Mrs Cooper is the class teacher in Crocodiles. Mrs Cooper really enjoys Physical Education - especially working on the team-work aspect of sport. She loves teaching RSHE and helping solve friendship challenges as well as discussing the positives a healthy friendship brings. For the Summer term, Mrs Cooper is especially looking forward to our history topic - where we will learn all about the impact the Romans had on Britain.  Mrs Baines is the teaching assistant in Crocodiles. Mrs Baines really enjoys Maths and French, and has a passion for Music. Mrs Baines is really looking forward to continuing to support the children in all aspects of their school life and hopefully having lots of fun along the way!  Outside of school, Mrs Baines loves going to concerts, reading and spending time with her family and her puppy Rosie. 

Key information :-

Spellings will be tested every Friday. Homework will be set on a Friday and due in the following Friday. There will be an option to come in at lunchtime to complete homework on a Wednesday for those who want to. Reading will be checked on a Friday - A jelly bean treat is given to all who complete reading with an adult 3x a week and a raffle ticket will go into a half-termly draw to win a book. PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Mrs Cooper or Mrs Baines will be available every morning and after school if parents / carers require information. Our door is always open

History

Through our history, the children will learn about how Rome grew from a small settlement into a powerful empire and the significant impact this had on Britain. They explore how historians know about the past, the role of emperors and the strength of the Roman army, before studying the Roman invasion of Britain and the resistance from Britons, including the rebellion led by Boudicca. Pupils compare Roman settlements with Celtic villages to understand how daily life changed, and investigate how the Romans maintained control through forts and defences such as Hadrian’s Wall. Finally, they look at the decline of the Roman Empire and what happened when the Romans left Britain, helping them understand the lasting influence of this period on British history.

Maths

In the summer term, Year 4 pupils build on their understanding across key areas of number, measurement and geometry. They learn to work with decimals and apply this knowledge to real-life contexts such as handling money and telling the time, while also developing their understanding of shape, position and direction. Children explore statistics by interpreting charts and data, and continue to strengthen their reasoning and problem-solving skills through practical and varied activities. This term helps to consolidate their learning from across the year, giving them greater confidence and fluency in applying maths in everyday situations.

Writing

Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker and Jungle Explorer by The Literacy Company will be the inspiration for our first piece of writing. Here the children will make a zoo information board for a rainforest exhibit. Our second piece of writing will be inspired by the book Blue John by Berlie Doherty. The children will use this beautiful book to write a letter in role as an expert containing an explanation about cave formation  Throughout our writing, we will continue to develop our grammar, punctuation and spelling through our Gateway, Mastery and Feature keys.

Reading

Our children will be reading a range of texts, including non-chronological reports entitled Europe, Stoke on Trent and Black Britons, a narrative called Arabian Knights Tale and a poem about weather! In each unit, children develop their word reading and fluency through engaging activities like echo reads, timed reads, and fluency grids. Texts include high-frequency and common exception words, allowing students to read aloud and grasp new vocabulary meaning via repeated and contiguous reads. They are encouraged to use their vocabulary to understand the material, discussing and linking new words to their existing knowledge. A focus on retrieval skills helps the children identify and explain key elements in various texts, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. They summarise key points from texts, practise sequencing events, and learn how information items connect. Children will also make simple inferences, delving into characters’ feelings and motives by justifying their thoughts with textual evidence. To further enhance comprehension, a range of vocabulary and inference questions will be used throughout these learning activities.

Art

In this unit, children explore creativity through recycled art, learning how everyday materials can be reused to create meaningful artwork. They experiment with different ways of joining materials and investigate the textures and appearance of a range of junk materials, helping them develop their understanding of how artists work with different resources. Pupils apply these skills to create their own sculptures, such as simple animal models, and produce artwork using recycled cardboard. They are also encouraged to think about how art can communicate ideas by creating a final piece that conveys a message, helping them see how art can be used to express opinions and raise awareness.

Design and Technology

In this unit, children follow the full design and technology process as they design and create their own Roman purse. They begin by researching existing products and developing design criteria, before exploring and practising a range of sewing stitches to build their technical skills. Pupils generate and communicate their ideas through designs, select a final design, and create templates to guide their work. They then plan their making process step by step and use this to construct their purse, developing accuracy and independence when working with fabric. Finally, children evaluate their finished product against their design criteria and consider feedback from others, helping them to reflect, improve and understand how designers refine their work.

Computing

In our computing units, children develop both their programming and digital presentation skills. In programming, pupils learn how repetition works in coding by using loops to control actions, including understanding the difference between count-controlled and infinite loops, and applying these to design and create their own interactive games. In creating media, children build their word processing skills, learning how to present information clearly and effectively by formatting text and images, organising layouts, using tools such as spellcheck, and creating tables and hyperlinks. Across both units, pupils develop confidence in using technology purposefully, combining creativity, problem-solving and attention to detail to produce high-quality digital work.

Religious Education

In this RE unit, children explore how religion influences family life, beliefs, celebrations and ways of living, with a particular focus on Hinduism. They learn that Hinduism has no single founder and began in India, and explore key beliefs such as karma, reincarnation and the idea of one God (Brahman) expressed in different forms. Pupils investigate how Hindus practise their faith at home and in temples (mandirs), and learn about important festivals such as Diwali and Holi, as well as sacred texts, symbols and traditions that shape daily life. They also explore the concept of pilgrimage across a range of world religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, understanding that a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place for spiritual reasons and reflection. Children consider why these journeys are important to believers and reflect on what a personal journey or pilgrimage might mean in their own lives.

Science

Children will explore how sound is created and how it travels. They learn that sounds are made when objects vibrate and that these vibrations travel as waves through materials such as air, liquids and solids to reach our ears. Pupils investigate how sounds can be louder or quieter depending on the strength of the vibrations, and how volume decreases as they move further away from the sound source. They also explore pitch, understanding how sounds can be high or low depending on how fast something vibrates, and what factors (such as the length or tension of an object) affect the pitch of a note. Through practical investigations, children develop their scientific enquiry skills while gaining a deeper understanding of how sound works in everyday life.

Music

During the Summer Term, children develop their creativity and confidence in music. In Expression and Improvisation, pupils explore how music can express feelings by improvising with their voices and instruments and creating their own musical ideas. In The Show Must Go On, they bring these skills together to rehearse and perform, working as a group to share a final piece. Across both units, children build their skills in singing, playing, performing and understanding how music can be created and shared.

French

Our French work will see children develop their confidence in speaking, listening and understanding French through real-life contexts. In Au salon de thé, pupils learn how to order food and drinks, using polite language and simple sentence structures, helping them to communicate in everyday situations. In Quel temps fait-il ?, children explore how to describe the weather, building vocabulary and practising speaking in full sentences. Across both units, pupils improve their pronunciation, listening and conversational skills, developing the confidence to express themselves in another language.