Year 4 Curriculum Booklet

Year 4
Curriculum Booklet

Welcome to Year 4,
Inside this booklet you will find key information about Year 4, an overview of the curriculum for the year and
Milestones documents for reading, writing and maths which will help you to understand the stages your child
will progress through in Year 4. We hope you find it useful.
The Year 4 team
4M Miss Marron
Mrs Wade
4RM
Organisation
Maths and reading will move to groups in Autumn 2.
Mr Murray / Mrs Ristic
Miss Weir
4T
Miss Turrell
Mr Bentley
Specialist Subjects
We have our own team of specialist teachers to teach music, French and PE each week.
Music - Brass with Hounslow
Music Service
Wednesday
French - Mr Murray
Tuesday
PE - Miss Smith Stevenson, Mr
Bentley and Mr Caton
PE - Monday
Swimming - Tuesday (Feb to Sept)
Homework
Homework is focussed on practice, revisiting concepts we have learned to make sure knowledge is retained
and essential key facts are at our fingertips. Reading every day for 20 minutes is essential and should be
recorded in the reading calendar.
Welcome to
Year 4
Key
Information
Every day Homework set Homework handed in
Friday
Thursday
Grammar, spelling and maths Grammar, spelling and maths
Read for 20 minutes or more
with an adult
Trips and events
Trips and Events
Science Museum - Autumn term
Swimming starts - Spring term
Thames Explorer - Summer term
Gurdwara - Spring term
Pedestrian training - Spring term
Kew Bridge sketching - Summer Term

Strand-on-the-Green Junior School: Year 4 Curriculum Framework
Spoken Language is at the forefront of learning across the curriculum: verbal expression, listening and vocabulary growth are developed and applied across all subjects.
ENGLISH Autumn Spring Summer Details Strand
Competencies
Reading
Class Novels
Perijee and Me by
Ross Montgomery
Class Novels
The Hundred and One
Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
Class Novels
Lion, Witch and Wardrobe by
CS Lewis
Reading sessions take place every day. This independent
reading session develops fluency, vocabulary and
comprehension through texts that are matched to learners
according to readability level. Poetry, plays and non fiction
supplement the core books, ensuring that learners
Accuracy
Fluency
Inference
Comprehension
Familiarity with
Text Types
Secrets of a Sun King by
Emma Carroll
The Angel of Nitshill Road by
Anne Fine
Legendry Tales: Beowulf
Tell me a Dragon
by Jackie Morris
encounter a whole range of quality children’s literature. In
Year 4 the focus is on becoming a reader for life as children
widen their reading experiences and sometimes venture
beyond their own reading preferences.
Creative
Writing
Creative Writing Themes
Traditional Tales
Treasure
The Sound of Silence
Exciting Explanations
Creative Writing Themes
The Angel of Nitshill
Road
Headline News
Animal Magic
Creative Writing Themes
Dungeons and
Dragons
Diaries—Reflection into
writing
Performance Poetry
Each stimulus - drawn from a topic, text-type or class novel
- provides the inspiration for creative writing. Children are
taught to plan, draft and edit their work so that they
gradually become more skilled at shaping and scribing their
compositions. Year 4 learners write stories and poems,
including traditional tales and performance verse. They also
produce diaries, newspaper reports and explanations.
Ideas
Organisation
Writer’s Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Accuracy: grammar
& spelling
conventions
Secretarial:
grammar, spelling,
handwriting
Year 4 extend their knowledge of word class and learn to build sentences with different clause patterns. Spelling covers a variety of word endings, less familiar spellings of
vowel sounds and regular practice of typically troublesome words including common homophones. As well as introducing new conventions, teaching consolidates previous
learning so that children have plenty of opportunity to secure successful application in their own work. Building on learning from Year 3, a fluent joined script is developed.
MATHEMATICS Autumn Spring Summer Details Strand
Competencies
Maths
Maths Units
Place Value
Addition and Subtraction
Length and perimeter
Multiplication and
Division
6,7, 9 x tables
Maths Units
11, 12 x tables and
written methods
Area
Fractions
Decimals
Maths Units
Decimals
Money
Statistics
Properties of shapes
Position and Direction
Teaching focuses on developing a sound understanding
of number, underpinned by efficient calculation
strategies and fluent recall of the basics (number bonds,
tables, telling the time etc). Number is studied in depth
for around half of the academic year before being
applied in contexts that involve measures, geometry and
statistics. Children consolidate fractions and move onto
decimals in Year 4; they also master tables up to 12 x 12.
Place Value
Calculation
Fractions
Measures
Geometry
Statistics
Reasoning and
Problem Solving

Discrete Subjects
PE and Music taught by specialists
Topics
Science, Geography and
History
Autumn Spring Summer
Year 4 study five main topics in depth. Each topic has a subject lead - shown below- with cross curricular content incorporated as appropriate.
History Science History
Science Geography
Ancient Wonders
Pump up the Volume
Rulers and Raiders
Creature Comforts
River Deep Mountain High
Depth study of
Ancient Egypt
Overview of first
civilizations
Science: digestive
system
How sounds are made and
the ways that they can be
manipulated
Simple electrical circuits
Conductors and insulators
Britain’s settlement by
Anglo-Saxons and Scots
The Viking and Anglo-
Saxon struggle for the
kingdom
Classification and grouping of
living things
Habitats and changing environments
Food chains and feeding relationships
including teeth.
Rivers: River Thames from source to mouth; local London
area, Thames Valley region
DT: building bridges
States of matter: solids, liquids, gases, changes of
state, water cycle
Americas country/region study: Costa Rica
Mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes
Termly Focus
A number of subjects are taught as projects or themes which are delivered across the term or, in some cases, as a concentrated block of learning.
DT Egyptian 3D artefacts Food Technology: Oatcakes and jam Building Bridges: structures in bridge design.
Art and
Design
Viewpoints: photography from unusual
angles and at maximum zoom.
Modern Art: The work of Paul Klee and other 20th
Century artists.
River Journeys: Bridges using Kew Bridge as
inspiration.
RE Key Figures and Beliefs: the story of Moses. Sikhism: values, places and communities in the Sikh
faith.
Writings in Islam: discovering the importance of
the Prophet Mohammed and the Qu’ran.
Music
Brass: All pupils learn notation, playing
tenor horn or trombone. Regular singing
leading to Christmas performance.
Brass: All pupils learn notation, playing
tenor horn or trombone. Exploring dynamics.
Brass: All pupils learn notation, playing
tenor horn or trombone. Introduction to singing
in parts.
Computing
E-Safety / Digital Literacy: Presenting with
Google slides
Coding: introduction to algorithms
Digital Literacy: Databases: classifying and sorting
Coding: Chatbots, loops and sequencing
Digital Literacy: Animation skills : Photo editing
Coding: Scratch, selection, iteration and
sequencing.
PE
French
Weekly afternoons on the rec provide an extended PE session to develop athletics and team sports in small-sided competitive games (football, rugby,
cricket); gymnastics and dance are the focus during the winter. Year 4 swim at Brentford Leisure Centre from February to July.
Children expand their knowledge of French vocabulary, developing their ability to use phrases and sentences to converse.
SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) development underpins life at Strand: dedicated lessons, activities beyond the curriculum and a shared understanding of fundamental values all play a part.

When reading an unknown book at the right level Year 4 children will practice…..
Being accurate
Pronounce most, or all, of the words on the page correctly, recognising many words by sight and decoding any
that are unfamiliar.
Being fluent
Year 4
Milestones
Read with fluency, demonstrated through accuracy and pace, but also through intonation that helps to ‘bring out’
the meaning. Self-monitor understanding to make reading make sense: repair misreads, be guided by the
punctuation etc.
Using inference
Read between the lines: go beyond what is explicitly stated to make sense of a text. Use prior knowledge, look for
clues and make connections so all of the ‘pieces’ fit together.
Showing understanding
Reading
Show understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts by:
activating meanings of words and phrases in context
finding and recording specific information
identifying main ideas
summarising the sequence and gist of what happens
making connections across a text
Grasping different texts
Be familiar with different text types in terms of structure, features and typical language eg recognise the story
pattern and particular phrases found in fairy tales or use subheadings to locate information in a non-fiction text.

How can you help? Ask the right questions ….. Choose books from Strand's recommended reads
Show me you understand …….
Where does the story take place?
When did the story take place?
What did he/she look like?
Where did he/she live?
Who are the key characters in the book?
What happened in the story?
What kinds of people are in the story?
What is happening at this point in the story?
Find me the evidence ……..
Read the part that tells me………
What does this word mean?
Which bit of the text shows this?
Who was the storyteller? How do you know?
Do you think this is true/untrue? Why do you think this?
What do you think the ………. is thinking?
If it were you what would you be thinking?
Through whose eyes is the story told?
Read between the lines ……
How do you feel about………?
What words give you that impression?
Can you explain why………….?
Which is your favourite part? Why?
Predict what you think is going to happen next. Why do you think this?
At the end of the story the main character is feeling ……. Does this ending surprise you?

When writing independently Year 4 children will practice …..
Choosing a main idea and stick with it
Keep content focused (relevant, not too broad or bland) with the main idea well developed and
clearly expressed, capturing the reader’s interest.
Organising and connecting ideas
Plan work before writing. Use sections and connections to help structure and sequence ideas.
The reader can move through the text without confusion. Pacing helps to propel ideas forward.
Year 4
Milestones
Choosing appropriate, adventurous words
Convey meaning with the right word, used in the right way at the right time. More often now,
word choice is memorable or striking.
Writing in well constructed, connected sentences
Use sentences that are not all alike and are mostly constructed correctly. They should combine
and follow on from one another in a way that allows the writing to flow. The range, control and
complexity of sentence structure expands.
Writing
Punctuating and spelling consistently
Use age appropriate punctuation and grammatical conventions with reasonable consistency
and control. Spelling accuracy also reflects age-expectations. Errors are not too distracting for
the reader.
Making choices about writer’s voice
Begin to choose the right tone and writer’s voice for a piece of writing. Choose friendly or
formal as need dictates.
.

As Year 4 progresses, and skills improve, children will move from novices to scholars
Novice
Experience
Scholar
Say the right thing: deliver the
sentence with words that
hang together comfortably.
Ready for the second half:
extend sentences with a
conjunction [and / so /
because /but].
• Don’t let spelling stand in your
way: master the basics and
use it before you lose it.
• Keep your distance: words
should be clearly spaced with
regular, tight and tidy letters.
• Improve your stops and starts:
use a full stop to finish the
sentence and a capital to start
the next one.
Everything in moderation: try
out a few great word choices
but don’t overdo it!
Don’t let writing run away with you:
keep sentences trim, usually with no
more than one ‘and’.
Want something a little more
sophisticated? Try adding a second
clause by using a conjunction [so /
before / after / when / while / if/
because].
No sloppy habits: sentence openers
need changing regularly.
Who done it? If it was you, then say,
‘I did it’, not ‘I done it’. Writing
usually sticks to Standard English;
so should you!
Punctuation marks the way: breathe
expression into your writing by
using capitals and full stops or
question/exclamation marks. Read
it aloud as a test.
Don’t get involved: if it’s meant to
be 3 rd person, guard against first
person I creeping in...& vice versa!
Only Dr Who travels in time:
unless the tense is meant to
change [eg story dialogue], keep it
steady throughout.
Be the organised type: group
related ideas into paragraphs
[perhaps beginning, middle and
end]. Use adverbs as links [eg
Next / Firstly / Lastly / Yesterday]
Careful how you phrase it: drop in
descriptive details by padding out
the noun phrase.
Less talking please: don’t let the
story get drowned out by
dialogue. Just use speech here and
there – with “inverted commas” of
course!
Keep paragraphs in good
shape: start with a topic
sentence then gradually build
on it.
Hold a steady course: be on the
look out for slips and trips in
person, tense, or subject/verb
agreement.
Get the blend right: improve the
flow and rhythm by keeping
things balanced [eg use of
pronouns vs nouns, different
sentence patterns and
lengths].
Mind your claws and paws...or
rather, clause and pause: add a
complex sentence, but if the
main clause doesn’t come first,
pause with a comma to
announce its arrival.
Be a planner: first, bullet point
ideas into paragraphs. Keep it
clean: tidy up the errors and
the presentation as you go...
and at the end!
Experience

Key maths learning milestones for children in Year 4 are ….
Place Value and Number – Be fluent in counting and finding ………
Count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1000
Find 1000 more or less than a number
Count backwards through zero to include negative numbers
Recognise the place value of each digit in a four-digit number (thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones)
Order and compare numbers beyond 1000
Round any number to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000
Read Roman numerals to 100 (I to C) and know that over time, the numeral system changed to include the
concept of zero and place value
Solve number and practical problems with larger numbers
Number: Addition and Subtraction – Be fluent and accurate in calculating ……..
Using column addition and subtraction add and subtract numbers with up to four digits
Estimate the answer to a calculation and then use inverse operations to check
Solve addition and subtraction two-step problems, deciding which method to use and why
Year 4
Milestones
Maths
Number: Multiplication and Division – Be fluent and accurate when …..
Remembering and using multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12
Recognise and use factor pairs in mentally eg 4 and 6 are factors of 24 so are 8 and 3
Use place value and known facts to multiply and divide mentally, including: multiplying by 0 and 1; dividing by 1;
multiplying together three numbers eg 4 x 6 x 7
Multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using formal written method
Solve problems involving multiplying and adding, multiply two digit numbers by one digit, scaling problems and
harder problems eg. n objects are connected to m objects.
Fractions – Be fluent and accurate when recognising …….
Using diagrams, families of common equivalent fractions eg ½ = 2/4 = 4/8
Hundredths are made by dividing an object or one or two digit number by one hundred and dividing tenths by ten
Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator eg 1/6 + 4/6 =5/6
Decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths eg 0.1 and 0.01
Decimal equivalents to ¼, ½, ¾

Key maths learning milestones for children in Year 4 are ….
How to round decimals with one decimal place to the nearest whole number eg 3.7 – 4 and 3.2 - 2
Comparisons of numbers with the same number of decimal places up to two decimal places
Solving simple measure and money problems involving fractions and decimals to two decimal places
Solving problems involving increasingly harder fractions to calculate quantities of a number
Measurement
Convert units of measure eg kilometre to metre; hour to minute
Measure and calculate the perimeter of a 4 sided shapes (including squares) in centimetres and metres
Find the area of 4 sided shapes shapes by counting squares
Estimate, compare and calculate different measures, including money in pounds and pence
Read, write and convert time between analogue and digital 12- and 24-hour clocks
Solve problems by converting hours to minutes; minutes to seconds; years to months; weeks to days
Geometry – Properties of shapes
Compare and group quadrilaterals and triangles using their properties
Identify acute and obtuse angles and order angles by comparing their size
Identify lines of symmetry in 2-D shapes
Use a line of symmetry to draw a complete shape.
Geometry – Position and direction
Describe positions on a 2-D grid as coordinates in the first quadrant
Describe movements between positions as translations of a given unit to the left/right and up/down
Plot specified points and draw sides to complete a given polygon.
How can I help?
Maths at Home this
resources covers every NC
statement in a short, clear
video to give you an
understanding of key
concepts along with fun
ideas for using objects in the
home to support your child
Follow the link for help and
activities for each area of the
maths curriculum for Year 4
from Oxford Owl
White Rose videos and
home learning support
Maths No Problem
information and videos for
parents
Strand Learning Links for
many great websites to help
develop fluency
Statistics
Interpret and present discrete and continuous data using different graphs, including bar charts and time graphs.
Solve problems using information from bar charts, pictograms, tables and other graphs