Spellings (test on 13.3.26)

 Mr Chanter's Group

circle

decide

medicine

exercise

special

cinema

decimal

accident

city

citizen Mrs Friedmann's Group

gem  giant  magic  giraffe  energy  jacket  jar  jog  join  adjust

 Hello everyone,

I hope you have had a lovely sunny week. It’s amazing the impact a bit of sunshine and warm weather can have! Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can open up the field for the children to play on again.

It was brilliant seeing the children in their costumes yesterday. They really immersed themselves in the day and had lots of fun, especially during the visit from poet and author, Stewart Henderson. He inspired the children with his poetry and helped them think about how emotions can be expressed through words. The children then had a go at writing their own poems based on different feelings, and it was wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm.

In English this week, the children have been writing their own versions of The Lion and the Unicorn, embedding all of the writing devices we have explored throughout this topic. They have worked really hard to include these features in their own stories. Next week we will be starting our new class text, The Story of Tutankhamun, which links perfectly with our upcoming history topic.

In maths, we have begun our new topic on fractions. The children have been learning to count in fractions to make one whole and to go beyond this to create mixed numbers. This is a new area of learning for many of them, but they have shown great perseverance and determination as they begin to understand these concepts.

In RE, we discussed the second pillar of Islam, Salah (Islamic prayer). The pupils began by sharing what they already knew before learning about the five daily ritual prayers, including their purpose, requirements and the importance of facing Mecca. We also began looking at prayer mats, which will inspire the children to design their own.

In DT, Year 4 are continuing their project on mini greenhouses. In our second lesson, we recapped the purpose of a greenhouse and discussed how transparency allows heat and light from the sun to help plants grow. Working in pairs, the children folded paper nets to create 3D shapes and discussed which structures would be the most stable. They then cut holes to allow light through, ensuring their structures remained stable while still letting in enough light.

For the children's half-termly project, they have been asked to start learning the words to the songs for our upcoming KS2 performance of Robin Hood. Over the next few weeks, this will really help them build confidence and familiarity with the music ready for rehearsals. We are all looking forward to bringing the performance together and sharing it with you later in the term.

Well done to the children for another fantastic week of learning.

Have a lovely weekend.

Spellings (test on 6/3/26)

 Mr Chanter's Group

centre

century

certain

recent

experience

sentence

notice

celebrate

ceremony

certificate

 Mrs Friedmann's Group

badge

edge

bridge

dodge

fudge

age

huge

change

charge

village

 Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you all had a lovely half term break. It has certainly been a very busy first week back in Year 4 - it has been wonderful to see how much the children have enjoyed it!

On Tuesday, we were lucky enough to be visited by professional gymnast Saffron Severn, who was crowned Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion for Great Britain in 2019. She led the children through a range of exercise drills and also delivered an inspiring whole-school assembly where she spoke about perseverance, dedication and working hard to achieve your goals. A huge thank you to all of you for your support in helping the children raise money for this fantastic event — it really was appreciated.

Wednesday brought another exciting opportunity, as some of our children travelled to the O2 Arena to take part in the Young Voices concert. For those who have attended before, you will know what an incredible spectacle it is! The children represented the school brilliantly, singing their hearts out and showing fantastic enthusiasm throughout the evening. They should all be extremely proud of themselves.

On Thursday, we stepped back in time for our Ancient Egyptian Workshop, which was both fun and educational — even for me! The children made a wonderful effort with their costumes, which really helped bring the day to life. We began by creating a range of artefacts from the period, including jars, canopic jars, amulet bracelets and soaps. This was followed by storytelling and role play activities before finishing the day with an Egyptian-style celebration for the Pharaoh and his wife, complete with performances and a feast. Unfortunately, I was executed for treason at the end of the day… you’ll have to ask the children for the full story!

In Science, we have begun our new topic on States of Matter. This week, the children investigated and compared the melting points of different materials. We explored how some substances melt very easily, while others require extremely high temperatures. The children looked at examples such as olive oil, which can change state at relatively low temperatures, and wax, which melts when heated and then solidifies again as it cools. 

In Maths, the children have been finishing their topic on length and perimeter. Over the past week, they have been applying their knowledge of measuring in metres, centimetres and millimetres, as well as converting between different units of measurement. They have also been calculating the perimeter of a range of shapes, including both regular and irregular polygons, and solving reasoning and problem-solving questions involving real-life contexts. Next week, we will be moving on to our new topic of fractions. The children will begin by revisiting what fractions represent as equal parts of a whole before exploring equivalent fractions, counting in fractions and placing fractions on a number line. As the unit progresses, they will also learn to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator and develop a deeper understanding of how fractions relate to division and whole numbers.

The excitement continues next week as Thursday marks World Book Day. Children are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character and will take part in a variety of book-themed activities throughout the day. We are also delighted to welcome poet Stewart Henderson, who will be visiting the school to talk about his work and lead a series of workshops with the children. Signed copies of his book will be available to purchase from the school hall at the end of the day for £6.99.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It has been a fantastic start to the half term and we are looking forward to another exciting week ahead!

Mr Chanter

Spellings (test on 27.2.26)

Mr Chanter's Group

science

crescent

discipline

fascinate

scent

scissors

ascent

descent

scientist

scenery

Mrs Friedmann's Group

grate

great

grown

groan

plain

plane

peace

piece

rain

reign

 Hello everyone,

Wow – that half term really flew by! I can’t quite believe the next one is even shorter. The children have packed so much in already this year and we have still have so many exciting things ahead!

A big thank you to everyone who was able to come along to our open afternoon on Wednesday. I know the children were incredibly proud to show off their work – and rightly so!

In English, we’ve been writing non-chronological reports about the Women's Land Army. The children worked hard to organise their information clearly and include all the key features of this style of writing. I’ve been really impressed with how confidently they are using headings, subheadings and factual language.

We also had a visit from Hello Vets, who spoke to the children about what it’s like to work as a vet. They learned all about the different roles within the profession and asked some fantastic questions – we may well have a few future vets in Year 4!

And of course, we ended the week with the school disco. I think it’s fair to say the bubble machine was a huge success – along with some very enthusiastic dancing!

After half term, we’re straight back into the excitement. On Wednesday, the children will be heading to Young Voices at The O2. It’s always such an amazing event and a real highlight of the year. They’ve worked so hard learning the songs and I know they’ll be brilliant.

Then on Thursday, we kick off our new History topic on Ancient Egypt with an in-school workshop. The children are very welcome to dress up – the more pharaohs, mummies and archaeologists the better! It should be a fantastic way to start the topic.

Just a quick reminder that Geography projects are due in during the first week back. The children need to create a poster, presentation or video explaining how their local woodland is used and why it is important. I’m really looking forward to seeing their creativity shine through.

I hope you all have a lovely, restful and safe February half term. Enjoy the break and I’ll see you all back ready for another busy (and slightly shorter!) half term.

Best wishes,
Mr Chanter

Spellings (test 13.2.26)

Everyone - Plural Apostrophes

girls’

boys’

babies’

parents’

teachers’

women’s 

men’s

children’s

people’s

mice’s