Year 4 – Welcome to the Summer Term

Welcome back to the Summer Term! We are really looking forward to an exciting and busy term in Year 4, packed with engaging learning, strong cross‑curricular links and lots of opportunities for pupils to develop both academically and personally. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Below is an overview of what your child will be learning this term.

Daily Morning Learning

Each morning, pupils complete independent tasks based on:

• SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) activities
• Mental Maths sessions
• Regular spelling practice

These short daily lessons help reinforce key skills and build confidence.

Oracy

A key focus throughout the year is the development of oracy skills. Pupils are given regular opportunities across all lessons to explain their thinking, share their work, and take part in purposeful talk with their peers. We place a strong emphasis on active listening, responding thoughtfully to others and showing respect for different ideas and opinions. Developing confident speaking and listening skills supports learning across the curriculum and helps pupils build self‑confidence, teamwork and mutual respect.

English

This term in English, we will be working with the text Where the Forest Meets the Sea. Pupils will explore the story in depth before innovating it to create their own versions. They will invent a brand‑new character to add to the narrative, using rich vocabulary and descriptive language.

Alongside this, the children will be writing a range of poetry, making excellent links with our Geography topics of Rivers and Rainforests. Through this work, pupils will continue to develop their understanding of sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and grammar, while building confidence and creativity in their writing.

Mathematics

In Maths, we will be consolidating our learning of fractions and moving on to new work on decimals, focusing on tenths and hundredths.

There will be a huge push on times tables fluency and speed this term as we prepare for the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) in June. Daily practice and regular recall are key, and we appreciate any additional support at home with quick‑fire times table recall.

Shared Reading

We will continue our whole‑class shared reading sessions, using a variety of fiction, non‑fiction and poetry texts. Lessons will focus on:

• Careful reading for meaning
• Developing and understanding vocabulary
• Retrieval of key information
• Explaining answers using evidence from the text

This work is crucial in supporting reading comprehension across the curriculum.

Geography

Our Geography topic this term is Rivers and Rainforests, which links closely with our work in English and Science. Pupils will:

• Learn new and subject‑specific vocabulary
• Identify physical and human geographical features
• Take part in fieldwork opportunities
• Recap and build upon their previous learning about the Congo River

Science

In Science, we will be studying Animals, Including Humans. Pupils will:

• Sort and classify animals in different ways
• Compare groups of animals
• Carry out investigations and work scientifically
• Record results using tables and data

This unit places a strong emphasis on enquiry, observation and clear presentation of findings.

Physical Education (PE)

PE lessons take place every Thursday afternoon and will focus on:

• Team games
• Warming up and cooling down safely
• Making links to keeping healthy in PSHE

Please ensure PE kits are in school every week and labelled.
Swimming lessons have now finished for this year.

Music

Music this term includes:

• Whole‑school singing practice every Monday morning
• Collective worship on Friday mornings
• Weekly Charanga music lessons in class, where pupils will continue to develop rhythm, listening and performance skills

Spanish

Spanish lessons this term will focus on the topic of Jungle Animals. Pupils will take part in listening, speaking, reading and writing activities, and all Modern Foreign Language work will be recorded and displayed in our floor books.

PSHE

Mrs Elsmore will continue delivering weekly PSHE lessons, focusing on staying healthy, including:

• Sleep
• Healthy eating
• Exercise
• Personal hygiene

These lessons support pupils’ wellbeing and personal development.

Religious Education (RE)

In RE this term, our focus will be on Christianity, with a particular emphasis on the theme of Pentecost. Pupils will explore key questions about the meaning and importance of Pentecost for Christians today. Lessons will include discussion, reflection and teamwork, encouraging children to share ideas respectfully, deepen their understanding and make thoughtful links to their own experiences and values.

Art

In Art this term, we will be focusing on the artist Henri Rousseau. Pupils will learn about Rousseau’s life, key facts and his distinctive artistic style, particularly his bold use of colour and jungle‑themed paintings. Before creating their own work, children will explore a range of art resources including pencils, charcoal, pastels and chalks. They will use these techniques to recreate some of Rousseau’s famous artworks, as well as produce original pieces inspired by his style, allowing pupils to experiment creatively and express their own ideas with confidence.

Homework

Regular home learning plays an important role in supporting classroom learning. Homework this term will include:

• Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) practice
• Regular home reading
• Weekly spelling practice

Please support your child to complete these tasks each week. Homework is set from Friday to Friday, and consistent practice will make a real difference to your child’s progress and confidence. Thank you for your continued support at home.

Mrs Hulland and Miss Davies