Year 4

Year 4 2024 - 2025

Welcome to Year 4!

The Year 4 team are very pleased to be able to help and support your child on their learning journey this year.

The team is Mrs Devonshire and Miss Rasool. We hope that all children have a settled and enjoyable start to the year.

Our very busy and exciting curriculum this term covers, History, Science, French, Music, PSHE, Computing, Design and Technology, RE and PE ... not forgetting English and Maths of course!

Topics covered will include food preparation, Anglo Saxons and Vikings, sound, recorders and Christianity.

For more information on our curriculum, PE requirements and equipment, please refer to the class letter.

In Year 4 there is a big focus on knowledge and recall of multiplication tables, and the children will undertake the national multiplication check in the Summer term. There will be lots of opportunity for practice at school but extra practice at home will also be very beneficial.

Please use the new paper reading journals to log all home reading that your child completes, so that we keep improving our fluency, expression and comprehension skills.

I am able to discuss any concerns you may have, just before school or at the end of the day, and will respond to any emails as soon as possible.

If you have questions or concerns, please speak to me in person or email Catherinedevonshire@stonehill.herts.sch.uk

Autumn Term 2024

Science:

Food and The Digestive System

This project teaches children about the human digestive system. They explore the main parts, starting with the mouth and teeth, identifying teeth types and their functions. They link this learning to animals' diets and construct food chains to show the flow of energy.

Geography:

Interconnected World

This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about compass points and four and six-figure grid references. They learn about the tropics and the countries, climates and culture of North and South America. Children identify physical features in the United Kingdom and learn about the National Rail and canal networks. They conduct an enquiry to prove a hypothesis, gathering data from maps and surveys before drawing conclusions.

History:

Invasion

This project teaches children about life in Britain after the Roman withdrawal. Children will learn about the Anglo-Saxon and Viking invasions, up to the Norman conquest.

Art:

Warp and Weft

This project teaches children about the artform of weaving and how it has developed over time, including the materials and techniques required to create woven patterns and products.

Science:

Sound

This project teaches children about sound, in particular how sound is made and how sound travels as vibrations through a medium to the ear. They learn about pitch and volume and find out how both can be changed.

Design & Technology:

Fresh Food, Good Food

This project teaches children about food decay and preservation. They discover key inventions in food preservation and packaging, then make examples. The children prepare, package and evaluate a healthy snack.

Spring Term 2025

Science:

Electrical Circuits and Conductors

This project teaches children about electrical appliances and safety. They construct simple series circuits and name their parts and functions, including switches, wires and cells. They investigate electrical conductors and insulators and identify common features of conductors. It also teaches children about programmable devices. They combine their learning to design and make a nightlight.

Geography:

Misty Mountain, Winding River

This project teaches children about the characteristics and features of rivers and mountain ranges around the world, including a detailed exploration of the ecosystems and processes that shape them and the land around them.

Art:

Contrast and Complement

This project teaches children about colour theory by studying the colour wheel and colour mixing. It includes an exploration of tertiary colours, warm and cool colours, complementary colours and analogous colours, and how artists use colour in their artwork.

Art:

Vista

This project teaches children about the techniques that artists use when composing landscape images, such as colour and atmosphere.

Design & Technology

Functional and Fancy Fabrics

This project teaches children about home furnishings and the significant designer William Morris. They learn techniques for decorating fabric, including block printing, hemming and embroidery and use them to design and make a fabric sample.

Summer Term 2025

Science:

States of Matter

This project teaches children about solids, liquids and gases and their characteristic properties. They observe how materials change state as they are heated and cooled, and learn key terminology associated with these processes.

History:

Ancient Civilisations

This project teaches children about the history of three of the world’s first ancient civilisations: ancient Sumer, ancient Egypt and the Indus Valley civilisation. Children will learn about the rise, life, achievements and eventual end of each civilisation.

Art:

Statues, Statuettes and Figurines

This project teaches children about the 3-D representation of the human form, including statues, statuettes and figurines. They study examples from ancient civilisations, and use their clay skills to create a Sumer-style figurine.

Science:

Grouping and Classifying

This project teaches children about grouping living things, known as classification. They study the animal and plant kingdoms and use and create classification keys to identify living things.

Design & Technology

Tomb Builders

This project teaches children about simple machines, including wheels, axles, inclined planes, pulleys and levers, exploring how they helped ancient builders to lift and move heavy loads.

Some examples of work from last year:

STEM Club

Year 4 had the opportunity to take part in STEM club last year. This was an after school club in which the children completed challenges and investigations and worked towards a CREST science certificate.