Welcome to Year 4

Phonics/Reading Opportunities

Spellings are taught in class every Wednesday and are sent home to learn as part of the homework. We follow the Spelling Shed scheme of work. We learn to add prefixes and suffixes to root words and we learn to spell the Year 3/4 ‘challenge words’. The children have all been given passwords to access the Spelling Shed website for further practice.

As the children become more fluent in their reading, we really encourage them to read widely. We read a wide variety of books with the children, including ‘Secrets of the Sun King’ by Emma Carroll, ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ by Cressida Cowell and ‘The Firework Maker’s Daughter’ by Phillip Pullman.

Each child has a ‘Big Cat’ book which is phonically appropriate for their reading age. They also choose a book for pleasure from the reading corner or library. In addition to this, every child has a ‘Bug Club’ password which gives them access to a wide range of books and comprehension activities on line. The children are encouraged to complete a ‘bingo sheet’ of different genres to broaden their reading.

We read every day in class, so all children should have their reading books, and reading diary, in school every day.

Writing Opportunities

We offer a wide range of writing opportunities to the children in Year 4. Extended writing lessons are timetabled weekly. Over the year, the children will write stories, focused descriptions of settings and characters, diary entries, newspaper reports, poems, recounts, leaflets, instructions, scripts, postcards, letters and biographies. We also provide writing opportunities in science, RE and topic lessons. This variety really challenges the children to think about the audience and the layout for each of the writing genres.

Creative Opportunities

Creativity is our super-power in Year 4! We will have weekly art lessons which focus on developing our skills in drawing, painting, collage, textiles, printing, 3D and sculpture and digital art. We will look at the work of known artists and will consider the possibilities of different careers in the arts industry. Alongside this, we will be learning to play the ukulele and listening to a variety of different music genres, and improving our acting skills in short drama sessions. We will also write creatively and even teach the children creative ways of solving problems in maths and science!

STEM Opportunities

Year 4 are encouraged to question, explore and investigate across the curriculum in Science, Topic, Maths and Design and Technology. In our Science lessons, the children ask questions and plan and carry out practical activities to support their learning in our topics: States of Matter, Sound, Electricity, Teeth and Digestion and Living things and their Habitats.

Our Design and Technology is taught each term in a ‘block’ unit over the course of a week. At the end of the week, the children proudly present their work as part of a whole school exhibition. We motivate and engage the children by designing and making exciting working products linked to our history and geography topic or science topic. For example, the children will design and make their own torches using the skills taught in science and maths. In the spring term, the children will participate in a practical, hands-on Lego Robotics Workshop to develop their Computer Programming skills.

Trips linked to learning

We arrange a number of exciting trips for the children in Year 4, in order to give them a better understanding of the topics taught and a wider knowledge of the world around them. We go on an overnight residential to the Breacon Beacons, visit a synagogue, see a pantomime at the theatre and learn to live like Vikings in a Viking village. We will also have themed days in school, including a visit from an Anglo-Saxon man and a robotics day.

Parent Corner

Uniform

We pride ourselves on being very smart in Year 4. Every child should have a purple jumper or cardigan and white top with grey trousers or a skirt. Jewellery should be kept to stud earrings and a watch, for safety reasons.

Our PE uniform is a plain white T-shirt with black shorts, joggers or leggings. Your child should wear their PE kit to school on PE days. We will be going swimming every Wednesday during the Autumn Term. Your child will need to bring a swimming costume and a towel in a separate bag each Wednesday, until Christmas.

It is important that the children have a coat in school every day during the cooler months. Every child should also have a bag or book bag with them each day.

Homework

Homework is set every Friday. The children should complete this independently wherever possible. Homework should be completed neatly in pen or pencil and returned to school on Monday or Tuesday. In Year 4, the children are encouraged to take responsibility for collecting, completing and returning their homework themselves as this is an important aspect of developing their organisational skills. They will be expected to learn their times tables by heart and read at home regularly.

Inspire Workshops

You are warmly invited to come and attend these sessions. We will be holding a Maths Inspire Workshop during the Autumn Term, a Reading Inspire Workshop during the Spring Term and a Writing Inspire Workshop during the Summer Term. The workshops give you the opportunity to come into school and work alongside your child, giving you the chance to see how lessons are taught and what the expectations are.

Before/After School Clubs

A variety of before and after school clubs are offered to the children in Year 4 throughout the Year. These are signed up for on a termly basis. Once the4y have signed up for a club, your child will be expected to be on time and attend regularly.

Assemblies

We have a whole school assembly each Monday morning, a KS2 singing practice each Wednesday morning and a whole school rewards assembly each Friday afternoon.

Communication

If you wish to communicate with any of the staff in class, you can phone the school on 0121 464 4355 or email us on enquiry@welshhousefarm.bham.sch.uk or on the email addresses given above. We will send positive messages and badges to you via Marvellous Me regularly, so it is important that you have downloaded this app.

Attendance/Punctuality

We aim for 100% attendance and good punctuality in Year 4. The children can now come into class from 8.30am, with the gates closing at 8.45am. We now finish school at 3.15pm.