Hello and welcome to Year 4. In Year 4 we see the culmination of all the hard work that the children complete during their time at Perton First School. They are ready for the next steps in their education and have the skills and knowledge needed to Dream, Believe and Achieve whatever their hearts desire. The school values continue to be further embedded. Staff model how to Be Positive, Be Kind and Respectful and Be Proud, encouraging children how to learn and be successful through these values. 

During Year 4, children develop their oracy skills by focusing on actively practising speaking and listening in various contexts, building confidence, and refining communication techniques. This involves creating opportunities for structured discussions, providing feedback, and encouraging students to think critically and express themselves clearly.

Reading fluency is a huge part of the Year 4 journey where we highlight, encourage and promote a love of reading. We have a firm focus on consistent practice, setting goals, and engaging actively with the material. Regular reading, even in small increments, helps build vocabulary and comprehension. Strategies like summarising, note-taking, and asking questions can enhance our children's understanding.

In Year 4, topics are incorporated into our writing where we learn to persuade others, write a multitude of poems, biographies, recipes, play scripts and a series of narratives. Handwriting and SPAG are taught in isolation and then embedded independently in children's work.

In maths, children build on previous learning in calculation and problem-solving strategies. There is an increase in calculation challenges and a big emphasis on being fluent in the understanding of multiplication tables. It is in this year group that children will tackle the Multiplication Tables Check in the final term.

Year 4 is an adventure from start to finish! Children will learn about the Egyptians, explore where and why volcanoes arose, design and build a model car, and make a clay model wolf! In science, children will visit a local wood to learn about habitats as well as conduct experiments to discover what happens to cheese if we heat it and then let it cool! Children will be supported to make links between their development and building, refining, and sometimes even restructuring their mental models of learning as new information is encountered. For example, the learning that happens around naming body parts in the Early Years Foundation Stage will be expanded upon, and challenged in some cases, when children discover more about the digestive system in Year 4!

Children with identified special educational needs are included in our classrooms as far as possible, where class teachers are responsible for their learning and development, social and emotional development and wellbeing.

Children in Year 4 develop social and emotional skills through learning to navigate peer relationships, manage emotions more effectively, and understand social rules and expectations. Key areas of development include building friendships, developing empathy, and handling conflict. Our Year 4 children are actively encouraged to learn to deal with these challenges in preparation for middle school and also on our amazing residential visit to the Pioneer Centre, where they appear to grow so much in a short space of time!

Our school feels safe and homely, allowing our children to develop their social, moral, spiritual and cultural education in a range of carefully planned ways, including assemblies, R.E. and PSHE lessons, where our children can see themselves reflected in the stories, toys, resources used and displays they contribute to making.