Spellings (test on 24/4/26)

 Mr Chanter's Group

interact

interfere

intercity

international

intermediate

internet

intergalactic

interrupt

intervene

interject

Mrs Andersen's Group

badly

hopeless 

penniless

happily

lovely

joyless

slowly

quickly

careless

fearless

 Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a lovely Easter holiday. I don’t know why, but this always feels like my favourite half term at school – perhaps it’s the positive change in the weather and the lighter, brighter days ahead!

As you know, the school pool has now been installed and the children have begun their swimming lessons. They have made a fantastic start and shown great enthusiasm. Please could children ensure they bring their swimming kit (including costume, towel, and any other essentials) every day, as there may be additional opportunities for extra swimming sessions.

In English this week, the class have continued reading The Story of Tutankhamun and have been learning about Howard Carter’s famous discovery of the pharaoh’s tomb in 1922. The children explored what made this discovery so significant and how news would have been shared at the time. They have begun writing their own newspaper reports, focusing on key features such as headlines, introductions, factual reporting, and quotes. We discussed how to hook the reader’s attention and present information clearly, and the children have worked hard to write in a formal, informative style, just like real journalists from the 1920s.

In maths, the children have been learning about tenths and how to represent them as both fractions and decimals. They explored how tenths relate to place value, recognising that 1/10 is the same as 0.1, and used place value charts to support their understanding. The class also practised dividing numbers by 10 and identifying tenths on number lines, helping them to see the connections between fractions, decimals, and real-life quantities.

In science, as part of our topic on ‘Living Things and Their Habitats’, the children have been identifying, grouping, and classifying different vertebrates. They used classification keys to sort animals based on their characteristics, such as whether they are mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, or amphibians. The children enjoyed asking and answering questions to narrow down possibilities and began to understand how scientists organise and study living things.

In RE, we had a thoughtful discussion about where wisdom comes from and what it means to be wise. As a class, we explored stories, sayings, and examples of wisdom, and the children shared their opinions on people – including some cartoon characters – who they believe show wisdom. We concluded that being wise means making the right choices based on knowledge and experience. We will continue this topic by exploring stories linked to wisdom in different traditions.

In art, the class were immersed in the sounds of the rainforest before looking at images of tropical birds, plants, flowers, and fruit. This sensory experience inspired them as they began our new topic. The children selected images they found interesting and created detailed observational drawings, focusing on colour, shape, and pattern. Next week, we will build on this work to create our own rainforest-inspired mood boards.

We are very excited about our upcoming STEM trip to Legoland Windsor on Monday! This will be a fantastic opportunity for the children to engage in hands-on learning and experience STEM in a fun and interactive environment.

A few important reminders for the day:

• Please ensure your child arrives at school by 8:15am, as the coach will be leaving promptly at 8:30am.
• Children should wear their own regular clothes, suitable for the weather, along with sensible footwear for lots of walking.
• Please send your child with a packed lunch and a water bottle in a bag they can carry comfortably throughout the day.
• No money should be brought on the trip, as there will be no opportunities for spending.

We expect to return in the early evening (by 6:30pm at the latest), but we will keep you updated.

Finally, we kindly ask that you avoid parking on the school road so it is clear for the return of the coach.

Enjoy your weekend, and I will see you next week.

 Good afternoon,

And just like that, it’s the Easter holiday! Time really does fly. The children have had another great term in Year 4, and what a way to end it with the middle school production of Robin Hood and the Sherwood Hoodies. I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say the children did a fantastic job and should be really proud of themselves. It always takes a lot of courage to perform in front of an audience, but not only did they do it well, it was lovely to see them having so much fun at the same time.

When the children return to school on Tuesday 14th April, they will begin their swimming lessons in our amazing outdoor pool, which we are very lucky to have set up again this year. Please ensure that your child brings a swimming cap with them for these sessions.

The following week, on Monday 20th April, the children will be going on our STEM-based trip to Legoland, where they will learn about the science and technology involved in running the park. Of course, they will also have the chance to go on a few rides at the same time! It is always a fantastic day out, and I’m sure the children will have a brilliant time.

I hope you have a lovely Easter break and I look forward to seeing you all in April.

Thank you for your continued support.

Spellings (test on 27/3/26)

Mr Chanter's Spelling Group

length

strength

purpose

history

different

difficult

separate

suppose

therefore

knowledge

Mrs Andersen's Spelling Group

even

break

steak

shouldn't

move

prove

improve

sure

sugar

eye

 Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you are well and have enjoyed the fantastic weather we’ve had so far this week – I know I certainly have! Your child may have mentioned that they were taught by Ms Davis this week, which they really enjoyed. Moving forward, she will be teaching the class one day a week, covering PSHE and Spanish in the afternoon,

In English this week, the children have been reading instructions on how to mummify someone from our book The Story of Tutankhamun. From this, we wrote our own instructions on how to mummify a tomato, which the children then carried out in class. It was surprisingly not as messy as I thought it would be and the children really enjoyed seeing the process come to life!

In maths, the children have been working really hard on mixed numbers and improper fractions. Most recently, they have been finding equivalents between the two and beginning to understand how to convert between them. This is always a tricky topic, but the children have shown great perseverance and should be proud of themselves.

In Spanish, the children have started a new topic all about cafés. They have been learning key vocabulary for different foods and drinks, as well as practising simple phrases to help them order, such as asking for items politely and responding to questions. The children have really enjoyed practising conversations with each other and are growing in confidence when speaking aloud.

In science, the children have started their new topic, Animals and Their Habitats. This week, they have been learning about the characteristics of different animals and sorting them into Venn and Carroll diagrams based on their similarities and differences. They’ve had some great discussions about how and why animals are grouped in different ways.

Year 4 have also been busy working on the middle school performance of Robin Hood and the Sherwood Hoodies this week and it has been lovely to see their enthusiasm during rehearsals. Could you please ensure your child has either a black/dark outfit to wear on Monday morning ready for the week's performances which will take place on:

- Wednesday at 1:30pm

- Thursday at 6:30pm

I do expect all of the children to be in attendance for both performances. However, if your child is unable to able to attend any, please let me know as soon as possible so we can make any necessary changes.

Enjoy your weekends - I hope they continue to be sunny!

Spellings (test on 19.3.26)

Mr Chanter's Group

solve

solution

insoluble

dissolve

solvent

sign

signature

assign

design

signal

Mrs Andersen's Group

because

people

every

great

break

believe

excited

beautiful

after

again

 Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you have had a lovely week – we certainly have in Year 4! The children may have told you that we have a new teaching assistant in Year 4 called Mrs Andersen. She has spent the last week getting to know everyone and is looking forward to working with the class for the remainder of the year.

In English, we have begun exploring our new text, The Story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland Peck. Over the coming weeks, the children will be learning about the life of the young pharaoh, the discovery of his tomb and what life was like in Ancient Egypt. This week, the children examined a range of evidence surrounding Tutankhamun’s death. They considered different theories, including whether his death was accidental, caused by illness, or the result of murder! Using the evidence they gathered, the children wrote persuasive pieces explaining which theory they believed was most likely, supporting their ideas with reasons and evidence.

In maths, the children have shown great perseverance while tackling some challenging learning around mixed numbers and improper fractions. They explored how these two forms of fractions are connected and practised converting between them. The children also used visual models and fraction bars to help them understand how whole numbers and fractions combine, building their confidence in recognising the value of fractions greater than one.

In history, we continued our learning about Ancient Egypt, focusing on the importance of the River Nile. The children discovered how vital the river was to the survival of the civilisation. They learned that the annual flooding of the Nile left behind rich, fertile soil which allowed crops to grow, helping communities to thrive. The river was also an important source of water, food, and transport. However, we also discussed the challenges it brought. Floods could sometimes be unpredictable or destructive, and dangerous animals such as crocodiles lived in the river. The children explored how the Nile could both support life and, at times, present dangers to those living nearby.

As part of Science Week, we were very lucky to take part in a science workshop all about forces. The children carried out a variety of exciting experiments where they investigated pushes and pulls, friction, and how different forces can affect the movement of objects. They worked like real scientists, making predictions, observing what happened, and discussing their results. You will be able to see just how much they enjoyed the session from the photos below!

In computing, the children have started their new unit called “Creating Media.” In our first lesson, we focused on editing images. The children learned how to use tools such as crop to remove unwanted parts of an image and rotate to change the orientation of a picture. They also discussed why editing images can be useful, such as improving the focus of a photograph or making an image more suitable for a presentation. The class enjoyed experimenting with these tools and beginning to develop their digital editing skills.

Looking ahead to next week, the children will be spending some time rehearsing for our middle school performance of Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies. For their part in the performance, it would be greatly appreciated if you could send your child into school with a black or dark outfit where possible by Friday 20th March.

If you would like to attend the performances, they will be held on Wednesday 25th March at 1:30pm and Thursday 26th March at 6:30pm. Please make sure to book your tickets through the school office as soon as possible.

Have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to another great week of learning ahead!