year4currletter

Dear Parents and Children It has been a fantastic start to the term. The sun’s shone, as have the smiles (on the whole, I think!)We’ve worked hard producing mathematical calculations to challenge each other and managed to find out some gruesome facts about the Tower of London.

We’ve even managed to raise some money for the school gardening club, with a year 4 fruit and veg stall. Not bad for a few days work!

Our theme this half of term is going to be the Tudors. The children took an active role in the planning of this topic on transition day last year. They produced plenty of questions that should prove both challenging and fascinating to answer. We will of course work on a cross curricular basis, consolidating skills and developing new one in a variety of different subjects, and hopefully, if all goes according to plan, having lots of fun in the process.

In literacy we will follow the primary framework and will begin with information texts.

We will link this with both our science and topic work. Our class story books this term will also link in. We have started with a Tudor spy story and will progress onto a child friendly version of one of Shakespeare’s plays. We will, concentrate on improving language and communication skills and will focus heavily on speaking and listening. The children will be encouraged to try and expand their vocabulary and to hopefully embrace a’ love’ of words. We will continue to have guided reading sessions and it would be beneficial if you could encourage your child to read at home (they can earn house points if you do!). Comics, magazines, recipes, TV listings, anything, it’s all good!

In numeracy there will be a strong focus on the four rules of number and securing the children’s number skills. There will also be a real drive to learning the times tables and most of the class will be set this for home learning and will be tested on a fairly regular

basis. We will also spend time working on mental arithmetic and later on in the term I will introduce applying mathematic skills to problem solving.

We are very lucky this year to have been given continued funding for a music services project in which year 4 will learn to play the guitar. Each child will be able to borrow a guitar, which they will be able to bring home to practice. Lessons will take place once a week with a music specialist.

In RE we will be studying Hinduism, what life is like for Hindus in the UK, Hindu stories and pilgrimage.

For PSHE, we will continue to follow the SEAL, Rainbow Scheme, which will start with considering ‘new beginnings’. We will then progress to ‘getting on and falling out.’

French lessons will take place on a weekly basis and will follow the Catherine Cheeter scheme of work.

Finally, my favourite, games and PE! This term we are fortunate enough to have specialist coaches come and work with us. They will deliver invasion games and dance, whilst I will work with the children on tennis and gymnastics. During these lessons I am keen to give the children an opportunity not only to perform and participate but also progress their appraisal skills, encouraging positive, thoughtful, comments.

Home-learning will become an integral part of our school week, and it is set to try and encourage the children to become independent learners, in preparation for the move to senior school. It will usually include spellings, taken from the school scheme, multiplication tables and topic related work. The children will be given the work on a Friday and be asked usually to return it by the following Thursday. This will give me an opportunity to look at their efforts and hopefully reward them with house points. In order to help your child’s progression, I would very much appreciate it if, as parents and guardians, you take an interest and give your child support with their home learning. Of course, I will always be happy to help anyone who is having difficulty and hope that home learning is seen as a challenge rather than a chore.

Lastly, if at any time you have any concerns or need clarification on any aspect of your child’s school life, then please don’t hesitate to see me at the end of the school day.

Mrs Thomas & Mrs Cooper