Week commencing 15th December 2025

We have had such a busy, fun last week of term! Making baubles and calendars, doing lots of maths games and finishing our winter poems. 
 

Wishing everyone a well deserved, restful break, a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year! Looking forward to continuing our learning in 2026. 
 

Miss Higgs and Mrs Duffy 
 

Week commencing 8th December 2025

What a great week we had in Year 4! 

In English, we explored poems and stanzas and began planning and writing our own winter-themed poems. We chose four different themes linked to winter, such as icicles, snowy mountains, snowflakes, gingerbread and cosy scenes. We carefully thought about similes, adjectives and personification to help bring our ideas to life.

In Maths, we have been learning all about factors and factor pairs, developing our reasoning skills and number knowledge.

In Science, we discussed natural phenomena and disasters, focusing on deforestation and how it impacts living things and their habitats.

In Design and Technology, we have been sewing to create festive baubles. We used cross stitch to add a snowflake to the front of our baubles, and next week we will be using running stitch to join two pieces of fabric together.

We also enjoyed a special forest school session this week! We were able to toast marshmallows and eat them. Thankyou Mrs Lovell. 

Well done, Year 4, for another week of fantastic learning! 
 

Week commencing 1st December 2025

This week we have been consolidating our learning in Maths, Writing and Reading. We have created winter calendars using water colours. On Friday we participated in a Rudolph run! We had to do 8 laps of the track in our pyjamas and all the money raised went to St Clares Hospice. 

 

Week commencing 24th November 2025

Year 4 have been hard at work this week creating their own exciting portal stories. After stepping through a magical portal, the children found themselves in Ancient Egypt, where they discovered the famous tomb of Tutankhamun. As they explored, a problem occurred that each writer had to solve, adding tension and adventure to their tale. Throughout the week, we focused on using fronted adverbials and exciting, descriptive language to make the stories vivid and engaging for the reader.

In Maths this week, Year 4 explored what happens when we multiply numbers by 1 and 0. We learnt that when you multiply any number by 1, the value stays exactly the same. We also discovered that multiplying any number by 0 will always give the answer 0. We practised this through a range of activities and examples to help everyone feel confident using these rules in their calculations.

In Science, Year 4 learned how to classify animals by looking carefully at their specific features. We used a classification key to help us sort different creatures and identify them accurately. To put our skills into practice, we even had to work out the names of some mysterious “aliens” by following the clues in the key. It was a fun and exciting way to explore how scientists group living things!

In Art, our learning objective was to use watercolours to represent the River Nile. Year 4 explored different techniques such as blending, creating gradients, and adding texture to show the movement of the water. The children studied images of the Nile for inspiration and used a range of brushstrokes and thin and thick paint brushes to capture its flow and surroundings. Their finished pieces reflected both creativity and growing confidence in watercolour painting.

Week commencing 17th November 2025

This week, in Science Year 4 learned how to sort, name, and recognise vertebrates and invertebrates. The class explored the key differences between animals with backbones (vertebrates) and those without (invertebrates). Pupils sorted a range of animals into groups, discussed their features, and learnt to identify common examples such as mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. 

In History, we learnt the importance of the River Nile and how it influenced ancient Egyptian settlements. The class explored why the Nile was essential for farming, travel, and daily life, and discovered how its yearly floods created fertile land that allowed communities to grow. Pupils looked at maps to identify where settlements were built and discussed how the river helped shape the development of ancient Egyptian civilisation.

In Maths this week, we focused on recalling the multiplication and division facts for the 7 and 9 times tables. We practised using quick mental strategies, spotting patterns in each multiplication table, and solving related division facts. We learnt some different songs to help us skip count in 7's and 9's and, just like last week, we used the metre stick to help us remember the multiples of each times table group.  

In English, we began planning our own portal stories inspired by the Ancient Egyptians and Tutankhamun's tomb. The class explored what a portal story is and discussed how characters travel from one world to another. We planned our  settings, characters, and the moment the portal appears, thinking about how our character would react. We made sure to include lots of exciting vocabulary which will help with writing next week, a variety of fronted adverbials and past tense verbs. We did a lot of exploration on our senses and the used 'show don't tell method' writing strategy to help us make our writing more vivid and engaging. We can't wait to write our portal stories next week! 

Miss Higgs and Mrs Duffy 

Week commencing 10th November 2025

What a brilliant week this week has been. It was Anti-bullying week, so we made sure to wear odd socks on Monday to represent being unique. We also did some reading based on anti-bullying. 

In Maths, we’ve been learning our 6 times tables. We practised counting in sixes to the tune of London Bridge Is Falling Down, and we played the metre stick game. Each multiple of six was written on a post-it note and placed along a metre stick. Each time we counted in sixes, we removed one post-it. It’s been a fun and engaging way for the children to learn their 6 times tables!

We had such a fun English and History lesson this week! We re-enacted Howard Carter discovering Tutankhamun’s tomb. We had to crawl through a dark tunnel. At the end, there was a small peep hole for us to look through. We saw images from the antechamber that Howard Carter found first. Vocabulary was then generated by evoking our 5 senses and recording our words on the flip chart. When we weren’t going through the tunnel, we were investigating ancient Egyptian artefacts, making pyramids and developing our understanding of the pyramid where Tutankhamun was discovered.  

In Art we used thin and thick paintbrushes to paint a portrait of Tutankhamun's death mask. 

We have had such a lovely week. Come back next week to find out what else we got up to! 

Miss Higgs and Mrs Duffy 

 

Week commencing 3rd November 2025

We have had such a great first week back of learning. 

This week in English, Year 4 explored explanation texts linked to their topic on Tudor houses. We began by researching the differences between rich and poor Tudor homes, making detailed notes to help us organise our ideas. Using this research, we then planned and wrote our own explanation texts, clearly describing what life and housing were like for people of different social classes during the Tudor period.

In Maths, we focused on learning about area. We began by exploring what area is and how it can be measured. We then counted squares to find the area of different shapes and compared areas to understand which shapes covered more or less space.

In Art this week we created poppies for Remembrance Day using tissue paper. We also had an outdoor classroom day on Thursday where all our lessons were outside. Have a look at some of the fun activities we completed. 

Next week we will begin learning about the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids. 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Miss Higgs and Mrs Duffy 

 

Week commencing 20th October 2025

What a fantastic last week of the Autumn term we have had! 

This week, Year 4 enjoyed an exciting trip to the Olympic Village! On Tuesday, we explored the fascinating architecture of the Aquatic Centre and the Olympic Stadium, learning about how Stratford has changed over time and what the area was used for before the 2012 Olympic Games. Inside the Aquatic Centre, we were amazed by the unique wave-like roof design, and we even had the chance to sit by the River Lee bridge to sketch our surroundings. It was a fantastic day full of learning, creativity, and inspiration!

In English, we explored the key features of explanation texts. This will help us prepare for our new topic after half-term, as we begin to apply these skills in our own writing.

In Maths, we started our new topic on area. We learnt that area is the amount of space a shape covers, and we practised finding the area of different shapes by counting squares. We’re looking forward to building on this next week!

We hope you all have a lovely, well rested half-term and come back refreshed for Autumn 2. 

Miss Higgs and Mrs Duffy 

 

 

Week commencing 13th October 2025

What a fantastic week we’ve had in Year 4!

In English, we proudly completed our Defeating the Monster stories. This week, we focused on paragraphs four and five, where our heroes triumphed over their monsters, using powerful verbs, adverbs, and vivid adjectives to make our writing exciting and engaging. We then wrote our final paragraph, celebrating our heroes’ victories! Afterwards, we spent time editing and improving our work using our green pens — a great opportunity to uplevel our writing and reflect on how far we’ve come.

In Maths, we explored a variety of addition and subtraction calculations, practising exchanging and grouping using the column method. We also tackled a range of one-step and two-step word problems to deepen our understanding and develop our mastery skills.

In Science, we began our new topic on The Water Cycle. We learned about its four key stages and created our own clearly labelled diagrams to show our understanding.

In History, we explored the architecture of the Olympic Village and the Aquatic Centre in preparation for our exciting trip on Tuesday. To finish the week, we continued building our Roman Villas, adding extra details and focusing on features such as pools and mosaics.

What a wonderful week of learning and creativity in Year 4!

 

Week commencing 6th October 2025

What a great week we’ve had!

In Maths, we continued developing our understanding of the column method for addition with grouping and explored a range of word problems. Towards the end of the week, we began using the column method for subtraction and practised calculations that required exchanging. We’ll be continuing to build on this next week.

In English, we started writing our very own defeating the monster stories! We focused on crafting our first paragraph to describe the setting, making sure to include expanded noun phrases, powerful verbs, similes, and alliteration to make our writing come alive.

As part of Space Week, our Science lesson took us out of this world! We watched a live lesson about space and designed a suitcase suitable for living in space. We discussed the seven needs of survival and what life might be like beyond Earth. We also explored different space- and science-related careers to inspire the children to dream big.

In D&T, we started making our Roman villas! We began by choosing the size of our boxes and wrapping them in white paper. Next week, we’ll continue adding lots of detail to our villas, including mosaics, swimming pools, and marble pillars.

To kick off Black History Month, we learnt all about Maro Itoje — his achievements, values, and contributions both on and off the rugby field. The children enjoyed finding out how he uses his platform to inspire others and celebrate cultural heritage. We designed a rugby ball and completed a reading comprehension all about his life. 

We also took part in the Creativity Live: Celebrating Diversity livestream workshop. It was an exciting and inspiring session led by Creative Facilitators who used drama and poetry to help us explore and celebrate Black History Month. We learnt about the importance of diversity and expressing our own stories through creative writing.

At the end, we were asked to write a poem about our special place – somewhere that means a lot to us. It was a great chance to use our imagination and share what makes us unique. The workshop helped us build confidence, creativity, and teamwork while having fun with other schools across the country.

We had a fun-filled week of learning! 

Miss Higgs, Mrs Duffy and Mrs Johnson

Week commencing 29th September 2025

This week in English, we explored the legendary hero Hercules. The children created detailed mind maps focusing on a specific setting, main character, and monster to help them plan their own defeat-the-monster stories. We focused on expanded noun phrases to encourage the use of adjectives and detailed description. 

In Maths, we have been adding numbers up to four digits using the column method, including calculations with more than one exchange. We also tackled two-step word problems, applying our addition and subtraction skills to real-life contexts.

In Science, we continued our learning about the states of matter. The highlight of the week was a hands-on experiment investigating how chocolate melts, helping us understand how solids can change into liquids. We used three containers, each with a different temperature of water, boiling, warm and cool. We had to predict which container would melt the chocolate the quickest and why we thought that. 

In History, we learnt about Roman buildings, exploring the differences between wooden huts, Insulae, Domus, and Villas. The children compared their features and discussed what these buildings reveal about life in Ancient Rome.

Miss Higgs, Mrs Duffy and Mrs Johnson

 

Week commencing 22nd September 2025

This week has been great fun.

In English, we wrote our own poems about the three different types of Greek columns: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. We carefully used a range of powerful adjectives, similes, and rhyming words to make our writing vivid, descriptive, and engaging for the reader.

In Maths, we have been learning about negative numbers and how they are used in everyday life, such as in temperatures below zero and money when dealing with debt. We learnt that the further a negative number is from zero, the smaller its value becomes. We also practised comparing numbers using the terms less than and more than. To strengthen our understanding, we worked with number lines to show the position of both positive and negative numbers and to secure our knowledge of place value.

In History, we have been learning all about the Greek columns and then in our Art lesson this week we created our own pictures of Greek columns using a variety of different materials. 

In Science, we explored whether air has mass by carrying out a fun and practical experiment using balloons. First, we weighed an empty balloon and recorded its mass. Then, we inflated the balloon with air and weighed it again. We discovered that the balloon filled with air was slightly heavier, which showed us that air does have mass, even though we cannot see it. This experiment helped us understand that air is a substance and takes up space, making it an important part of our everyday world. 

Miss Higgs, Mrs Duffy and Mrs Johnson

 

Week commencing 15th September 2025

What a brilliant week we have had in Year 4! 

In English we have written our instructions on how to make a Stone Age Teepee. We made sure to include imperative verbs, time conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs and ensured the steps were in chronological order. We made sure to think about our letter formation and presentation as they are going up on display outside the classroom. 

In Maths we have been rounding 3-digit and 4-digit numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. We have used a rhyme to help us remember... find the number, look right next door, 5 or more raise the score! 4 or less, let it rest! 

We have been continuing our learning of buildings in the Stone Age and have followed our instructions to create our own Mesolithic Stone Age Teepee! 

In Science, we had a fun experiment where we learnt about chemical reactions and how energy can be used to change a liquid into a solid. We turned cream into butter by vigorously shaking it for a minute at a time until it made the change of state. We discussed how we knew a chemical reaction had taken place because the colour had changed from cream to yellow. 

Such a fantastic week of learning! 

Miss Higgs, Mrs Duffy and Mrs Johnson. 

 

Week commencing 2.9.2025 and 8.9.2025

What a great first couple of weeks we have had in Year 4!

We have been busy learning all about prehistoric homes, including caves, teepees and roundhouses. We have learnt that the Stone Age lasted from 3 million BC to 3,000BC and was split into three time periods, the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. 

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Additionally, we have explored Skara Brae and how it was discovered, as well as its importance. Next week we will be looking in depth at the similarities and differences between Skara Brae and our own homes.

                                          

In English, we have looked into how Stone Age Teepees were made and have begun planning and writing an instructional text on how to make a Stone Age Teepee! 

In maths, we have started looking at place value. We have been practising ordering 4-digit numbers and finding 1000 more or less to 4-digit numbers. 

                       

In science, we learnt about the states of matter and the differences between solids, liquids and gas. 

                          

Next week we will be making our Teepees so make sure you come back to see the final product! 

What a great first two weeks we've had so far. 

Miss Higgs, Mrs Duffy and Mrs Johnson