Mr Matthews is the class teacher in Giraffes. Mr Matthews really enjoys History and Reading, especially reading our class story. For the Autumn Term, Mr Matthews is really looking forward to our history learning all about Ancient Greece! In Giraffes class, on Fridays we do our spelling test and check reading at home and homework. Homework is shared with the children on Friday morning, and they have until the following Thursday to complete this.

Mrs Hollywood, Mrs Cowan and Miss Swinscoe are teaching assistants working within Giraffes. Mrs Hollywood is really looking forward to spending time with you in year 4 and learning all about Ancient Greece. She is really looking forward to catching up with the old ‘Turtles’ and getting to know some new children.  Mrs Hollywood loves horse riding, exercise and spending lots of time with her family.  Mrs Cowan is the teaching assistant in Giraffes on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Mrs Cowan enjoys being creative and doing crafty activities, both inside and outside the classroom. Mrs Cowan is looking forward to having fun and helping the children of Giraffes grow and be the best they can be.  Mrs Swinscoe is a Teaching Assistant who will be spending some time in Giraffes.  She is really looking forward to working in years 3/4. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family, shopping and taking her dog Rascal for a walk. She is looking forward to all the new topics we will be learning. It is going to be a fun year!

History

Our history learning centres around the Ancient Greeks - asking the question - 'What was their greatest achievement?' Through this we will look at how early Greece began and what it would have been like to live there. We will then move on to investigate the city states of Athens and Sparta and the Persian invasion. Finally, we will uncover how Alexander the Great expanded Greek power and influence.

Writing

Our writing this term will be inspired by two amazing books. Firstly, 'Counting on Katherine' by Helaine Becker where the children will write a non-fiction fact file utilising some of the text features and year 4 grammar techniques. Linking to our history, the children will be making a fiction mini-book about their own 'Greek Myth' adventure utilising the text 'Greek Myths' by Jean Menzies.

Science

For year 4 Science, we’re diving into two fascinating topics: Changes of State and Electricity. First up, let’s consider materials—are they a solid or a liquid? We’ll explore how temperature is measured and its impact on the melting of ice blocks. Do you know what melting and freezing really are? We'll ask if spaces are truly empty and look into evaporation and its role in drying things out. Plus, where does the water and rain come from? Shifting gears to electricity, we’ll discuss what makes appliances work and how you can light up a bulb. Ever wondered what a switch does? We’ll find out why a circuit might not function properly and identify materials that can conduct electricity. This overview will help you understand these essential concepts in a fun and engaging way!

Art and Design and Technology

In our Autumn term art unit, we’ll explore the vibrant world of Plant Art while building essential skills. We’ll begin by appreciating various artists and their unique styles. Children will sharpen their observational skills, learn how to create tints, shades, and tones, and develop their printing techniques. Creating depth in their artwork will also be a focus, alongside sculpting with clay. On the culinary side in design and technology, we'll adapt recipes, test ingredients, and design our final creations within a budget. To top it off, children will showcase their baking prowess in a fun biscuit bake-off. Let’s get creative!

Reading

Our children will be reading a range of texts, including a non-chronological report about Orangutans, a playscript called Cindy Lou Saves the Grinch and a persuasion leaflet about visiting the Ancient Greeks - fitting in with our history topic! 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.

Maths

Our Autumn Term Year 4 Maths will begin by developing our understanding of place value.  The children will read, write, order and compare numbers to 10,000. We will find 1, 10, 100, 1,000 more or less and round to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000. When adding and subtracting, we will work towards adding and subtracting two four-digit numbers with more than one exchange. Area will be our next topic where children will learn about the concept of area and begin to work out the area of shapes by counting squares. The final maths unit of the Autumn term is Multiplication and Division. Our children will be working hard on their 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 times tables and the related division facts. 

 

RSHE - Relationships, Sex and Health Education

In 'No Outsiders', our children will learn about assertiveness and how to help someone accept differences. They will find out more about the importance of being respectful and understanding others online in E-Safety. Furthermore, there will be a focus on solving friendship issues and developing an understanding of British identities and how stereotyping can be unhelpful. Finally, we will gain a better understanding of the importance of dental care.