Welcome to Year 4!

We are so excited to welcome you and your children to Year 4 – a year full of new opportunities, challenges, and memorable experiences. This is a wonderful stage in your child’s learning journey, where they will grow in independence, confidence, and curiosity.

Year 4 promises to be an exciting year. The children will explore a wide range of subjects, build on their core skills in maths and English, and deepen their understanding of the wider world through history, geography, science, and the arts (including choral singing). One of the highlights for many children is learning how to swim – a vital life skill that we look forward to developing together. 

Your child will be supported and encouraged every step of the way by  me (Mr Wilson), who will be leading the class, alongside the fantastic support of Mrs Appleby and Mr Heaney. Together, we are committed to creating a nurturing and stimulating environment where every child can flourish.

We look forward to working in partnership with you to ensure that your child has a happy, successful, and inspiring year in Year 4.

Key Days:

P.E. - Wednesday and Thursday (Swimming)

Spelling Test - Friday

New spellings and homework sent home - Friday

If you need to speak to a member of staff, please contact the school office on office@stjosephscatholicprimary.org or ring 0113 2712093 to make an appointment.

Thank you!

Our Learning in Autumn 1

English – Narrative, Leaflet, and Non-Chronological Report
Our English lessons will centre on the book The Wild Robot, which provides rich inspiration for both storytelling and non-fiction writing. Children will write their own narrative pieces inspired by the text, as well as produce an information leaflet linked to the story. Alongside this, they will create a non-chronological report about forest animals, giving them the chance to develop research skills and practise presenting information clearly and accurately.

Mathematics – Place Value and Times Tables
In maths, we will be focusing on developing a deep understanding of place value, helping children to work confidently with larger numbers and understand the importance of each digit. Alongside this, children will continue to build fluency in their times tables, using practical methods, games, and problem-solving tasks to strengthen their recall and apply multiplication facts in different contexts.

Science – Sound
Our science topic this half term is Sound. Children will investigate how sounds are made, how they travel, and how they can be changed. They will carry out practical experiments to explore pitch and volume, and learn about how the ear works to help us hear. This topic is always an engaging one, as children discover the science behind the sounds in their everyday lives.

History – 1066 and the Normans
In history, we will step back in time to the year 1066 and study one of the most important events in British history: the Norman Conquest. Children will learn about the Battle of Hastings, the role of William the Conqueror, and how life in England changed as a result of Norman rule. This fascinating topic allows children to explore how one moment in time can shape a whole nation.

Art – Formal Elements of Art (Viking Theme)
In art, our focus will be on the formal elements of art, such as line, shape, pattern, and texture. Children will experiment with different techniques to explore these elements and will apply them through a Viking theme. From decorative shields to intricate patterns inspired by Norse design, children will have the chance to develop their creativity while linking their artistic work to their wider historical learning
 

Physical Education – Swimming and Gymnastics (Bridges)
In PE this half term, children will take part in swimming lessons, where they will learn vital water safety skills and develop their confidence and technique in the pool. Alongside this, they will also focus on gymnastics, with a particular emphasis on creating and performing different types of bridges. This will help them to build strength, balance, flexibility, and control in a fun and challenging way.

Welcome to Year 4 2024/25

Class Teachers - Miss G Laidler and Mrs C Dealtry
Teaching Assistant - Mrs L Indukuri

Welcome to our Year 4 class page.

We are really looking forward to working with you!

Key Days:

P.E. - Wednesday and Thursday (Swimming)

Homework due - Wednesday

Spelling Test - Thursday

New spellings and homework sent home - Friday

If you need to speak to a member of staff, please contact the school office on office@stjosephscatholicprimary.org or ring 0113 2712093 to make an appointment.

Thank you!

Our Learning in Summer 2:

• R.E: our topic this half-term is The Early Christians.
  This half-term, we will be focusing on the events after Jesus’ resurrection. We will explore what happened to Jesus’ disciples, learn about the Ascension and Pentecost and then explore what happened next. We will continue to develop our knowledge and skills in using The Bible, and finding Bible references independently.
  At home, you can help your child by going to Mass, going to Church and looking at The Bible together. 
   

• English - Reading: we are continuing to read Journey to Jo'burg this half term.
  We will be practising our fluency skills - focusing on intonation and expression.
  We will continue to develop our comprehension skills - particularly reading at length independently. 
  At home, you can help your child by reading with your child every night. 

• English - Writing:
  We will be developing our narrative writing by creating our own descriptions and flashback stories. We are working hard at writing at length, correcting our mistakes independently and learning how to edit our work to improve the content. 
   

2024/25

As part of our learning about The Victorians, we visited Armley Mills and took part in the ‘Victorian School Room’ workshop.

In R.E. we continued to practise using the Bible and using Bible references to find stories linked to our learning.

We are growing in confidence in planning, leading and delivering our own worships. As the weather is warmer, we are making more use of our prayer garden and are using this space to  reflect on the wonder of God’s world!

Well done Year 4 for leading a lovely worship for Saint David's Day.

We had a great time at Lotherton Hall, learning about different habitats, seeing the animals and exploring the grounds. 

As part of our electricity topic in Science, year 4 have been creating human circuits, building working circuits and testing electrical conductors and insulators.

We have been reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. One of our friends brought in a sorting hat and we all were sorted into a Hogwarts House!

October is the month of the Rosary. We have been praying the Rosary as a whole school and in worship as a class.

In our R.E. Lessons, we have been practising using Bible references. We have also been exploring the different parts of the Bible, comparing the Old and New Testaments.

Some of us took part in an after school club focused on Forest School. We learned how to cook over a fire, as well as use a bow and arrow to aim for a target.

We have started tidying our prayer garden and preparing it for Spring. We cleared the area of weeds and planted some bulbs. We can’t wait to watch them grow!

Our history topic is about The Normans. We visited the Royal Armouries and took part in a workshop all about the events that took place in 1066.

2023/24