Welcome to Year 4’s

Curriculum Breakfast

Our team

Miss KerriganSocrates Class

Assistant Head Teacher

Miss CroftsBoudicca Class

Teacher

Mrs SmithSocrates Class

Teacher

Mrs AdelowoSocrates

Student Teacher

Our Family Tree

Our Roots

Holding our family together are our family tree ROOTS. These are the fundamental root values that hold us together and create our school ethos.

Respect AllOvercoming ChallengesOpening Our MindsTake CareSpeak Kindly

Our Values

As a school we have four overarching values which all children are aiming to show throughout all of their achievements both inside and outside of school. These values are very special to our family and are well celebrated throughout the school. They are represented by the Golden birds at the top of our trees.

Thrive Enjoy Achieve Aspire

Our Family Rewards

Aspire Trophy (given once a week for outstanding contributions and demonstration of all our ROOTS in and out of school)

Achieve Medals (Daily reward)

Enjoy Stone (Daily reward)

Thrive Hearts (Daily reward)

Learning Zones

Zone 1 – I am distracting myself and others, I am not learning.Zone 2 – I have lost focus and need to be reminded to stay on task.Zone 3 – I am learning just enough and showing the right behaviours.Zone 4 – I am engaged in my learning and can talk about it with others.Zone 5 – I am trying my very best and set myself challenging learning

goals. I am a fully independent learner.

Protective Hands

In each classroom throughout our school there is a display of our children’s protective hands. These are used actively by our children whenever they feel they need to share a worry or concern with someone they trust.

Worry Boxes

We also have worry boxes in all of our classrooms, which can be used by any child at any time of the day. Children simply write down what is worrying them for their teacher to respond to as soon as possible.

Uniform

Our uniform allows each child to show to everyone they are a part of our family and gives children a sense of pride and belonging.

Our Curriculum

This year we have many exciting projects for our children to experience whilst covering the National Curriculum. We are looking forward to

giving our children the opportunity to engage and progress throughout each and every topic.

Autumn 1

Ancient GreeksChildren will:• Explore life in Ancient Greece• Compare aspects of life at different times• Investigate electrical circuits to create a new age Olympic torch.

Ignite: We have planned for the children to create and prepare for their own Greek day using their research.

Autumn 2

Silent MoviesChildren will:• Develop skills in non-verbal communication• Interact with technology to make their own silent movie• Discover patterns in sounds waves

Ignite: We are hoping to bring a sign language specialist in to school to teach our children how to use other means of communication.

Spring 1

RainforestsChildren will:• Explore how the water cycle works• Understand the effects of mankind on our world• Discuss the impact of Global warming on animals and ourselves

Ignite: As part of this topic we are hoping to include a demonstration of small rainforest animals on school grounds.

Spring 2

Imaginary WorldsChildren will:• Explore solids, liquids and gases• Discuss the changing states of materials• Experience the worlds that can be created by the imagination.

Ignite: We are hoping to go on a trip the Harry Potter Studios in London (Watford).

Summer 1

Journey to the RomansChildren will:• Discover how the Roman’s created their empire.• Understand the impacts they have had on the present day.• Construct and interpret food chains. Acknowledging how Roman’s

survived.

Ignite: We are hoping to take the children on a trip to the Roman ruins at Bradwell Abbey.

Summer 2

A journey on footChildren will:• Understand the significance canals had on the past• Explain why their function has changed• Discover wildlife about the wildlife in the local area

Ignite: We are hoping to take the children on a local study walk around Great Linford concentrating on the canals.

What do Year 4 maths standards look like?

In your pack:• Year 4 teaching objectives• Year 3 objective test – sample questions they should be able to complete based on last years learning•Year 4 objective test – sample questions they should be able to complete by the end of the academic year•Calculation methods•KIRFs – Key Instant Recall Facts – Children need to be fluent in these. The ones in your pack match the expectation for Year 3 and the first couple for Year 4 – these will be sent home with home learning in future.

Look out for future parent workshops on how you can support at home with their maths learning.

What do Year 4 reading standards look like?

In your pack:• Year 4 age appropriate texts list – just some examples•Year 4 sample reading comprehension questions.

What do Year 4 writing standards look like?

In your pack:• Teaching the skills of writing – curriculum expectations• Some examples of writing

Look out for future parent workshops on understanding the grammar terminology in our curriculum.

Growing our learning

Assessment

• There are no externally set national tests in Y4 – these only occur in Y1, Y2 and Y6.

• Ongoing teacher assessment

• We will no longer be using levels

• Schools are still developing systems and terminology, government guidance has recently changed again

• Working below year group expectations

• Working towards year group expectations

• Working at year group expectations

• Working at a greater depth/mastery level

Home learning Projects

At the end of each term our children will be given a project to complete over the holiday period. These will be linked to the learning to come, giving children an idea as to what will happen throughout the project. These projects will be used within the learning and we greatly appreciate the support for these given by parents and families in the past.

Home Learning Logs

Each week our children will be given maths homework which will be linked to our learning throughout the set sessions. These will also include the new KIRFs as part of our new assessment without levels. They will also be given an English piece of work which will be related to our project in school.This will be set on a Thursday and should be returned the following Tuesday.

Children will also need to make sure they are practicing their spellings regularly and reading on a daily basis at home.

Communication

• Mention ParentMail

• Meetings with teachers through appointment

• Reading journals

• Parents evenings (twice yearly) 15th and 17th October 1st and 3rd March

• End of year reports

• Please feel free to talk to us in the morning on the playground

What can you do to help your child grow?

• Please support us by:• Bringing your child to school on time• Reading with your child for 10 minutes every day• Supporting/taking an interest in their home learning• Reinforcing our school values at home• Talking to us and working together

Things to remember• Children will be collected from the playground at 8:45am • PE is on Thursday and Friday (Swimming for Socrates is on a

Thursday)• Children should have their reading books and reading records in daily • Snacks can be brought in and kept in children’s trays.• Water bottles can be brought in; these should be named and refilled

each day.• Home learning will be given out on a Thursday and should be

returned by Tuesday the following week.

Our Inclusion Manager

Miss Amy SeguiInclusion Manager

Thank you for your continuing support of our family and

growing school