Dear Parents / Carers of Year 4,

SpringTerm 2016

Welcome back to school and hope you had a wonderful Christmas Break. We would like to give you a brief outline of the areas we
will be covering in the various subjects over this term, along with useful timetable information and homework guidelines.
During our daily English lessons this term we will continue to investigate a variety of different text types, with a
particular focus on Issues and Dilemmas and Persuasion. We will also continue to have daily guided reading sessions and
weekly extended writing sessions where children will have the opportunity to put into practise the writing skills that
they have been developing. Please can we take this opportunity to express how important it is to read with your child on
a regular basis, as this not only supports them during English lessons but all aspects of the curriculum. In Year 4 we
recommend 15 minutes reading to an adult and 10 minutes reading independently every day.
Maths lessons will focus heavily on Fractions and Decimals, with a couple of weeks being on Time and Money also. There will be a big
emphasis on children mastering key topics and being able to think logically and solve problem related to the key areas. We will also
continue with weekly mental maths lessons whereby the children will practise their recall of times tables up to 12x12. These skills
should be practised at home as well as in school.
Our Topic this term is The Art of Food with Science, Art and Music are our lead subjects in our learning with children looking at
creating their own 3D sculpture based on the study of still life drawings and paintings by Renoir and Cezanne.
In Science children will learn about digestion and different types of teeth, before moving on to explore deadly predators and their
prey, in their exploration of food chains. They will work scientifically throughout the topic, using enquiry, practical experiments and
hands-on research to answer questions and investigate how we eat, why we eat and what we eat.
In Computing we are continuing to develop as digital musicians using Apps including: Garage Band and Figure. Manga High and Bug
Club will still be used, where appropriate, in school but their main use should be as part of Reading and Maths homework.
Music will be linked to our theme in which children learn about music for different occasions and will be listening, creating and
performing while developing an understanding of some of the key musical elements (dynamics, pitch, tempo and texture)

PSHE will continue the opportunity for children to understand the importance of building strong and valuable
relationships. We will also work closely with Rota kids, on a new fundraising project for Derian House.
We felt ever so proud of the childrens performance at the recent Christmas brass assembly concert, and remain very excited to
continue to work alongside Lancashire Music Service in 2016 to further develop their musical talents. A one hour
teaching session will continue to take place every Thursday, and your children will have the opportunity to take
instruments home to practise their new skills while being invited to join the talented Miss Colemans school brass
orchestra during Thursday lunchtime rehearsals.
Games and Swimming are the focus for PE lessons this term. These sessions will take place
as follows: Friday PE for Leopard class (Mr Reynolds)
Wednesday PE for Jaguar class (Miss Stevens)
Friday Swimming for Leopard class (Mr Reynolds)
Friday Swimming for Jaguar class (Miss Stevens)
However please ensure children have their full PE kit in school at all times, as changes are occasionally made to the timetable.
RE lessons will focus on developing an understanding of Living the Faith and offers our children the opportunity to consider how the
church supports life in the community.
In French the children will be learning to say what they are doing, and reading the time. They will also continue to develop their
understanding of masculine and feminine. We are signed up to Linguascope, which has a wide range of games that the children can
play both at school and at home to enhance their language skills. Linguascope is accessible through Digital Wings, and the username
and password are both wldps.
You can have a huge impact on how your child develops both in confidence and ability by encouraging and supporting
them with their homework. Weekly spellings will be brought home on a Friday and tested the following Friday.
English and Maths homework will also be given on a Friday to be returned the following Friday, allowing plenty of
time for completion. Children may also be given a small amount of personal research to carry out or something to
bring in to support their other work in class. The children have their student planners which will continue to be
used to record both homework and home reading (to include book details, comments and page numbers.)
It is going to be an exciting term! If you have any questions or feel you have a particular expertise or interest in any of the above
topics please let us know. I hope you have found this information useful and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any
queries.
Mr Reynolds and Miss Stevens