Friday 17th October 2025
In English, we finished hugging the text to create our own versions of the model story. After completing our writing, we worked in pairs to edit our drafts, reading sentences aloud and suggesting improvements for punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary. We are now producing our final neat versions to publish in our Writing Books.
In Mathematics, we continued exploring Addition and Subtraction, focusing on efficient strategies for solving calculations. When using column subtraction, we discussed how and why we sometimes need to borrow from the next place value column.
In Geography, we learned about earthquakes — how they occur and the effects they can have. We even practised an earthquake drill and created safety posters with recommendations for how to stay safe during an earthquake.
During our Music lesson, we brought together all the elements from our Rock and Roll topic to create a performance. We combined the lyrics, the steady beat, and the glockenspiel sequence to showcase what we’ve learned.
In R.E., we developed our thinking skills by creating thought maps to reflect on our learning from this half term. We revisited Bible passages and stories to explore what Christians believe about the kind of world Jesus wanted.
In Science, we carried out an exciting experiment! On Monday, we placed white eggs in different liquids — orange juice, cola, milk, vinegar, and water (our control). By Thursday, we observed how much staining had occurred and tested whether the stains could be removed using toothbrushes.
To celebrate Black History Month, we learned about the author Malorie Blackman, creating artwork and a fact file to celebrate her achievements. In Guided Reading, we also explored a book about Rosa Parks. Her story sparked thoughtful and important discussions about courage, equality, and justice.
Spellings were sent home today. Looking at the alternative spellings for ‘air’.
They can either be practised on the sheet or on Doodle Learning. The group, who these spellings apply to, will be tested on them on Friday 7th November.
TTRS, Doodle Maths and English assignments will be checked to see if they have been completed on Thursday 6th November.
Looking ahead to next week, a reminder that we have our school trip to the Science Museum on Wednesday.
Change Makers Project - on Tuesday 21st children need to bring in their Change maker Project evidence as we will be spending Collective Worship time reviewing it together. Stickers will be handed out to award pupils for their hard work.
Friday 10th October 2025
As we reach the end of another busy week in Year 4, it has been wonderful to see so many children putting great effort into improving their handwriting. They have been focusing on neat presentation and legibility — and the results are really showing!
In English, we began Hugging the Text. To start, we created a shared write together so that the children could see how each sentence is carefully constructed. They then used their own plans to write individual paragraphs — with so many creative ideas shining through!
In Mathematics, our focus has been on the column method for addition and subtraction. We began with counters in a place value chart to give pupils a clear visual representation of what is happening, before moving on to the abstract use of numbers.
DT was a very hands-on experience this week! The children designed their own catapults, inspired by those used during Roman times. They measured pieces of wood carefully and used hacksaws to cut them to size — and I’m pleased to report that all fingers remain intact!
In Geography, we explored the dramatic effects of volcanic eruptions, looking closely at the events in Pompeii in 79 AD following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
In Science, we started learning about the different types of human teeth — incisors, canines, premolars, molars, and wisdom teeth — and discussed their functions.
In RE, we moved into the more philosophical part of our topic, reflecting on these thought-provoking questions:
Finally, with the Multiplication Tables Check coming up at the end of Year 4, we are continuing to encourage regular practice. The children are working hard on TT Rockstars in class, but there are also plenty of opportunities to continue practising at home.
Library takes place on a Thursday morning, starting from next week, and Reading Records are stamped on a Friday morning.
Change Makers: Next week is the final week to complete an activity for this half term's value of Friendship as we will be awarding stickers in the last week of half term.
Doodle English task set on Friday 10th October, so be completed by the evening of Thursday 16th October.
Doodle Maths task set on Friday 10th October, so be completed by the evening of Thursday 16th October..
TTRS - 14 minutes to be completed by the evening of Thursday 16th October.
Reading - 5 times a week and Reading records will be stamped on Friday 17th October
Friday 3rd October
In English, we have been ‘Boxing Up’—the planning stage of our writing. We studied the structure of our model text and then mapped out each paragraph in line with the events that took place.
As part of National Poetry Day, we thoroughly enjoyed an engaging Poetry Workshop. It was wonderful to experiment with language in playful ways. A fun activity to try at home is inventing new words and giving them three possible definitions. The session was delivered by the poet Simon Mole.
In Guided Reading, we explored an article about Deaf Awareness Week. This led to a thoughtful discussion about the experiences of people who are hearing impaired and what can be done to ensure they are fully included in society.
In Maths, we have been practising rounding to the nearest multiple of 10, 100 or 1,000. The children enjoyed learning my rounding rhyme:
“1, 2, 3, 4, round down to the multiple before.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, round up on the number line. Yee hah!”
We also had fun learning about Roman numerals and building them out of lollipop sticks.
In Science, we went on a journey through the digestive system—told from the perspective of a piece of food! This inspired wonderfully imaginative and creative writing.
In Geography, the children completed their leaflets about volcanoes, focusing on how they are formed and where they can be found across the world.
In RE, we were delighted to welcome Gary the Vicar, who spoke to us about his role as the leader of St Mary’s Church.
Through our ‘Feel It’ programme, we explored the emotion ‘irritated’. The children reflected on what it feels like, times when they may have experienced it, and whether it is a high- or low-energy emotion.
Finally, in PSHE, the focus was on working collaboratively. The children created “human machines,” discovering in a very practical way how teamwork helps us achieve more together.
Home Learning
Doodle English task set on Friday 26th September, so be completed by the evening of Thursday 9th October.
Doodle Maths task set on Friday 26th September, so be completed by the evening of Thursday 9th October.
TTRS - 14 minutes to be completed by the evening of Thursday 9th October.
Reading - 5 times a week and Reading records will be stamped on Friday 10th October
Friday 26th September 2025
In English we have been analysing the model text, looking out for the parts of the toolkit: 2 adjective clauses, similes, dialogue to show character, power of 3 and powerful verbs. The children know the model text so well.
In Maths we have been looking at numbers to 10,000. We compared numbers using < less than, > more than symbols. Then we ordered the numbers, thinking about how we look at the thousands digit first and then move to hundreds, tens and ones. Highlighting the importance of recognising the value of each digit. Our Maths starters have been acting as a way of embedding key facts: adding 12 to the hours when moving PM time to the 24 hour clock, remembering the key fact that 1,000g = 1KG and 100cm = 1m.
Science was a rather revolting session this week. We were acting out the digestive system. Bananas and crackers along with water (saliva) and orange juice (stomach acid) were put into a plastic bag (the stomach). Once this was mashed together, the contents was poured into a leg of a pair of tights (small intestine). The liquid was squeezed out (acting as being absorbed into the body) and what remained was squeezed into a cup (large intestine). Then, with the use of another cup the remaining ‘waste’ was pushed out of a hole (the anus). A memorable moment.
In PE we continued our Dance topic - looking at mirroring movements and performing them in a ‘canon’.
In RE, we are preparing for Gary the Vicar’s visit next week. We thought about the role of the Church for the community of Rickmansworth. We produced posters, which we will present to Gary, highlighting the wonderful work of St Mary’s Church.
In Geography we have been looking at why volcanoes erupt and the three stages of volcanoes (active, dormant and extinct) and producing leaflets showcasing our findings.
We talked about our choice for the Changemaker Project. We encourage you to discuss this at home with your child.
In DT we explored the different types of catapults: sling shots, ballista, mangonel and trebuchet. The class researched these on the Chromebooks. The search engine they used was kiddle.co which is a great way of ensuring the websites being searched are child-appropriate.
In Guided Reading we looked at an excerpt from Anisha the Accidental Detective.
As part of our ‘Feel It’ programme the class looked at the word ‘satisfied’ - thinking about how that feeling feels, a time when we might have felt it and whether it’s a high or low energy emotion. This ignites a great discussion.
This week I have introduced the ‘Daily Mile’ for Year 4. This is an opportunity for the class to channel their energy by running/walking/skipping/etc around the playground or field midway through the afternoon session. So far this has proved hugely beneficial for the pupils’ focus.
Home Learning:
Doodle English task set on Friday 26th September, so be completed by the evening of Thursday 2nd October.
Doodle Maths task set on Friday 26th September, so be completed by the evening of Thursday 2nd October.
TTRS - 14 minutes to be completed by the evening of Thursday 2nd October.
Reading - 5 times a week and Reading records will be stamped on Friday 3rd October
Wishing you an enjoyable weekend.
Mrs Martin
Friday 19th September 2025
We have reached the end of another busy and exciting week!
In English, we continued exploring our model text. Through short bursts of writing, the children have been crafting sentences rich in vocabulary. We also completed a reading comprehension activity to deepen our understanding of the text.
In Maths, we focused on partitioning 4-digit numbers. For example, 6,345 can be partitioned as 6,000 + 300 + 40 + 5 or 5,000 + 1,100 + 240 + 5. Using place value charts and concrete apparatus really helped us to grasp this concept. We even extended our learning by looking at 5-digit numbers!
Science was a highlight this week as we explored the organs involved in the digestive system—and even constructed a model of it!
Another memorable lesson came in Geography, where we learnt about the parts of a volcano before constructing our own. The children loved watching the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar react, mimicking lava flowing from the crater.
In Design Technology, we continued investigating the parts of a catapult, considering how and why they were used in Roman times.
In RE, we reflected on the story of Jesus healing a leper and discussed how we can use our own “hands of kindness” to support others.
Music was full of energy as we learnt a hand jive to accompany our Rock and Roll topic.
In Guided Reading, we enjoyed an extract from World’s Greatest Footballers, which sparked lots of interest and discussion.
Please note that spellings will begin next week.
The Change Maker Project
Two weeks ago, Mrs Maxwell introduced this bespoke citizenship programme across the school. We are looking forward to hearing which activities each class has chosen and how they are progressing. If you haven’t had the opportunity to discuss this with your child yet, please do so this weekend. They only need to choose one activity from the Friendship section for now.
I have spoken to the children about the importance of learning their times tables in Year 4. They should complete 14 minutes of TTRS each week. In addition, Super Maths Bowling and Hit the Button are fun ways to practise.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/504/Super-Maths-Bowling-Multiplication
Home Learning is set every Friday morning on Doodle Learning. This week, the children have an English and a Maths task. Work will be checked the following Thursday evening, and house points will be awarded for completion.
Wishing you all a very enjoyable weekend,
Mrs Martin
Friday 12th September 2025
This week in English we had a very exciting surprise! On Monday morning, Mrs Palmer rushed into our classroom carrying a metal detector. Attached was a mysterious note that read: “Go to the place the secrets are kept.” Following the clue, we made our way to the Secret Garden where the detector led us to one of the flowerbeds. Buried there was a locked metal box. We shared our ideas about what might be hidden inside—our imaginations ran wild!
In Geography we launched our new topic, Extreme Earth. Using six colours of playdough, we carefully modelled the different layers of the Earth:
Year 4 also began their Dance topic in PE, exploring rhythm and movement.
In Music we travelled back to the 1950s to start our Rock & Roll unit. We listened to Rockin’ Billy and Rock Around the Clock, and even had a go at acting out the famous Hand Jive.
Science lessons this week focused on food chains. We discussed how a producer is eaten by a primary consumer, which is then eaten by a secondary consumer, before finally being consumed by a tertiary consumer. Pupils created colourful and imaginative food chains to show their understanding.
In Maths, our focus has been Place Value. We explored the value of each digit in numbers up to 1,000 and practised positioning three-digit numbers on a number line. For example, if a blank number line between 0 and 1,000 is split into five intervals, what does each interval represent?
In RE, we reflected on the Gospels (meaning Good News) and considered what Jesus meant when he called his disciples to be “fishers of people.”
Home Learning
Every Sunday night I check the homework and house points are awarded if they have completed. If the homework has not been completed then they need to complete it during their break time. Thank you for your support.
It has been a busy and exciting week of learning. Wishing you all a restful weekend!
Mrs Martin
Friday 5th September 2025
Year 4 Blog
Welcome to Year 4!
We would like to wish you all a very warm welcome back to school. It has been wonderful to see the children returning after the summer break, full of energy and ready to learn.
Our Year 4 team this year is Mrs Wilson, Mrs Lattimer and Mrs Bennett.
Since coming back, the children have been busy settling into routines and sharing their summer highlights. We’ve also been hard at work:
Looking ahead:
Next week we will start the following topics across the curriculum:
Science - Animals (including Humans) - this includes learning about the Digestive System and Teeth.
DT - Mechanisms: Catapults
PSHE - Me and My Relationships
Music - Rock & Roll
Geography - Extreme Earth (volcanoes and earthquakes)
RE - What kind of world did Jesus want?
On Wednesday 17th September at 9am there will be a Year 4 Meet the Teacher meeting, I look forward to see you all there.
We are so proud of the children for starting the year with such enthusiasm and can’t wait to see all the exciting learning ahead!
Mrs Martin