Welcome to Year 4

Summer 1 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Summer 1! Our topic for this half term is 'Water Water Everywhere'.

As always we will continue to adhere to our school values of Respect, Good Manners, Patience, Perseverance and Honesty. We will understand the school rules of 'Be Safe, Be Kind and Be the best you can be!'  We will continue with our 'Brookhouse Dojo' rewards scheme to acknowledge positive attitudes and behaviours that are consistent with our values.  Homework will be collected in on a Wednesday to be marked and returned by Friday.  There will also be online tasks to complete on Purple Mash, SPAG.com, Reading Plus and Times Tables Rockstars. 

English

The first unit for this half-term is the 'Poems with a Structure'. We will begin by listening to, reading and discussing poetry in different forms, e.g. haiku, limericks, kennings. We will identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination e.g. metaphors, similes. We will learn a range of poems by heart and rehearse for performance. We will prepare poems to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action. We will explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and finally we will write our own poems with a structure linked to the theme of water. We will then explore, 'Stories Based on a Theme'. We will listen to, read and discuss a range of fiction. We will be Analysing and evaluating texts looking at language, structure and presentation. We will identify, discuss and collect effective words and figurative language techniques which capture the reader’s interest and engagement. We will demonstrate active reading strategies e.g. generating questions, finding answers, refining thinking, modifying questions, constructing images. We will draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives, and justify with evidence from the text using point and evidence. We then will  develop, agree on and evaluate rules for effective discussion. Finally we will plan and write our own narratives based on a text read. 

Reading is a priority of ours at Brookhouse, therefore Whole Class Reading sessions take place everyday, where children are expected to read a range of texts and answer questions by summarising, retrieving, making inferences and explaining.  We also have a specific focus on vocabulary, which will be sent home to learn before the lesson.  In school, we will continue to use the online reading resource called 'Reading Plus' and encourage children to complete lessons at home.  It is imperative for you to support your child with reading; please use the question stems to ask your children questions to check for understanding.  Also, ensure your child is learning their spellings for ten minutes daily. 

Mathematics

We will start the half term by learning about tenths and hundredths. We will learn how to count, order and record the decimals in different ways. We will begin to see the equivalence between tenths and hundredths, and will be able to compare and order the numbers. Then we will learn to continue linear number sequences as well as round decimals to the nearest whole number. We will also link tenths and hundredths with dividing by 10 and 100. We will then move on to exploring money.  We will begin how to count and record in pounds and pence.  Then make links between tenths and hundredths, and decimal notation for money. We will learn how to compare amounts of money by looking at significant digits, and by converting amounts from pounds to pence, and vice versa. We will round money to the nearest pound and understand contexts and use this skill to estimate amounts and totals. We will then apply these skills to problem-solving situations, finding totals and calculating change. We will then begin measurement focusing on how to estimate and measure mass, volume and length. We will learn how to convert units of measure from larger to smaller, and vice versa. We will also measure perimeter using centimetres and millimetres; using our knowledge of measures to solve problems involving all three aspects of measurement.

Please encourage your child to practice their timetables through the year - up to 12x tables- as they are required to complete the official Multiplication Tables Check next year in the summer term.  During the Multiplication check, children will have 25 questions to answer with only 6 seconds per question.  In order to aid them with this, your child can use Times Tables Rockstars, UR Brainy MTC and the maths area on Purple Mash, all website links can be located on the Website Star. Please familiarise yourself with the multiplication tables, check parent guidance in the useful documents section above. 

Science

As part of Chemistry, this half-term we will be learning about States of Matter. We will group, compare and name properties of solids, liquids and gases. We will investigate how materials can change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C) e.g. the freezing point or boiling point. We will explore how melting is a state change from solid to liquid, freezing is a state change from liquid to solid, boiling is a change of state from liquid to gas. We will learn about everyday examples of evaporation (change of state from liquid to gas) and condensation (change of state from gas to liquid). We will then look at and describe the water cycle e.g. Water at the surface of seas, rivers etc. evaporates into water vapour (a gas); how water cools and condenses back into a liquid forming clouds. We will discover how water condenses, becomes heavy and forms water droplets and fall back down to earth as precipitation, snow, sleet etc. and drain back into rivers etc. 

Art

In Art we will be focusing on the artist Katsushika Hokusai. We will begin by researching the artist, looking at and critiquing his work. We will then make a series of observational drawings in journals/sketchbooks using photographs of dramatic water images such as waterfalls, floods, waves and/or droplets. Use whole composition to zoom in on an area of water. We will focus on parts of the art work, discussing how particular sections can show very different textures.  We will view small sections of large pieces of work and then transfer these snapshots into our sketchbooks in small squares We will be aware of the textures and shapes within the part of the water when we are drawing. We will transfer a section of our sketches onto canvas or cardboard using papier-mâché in layers to create, colour, depth and texture.  We will then evaluate our work and that of others, describing what we liked or might change next time; what materials we preferred using, and what advice we may give to another artist

History

History this half-term we be delving back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians. We will first discuss and research some ancient artifacts - thinking about and exploring their use and significance. We will look at where Ancient Egypt fits into a timeline, discovering which other important civilisations there were at that time.  We will look at Egypt in  geographical terms and explore the importance of Ancient Egypt at this period of history. We will focus on the river Nile; thinking about why it was an important asset to Ancient Egyptians. We will discuss the parts of the river Nile and their significance. We will think about irrigation and how this is important then and now. We will be studying hieroglyphics and important events and people in Ancient Egypt, such as Pharaohs and the building of the pyramids and their usage. We will compare Ancient Egypt and Egypt today, thinking about differences in culture, beliefs and traditions. 

Physical Education

P.E sessions will take place on a Tuesday afternoon, our unit will be 'Athletics'. We will be developing our pull, push and sling throws focusing on accuracy and control. We will be practicing and performing a standing long jump. We will then be developing our skills using our fundamental skills to perform a hop, step and jump to achieve a triple jump. We will devise a combination of five jumps, performing five basic jumps consecutively to reach the furthest distance.  We be able to choose the correct type of throw to at different targets and distances. Please ensure your child comes into school wearing their full P.E kit.  The kit should include a yellow P.E top with the school's logo matched with black shorts, joggers or leggings and black pumps or trainers. Over the top, children will wear their school jumper or cardigan.  All jewellery must be removed, please ensure earrings are taken out before the session or covered with plasters.

PSHE 

The unit for summer is 'Keeping Safe'. We will be exploring ways in which a person can recognise and manage their feelings of negative pressure and how this can be unhealthy or dangerous.  We will be able to explain when it is best to notify somebody that there is an emergency. For example; when rules in place are not followed. We will explore how to keep our selves safe in the local environment or online.  We will also identify why it is wrong to make a person feel uncomfortable by being too close or touching them, thinking about individual 'body space'. We will think about privacy and give examples why privacy may need to be broken, and who we could tell. We will think about why we need rules and laws and their importance in our lives and how they effect us. 

Oracy - Voice 21

As a school we are developing our oracy, learning through talk and learning to talk.  In class, we have created discussion guidelines to aid meaningful discussions.  We encourage children to fully participate by taking on a range of roles and utilising sentence stems to articulate their ideas.  We will provide opportunities for discussion in all areas of the curriculum.

If you have any queries, do not hesitate to discuss these with us at the end of the school day or arrange an appointment through the school office.

Thank you for your support.

All the best from the Year 4 team!

Miss Woodhouse (Class Teacher)

Mrs Sheikh (Special Support Assistant)

Mrs Momoniat (Teacher Assistant) 

Mrs Khonat (Higher Level Teaching Assistant)