Spellings (test on 30.1.26)

Mr Chanter's Group 

creation

radiation

indication

ventilation

relegation

dedication

demonstration

abbreviation

translation

vibration

Mrs Friedmann's Group

patting

patted

humming

hummed

dropping

dropped

sadder 

saddest

runner

runny

Hello everyone,

We’ve had another busy, exciting and wet week in Year 4, with lots of creativity, problem-solving and thoughtful discussion across the curriculum.

In English this week, the children have been writing their own sequels to Winter’s Child, imaginatively titled Spring’s Child. Across the lessons, we focused on writing different parts of the story, carefully building atmosphere and developing characters. The children worked hard to include key literary devices we have been learning about, such as using prepositions to add detail and accuracy, and incorporating direct speech to bring their characters to life. They showed great enthusiasm throughout the week and produced some fantastic pieces of writing, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy seeing at our next open afternoon.

In maths, we have been developing our multiplication and division skills. The children have been learning how to use the column (ladder) method to multiply 2-digit and 3-digit numbers by a 1-digit number. We focused on setting numbers out correctly, multiplying each digit carefully and remembering to carry when needed. For division, the children explored different methods to divide 2-digit and numbers by a 1-digit number. This included using sharing methods, grouping and applying their understanding of known multiplication facts to support accurate division. We also spent time checking answers and discussing which methods worked best for different types of questions. The children showed growing confidence and resilience when tackling more challenging calculations.

In RE this week, we discussed the Ten Commandments and explored how they can act as guidance to help keep people safe and treat one another fairly. Year 4 then wrote their own versions of commandments, reflecting on their personal values and ideas about how to make the world a better place. This led to some thoughtful and mature discussions.

In art, the children worked hard to develop their shading techniques using soft pencils. They practised showing light and shade to make flat shapes appear more three-dimensional. The children applied these skills by carefully drawing and shading different types of fruit in their sketchbooks, paying close attention to tone and texture.

In geography, we have been taking a closer look at tropical rainforests. The children learned about the key features of rainforests and then explored the different layers in detail. We described the characteristics of the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor, including the types of plants and animals found in each layer and how they are adapted to their environment. The children were particularly interested in how little sunlight reaches the forest floor and how this affects plant growth.

Geography - Half-Term Project
This half term’s project is based around the question: How is our local woodland area used?

The children can choose any local woodland area of their choice and explain why they like it, why it is important to the environment and/or how it benefits the local community. They can present their work as a poster or a PowerPoint etc, explaining how their chosen woodland area is used. I will be discussing this all in more detail with the class next week but if you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Have a lovely weekend!

Mr Chanter

Spellings (test on 23.1.26)

Mr Chanter's Spelling Group

information

adoration

sensation

preparation

education

location

exaggeration

concentration

imagination

organisation

Mrs Friedmann's Spelling Group

hiking

hiked

hiker

nicer

nicest

shiny

being

shining

scary

scaring

 Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you’ve all had a lovely week, even if the weather didn’t quite get the memo that it’s meant to be spring soon! We’re well underway into the first spring term now and it’s been another busy one in Year 4.

In maths, we’ve been focusing on multiplication and division facts and, importantly, how the two link together. The children have been learning that multiplication and division are inverse operations and how knowing one fact can help you work out another. We also spent time looking at multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100, using place value to understand what happens to the digits. Rather than just learning a rule, the children practised explaining why the numbers change, which really helped build their understanding.

In English, we reached the end of Winter’s Child and the children have been learning how to write and punctuate direct speech between characters. They’ve worked hard on using inverted commas correctly and making their dialogue clear and effective. Today, we started planning our own follow-on story called Spring’s Child, which we’ll be writing over the next week. There are already some lovely ideas taking shape!

In PE, the children began their swimming lessons at the local leisure centre. They had lots of fun and were very relieved to report that “the water was actually really warm!”, which is always a win in January. They were enthusiastic and did a great job during their first session.

In art, we started our new topic Painting and Mixed Media: Light and Dark. The children looked closely at different painting techniques, comparing artists’ work and thinking about colour and texture. They also practised mixing colours to create tints and shades, experimenting with how light and dark effects can change the mood of a piece of artwork.

In science, we kicked off our new topic on States of Matter. The children learned what solids and liquids are and sorted different materials into groups based on their state. We talked about tricky examples that don't seem to fit at first, such as pourable solids like rice and sand, and discussed how these behave. We’ll be exploring this topic further over the next few weeks, including some fun investigations.

Thank you, as always, for your support. Have a lovely weekend!

Spellings (test on 16.1.26)

Mr Chanter's Spelling Group

accept/except

affect/effect

aloud/allowed

weather/whether

cereal/serial

check/cheque

draft/draught

stares/stairs

flower/flour

plain/plane

Mrs Friedmann's Spelling Group

copier

copied

happier

happiest

cried

replied

tried

dried

driest

funniest

Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas break. Once again, a huge thank you for the very kind gifts — they were truly appreciated. It has been wonderful welcoming the children back this week and hearing all about what they got up to over the holidays. They have settled back into school routines incredibly well and it has been lovely to see them so engaged and enthusiastic in class.

In English, we have begun our new class text Winter’s Child by Angela McAllister, which feels very fitting given the cold weather (even if we are still waiting patiently for snow!). The children have started by making predictions about the story, exploring the theme of dreams and discussing what they might symbolise. We have also been writing poetry inspired by the text, focusing on using expanded noun phrases to add detail and description, as well as correctly using apostrophes for possession and contraction.

In Maths, our learning this week has focused on factors, factor pairs and products. The children have been practising finding all the factors of a number and understanding that factors always come in pairs that multiply together to make a product. We have explored how different factor pairs can lead to the same product and discussed how this knowledge links to multiplication and division. The children have been using practical examples, arrays and reasoning to explain their thinking, which has helped to deepen their understanding.

In History, we explored the concepts of change and continuity by looking at religion during the Anglo-Saxon era. The children used timelines to identify two major shifts in religious beliefs and practices: the introduction of Anglo-Saxon paganism and the later spread of Christianity from centres such as Iona, Lindisfarne and Canterbury. Using their knowledge of both Christian and pagan practices, the children worked as historians to decide which religion the person buried at Sutton Hoo may have followed, justifying their ideas with evidence.

In Science, the children learned about sound and why it is sometimes necessary to prevent sound from travelling. We discussed real-life examples such as ear defenders, soundproof rooms and insulating materials in buildings. The children then investigated the soundproofing effectiveness of different materials, considering which materials were best at reducing sound and why. They made predictions, tested materials fairly and discussed their results using scientific vocabulary.

In PSHE, we completed our unit on Celebrating Differences. The children reflected on times when their first impressions of someone changed once they got to know them better and discussed why it is important to accept people for who they are. We talked about how understanding and empathy help us to build positive relationships. We also spent time sharing the projects the children completed for this topic — it was a really lovely session and the children were clearly proud of their work and enjoyed celebrating what makes each of them unique within our class.

Finally, a quick reminder about PE: swimming sessions will take place on Wednesdays this term, so please ensure children bring the correct swimming kit. Our normal PE lessons will continue on Mondays and Fridays, where we will be focusing on football.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Have a lovely weekend.

Mr Chanter

 Hi Everyone,

As we come to the end of the term, I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Whether you’ve got exciting plans lined up or are looking forward to some relaxing time at home with good TV, I hope you have a fantastic couple of weeks.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you for the very generous Christmas gifts. Your kindness and thoughtfulness are really appreciated and it means so much.

Looking ahead to the start of the new term, here’s a quick reminder about when the children will need their sports kits:

First Week Back: PE kits on Wednesday and Friday.

From Week Two Onwards:

Monday: PE kits

Wednesday: Swimming kits

Friday: Football kits

If you have any questions, just let me know.

Thank you again for your support this term. Have a wonderful Christmas break and I’ll see you in the New Year!