children will learn how to programme using Scratch.

French

Children will learn to identify France, the United Kingdom and nearby European neighbours as well as their capital cities.  They will learn new greetings and salutations, the seasons and months and how to describe the weather associated with them, including today/tomorrow and yesterday.  The children will extend their responses to key questions by using other pronouns, such as:  Il/elle s’appelle and ils/elles s’appellent.

Music

Autumn 1: STOMP! Create a rhythmic piece in the style of a stomp performance.  Key words: Tempo, crotchet, quaver minim, syncopation, polyphonic.  Develop rhythmic notation reading, composition skills, performance skills.

Autumn 2: Carol Service Perform in the Christmas Carol Service.  Key Words; diaphragm and projection Performance Skills; singing posture, projection.  Singing call and response within the music.

PE

Basketball:  Children will explore key skills and principles such as defending, attacking, throwing, catching and dribbling.  They will learn to use attacking skills to maintain possession of the ball.

Football: Children will develop competencies in key skills and principles such as defending, attacking, sending, receiving and dribbling a ball.

Dance: Children will focus on creating characters and narrative through movement and gesture.  They gain inspiration from a range of stimuli, working individually, in pairs and small groups.

Swimming: Children will be introduced to specific swimming strokes on their front and back.  They will learn how to travel, float and submerge with increasing confidence.

Art

The children will be using mechanical engravings as a starting point.  Pupils will develop an awareness of proportion, composition and pattern in drawing and combine media for effect when developing a drawing into a print.

Design and Technology

The children will follow a recipe and describe some of the features of a biscuit based on taste, smell, texture and appearance.  They will learn to adapt a recipe by adding extra ingredients to it and plan a biscuit recipe within a budget.

RHSE (Relationship, Health and Sex Education)

The children will recognise that people are unique and that our similarities and differences should be celebrated. They will explore the importance of respecting our bodies as a gift from God in very practical ways, such as clothing, food and physical exercise.  The children will reflect using the account of the raising of Jairus’ daughter.

Educational Visits

A Geography walk to Richmond Park.

A music trip to the Royal Festival Hall to see Orchestra Unwrapped.

How you can help your child at home

• Practising your child’s timetables with them
• Reading daily
• Helping with Freckle Maths and written Maths homework
• Providing support with half termly projects