Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to a new year. It has been wonderful to welcome your children, who have arrived eager to learn and dressed in their smart school uniforms.

Reading with your child is one of the most important ways in which you can help them to learn.

Please ensure your child is bringing home an AR reading book every day and that you are sharing this book with your children at least five times a week. Please take time to discuss the vocabulary your child encounters while reading. After reading a book, the children will be expected to take an AR quiz in school. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s reading, please speak to myself or Ms Walsh.

Here is some useful information about how things will run in the Spring term:

Homework will be set on Google Classroom on a Friday and will be due on a Thursday. Homework will usually comprise a short literacy and maths task related to the learning taking place that week in the classroom. We will also be setting an open homework task to be brought back to school just before the Easter break. Please let either myself or Mrs Finegold know if you have any difficulties accessing homework.

PE will continue to be on Tuesday and Thursday. Your child will wear their PE kit to school on those days. Please ensure they wear appropriate PE kit, which consists of: blue shorts, plain white T-shirt and plain white or black plimsolls or trainers. A plain navy tracksuit with a jumper and jogging bottoms is advisable for colder weather. Children must NOT wear branded logos, jeans or brightly coloured outfits or shoes.

We will not be having ukulele lessons this term. However, we are lucky enough to have collaborated with the Arts Depot and will be having 3 art workshops with artists: Abigail Hunt and Sum-Sum Tse-Cappi. The artists will support the children to explore an understanding of the spaces they live, work and play within, making creative responses and working in a range of practical and sculptural materials. The workshops are built from a concept of observation → interpretation → construction. The work made will be part of a shared exhibition (including 3 schools) at ArtsDepot in March/April.

 As you know later this year, in June, the children in Year Four will complete a multiplication check, which is a statutory test that will test their knowledge of times tables up to 12 x 12. We will provide support in class throughout the year and a brilliant way to practise and support your child at home can be found at: mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/multiplication-tables-check. The children have been shown how to use this and are keeping a track of their own scores in the classroom.

 The Amazon Wishlist has been updated and we would really appreciate any donations or suggestions to include that will provide additional resources to support the children’s learning from there. If you are able to do so, please use the link below to purchase items. Pencils, whiteboard pens and glue sticks would be most appreciated!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/ORS8GR1U8FDU?ref_=wl_share

 Thank you so much for all the donations we have received so far.

 Please continue to ensure the correct school uniform and shoes are worn at all times. Healthy snacks can be provided for morning breaks, packed lunches and after school. Please follow the recent guidance regarding what to provide: biscuits, sweets, chocolate and crisps should not be brought into school and all snacks must be nut free and not include sesame.

 School uniform:

Dark grey trousers, skirt or pinafore dress.
Light blue collared shirt or polo shirt.
Royal blue jumper, sweatshirt or cardigan with or without logo.
Black sensible shoes/boots or plain black trainers.
Black, grey or white socks or tights.

Black, blue, grey or white plain head covering (if worn).

 A coat should be in school as we go outside whatever the weather.

Stud earrings are permitted but no other jewellery should be worn to school at any time.

 Please do not hesitate to come and speak to us about any worries or concerns, or if there is anything about which you require further information.

 Miss Troupe and Mrs Finegold

Sustainability & Volcanoes

Can we use recyclable materials to create sound and reduce noise levels?

What happened to Pompeii?

Literacy

Core Texts:

Varmints

One Plastic Bag – The recycling Women of Gambia.

The Firework Makers Daughter

Maths

Multiplication and Division; Length & Perimeter; Fractions; Decimals

Science

Sound                       Living Things and their Habitats

Geography

Northern Italy- Physical and Human Geography

Volcanoes & earthquakes

Art

Artist study – Monet & Carr (Landscapes – the natural world)

DT

Food - Healthy and varied Diet

Caprise and other Italian salads

PSHE

Persuasion and Pressure                    Healthy Lifestyles                         Shared Responsibilities

PE

Dance and Dodgeball

Music

Charanga – Stop! And Lean on Me by Bill Withers

RE

BQ3 – How do we know? Understanding what different religion and worldviews teach about the nature of knowledge, belief and things that are considered to be true.

School Values

Resilience & Respect

Important Dates this Term

Chalgrove’s Got Talent: 5^th February

Children’s mental health week: 9^rd February – 13^th February

Half Term: 16^th – 20th February

Natural History Museum (earthquakes & volcanoes workshop): 4^th March 2026

World Book Day:  5^th March

Science week:  9^th – 13^th March

Science week assembly: 12^th March

Neuro diversity assembly: 19^th March

Parent Meetings:   w.c 23.03.26 (details to follow)

World poetry day:  26^th March

End of term: 27^th March – 1:30pm

Year 4 Timetable