Year 4

Here you can see some of the exciting things we have planned for our year 4 children. You can use this section of the website to keep up-to-date with key dates for your diary and access important documents such as long-term plans, newsletters, and other announcements.

 Please click on an image for a brief introduction to the teachers

• Mr Cole
  Year 4 Teacher & Music Lead
  Mr Cole

  I am Magnolia's class teacher and I lead music across the school. I have worked with and taught children across Key Stage 1 & 2 and have previously worked with some of our more vulnerable children. I have high learning expectations of all the children within my care. I am very passionate about children learning at their own pace and ensure inclusivity within my setting. I have a high regard for children and adults social and emotional wellbeing. As a result, I like to promote positive and healthy mindsets across the school.
  Being part of a large family myself, including 6 children of my own, I understand the importance of individuality. My class is an extension of my family and each member is given an opportunity to shine.

• Mr Regan
  Year 4 Teacher & Leader of Learning
  Mr Regan

  My name is Mr Regan. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked in an infant school for four years as an LSA. During this time, I worked in the nursery, Reception and Year 2. I have been teaching at Alexander McLeod since 2011 and during this time have gained experience in both upper and lower KS2. I began my career as a Year 3 teacher before moving to Year 6 two years later. Throughout my time at Alex, I have worked in a range of roles: I was the DT lead for two years before taking over as the new assessment lead for the school in 2017. Since 2019, I have worked as a leader of learning within the school: I spent two years leading Years 3 and 4 and have completed two years leading Years 5 and 6.

• Ms Lucas
  Year 4 Teacher & Science Lead
  Ms Lucas

  My name is Miss Lucas. After completing my English literature and creative writing degree, I volunteered at my local primary school and quickly realised that teaching was what I destined for. I worked there as an LSA for two years before completing my PGCE at Brunel University and have not looked back since! I began my teaching career as an NQT at Alex McLeod 6 years ago and have since worked in Year 5 and Year 3. I currently lead Science and love exploring the natural world, space and biology. I previously led PSHE and introduced the new statutory RSE curriculum and PSHE Journey books. I have high expectations and believe that every subject can be fun and accessible to all children.

Our learning

Year 4 is an incredibly exciting year as the children move into their second year within the lower key stage two phase. Our focus this year will be to teach the year 4 curriculum in order to ensure that children are working at the expected standard for their age by the end of the 2022/23 academic year. However, we will also be revising some of the key learning within the year 3 curriculum; this will ensure that any gaps within their knowledge concerning year 3 expectations have been closed and that children are fully able to access the learning intended for a year 4 child.

Over the course of the year, children in year 4 will be exposed to a range of fantastic core texts during our English lessons, including: The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, The suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson, Grimms’ Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm, and Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. We use these amazing texts in order to expose children to written language of a high quality and as a stimulus for their own written outcomes.

In year 4, we intend to create confident mathematicians who have a solid understanding of place value and are able to adopt a range of strategies when problem solving. By the end of year 4, children will be familiar with formal written methods for all four operations of number and be able to fluently recall times tables up to 12 x 12.

We will also be exploring a range of exciting enquiries throughout the year starting with developing our understanding of deforestation and using a thought-provoking question: ‘Deforestation: devastation or Innovation?’. Children will explore what a rainforest is, locating where in the world rainforests are – developing our map reading skills and using complex maps keys. We will also discover why rainforests are important and how deforestation negatively impacts humans, animals, and climate change. During our second half term, we will be learning about the disparities between the rich and poor people living in urban Brazil. This will allow our children to discuss a range of socio-economic factors within this location.

During the spring term, our topic is ‘Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids’. Linked closely with our English core texts, the children will be creating clay and line art pieces of the different Brothers Grimm characters in the style of Shaun Tan and Wanda Gag.

In Spring 2, our Science enquiry ‘Hold Your Nerve’ will see the children creating their very own steady hand game using knowledge of how to build circuits, conductors and insulators and DT skills to test the nerves of anyone willing to try!

Or final enquiry of the year will be history based called ‘Zeus or Jupiter?’. Children will be travelling back in time to learn about Ancient Greece and the Romans and their impact on the ancient world. We will learn how to use secondary sources and artefacts to find out about aspects of life in the past and about the impact these civilisations had on the modern world.

Music

Year 4 are incredibly fortunate to receive music lessons once per week taught by specialists within the school. Each half term, children will have the opportunity to be take part in either piano or drum lessons.

Multiplication Tables Check

The Multiplication Tables Check is a Key Stage 2 assessment to be taken by pupils at the end of year 4 (in June). The purpose of the assessment is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help us to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided, as well as identify which pupils are working at the expected level. The test is an online assessment where pupils are asked 25 questions on times tables 2-12. For every question, they have 6 seconds to answer and in between each question is a 3 second rest.

Year 4 Long term curriculum map

Year 4 Newsletter - Autumn Term 2

Lower Key Stage 2 - Curriculum booklet