Good afternoon everyone,

I can’t believe we are already at the end of our first full week. The children have settled in brilliantly and we’ve had a wonderful week of learning across all subjects. Here’s a little round-up of what we’ve been up to:

English

We have begun exploring our class text Tar Beach. The children have really enjoyed discussing the themes in the story so far, as well as making predictions about what might happen next. Next week, we’ll continue to dig deeper into the book, thinking about the author’s intentions and the messages we can take away.

Mathematics

In maths, we started our work on place value by focusing on numbers up to 1,000. The children have worked very hard to read, partition and compare numbers with increasing confidence. Next week, we will be extending this further by applying the same skills to numbers up to 10,000 – a brilliant challenge for everyone!

Science

Our science topic this week was animals and their diets. The children learned how to identify and classify carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. Next week, we will be building on this by constructing and interpreting food chains, exploring how animals and plants depend on one another for survival, and considering the importance of balance within an ecosystem.

Computing

We began our computing lessons by looking at how networks connect through the internet. We also discussed how important it is to stay safe online and to be careful about who we communicate with. Next week, we will be looking more closely at what the internet is actually made up of, including servers, data and how information travels.

Religious Education (RE)

This week we compared Christianity and Islam, identifying both similarities and differences. The children had thoughtful discussions about significant people, holy books, festivals and beliefs.

Art

In art, we explored how tone can be used to make drawings appear three-dimensional. The children practised using sketching pencils to shade light and dark tones, producing some very realistic results.

Geography

Our geography topic this term is Where does our food come from? This week we looked at different types of food and discovered which biomes they typically grow in. Next week, we will consider the idea of ‘trading responsibly’, including fair trade, food miles and how our choices can impact communities around the world.

Half-Term Project – The 500 Word Challenge

For this half term’s project, I would like all children to take part in the 500 Word Challenge. The task is simple: write a story they would love to read in 500 words or less. This is all about creativity – spelling, punctuation and grammar are not judged.

Stories should be handed in by Thursday 23rd October, with a copy also brought into school.

Some key details about the competition:

50 finalists will be invited to a grand final in February 2026, supported by Her Majesty The Queen.

Winning stories will be read aloud by celebrities on TV as part of a special 500 Words programme on The One Show.

Judges include Sir Lenny Henry, Malorie Blackman, Francesca Simon, Charlie Higson and Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Winners will receive a bundle of books, with gold winners also winning 500 books for their school library. Each winning story will also be given a beautifully illustrated cover.

Rules to remember:

-        Stories must be 500 words or fewer (not including the title).
-        They must be written individually, not in groups.
-        The story should be an original idea, in prose form (not poetry or rap).
-        No personal details (such as names) should be included.
-        Stories cannot be based on recounts of historical events, although inspiration from historical figures is fine.
-        Stories must be created without the use of AI.

Stories will be judged on:

-        -        Characterisation
-        Plot
-        Originality
-        Language
-        Enjoyment

I am really excited to see the creative ideas the children come up with.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone again next week.

Best wishes,

Mr Chanter

  

Group 2 spellings (test 12.9)

 

where

were

their

there

because

while

since

after

although

until

Group 1 Spellings (test 12.9)

 

caught

naughty

taught

daughter

autumn

clause

cause

astronaut

applaud

author

 Good afternoon everyone,

It is the start of a new year at Little Heath and I am very much looking forward to what we have planned ahead. It has been lovely getting to know the children even more in their first two days in Year 4 and they already seem completely at home in their new classroom.

Over the last two days, we have been completing a range of team-building and art activities to help them settle in and prepare for the year ahead.

This term, we will be covering the following topics within our subjects.

In English, we will be reading the text Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. In the story, the main character, Cassie Louise Lightfoot, has a dream to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on "tar beach," the rooftop of her family's Harlem apartment building, her dreams come true. The stars lift her up and she flies over the city, claiming the buildings and the city as her own. This beautifully written text will provide opportunities for a wide range of writing activities, including exploring imagery and rhythm through poetry, developing descriptive writing to create rich settings, and using dialogue to bring characters and events to life. We will also use the story as a stimulus for discussion about hopes, dreams and identity.

In maths, we will begin our topic on place value. The children will be learning to read and write numbers up to 10,000, recognising the value of each digit. They will compare and order numbers beyond 1,000, round numbers to the nearest 10, 100 or 1,000 and use number lines to represent and estimate numbers. As part of their number fluency, they will also be practising counting in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1,000. We will introduce negative numbers in context, exploring how they can be used in real-life situations such as measuring temperature. Later in the unit, the children will look at Roman numerals up to 100 and understand how the number system has changed over time. These skills will form the basis for their work in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as the year progresses.

In computing, our topic will be the internet. The children will begin by exploring how networks are connected and how this allows devices to communicate with one another. They will learn about the role of servers and how information is shared across the internet, including what happens when we search for something online. A key focus will be on developing their understanding of internet safety, such as recognising reliable sources of information, knowing how to respond if they encounter something inappropriate and learning about respectful communication in online spaces. This unit is designed to help children become confident and responsible users of technology.

In geography, our topic will be ‘Where does our food come from?’ The children will investigate the journey food takes from its origins to our plates, starting with locally grown produce before looking at foods that are imported from around the world. They will explore how climate, soil and location affect what can be grown in different countries and compare farming practices in the UK with those elsewhere. Through this topic, the children will also develop their geographical skills by using maps, globes and atlases to trace food journeys. We will also think about the environmental impact of food production and transport, and discuss how people can make more sustainable choices.

In PE with Mr Mills, the children will have their lessons every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this term. They will begin with football, where they will develop their passing, dribbling and teamwork skills. In gymnastics, the focus will be on balance, control and creating sequences of movements. Later in the term, they will move on to basketball and netball, learning to play both competitively and cooperatively, with an emphasis on tactics and fair play.

In music with Mrs Lawrence, the children will be exploring rhythmic patterns. They will use body percussion and instruments to create their own patterns, as well as listening to a range of musical examples to identify rhythms. Alongside this, they will be preparing songs for our Harvest celebration, which will allow them to practise singing with control, expression and confidence.

In art with Mrs Edwards, the children will begin with the theme of ‘light and dark’ using painting and mixed media. They will learn how artists use contrast, tone and shading to create mood and atmosphere. The children will experiment with a variety of materials and techniques to develop their own pieces, building on their understanding of how light and shadow can transform an image.

In RE with Mrs Edwards, the children will explore festivals, traditions and key events in life. They will discuss the importance of celebrations in different religions and cultures and how these events bring people together. They will also consider symbolic expression in prayer and worship, looking at how different faiths use objects, words and actions to show their beliefs.

In Spanish, the children will begin the topic of dates. They will learn the days of the week, months of the year and how to say the date in full. This will give them opportunities to practise pronunciation and sentence structure, as well as using the language in simple conversations.

Each Monday, I will be sending out the children’s spellings for the week, and these will be tested on the Friday. In the next couple of weeks, the children will also be set their half-termly project once they have been properly introduced to their topics.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all more in the weeks ahead.

Thank you for your continued support.

Thank You!

I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but here we are at the end of the school year!

It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know and teach the children this year. I’ll really miss seeing them walk into the classroom each morning! I’ve also enjoyed getting to know you all and becoming part of the wider school community.

This year has been packed full of memorable moments – from Fireworks Night (I’m still amazed at how many people came!) to Legoland, PGL and the fun we had at Stanborough Lakes – the list really does go on!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support throughout the year – it has meant so much. Also, a massive thank you for the incredibly generous gifts I’ve received. I was genuinely speechless… although that may also be down to the amount of chocolate I’ve been eating!

I hope you all have a fantastic, safe and well-deserved summer break. Whether you’re off on holiday or enjoying some downtime at home, I hope you get the chance to relax and recharge.

See you all in September. And for the last time this year – thank you from all of us in the Year 4 team..

Good afternoon,

I hope you’ve all had a lovely, sunny week and managed to enjoy some of the beautiful weather. It’s hard to believe, but we now have just one week to go before the summer holidays begin and the children move up into Year 5. It’s been such a fantastic year and they have all made excellent progress – we are very proud of them.

Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

In English, we have continued reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which the children are really enjoying. This week, we have been planning some dialogue inspired by the story and discussing how we can turn it into direct speech using correct punctuation and layout. Next week, the children will write their own short scenes based on this work.

In maths, we’ve been looking at position and direction as part of our geometry topic. We’ve focused on describing movements on a grid, plotting points using coordinates in the first quadrant, and identifying and describing translations. The children have been using practical activities to consolidate their understanding, and we will continue with this area of learning next week.

For history, we went on a brilliant local trip with our local historian to the Old Folly, which many of the children recognised from our school logo. It was a great opportunity to explore a landmark from our community and learn about how it has changed over the years. The children asked lots of thoughtful questions and really enjoyed learning more about the place they live.

In RE, we discussed both religious and humanist views about the environment. We spoke about our responsibility to care for all living things and shared ideas about how we can all play a part in building a more sustainable future. The children shared their thoughts with maturity and sensitivity.

In DT, the children have been working in groups to design a type of torch or light. This week, they used boxes and paper to construct the outer design before adding in their electrical circuits and switches. Alongside the practical side of the project, a big focus has been on working cooperatively in a team – and it was lovely to see so many of them supporting and helping each other throughout the process.

Next week is our final week together in Year 4. The children will be watching the Year 6 end-of-year performance, and we’re all looking forward to the much-anticipated Year 6 vs Staff rounders match (hopefully we’ll get at least a few cheers from the children when the staff win!). A quick reminder that school will finish at 1:15pm on the last day of term (Friday).

Thank you as always for your continued support. I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Mr Chanter's Spelling Group - Test on 17.7.25

 

illegal

immortal

impossible

impatient

irregular

imperfect

irrelevant

irresponsible

superhero

supernatural