Welcome to Year 4

Come and see what we have been learning about!

Welcome to Year 4

Come and see what we have been learning about!

Salve, Year 4! This term we are travelling back almost 2,000 years to ancient Rome. We will read about the day Mount Vesuvius erupted, find out how a volcano works, make Roman pots from clay and even build catapults. There is plenty of maths, music and sport along the way too. Read on to see what is in store and how you can help at home.

Guided Reading

Our reading this term starts with a gripping story, Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit. We then move on to non-fiction in The Romans in Britain and to a Roman mystery, The Secrets of Vesuvius. How you can help: read with your child every day and talk about the book together. Ask what has happened so far and what they think will happen next.

English

In English this half-term, Year 4 have been inspired by our History topic on the Romans. We read 'Escape from Pompeii', which tells the story of Tranio, an actor’s son and his friend Livia, the baker’s daughter, as they witness the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We imagined the narrative story from Livia's point of view and described her escape from the city. Using fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases, we created vivid and dramatic descriptions of this unforgettable moment in Roman history.

We focused on using 'fronted adverbials' to add variety to our sentences and 'expanded noun phrases' to make our descriptions more vivid. The children produced some fantastic pieces of writing, full of emotion, action and rich vocabulary. Their stories brought this historical event to life and showed how much progress they are making as writers.

Maths

In Maths this half-term, Year 4 have been developing their understanding of 'place value', learning to read, write and compare numbers up to 10,000. We have also practised addition and subtraction, using both mental and written methods to solve problems. More recently, we have been exploring multiplication and division, representing calculations in different ways and applying our reasoning skills to explain our thinking. The children have worked hard to show their method clearly and use mathematical vocabulary accurately. 

Science

This half-term in Science, Year 4 have been studying 'Living Things and Their Habitats'. We explored how animals and plants can be grouped and classified, learning about different types of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. We also investigated 'food chains', discovering how energy passes from producers to predators and prey. Through hands-on activities, discussions and careful observation, the children developed their scientific enquiry skills while deepening their understanding of the natural world.

History

This half-term in History, Year 4 have been learning all about the 'Romans'. We explored how the Romans lived, what their cities were like and the lasting impact they had on Britain.  The children impressed us with their creativity and enthusiasm, producing work that combined strong historical understanding with excellent writing in English.

Art

This half-term in Art, Year 4 have been exploring 'Roman pottery'. We began by researching examples of Roman artefacts and sketching our own design ideas. We will soon practise rolling clay into coils and using joining techniques to build strong pots. Finally, we will add our own creative designs inspired by Roman patterns. This project has helped us develop our clay modelling skills while connecting with Roman culture. We are very excited to see our finished pots and share them with others! 

PSHE

Our first topic is Being Me in My World, where pupils think about who they are and the part they play in their class and community. Our second topic is Celebrating Differences, which explores what makes each of us unique and why that matters.

Religious Education 

 Our RE work looks at Beliefs and Practices in Judaism and at Christmas in Christianity. Our two big questions this term are: How special is the relationship Jews have with God? And what is the most significant part of the Nativity story for Christians today? Pupils will be encouraged to reflect, discuss and explain their own ideas.