Year 4 2026 - 2027

Welcome to Year 4!

In Year 4, our teachers are Mrs Baker and Mrs Townson (Wednesdays), supported by Miss Pitchford, Mrs Tennyson-Key and Mrs Stokes. Please see below for information about learning during the Autumn term and also key information about reading and homework.

Our Curriculum

Religion

Our first unit, ‘Creation and Covenant,’ will be a wonderful way to start our school year through the exploration of people whose lives have been transformed by faith and hope in God. Through learning about the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, children will encounter the belief that good deeds flow out of a love of God and deepen their own faith through their learning. Our second unit, ‘Prophecy and Promise,’ explores the ancestry of Jesus and also the meaning of advent. Further learning is completed around the prophet Elijah and John the Baptist, deepening the children’s understanding of God’s plan of salvation and the important role of the prophets in preparing the way for Jesus.

History and Geography

This term, our history focus will be the Ancient Egyptians - a topic we know the children will LOVE! We will understand and become familiar with the ancient Egyptian civilisation; from mummification to the pyramids, we will find out all about life in ancient Egypt and what we can learn from the evidence the ancient Egyptians left behind. Our Geography unit will work beautifully alongside this, with a focus on ‘The River Nile.’ Together we will go on a journey of discovery up and down the River Nile. We will learn about the impact the River Nile had on Egypt and be able to locate the River Nile on a world map and identify the countries it runs through. We will also learn to identify the source and mouth of the river, investigate its main physical and human features, and much more.Top of Form

Science

In science, we will be learning about states of matter, followed by sound after half-term. We will, of course, be conducting lots of fun investigations and learning about the practical, real-world applications of the theories that we study.

English

Our English work will develop this term through a book-based approach to learning where children will be inspired, engaged and enthused about writing in Year 4, as quality texts promote successful outcomes. Children love to learn through books and become engaged in the story, which affects outcomes of writing positively. The texts we will be reading include The Iron Man, The Egyptian Cinderella and The Story of Tutankhamun. Children will have fun writing across many genres including poetry, diary entries non-chronological reports and lots more! Grammar and punctuation skills will be embedded into our English curriculum in Year 4.

Maths

In maths, we will be improving our knowledge and skills across a range of areas within the Power Maths scheme, including: the four operations, place value and area. Within the scheme, problem-solving and reasoning skills form an important part of each unit. In addition to the core maths curriculum, we will be working to ensure that all children are secure in foundational fluency facts (fluent recall of single number addition facts) through regular practice and assessment.

In the summer term, Year 4 children are required by the government to complete a Times Tables Check (MTC). This is an online assessment where children answer 25 multiplication-only times-tables questions, with an answer time of 6 seconds, inputting their answers using an onscreen keyboard.

Much focus is given in class to this throughout the year and children who practice their times tables regularly at home are more confident through the process. There are numerous, fun and engaging ways to build fluency in time-tables such as regular practice on TTRockstars (the ‘Soundcheck’ area on TTRS is designed to emulate the conditions of the formal test and will familiarise your child with the format).

Other ways to practise include chants and songs (we will be learning lots in class!), the website ‘Hit the Button’ and additional books and activities which can be found online such as dot-to-dots or colour-by-numbers. Any questions or concerns regarding your child and this test, please do get in touch.

Computing, Music, Art, D&T and MFL

In computing, we will begin with online safety. Children will have the opportunity to talk about any thoughts, worries or raise questions which can then be addressed in a sensitive manner during computing lessons. The increasing use of technology by children makes this unit ever more important, please see this government website for further information: https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/.

During the first part of the Autumn term, we will be creating ancient Egyptian scrolls and then looking at structures within D&T. Two wonderful units of work of which we know the children will really enjoy.

Throughout our music lessons, we will be listening and responding to a range of Folk Music and having a go at composing some of our own too. Children will also have French lessons once a week on a Friday conducted by a specialist teacher.

PE

During the Autumn term, PE will be on both a Tuesday and Wednesday, so please remember to send kits in to school on both of these days. Skills covered will be within invasion games, fitness and outdoor adventure activities (OAA). Please note that as the weather gets colder, children will need to wear a navy or black jumper and navy or black joggers (or leggings).

Reading

As your child grows more independent in their reading, they may begin to read more on their own at home. The greatest way to support your child with their learning, is to read with them as often as you are able. We understand how challenging it can be to fit this in, with the ever-increasing demands of daily life, however, it truly does have an impact and when reading at home dips, we do see a noticeable effect on progress in school.

Please can any reading at home, both school and home books, be recorded in your child’s reading diary which we would like to be brought into school each day. Once your child has read their book, they may change it themselves in school. Children are encouraged to do this as independently as possible in Year 4, so please support us with this by reminding your child before they come into school.

Homework

Spellings: Spellings will be set and tested on a Tuesday each week and will posted on Class Dojo. Please encourage your child to work hard learning these at home as this will be highly beneficial for their progress during the year. If your child is struggling to learn their spellings, please do get in touch and we’ll do our best to recommend some additional support strategies and methods of practice.

Other homework: A reading or Maths based activity will be set most weeks using special homework books. Sometimes, homework will be focussed on a different subject or a longer-term project set dependent upon topics studied throughout the year. The tasks will be shared alongside spellings each Tuesday. Homework is an essential part of learning at St Gabriel’s and completion will be monitored throughout the year, with house points rewarded to those who bring their homework in on time.

Belongings

Each day, your child will need to bring their water bottle into school – this will be sent home each day to be cleaned and refilled. When children don’t have a bottle in school, it can result in lost learning time for the whole class while alternatives are sourced. The school canteen will continue providing snacks at playtimes or you may provide a healthy snack (fruit or vegetables) for your child to eat.

As always, if all belongings are clearly named, it would greatly assist us in school.

Behaviour

We will continue to use our 'Good to be Green' behaviour system throughout Year 4. In Year 4, we do have very high expectations of behaviour and believe in a fair, firm and consistent approach. What matters to us most is that your children reach their full potential and try their absolute best in all they do. A positive, calm and happy atmosphere will be created, where children follow our school/class rules. Great behaviour is always celebrated on a Friday when children receive 'Golden Play'. The parents of any children who receive a yellow or red card during the week will be contacted to ensure transparency and partnership in supporting positive behaviour, wellbeing and next steps. If you have any questions at all about our behaviour system, please do not hesitate to ask. 

We would like to again welcome you and your child to Year 4!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. The door is always open 😊