Class 4

A warm welcome back to you all! The children demonstrated fantastic learning attitudes and values in spring term and thoroughly enjoyed their topic ‘Blue Abyss’. I am sure they will enjoy our new topic ‘Firedamp and Davy Lamps’ just as much. I would like to reiterate that we welcome your feedback on any aspect of your child’s time in school.

Imaginative Learning Project: Firedamp and Davy Lamps

History: This is the driver subject for our project this term.

This project will help the children to explore the history of coal and tin mining including mining strikes and their effects on the miners, their families, and communities. We will learn about the legacy and future of mining alongside answering questions such as ‘how did it feel to work in a coal mine?’ and ‘how has the industry changed over the years?’. The children’s learning will be supported by a trip to Geevor and a guest speaker which will provide Cornish heritage links to the curriculum.

English: Along with a focus on grammar, spelling, handwriting and reading skills, we will explore poetry, narrative writing and discussion writing in the first half of the summer term. During the first couple of days, the children will have the chance to write an acrostic poem revisiting their learning from the ‘Blue Abyss’ topic. We will then move on to inventing a story based on a finding tale ‘Treasures of the mines’. To finish summer 1, the children will write a discussion text about Cornish mines. In the second half of the summer term, the children will be looking at a text called ‘Leon’ and will be writing reports linked to our current topic.

Linked text: Candle dark: Based on a boy named Joshua who has worked in a coal pit since he was seven. He hates it and is treated badly. One day, he decides to run away but worries for his mother and sister who will be left behind and his father who has been sent to work in the most dangerous part of the mine. Concerned about his future and his family, he must decide whether to leave the mines or stay.

Maths: We will follow the White Rose Year 4 and 5 units for learning in this subject. In the summer term, Year 4 will focus on the units ‘Decimals’, ‘Shape’, ‘Money’ ‘Time’ and ‘Statistics’. Year 4 will continue with a focus on times tables ahead of the statutory assessment in June. Please continue to practice these numbers facts as often as possible ,at home. Year 5 will cover ‘Shape’, ‘Position and Direction’, ‘Decimals’, ‘Negative numbers’, ‘Converting units’ and ‘Volume’.

Science: Our science topic this term is ‘Electricity’. The children will have time to investigate with simple circuits. We will consider the impact of increased voltage within circuits and what makes a circuit ‘complete’. The children will discover which materials are insulators and conductors of electricity. Linked to our new topic, the children will then spend some time thinking about whether coal is still produced today and what other energy sources are available.

Art: Our art projects will be based around our ‘Firedamp and Davy Lamps’ topic and will cover a range of skills and techniques. The children will have the opportunity to look at ‘Pitmen Painters’ before recreating their own painting in this style. As artists, we will then sketch an image of a Cornish mine today to compare how things have changed from the past.

DT: In design and technology, the children will look at engine building houses before designing and then creating their own structures. The children were fantastic at evaluating their design projects in spring term and this is a skill we will further develop during this term.

Geography: In this subject, the children will further develop their knowledge about mining. We will learn about where coal was mined and link this to their own local environment. We will also consider the placement of tin mines in Cornwall and their importance to the area and surrounding communities.

PSHE: We will follow a structured plan for both Year 4 and Year 5 from the SCARF units for PSHE. In the beginning of the summer term, we will cover the unit ‘Being my best!’. For both year groups, this will focus on making sensible choices and some basic first aid. Our second topic will be ‘Growing and changing’. For year 4, this will focus on changes such as moving house but will also involve a lesson on ‘preparing for puberty’ and understanding how this may impact our emotions. For year 5, this topic will focus on changing bodies, changing feelings and growing up.

RE: Over the course of the summer term, Year 4 and Year 5 will be looking at the units ‘What kind of world did Jesus want?’ (where we will explore what parables and gospel are) and ‘How do people in Cornwall mark significant events?’. During these topics we will cover a wide range of objectives linked to the national curriculum.

MFL: In French, the children will continue to develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Year 4 will cover the unit ‘What’s the time’ and Year 5 will cover the unit ‘School life’. For our second topic, Year 4 will look at ‘Holidays and hobbies’ and  Year 5 will look at ‘Time travelling’. Within these units the children will have the opportunity to expand their vocabulary and consolidate their understanding of conversing in French about a variety of topics.

Music: Our music learning this half term is based on Global Pentatonics. This listening unit is based around the pentatonic scale – a five-note musical scale, which takes its name from the Latin ‘penta’ meaning five, and ‘tonus’, which means sound or tone. It has a distinctive and recognisable sound. Music from around the world, through history and across many traditions and cultures, is based on the pentatonic scale. During summer 2, we will learn about ‘The horse in motion’. This unit links to the composure of music for films and will help to inspire us when composing our own music.

Computing: Throughout the term, children will be encouraged to use ICT as a tool for furthering their understanding in other curriculum areas. Throughout the term, there will be a focus on keeping ourselves safe online, including a ‘safer internet’ day. Further to this, we are following the ‘Digital Learning Cornwall’ units for Years 4 and 5. The Year 4’s will focus on ‘Repetition in shapes’ in Summer 1 and ‘Repetition in games’ in Summer 2. The Year 5’s will complete a unit using the Microbits during summer 1 and will learn about ‘Selection in Quizzes’ during summer 2.

PE: For the first half term, we will have a sport focus of nimble nets, a fitness focus of pilates and a health focus on healthy mind: healthy body. The second half of the term will look at the units ‘Young Olympians’, Fitness Frenzy and Healthy lifestyle: Germ busters.

PE kit:

•        Black shorts, leggings or tracksuit bottoms
•        Green T-shirt with logo
•        Trainers or plimsolls
•        Tracksuit may be worn for outside PE during colder weather
•        No earrings or jewellery

Please can all items of kit and school uniform be named.

Homework

1.      Reading should be enjoyed daily. Reading records are to be handed in on a Monday morning, checked and then returned by Tuesday. The children will have Accelerated Reader books pitched to their correct level but are also encouraged to read wider books for pleasure.
2.      Spellings for the half term will be given to the children to take home. They will then be given weekly spelling lists to practice in school with spelling tests happening on Mondays. During the week, the children will learn and practice the spellings in school but are encouraged to do so at home also.
3.      We encourage the children to practice times table facts as often as possible as these are expected to be fluent by year 5 and 6. For Year 4, there will be a statutory times table assessment which tests the children’s accuracy and recall speed. In light of this, Year 4’s will be set weekly times table homework to support them in preparation for this assessment.
4.      Optional curriculum project activities will be sent home during the first week of term.

If there are any further questions or you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are very much looking forward to the term ahead and thank you in advance for your continued support.

Mrs Hay