Spring 1

English

In writing, children will become confident in using direct speech accurately, alongside adverbs and fronted adverbials of time and cause to add detail and cohesion to their work. They will learn how to plan and write a quest narrative and a survival guide, drawing inspiration from The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. When editing their quest narratives, children will focus on adding detail to increase suspense or atmosphere, removing detail when the pace slows, varying sentence length to adjust tension

, and improving noun phrases to strengthen imagery. For instructions, they will learn to insert extra steps when a process is incomplete, remove repeated instructions for clarity, strengthen safety language when danger is implied, and use precise technical vocabulary to ensure accuracy. Through these activities, children will develop the ability to plan, write, and edit effectively for purpose and audience.

Reading

Reading
Children will explore texts including The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, The Journey by Francesca Sanna, and The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. They will develop word reading skills by understanding how roots and affixes help infer meanings of unfamiliar words, recognising word families, and noticing how affixes alter meaning. Morphological knowledge will support decoding and comprehension of increasingly complex texts. They will also learn to read further exception words, understanding that some contain silent or unexpected letters, and that repeated exposure and pattern comparison aid recognition.

In comprehension, children will identify themes and conventions across texts and make links to the wider world. They will refine inference skills by using evidence from the text, combining clues with prior knowledge, and considering characters’ motives and feelings. They will explore how writers use language, structure, and presentation for effect, including how paragraphing, sentence length, and layout influence pace and mood. Children will practise clarifying meaning through context clues and self-correction, monitoring and summarising by identifying main points across paragraphs, and searching and retrieving information using contents, indices, skimming, scanning, and dictionaries. They will learn to extract information accurately using quotations and references to support their ideas.

Maths

This term, the children will be continuing their subtraction and division learning journey, focusing on mastering the formal written methods for subtraction and developing their mental and formal division skills.

In subtraction, children will learn how to subtract numbers with up to 4 digits using columnar subtraction, while also estimating and using inverse operations to check the accuracy of their answers. They will apply this knowledge to solve two-step problems in a range of contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why.

In division, the children will learn and apply short division methods, using their understanding of multiplication and division facts to support accurate calculations. They will also apply previously taught strategies to interpret remainders and check answers for reasonableness, solving division problems in a variety of contexts.

 

As well as this, the children will be focusing on improving their fraction knowledge. They will learn to count up and down in hundredths, recognising that hundredths arise when dividing an object by one hundred or tenths by ten. They will explore equivalent fractions, using diagrams to identify and show families of common fractions, and will learn how to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator. They will apply their understanding to solve problems involving increasingly complex fractions, including calculating quantities, dividing quantities, and solving measure problems involving fractions.

Science

The children, will continue to explore solids, liquids and gases through exploring the water cycle and understand how evaporation and condensation play an important role in recycling water on Earth. They will learn how the Sun heats water in rivers, lakes, and seas, causing it to evaporate, and how water vapour condenses to form clouds before falling back to the ground as rain, hail, or snow. Through practical activities and observations, pupils will develop a deeper understanding of how temperature affects matter and why these processes are essential for life on our planet.

 

History

In history this term, the children will be studying Britain's settlement by the Anglo-Saxons and Scots. They will explore the origins of the Anglo-Saxon people and learn about their migration to Britain, examining the reasons behind their settlement and how they established communities. The children will investigate the impact of the Anglo-Saxons on Britain, focusing on the development of towns, villages, and the early foundations of English society. They will also study key features of Anglo-Saxon life, including their culture, religion, and art

Geography

This term, the children will describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, focusing on rivers and mountains. They will explore the characteristics and formation of rivers and mountains, learning about how they shape the landscape and the impact they have on the environment.

In addition to this, the children will use fieldwork to observe, measure, record, and present the physical features in the local area. They will apply a variety of methods, including sketch maps, plans, and graphs, to accurately capture and analyse the physical geography around them. Through these hands-on activities, children will develop a deeper understanding of how geographical features are represented and studied, and how they influence the local environment.

Religious Education

In RE, Year 4 children will explore the concept of devotion in Hindu worship, focusing on how love and devotion are expressed in religious practices. They will reflect on the importance of devotion in the lives of Hindus and consider how these expressions of love through worship are meaningful to individuals and communities. Children will describe how devotion is shown in rituals and prayers, and explore how these practices might vary within different Hindu communities. They will also evaluate the significance of devotion in their own lives and how it might be applied to their personal experiences and communities.

PE

In Real PE this term, children will be focusing on identifying areas to improve both physically and non-physically. They will consider their stance, footwork, and awareness of space and others when making decisions during competitive games. Children will use feedback from themselves and others to identify areas for improvement and develop a clear understanding of what a successful performance looks like in order to refine their skills in attacking and defending.

In Real Dance, children will focus on performing with balance and control when holding and transitioning between shapes, as well as landing smoothly. They will work on creating clear, strong, and varied shapes and moving fluently between them without stopping. Children will explore circular movements and practice performing exact, repeatable movements, including circles and half-circles. They will also learn to ensure a partner is secure when in direct contact and perform with multiple partners in a range of roles, incorporating circular movements in and out of lifts. This will help improve their coordination, creativity, and teamwork in dance.

Spanish

This term, the children will further develop their language skills in Spanish by learning how to describe and give opinions about sports. They will practise using new vocabulary to express their thoughts and ideas about different sports, and will gain confidence in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Through these activities, children will enhance their ability to give and follow instructions, as well as express opinions on topics related to sports in Spanish.

Art

Throughout the Spring Term, children will become proficient in using colour, pattern, and texture in their painting, focusing on exploring forests in art. They will study the works of Henri Rousseau, highlighting his use of bold colours and patterns to create vibrant, dreamlike forest scenes. Children will also explore the rainforest-inspired works of Abel Rodríguez, focusing on his precise lines and textures that capture the complexity of the forest. After practising these techniques, children will use their knowledge of colour, pattern, and texture to create their own forest-inspired painting, combining harmonious elements in their artwork.

 

Design and Technology

Children will follow the ‘design-make-evaluate’ cycle to create a desk tidy. They will learn that all products have a purpose and target audience, and that market research and design criteria guide successful outcomes. Children will explore different planning methods, including verbal plans, thumbnail sketches, annotated diagrams, and CAD, and understand the role of prototypes and templates in refining ideas. When making, they will select appropriate materials and tools based on functional and aesthetic properties, cut and join materials accurately, and assemble components in the correct order. They will also consider decoration that enhances appearance without reducing functionality. In evaluating, children will test their product against design criteria, reflect on challenges, and use feedback to suggest improvements. Technical knowledge will focus on structures, including how to make them stable, strong, and stiff, and why shapes like triangles strengthen frame structures.