Year 4

🍂 Welcome to Year 4 🍂

Welcome to a brand-new year in Year 4!

My name is Mr Harrop, and I am delighted to be teaching Year 4 this year. We have an exciting year ahead, full of opportunities to explore, create, investigate and grow together. As children move further through Key Stage 2, we will continue to develop independence, resilience and confidence, while working hard to achieve our very best.

This year, we will continue our Leader in Me journey, developing leadership skills, responsibility and teamwork. We are also proud to be part of the Healthy Schools Initiative, encouraging positive physical and mental wellbeing throughout the year.

One of the most exciting opportunities this year will be our involvement in the Oldham Schools Linking Project, where we will work alongside children from Coppice School. Through shared experiences and collaborative activities, children will have opportunities to explore identity, diversity, equality and community whilst building new friendships and understanding.

We are looking forward to a fantastic year together!

📝 Important Information

Homework: Set every Friday and due the following Friday via Purple Mash.
Spellings: Given out on Friday and tested the following Friday.
Reading: Please bring reading books to school every day. Regular reading at home is one of the most effective ways to support learning.
Times Tables: Year 4 children complete the statutory Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) this year. Regular practice at home through Purple Mash or Times Tables Rock Stars will make a huge difference.
PE Days: Tuesday and Thursday. Please ensure children have a full PE kit in school.
Healthy Schools: We encourage active lifestyles, healthy choices and good wellbeing habits both in and out of school.

Helpful Links

📚 Autumn 1: What We're Learning

➗ Maths – Place Value and Addition & Subtraction

This half-term, children will develop their understanding of:

Place value in numbers up to 10,000
Representing and partitioning 4-digit numbers
Comparing and ordering numbers
Rounding numbers
Addition and subtraction strategies
Efficient written methods

A strong understanding of place value will provide the foundation for much of our maths learning this year.

✍️ English – Ancient Egypt

Our writing will be inspired by:

Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs by Marcia Williams
Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd-Stanton

Children will be working towards writing:

Narrative texts
Information texts

We will develop vocabulary, sentence structure and editing skills whilst learning about the fascinating world of Ancient Egypt.

📖 Class Novel – The Borrowers

This half-term we will be reading The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

Deep beneath the floorboards lives a tiny family who secretly "borrow" everyday items from the humans living above. Their carefully hidden world is thrown into danger when they are discovered, leading to an exciting adventure full of courage, problem-solving and imagination.

🏺 History – Ancient Egypt

Children will explore one of the world's earliest civilisations by investigating:

Pharaohs and rulers
Daily life in Ancient Egypt
Pyramids and mummification
Ancient beliefs and religion
Historical evidence and artefacts

We will be learning how historians use evidence to understand the past and comparing Ancient Egypt with other civilisations.

🔬 Science – What Do Scientists Do?

Children will explore:

Different types of scientists
Scientific questions and investigations
Observation and recording skills
Fair testing
Working scientifically

This unit will introduce children to the ways scientists help us understand and improve the world around us.

💻 Computing – Coding

Children will:

Develop programming skills
Create and debug simple programs
Understand sequencing and algorithms
Build confidence in computational thinking

⚽ PE – Cross Country and Netball

We will be developing:

Stamina and endurance
Teamwork and communication
Ball skills
Passing and movement
Tactical thinking

🎵 Music – African Drumming

Children will:

Explore African rhythms and traditions
Develop performance skills
Perform as part of an ensemble
Learn how rhythm contributes to musical expression

✝️ RE

What is the Trinity and what does it mean to Christians?

Children will explore Christian beliefs about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and consider why the Trinity is important within Christianity.

💬 PSHE – Being Me in My World

We will focus on:

Belonging
Rights and responsibilities
Working together
Positive relationships
Setting goals and expectations

🇪🇸 Spanish – Las estaciones

Children will learn:

The four seasons
Related vocabulary
Speaking and listening skills
Simple conversational language

🎨 Art – Craft and Design: Ancient Egyptian Scrolls

Children will:

Investigate Ancient Egyptian artwork
Explore design techniques
Create their own Egyptian-inspired scrolls
Develop drawing and craft skills

🌟 Highlights This Half-Term

🤝 Oldham Schools Linking Project

This year, our Year 4 class is taking part in the Schools Linking Programme, facilitated by The Linking Network. We are very excited to be linking with another Year 4 class from Coppice Primary School and beginning a journey of friendship, understanding and shared learning.

What is the Schools Linking Programme?

The Schools Linking Programme brings together classes from different schools through a carefully planned programme that runs across the school year. Children learn about themselves, their classmates, their local community and the lives of other children who may have different experiences, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs or family traditions.

Throughout the year, pupils will exchange work, photographs, artwork, letters and videos through their teachers. They will also take part in shared activities designed to help them get to know one another before meeting face-to-face.

What will the children explore?

The programme is built around four key questions:

Who am I? - understanding our own identity and what makes each of us unique.
Who are we? - discovering the things we share and the differences that make us interesting.
Where do we live? - learning about our communities and the places we call home.
How can we all live well together? - exploring fairness, respect, kindness and belonging.

These themes fit closely with our PSHE, SMSC and British Values curriculum and encourage children to think deeply about themselves and the world around them.

Why do schools take part?

Research has shown that children who participate in Schools Linking often develop:

greater confidence when meeting new people;
increased understanding of different cultures, communities and backgrounds;
stronger communication and teamwork skills;
empathy, respect and kindness towards others;
a greater sense of belonging within their local community.

The programme helps children recognise that while we may have differences, we also share many common hopes, interests and experiences.

Meeting Our Link Class

Our first meeting with our link school will take place at Gallery Oldham on Tuesday 20th October.

It is perfectly normal for children (and adults!) to feel a little nervous before meeting new people. The activities have been carefully planned by experienced staff from the Linking Project and are designed to be fun, welcoming and supportive. Children work together through simple games, creative tasks and conversations that help friendships develop naturally.

Over the past few weeks, Year 4 have already begun preparing for this experience by thinking about their own identities, values and communities. We are looking forward to seeing the children's confidence grow as they begin to make new connections.

How can families support?

One of the best ways to support your child is simply to talk to them about the experience. You might ask:

What do you think you have in common with the children in the other school?
What would you like to tell them about yourself?
What would you like to find out about them?
What are you most looking forward to?

These conversations can help children approach the experience with curiosity and confidence.

We look forward to sharing updates and photographs from our linking journey throughout the year.

🌟 How You Can Help at Home

You can support your child by:

Listening to them read regularly
Discussing books and asking questions about what they have read
Practising times tables several times each week
Encouraging completion of homework and spellings
Ensuring excellent attendance and punctuality

We are looking forward to a fantastic start to Year 4 and an exciting term of learning together. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to Mr Harrop. 🍂📚🌟