CURRICULUM SUMMARY
YEAR 4
INTRODUCTION TO THE CURRICULUM
I hope you will find that the information in this Handbook provides you with a helpful view of what your child will be studying this year and our academic expectations for them. I have no doubt that there will be many issues that are not covered here as fully as some might like and if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us about them. The Form Teacher is probably the best person to speak to over minor matters and acts as a liaison person if there are other members of staff you would like to speak to. At the heart of our Curriculum is the belief that all pupils are entitled to a broadly balanced education in a stimulating learning environment in order to prepare them for the future. Children will be exposed to a wide variety of learning opportunities during their time at Junior King’s and they will be given individual encouragement to develop their interests and skills to the full. We believe that school days and the educational discoveries they make here should be fun and stimulating. We expect our children to always try their best, to put in good effort, and to take increasing responsibility for their own progress; help, support and encouragement are given in good measure. Above all, the children respond positively to the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual challenges presented to them. Parents are always most welcome in school and your support at home for the work we do is essential to the progress of every child.
HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION It is crucial to our success that channels of communication between home and school are clear and that parents feel confident in using them. The cycle of half term assessments, written reports and staff-parent meetings/interviews establishes the framework within which a child’s progress is monitored and discussed. It is important that all parents should feel able to have access to the staff and appointments can be arranged after school through the school office. However, we encourage parents not to linger in the morning, other than to pass on necessary information for the day. Parents are, wherever possible, encouraged to make use of the many other informal opportunities for discussion that exist throughout the School.
FUTURE SCHOOLING Junior King’s sends most of its pupils to the Senior King’s School although this is not exclusively the case and parents should not regard the transfer to be automatic. We will take time to advise and assist parents in finding the school which will best suit their child and in which their child will therefore thrive.
ASSESSMENT A pupil’s performance is carefully monitored throughout the year. Continuous assessment, through classroom work, tests, exercises and prep marks, provides important sources of information for reporting. Regular staff discussions of individual pupils enable staff to track individual progress and concerns may be discussed with the pupil, through the Form Teacher, or the Senior Academic Staff (Mr Lapthorn/Mr Stonier). Parents are informed of any significant difficulty of which we are aware and invited to discuss the possible ways forward.
PREP Prep is given to encourage pupils to work on their own, to exercise self-discipline in their approach to learning and will provide an opportunity for further development of skills and knowledge. We fully recognise and encourage the invaluable role played by parents in supporting good work at home and promoting prep as a positive activity. However, there should be a weaning process as the child grows older, and it is helpful, as part of the development of independent work habits, to let the child learn that unfinished or poorly completed prep may result in a sanction at school with staff concerned. The child needs to learn that it is their responsibility and that they will have to account for any shortcomings in school. Work conditions are important. A quiet place in which to work will make a considerable difference – free from the distractions of siblings, pets and television. For some, complete silence is daunting and it may be allowable to have music playing quietly in the background. Children in Year 4 are generally set one written prep each day, with the exception of Wednesday. We ask that the children read every night if possible. Tables, spelling and reading remain as important items on the agenda and we encourage and welcome parents working with their children in these areas to practise and reinforce the work done in class. After a hard day at school, prep should not overwhelm the evening and should take no longer than 15-20 minutes to complete. If your child is regularly not coping with the workload within the given times (or it is too easy) then you are encouraged to inform the Form Teacher.
AEN/LEARNING SUPPORT Junior King’s is committed to meeting the needs of all pupils. General, or ‘Quality First Teaching’, describes inclusive teaching which takes into account the learning needs of all in the classroom. It is achieved through appropriate differentiation through curriculum planning, learning tasks and teaching strategies. This approach is the best way to reduce from the start the number of pupils who need extra help with their learning. However, some pupils have learning needs which need more targeted and specific provision. The AEN Department at Junior King’s, co-ordinated by Mrs Emma McCoubrie (SENCo), has specialist staff, trained and qualified to recognise, assess and implement support plans for these pupils, throughout the age and ability range. The Department also has strong links with external agencies, such as the KCC Specialist Teaching Service (STS), educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Parental involvement is an important part of the process. If any parent is concerned about their child’s progress, they are encouraged to discuss this with their child’s Form Teacher. Mrs Mc Coubrie is also available to speak to should you have any concerns.
ENGLISH During Key Stage 2, pupils learn to change the way they speak and write to suit different purposes and audiences. Work in speaking and listening, reading and writing is integrated. The Goldup handwriting scheme continues from Year 3. Children who do not have a fluent joined up handwriting style will be taught the Goldup style. Reading is supported by the Junior Library. Pupils will: • read a range of texts and respond to different layers of meaning in them • explore the use of language in literary texts and learn how language works The range covered includes: • historical stories • play scripts and poems based on common themes • stories and novels about imagined worlds • stories that raise issues • stories by the same author • stories from other cultures • a range of poetry in different forms • reports and articles in newspapers and magazines The range covered also includes: • instructions • information texts on same or similar themes and explanations • debates • editorials • information texts linked to other curricular areas
A PARENTS’ GUIDE TO READING Children should: • read silently for sustained periods • read an increasingly wide range of books in varying forms (fiction, poetry, nonfiction) • maintain appropriate expression when reading aloud • continue to build on their knowledge of phonics to use in both reading and writing • use ideas from their reading in their own writing
Teachers will: • continue to guide and encourage the child’s choice of books in varying styles and ensure the child begins to discuss what is read critically • keep attention on meaning but continue to monitor progress in phonic knowledge and the reading of unknown words • systematically teach the rules of spelling (using the National Literacy Strategy Spelling Bank for Key Stage 2), punctuation and sentence construction, particularly through writing • encourage the use of dictionaries and other reference books • expect the child to write confidently in a variety of different styles • continue to assess and record progress
Parents can: • read and discuss books with their children • let the children see that books and reading are valued in the family • encourage the children to collect favourite books and stories • suggest reasons for writing: ‘thank-you letters’ etc • be tolerant when a child wants to read or re-read a book for younger readers • accept the comforting familiarity of a well-loved tale, especially at the end of a tiring day
MATHEMATICS Pupils entering Year 4 will have form based mathematics teaching. The core of the syllabus taught will be in line with the National Curriculum. Pupils will build on the skills they developed in Year 3 and for Key Stage 1 hence extending their competence and confidence with number. Pupils will explore shape and space, develop their measuring skills and be able to discuss and present their methods and reasoning using a wider range of mathematical language, diagrams and charts. The topics taught will be taken from the list below. However, this is not all inclusive and the members of staff will, where it is appropriate for their pupils, teach beyond this to give as full and comprehensive a picture of the subject as possible for the age and ability group. This ensures that pupils are nurtured and helped to achieve their full potential, gaining confidence from their knowledge and abilities in the subject. Number: • place value and rounding • properties of number • addition, subtraction, multiplication and division • fractions • money Measure: • time • length • area • perimeter • capacity • weight Shape: • angles • symmetry • 2D Shape • 3D Shape • tessellation • grid references Handling Data • extracting, collecting, organising and interpreting data
SCIENCE This subject will be taught using practical demonstrations, experiments and, as the children become more familiar with appropriate techniques, the use of investigations. While following the guidance of the National Curriculum, our topic selection is aimed at providing the basis on which children can further explore their surroundings. Full use is made of the natural resources and habitats that occur in the School grounds. Pupils will study the following topics this year: • friction • electricity • habitats Pupils will learn to: • adopt safe practice in a scientific environment • recognise and make appropriate use of data and scientific vocabulary
FRENCH French continues to be taught by a specialist language teacher. Year 4 will be studying topics including French culture, classroom instructions, appearance, food, activities, time, festivals, the body, French cities, directions, the weather, clothes, Francophone countries and shopping. Grammar and skills will include the use of questions and answers, tu and vous, gender classification, cognates, plurals, word order, pronunciation, adjectival agreement, the partitive article, dates, the definite article, simple description, negatives, numbers, use of the third person, prepositions, present tense verbs and the verbs avoir and ĂŞtre. Lessons will include a variety of activities to practise Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing including: Rigolo interactive whiteboard, songs, games and written worksheets where appropriate. In the Summer Term Y4 will put on a French ‘Spectacle.’ There will also be regular revision of topics from Year 3.
HISTORY This year’s work involves the study of the Roman and Victorian eras in British History, both of which culminated in dramatic change. Pupils will study the following topics this year: • political, military and technological aspects of Roman Britain • causes, events and consequences of the Roman invasion of Britain • the Roman army, Boudicca’s revolt & Roman defences • events and changes in industry and transport in Victorian Britain • living conditions and public health in the Victorian Era • archaeological evidence Pupils will be helped to: • develop their abilities in sequencing historical developments chronologically • recognise and make appropriate use of dates and historical vocabulary • describe and analyse different features of an historical period • develop an understanding about the cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of the societies studied • describe and make links between the main events, situations and changes within and across the different periods and societies
GEOGRAPHY This year’s work continues covering the National Curriculum Key Stage 2 guidelines and aims to develop further skills learned in Year 3 Topics to be covered: • global knowledge; the environment; and recycling • an overseas locality: Kenya Pupils will learn to: • develop a sense of place and location • look at opinions and values • make comparisons
RELIGIOUS STUDIES As children join the Junior School, the syllabus is designed to establish the foundations that put the Common Entrance Examination into its place within the meta-narrative of the Bible and the Christian foundation of the school. Year 4 looks at stories from the New Testament, the Christian Church today and festivals from other religions. Topics covered • The Church today and its ceremonies • The Life of Jesus – early life, miracles, the Easter story • Festivals in other religions – Divali, Holi, Ramadan, Hannukah Key concepts investigated: • belief • community • respect for others
COMPUTING Pupils will be given the opportunity to: • Use a wide variety of applications to develop their interest and skills in computing • Develop their touch typing skills Pupils are helped to develop the following skills: • Word Processing • Image creation and manipulation • Handling data with Spreadsheets • Programming in Scratch • Effective online searching • A brief history of Computing
ART In Year 4 pupils will be doing theme based projects that dovetail with other areas of study in History, RS and DT. We have 1 hour a week in the Art Room. Year 4 projects this year will include: • Roman Britain, Mosaics and Ceramics • Collage and construction skills • Investigation into Turner’s Seascapes • Pastel and painting
MUSIC There are two 30-minute lessons per week for class music. In addition, individual instrumental lessons are offered from a team of 26 visiting music teachers. Pupils are encouraged to practise at home and may be entered for Associated Board and Trinity College exams which are held each term at the school. Many musicians will be involved in the concerts and workshops that take place during the course of the year, as well as joining ensembles that meet each week such as Junior Strings, Junior Brass Group and Wind Band. There is also the Junior House Choir, timetabled for one period per week for all children in Junior House. The choir performs in the Junior House Concert as well as the annual Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral. Curriculum We develop some fundamental musical skills through songs and musical games. These include pulse, rhythm, melodic shape, rests, notation and time signatures. Songs will be drawn from a wide variety of sources, times and places and a great emphasis will be placed on finding a controlled, clear and healthy singing sound and developing a confident solo and class voice. We also explore pulse, rhythm, tempo, phrase length, dynamics and rests. We will listen to a great deal of music from different times and places, centred in the first term around ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ by Camille Saint-SaĂŤns. Classes are encouraged to respond to the music with sensitivity and understanding. Pupils who play musical instruments will be given an opportunity to play to the class.
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY The Junior King’s Design and Technology department prepares pupils to be creative problem solvers, to work as individuals and as members of a team, to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies and to enjoy expressing their ideas using a wide range of media. Students are engaged in using computer aided design and manufacture, and use wood, metal, plastic and electronics to communicate their unique ideas. Year 4 combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues and industrial practices. As they do so, they reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and effects. Working in stimulating contexts they engage in a continuous course of personal development, learning to use today’s technologies so they can participate in developing tomorrow’s. Year 4 focused practical tasks and open projects this year will include designing and making: Autumn Term
Lent Term
Summer Term
• a fabric book cover
• a bird feeder
• a pneumatic monster
DRAMA Over the year the children will explore a wide range of drama and dance concepts, and will look in detail at various stories and historical events. In the first term we will be rehearsing for our Christmas production of Revolting Ryhmes and all children will have speaking, moment and singing roles. After Christmas they will explore The Great Fire of London through dance building on skills learnt in Year 3, with a focus on their own creativity through movement. Next we explore the play of The BFG, looking at basic puppetry, choral speaking and characterisation. In the summer term children will focus on their own creative devising, developing scenes from their own idea, thereby learning how to structure drama in a basic way.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION All pupils are taught by specialist teachers of physical education. The programme is split into six curriculum units. • gymnastics: to include varieties of movement and travelling, floor work, vaulting and balance • net and wall: to develop hitting and striking skills alongside anticipation of (ball and shuttlecock) movement practised in games of short tennis and badminton • striking and fielding: to develop batting, throwing, catching and fielding skills • invasion games/general games skills: to develop tactical awareness and general skills inherent to the major team games • athletics: to develop and improve technique alongside performance in running (speed, endurance and stamina), jumping (height and distance) and throwing (distance and power), tested and recorded through the school athletics standards programme • swimming: to improve technique and develop performance in the four major swimming strokes Health related exercise/fitness The six curriculum units combined enhance the health related exercise/fitness programme; particular attention in exercise and fitness classes is given to speed, stamina, endurance and strength. These areas are measured and recorded for each pupil throughout the year.
Autumn
Autumn
Lent
Lent
Summer
Summer
invasion games skills/ general fitness
gymnastics
swimming
mini tennis
athletics
swimming / striking & fielding games
GAMES PROGRAMME Pupils in Year 4 receive two, one hour games sessions per week throughout the year, during which they participate in major team games, further developing the core skills and knowledge of basic tactics and rules. The sports covered are: Girls – Hockey, Netball and Cricket Boys – Football, Rugby, Hockey, Cricket Competitive opportunities are introduced through inter house matches and, where appropriate, through inter school matches, both of which take place during their weekly games time.
PSHE Our PSHE curriculum aims to promote the spiritual, physical and social development of pupils and to prepare them for some of the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. This preparation for life involves self-knowledge; an understanding of the needs and motives of human beings; knowledge about their own health and bodies, and the importance of choice. PSHE education is a planned programme of learning though which pupils acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future. As part of a whole school approach, it develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. The values promoted in our PSHE curriculum are incorporated into the fabric of our school through assemblies, community events and the support of charities and in our day-to-day living. Our PSHE curriculum is based on three ‘core themes’ within which there will be broad overlap and flexibility: Autumn Term Health & Wellbeing
Lent Term Relationships
Summer Term Living in the Wider World
Healthy Lifestyles Keeping safe Growing and changing
Relationships Feelings & emotions Valuing difference
Rights & responsibilities Taking care of the environment Money matters
The PSHE curriculum will be taught in a variety of ways that will involve discussion, reflection, roleplay, collaboration and team-work, multi-media and outside speakers.