Welcome to 4S

Welcome to Year 4, we are made up 4S and 4K. In our year group, you will find moral and adaptable learners who strive to be the best they can be. In our year group, we have children who want to be veterinarians, teachers and ballet teachers. At Maple Court, we provide children with the opportunities to become all of these things through our purpose and aims. We respect each other’s views and opinions and demonstrate all our Maple values everyday. We are all proud to be a part of the Year 4 team and cannot wait to see the progress your children make.     

What we are learning: Autumn Term  

In year 4, we cover a range of different topics including The Romans; Anglo Saxons and The Vikings. We look at where each time period falls on a timeline, and we discuss key events during all of these times. During these topics, we will answer the questions: How did the Roman influence us today? Who were the Anglo Saxons? Were the Vikings blood thirsty raiders?  

In Art, we will draw a Roman soldier whilst being inspired by Edgar Degas. Then, in the Spring and Summer Term, the children will create a piece of artwork inspired by Andy Warhol’s picture of Marilyn Munroe, using faces of themselves or family members, and they will create a 3D object from the Saxon period and use Anthony Gormley as a focus. In DT, we will be creating a textile shoe bas, a vegetarian pizza and a nightlight using electrical systems.  

In Geography, we will be developing our map skills; contrasting areas with Italy; looking at mountains and tsunamis and focusing on our local area of Stoke-on-Trent. In RE, we will look at Hinduism in the Autumn term followed by Christianity in the Sprint term where we will look at the Trinity and why good Friday is called Good Friday. In the Summer Term, we will look at the Pentecost and why people mark significant events in their lives.  

In PE this year, we will be going swimming. During this time, children will practice the basic skills of swimming including floating, back stroke, front stroke and diving. It is important that children bring the correct swimming kit every week to take part. 

Routines and key information:  

• The Academy day starts at 8:40. Home time is at 3.25pm.   
• Please ensure your child brings their bag to school daily with their reading book and diary inside.   
• Children are expected to read at least 3 times a week at home. They can also access Bug Club online which will count towards their reading total at the end of the week.   
• Our PE lessons takes place on a Tuesday. This year, we will be taking part in swimming lessons therefore children must wear appropriate swimming costumes or swimming trunks. If children have long hair, they must wear a swimming cap.  

Welcome to 4C

In 4C we strive to achieve the best that we can and in all that we do. Our learning journey this year will be full of exciting opportunities, tremendous learning curves and interesting challenges. This, entwined with many smiles and laughter will certainly be a fantastic year! 

What we are learning:  In English we will be exploring ‘The Wind in the Willows’ where pupils will recount a chapter of the book from a different animals point of view. Pupils will also partake in writing a diary entry. Further into the term we will delve into the non-fiction text ‘What did the Ancient Greeks do for us’ and write our own non-chronological reports. Our Autumn term will come to a close on the topic of poetry.  

In Maths we are learning about place value up to 10000. We will also be adding and subtracting 4 digit numbers to 10000 using formal written methods. 

In Science this term, we will be studying states of matter and sound. Pupils will work scientifically to compare, observe and identify key information surrounding their subjects through a mixture of theory and hands on experiments. 

We have a new music teacher, Mr Chubb, who is joining the school this year and will work with the children to practise rhythm as well as learning about ostinatos. Music lessons for 4K will be held on Thursday mornings and our whole school singing assembly will take place on Monday afternoons.   

In History we will be learning about the Romans and what influence they had on the UK today. 

Our Geography topic this term will develop our Map Skills and we will also be learning about our local area, Stoke-On-Trent. 

Trips: Park in the Past 9th October 2023 

Reading: Reading books and reading for pleasure books can be changed any day. The children just need to let us know when they are finished. Pupils need to ensure that they bring their reading diaries and books into school each day.  

Homework: Please continue to practice times tables. Practice on MTC check is expected once a week. It is also expected that pupils read at least three times a week at home and that this is recorded in their reading diary.  

Dojo: The use of Dojo is a fantastic way to communicate with us. We will use this to post out any key information and updates. You can use this to send us any queries that you may have.  

PE: PE will be on a Tuesday afternoon. This term year 4 will be participating in swimming lessons.