Spellings (test 13.2.26)

Everyone - Plural Apostrophes

girls’

boys’

babies’

parents’

teachers’

women’s 

men’s

children’s

people’s

mice’s

 Hello everyone,

I hope you have all had a lovely week, even if it has been a little wet! I can’t believe we only have one more week left before the half-term break – the year is absolutely flying by.

In English, we have continued reading The Lion and the Unicorn, which the children are really enjoying, especially now they have discovered its links with World War II. This week, the children have been writing informal letters in role as different characters from the story. They have been working hard to include prepositions, fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases. Alongside this, they have written setting descriptions with a focus on using apostrophes correctly for contractions and possession. It has been lovely to see their confidence grow in their writing.

In maths, we have started our new topic on measurement, focusing on metres and kilometres and the relationship between the two. The children have been converting between units and solving problems linked to real-life contexts. We will continue developing these skills further next week.

In science, the children finished their investigation to answer the question “Do gases have weight?” and discovered some surprising results! We also carried out experiments to explore how heating and cooling can change the state of a material. The children learnt that these changes are reversible and linked their findings to everyday examples such as melting and freezing.

In computing, we have been developing our programming skills using Turtle Academy. The children have been writing repeated algorithms to create specific shapes and patterns, learning how repetition can make code more efficient and accurate.

In Spanish, we have been learning vocabulary linked to the weather. The children have practised saying and writing phrases such as describing what the weather is like and giving simple opinions. They have started using this vocabulary in full sentences and are growing in confidence when speaking aloud.

In geography, we have continued learning about the Amazon rainforest. This week we focused on indigenous communities and how they use the rainforest’s resources, how different groups claim rights to the land, changes over time and an introduction to deforestation. The children have had some thoughtful discussions about how human actions affect the environment.

Next week is a very busy one! It is Children’s Mental Health Week, and we will be completing a range of activities to mark the occasion and encourage the children to talk about their feelings and wellbeing.

It is also Open Afternoon on Wednesday, where you are welcome to come into school and your child can share and discuss their work with you.

On Thursday, we have a visit from Little Vets, who will be holding an assembly for the class to talk about their profession. This is followed by the Little Heath Disco in the evening, running from 6:15–7:15pm.

Geography – Half-Term Project Reminder

Just a reminder that 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 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, PowerPoint or another creative format, explaining how their chosen woodland area is used. I will be discussing this in more detail with the class next week, but please let me know if you have any questions.

Ancient Egyptian Workshop

As communicated previously, we are really looking forward to our Ancient Egyptian workshop on 26/2/26. The children are very welcome to dress up in Ancient Egyptian style for the day. Please encourage the children to make their own costumes where possible.

Enjoy your weekend, and I look forward to seeing everyone next week!

Spellings 6.2.26

 Mr Chanter's Spelling Group

submergesubheadingsubmarinesubordinatesubwaysupermansupervisesupersedesuperpowersuperhuman

Mrs Friedmann's Spelling Group

other

mother

brother

nothing

Monday

money

cover

honey

discover

wonder

 Hello everyone,

We’ve had another busy and exciting week in Year 4! Here’s a look at what the children have been learning.

In English, we finished writing and editing our sequel stories to Winter’s Child. The children worked hard to improve their vocabulary, punctuation and sentence structure, and they should be very proud of their final pieces. We have now started our new class text, The Lion and the Unicorn by Shirley Hughes. The children have been developing their prediction and inference skills by studying the illustrations carefully and using clues to work out what the story might be about and how the characters may feel.

In maths, the children have been working really hard on division. They have been learning how to divide 2-digit and 3-digit numbers by partitioning, breaking numbers into manageable parts to help solve problems efficiently. Some children have even extended their learning by using the bus stop method, showing fantastic resilience and confidence when tackling more challenging calculations.

In science, we explored the third state of matter: gases. We investigated whether gases have mass and looked at the many ways gases are used in everyday life, as well as the properties that make them useful. The children then carried out an experiment to see if gases have weight by weighing a bottle of fizzy drink and then weighing it again once it had gone flat. This helped them see that the gas escaping from the drink did, in fact, have mass.

In art this week, Year 4 practised their shading skills before creating a still life composition. We studied a bowl of fruit and discussed where the light was shining, as well as identifying darker areas and shadows. The children then drew their own bowl of fruit, using shading pencils to show contrast and create a 3D effect. The results were very impressive.

In our PSHE topic on Dreams and Goals, we focused on the feeling of disappointment and what happens when our hopes or plans do not go the way we expect. We talked about how disappointment can make us feel upset, frustrated or unmotivated, and why these feelings are normal. The children then discussed positive ways to overcome disappointment, such as reflecting on what went wrong, asking for help, trying again, setting smaller achievable goals and reminding ourselves of past successes. This has been a great opportunity to build resilience and a positive mindset.

Geography – Half-Term Project Reminder

Just a reminder that 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 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, PowerPoint or another creative format, explaining how their chosen woodland area is used. I will be discussing this in more detail with the class next week, but please let me know if you have any questions.

Ancient Egyptian Workshop

As communicated previously, we are really looking forward to our Ancient Egyptian workshop on 26/2/26. The children are very welcome to dress up in Ancient Egyptian style for the day. Please encourage the children to make their own costumes where possible.

Thank you for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend.

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