Welcome to Year 4!

Who's Who in Year 4?

Class Teachers:

Ms Kimonos

Mrs Mcilwain

LSAs:

Ms Thomas

Mrs Hall

Mrs Ramshaw

Other Teachers:

Mrs Kola and Mrs Madireddi

Hello and welcome to the Year 4 Class Page!

This is where you will find all the information you need about what we will be doing in Year 4 throughout the year. Year 4 is an exciting step in Key Stage 2, full of new challenges, fun topics, and opportunities to grow as learners.

We will be exploring fascinating topics such as  'Ancient Egypt', 'States of Matter', 'Kites' and 'All Around the World', as well as diving deeper into our English and Maths learning. Along the way, we will enjoy reading engaging books, carrying out hands-on investigations, and building on everything we have learned so far at school.

Year 4 is also a time to become more independent and confident, and we will all work together to make sure everyone can achieve their very best.

Remember: It is really important to be in school every day, on time, and ready to learn so that you don’t miss out on the exciting things we have planned.

We can’t wait to see what the year brings!

Important Information

🕗 Start of the Day in Year 4

The school gates open at 8:30am and the bell rings at 8:45am to start the day. Year 4 line up  at our frog before heading into class.

When we come inside, everyone:

• stands behind their seat waiting their turn to hang their coat and bags on their own peg,

• puts their lunch boxe on the lunch trolley,

• keeps snacks in a small, separate box (this makes them easy to find at playtime), and places it on the lunch trolley,

• brings a water bottle and puts it in the water bottle tray

• has their reading book in school every day, ready for registration and reading time.

It’s important to be on time:

• Arriving after 9:00am counts as late.

• After 9:30am, it is marked as an absence for the morning.

For parents: Please encourage your child to come into school confidently and independently each morning, ready to start their day of learning.

🕒 End of the Day in Year 4

School finishes at 3:15pm. Year 4 will walk together to the playground with their teacher and wait to be collected.

To help us keep everyone safe, please make sure your child comes to the teacher before leaving so we know who they are going home with.

For parents: If someone different will be collecting your child, please let the school office or class teacher know in advance

PE in Year 4
Our PE days are Monday (outdoor PE) and Tuesday (indoor PE). On these days, children should come to school wearing their PE kit and will remain in it for the whole day. Please make sure their kit is suitable for the weather (e.g. a jumper or tracksuit bottoms on colder days).

PE Checklist

Outdoor PE (Monday):

• Plain T-shirt

• Tracksuit/joggers and jumper (for colder weather)

• Trainers

• Hair tied back if long

• No jewellery

Indoor PE (Tuesday):

• Plain T-shirt

• Shorts or leggings

• Trainers or plimsolls

• Hair tied back if long

• No jewellery

Water Bottles and Snacks

It’s really important that we stay hydrated throughout the day, so please bring a refillable water bottle that is clearly labelled. We have a drinking water tap in the classroom so bottles can be refilled whenever needed. If you forget your bottle, don’t worry - we also have cups available in class.

We encourage children to bring a healthy snack for breaktime. Crisps, chocolate, biscuits, and sweets are not allowed. Good options include fruit, cereal bars, or other healthy snacks. Snacks should be kept in a separate box from lunch, which will go onto the trolley next to our lunches.

Equipment

All the equipment you need for your learning will be provided by the school, so you don’t need to bring pencils, rulers, or other stationery from home.

Coats

Even if it’s dry in the morning, the British weather can be unpredictable! Please make sure your child brings a coat to school every day, clearly labelled with their name, so they are prepared for rain or chilly weather during break and lunchtime.

Homework

At the start of each term, a homework sheet will be placed in your child’s purple homework book. The same sheet will also be available here on the class page of the school website, so you can access it anytime.

Homework is divided into three areas: Spelling, Mathematics, and Other Learning.

• Spelling (green section): Each week, you should complete at least two spelling activities. The words for the week will be stuck in the blue homework book every Friday, ready to learn using the green section activities. Try to spread the activities across the week instead of doing them all in one day. Make sure you know the words for the weekly spelling test.

• Mathematics (blue section): Each week, complete at least one maths activity. All maths work should be recorded in the purple homework book. If you complete an online activity on MyMaths, please write it down in your homework book, showing an example of what you have learned or even write a question for your teacher to answer using your new learning.

• Other Learning (purple section): Every term, complete two activities from other subjects, such as History, Geography, Science, or PSHE. Any written work should be completed in the blue homework book.

No matter which activities you choose, it’s important to record your work in your homework book and complete it carefully.

Homework books with the completed spelling and math activities must be returned by the following Wednesday.

Homework should help us practise and build confidence. If your child is finding an activity too difficult, please do not worry or

struggle through it at home. Write us a note or come and talk to us so that we can help or suggest a more suitable activity.

Times Tables Practice

Quick recall of times tables is really important for success in maths, both in Year 4 and as children move into Year 5 and beyond. In June, all Year 4 children will complete the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC).

What is the MTC?

• It checks whether children can recall their times tables fluently.

• The test has 25 questions (plus 3 practice questions to warm up).

• Children have 6 seconds per question and a 3-second break between questions.

• Questions can cover any times tables fact up to 12 × 12.

The purpose of the MTC is to identify which children may need extra support with times tables so that schools can provide it.

How you can help at home

• Children will practise times tables daily at school, but practising at home helps secure recall.

• Try to keep it fun and stress-free - use games, quizzes, or online tools to make practice engaging.

• Frequent, short sessions are more effective than long, occasional ones.

Useful resources

• There are lots of free online tools and apps to support times tables practice.

• The government provides a parent booklet with more information on the MTC.

Remember: succeeding in times tables can be a quick confidence boost for your child - celebrate small wins along the way!

Reading in Year 4

Reading is a vital skill for life, and in Year 4 we care a lot about helping children progress and develop a love of reading.

We use Accelerated Reader (AR) to support this. AR helps measure and develop comprehension skills, not just word-reading. Each child has a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) in their reading journal, which shows the range of books that are just right for them—not too easy, but not too tricky.

Each child also has an individual reading target, based on their reading age and information from Accelerated Reader. For most children, this means aiming to earn approximately 1 AR point each week. However, this does not mean that every child needs to finish one book every week. Books are worth different numbers of points depending on their length and difficulty. For example, a child reading a 0.5-point book may need to finish and quiz on a book every few days, whereas a child reading a 2-point book may spend around two weeks reading it before taking their quiz.

Children are given regular opportunities to read in school, but we also encourage them to read at home for at least 15 minutes every day. Regular reading is much more valuable than trying to read a large amount all at once.

Some children who are reading longer books may also take a second, shorter book home so that they can continue to quiz regularly at school. The focus is always on reading carefully and understanding the book, rather than rushing simply to earn points.

Supporting Reading at Home

Even when children are becoming confident independent readers, it is still really valuable to hear them read and talk about their books. You can help by:

• listening to your child read aloud for part of their reading time;
• giving them time to work out an unfamiliar word before helping;
• talking about any new or interesting vocabulary;
• asking them to tell you what has happened so far;
• asking questions such as “Why do you think that happened?”, “How do you know?” or “What do you think will happen next?”;
• encouraging them to look back in the text to find evidence for their ideas;
• talking about favourite characters, events or parts of the story.

Most importantly, we want children to see reading as something enjoyable. Sharing books, talking about stories and showing an interest in what your child is reading can make a big difference.

Spelling in Year 4

Spelling is an important part of learning to write confidently and accurately. In Year 4, children are expected to learn and be able to spell all the statutory Year 3 and 4 words by the end of the year.

These words are part of the national curriculum and provide a foundation for developing strong writing skills. Children will practise these words in class through a range of activities and are encouraged to use them in their writing.

We also recommend that children read, write, and say the words regularly at home to reinforce learning. Regular practice helps build confidence and ensures children can spell these words correctly in their work.