Mayfield Primary SchoolYEAR FOUR
YEAR FOUR
4HW
Teachers: Mrs Hinchliffe & Miss Woodcock
Take a look below for a review of our year of learning. Download your copy of the termly Curriculum Information Mats & take a look a the Year 4 Reading Spine at the base of the page.
Year 4 has arrived! Some of our favourite subject projects come together in this exciting year. During our recent review of the 'I Dream of Being' curriculum, we have been able to hold onto the ones we really love and add some new aspects that we think are just brilliant. We are starting to think about the final stage in the children's journey during our year as we move from developing to enhancing the learning and the opportunities. There is a good deal of new content to introduce this year, but it is vital we offer lots of consolidation, revisiting and application. We are determined to hold onto the basis of knowledge that we have built over the years alongside adding new. Here is a short summary of the year itself.
English in Year 4 uses a good deal of our projects in other subjects as stimulus for our work here. Let's tell you about some of the themes that drive our discussion, re-telling, information and entertaining writing. We have used Kipper's Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo and Silverfin by Charlie Higson, whilst also using Francis Drake and Saxon Town Life to inspire us. Like all year groups, we combine our English work between writing focused units (with 'Writer's Craft' grammatical skills embedded within these) alongside a clear writer's process. This runs alongside a parallel focus upon reading via our range of classroom sessions each day, and across the week, using our class texts and our Reading Gang comprehension characters. We have really focused upon adding some spark and challenge to our reading work across school with some new initiatives and new methods. Underpinning each of these are our constant speaking and listening activities embedded within our writing and reading activities but forming a constant thread across the curriculum via our 'Let's Talk' initiative across the curriculum.
Mathematics develops our focus upon the four operations and place value whilst introducing and building new understanding through interpreting data, timetables and other statistics, converting units of measurement, fractions and decimals, position and direction with co-ordinates and symmetry within shape. Our mathematics sessions are at the start of each day and are fast paced and sharp in nature followed up with regular Brain Gym and mental mathematics revision and practice to keep knowledge fresh.
A very busy year of Science work focuses upon the following projects:Teeth, The Digestive System and Food Chains; Using Classification Keys to Group Living Things; Sound; Identifying Solids, Liquids & Gases & Changes of State; Electricity (Part 1). Under the banner of The STEM Agency our big question enquiry team delve deep into these subject areas with a heavy focus upon fair testing, planning for enquiry, asking scientific questions and taking measurements as the 'being a scientist' skills.
Our History learning continues our chronological journey by considering the Anglo-Saxons in Settlement, and the arrival of the Vikings in Clash of The Titans and finally moving into the Tudor Period with The Power & The Rose. These are particularly great projects in the middle of a fabulous stage in our history curriculum. These hugely significant, and often volatile, periods offer us the chance to analyse leaders, conflict, empire and social change in great depth.
Geography sees the children consider how trade links the world together, then in a wider region study we ask why tourists visit the Alps before culminating with a geography region study which uses our locality. This asks: How do structures link our coastline to the world? Meaning we can take a look at the famous and unique buildings of the Fylde Coast and compare them to similar structures elsewhere. We ask whether all places of worship are the same during our Religious Education learning and then ask: Why is Jesus described by some as the 'Light of the World'? We look at the importance of the Sabbath/Shabbat to people of the Jewish faith and themes of betrayal and forgiveness related to Easter. We finish the year by looking at David & The Psalms and how people pray and what prayer can offer to them.
Concertina books, drawings inspired by 'Shackleton's Journey' and Tudor rose block prints are the focus of Art & Design in Year 4. Studying the work of Doris Vlasek-Hails, Ad Reinhardt, William Grill and M.C.Escher amongst others. Design & Technology visits Food & Diet, Structures and Textiles again in 'Elizabeth I Banquet', 'Viking Longboats' and 'Coin Purse'. Music follows our format of Singing, Performing and Composing with a constant Listening and Appraising focus with a careful choice of songs to perform and listen to using the Model Music Curriculum: Appendices all taking place in our dedicated music space: The ABC Theatre. Our lead sports: Netball, Football and Cricket take place during our Physical Education work, alongside our summer Track and Field work and our Outdoor Adventurous Activities and Gymnastics curriculum.
French continues this year with several new projects which continue to build vocabulary in our relatively new subject. 'Dates', 'The Weather', 'My Family', 'My Home' & 'The Classroom' are amongst those areas in a busy year for MFL. Our Year 4 Computing work focuses upon the following projects which continue to build upon previous learning: 'Creating & Controlling A Storyboard' (Programming), 'Using Spreadsheets' (Data & Information) & 'Problem Solving & Applying Media' (Creating Media). Our Computer Systems & Networks focus (emailing) and our E-Safety work continues each term across the year with specific planned and responsive units and studies. My Happy Mind/PSHE & Relationships continues to take a look at a wide range of well-being related areas. We take a further look at how our brain works and how this links to the emotions we show and responses we give. We look at what to do in an emergency situation and begin to look at how we grow and change as we get older. These are just a few of the themes from our busy PSHE & Relationships work this year.
