Year 4 activities and events

 

Hello everyone,

I hope you and your child have settled back into the final term of Year 4. It’s been a whirlwind start—with OFSTED in the first week and the children completing their Multiplication Tables Check this week. Understandably, it’s felt quite assessment-heavy. And while assessments certainly have their place, more than anything, I want the children in my care to have a positive sense of self-worth. I want them to know, deep down, that they are enough—just as they are.

Some children found the multiplication check challenging, and I reassured them as best I could. Knowing your times tables is undoubtedly useful, but it doesn’t make you a better or worse person. Our value isn’t measured by speed or scores.

At POW, our therapeutic thinking approach underpins everything we do. We are committed to nurturing intrinsic motivation in our children—a drive that comes from within, not from external praise or rewards. We want our learners to take joy in the process of learning, in giving things a go, and in meeting challenges head-on.

Of course, it feels amazing when we succeed at something, but just as importantly, we want our children to feel good about themselves for trying, for growing, and simply for being. That self-belief is something we hope will stay with them far beyond Year 4.

Leavers’ Speeches

Towards the end of next week, the children will begin drafting their individual speeches, which will be pre-recorded and shared as part of our Year 4 Leavers’ Assemblies. We’ll be encouraging them to reflect on their time at POW, celebrating their memories, friendships and achievements. Depending on how the writing progresses, we hope to send the speeches home for practice next weekend, ahead of the recording sessions with Mr Spracklen.

Consent Letters

Please could any outstanding consent forms for the Year 4 Special Activity and Leavers’ Assemblies be returned as soon as possible? This week, I’ll be speaking with the children to explain what to expect from both the assembly and the special activity. If you or your child have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email. Chances are, if you’re wondering something, other families may be too—and I’ll be happy to share the answers with the children when we speak.

This Week’s Home Learning

In preparation for our new science topic, the children have been asked to observe and make a note of any living things they spot from three of the five kingdoms: animals, fungi, and plants.

Below are the children's spellings for the week. In addition to these, I also encourage the children to either continue practising the year 3/4 words or their personal spelling lists on Spelling Shed. 

 

Reading Journals

Thank you to the children and families who are consistently returning reading journals each Friday. Regular reading is an effective way to support your child’s progress in reading, writing and spelling. Reading journals are also an expectation at middle school, so developing this habit now can really help ease the transition. As a current Year 5 parent myself, I’d highly recommend getting into the routine early—it’s one less thing to adjust to later on.

As ever, please get in touch if you have any questions, comments or concerns. 

Kind regards,

Ms Browne and the Year 4 Team

  

 

PE Kits

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you and your children had a great half term break. 

This term year 4 will have PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Could your child bring in their full PE Kits and water bottles tomorrow (Tuesday).

Thank you,

Ms Browne 

End of term

 

Hello everyone,

It’s hard to believe how quickly this half term has flown by—just five weeks, yet it feels like we’ve packed so much in!

Wednesday’s trip to Bryanston was a real highlight. I was incredibly proud of all the children -  each of them challenged themselves in different ways and represented the school brilliantly.

For half term, the children have brought home a times tables booklet. Please don’t feel any pressure to complete it all—rest and relaxation are the top priorities. That said, if your child feels like dipping in and doing a little practice ahead of June, they’re welcome to use the booklet or log on to Times Tables Rock Stars.

[Link to the booklet] (Please note: the link to the booklet contains more pages than the one sent home, for example, I haven't sent home the division questions.)

Looking ahead to next half term, we have lots of exciting transition activities and Inspired to Learn sessions planned. If you haven’t yet returned your Leavers’ Assembly seating requests or the permission slip for special Year 4 activity, we’d be grateful to receive them during the first week back.

Wishing you all a happy and safe half term break!

Kind regards,

The Year 4 Team   

Upcoming events ( a ful list of dates can be found in this week's emailed newsletter)

Friday 23rd May - Alternative sports festival 

Friday 23rd May - Last Day of term 

Monday 2nd June - Children return

Monday 2nd June - Multiplication Tables Checks start

Thursday 5th June - RSE parent's information session.

Friday 20th June - Year 4 special event

Rain forecast for our class trip tomorrow

 

Dear parents and carers, 

I'm really looking forward to our class trip tomorrow (Wednesday 21st) but unfortunately the forecast is rain for the day. 

Please ensure that your child has protective rain gear and a change of clothes - together with a snack and drink bottle. 

Children don't need to wear school uniform but should wear clothes that can be active in, whilst keeping them warm and dry. 

 

Unit 4.7 – Effective Searching

This half-term in Computing, Year Four have been developing their digital literacy and critical thinking skills through Unit 4.7 – Effective Searching, part of the Purple Mash Computing Scheme of Work.

AIM - To assess whether an information source is true and reliable.

In an age where we can find answers at the click of a button, it's more important than ever to teach our pupils how to search the internet effectively—and how to judge whether what they find is accurate, appropriate, and trustworthy.

What We’ve Been Up To:

Throughout the unit, pupils explored different search engines and practised using key words and refined phrases to help them locate accurate information quickly. They discussed and evaluated various websites, looking for clues that signal trustworthiness, such as:

Author credentials

Domain endings (.org, .gov, etc.)

Date of publication

Grammar and spelling

Presence of advertisements or clickbait

We also explored how misinformation spreads online and the importance of checking facts using multiple sources.

Digital Citizens of the Future

By the end of the unit, Year Four pupils had a stronger understanding of how to approach online research with a critical eye - an essential skill for life in a digital-first world. They’ve learned that just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true and that responsible searching is part of being a good digital citizen.

Well done, Year Four—your online sleuthing skills are seriously impressive!

This week's home learning and upcoming events

 

Hello everyone,

I can't believe we only have one more week left of this half term (although next term is a longer one!). 

The children have been having a super week and have really enjoyed writing their big write story based on the book we have been learning in English, Weslandia. They have loved creating their own new worlds based on some home learning they completed a few weeks ago.  

In maths, they have been learning about decimal numbers and so if you get the opportunity to talk about decimals with your child and point any out that would be great. So far we have only learnt about tenths but if you want some more information about introducing decimals to your child this BBC link may be useful. 

School trips and activities

Just a reminder that we have some upcoming events for the children that need some consent forms. 

 

Our class outdoor activity trip is next Wednesday (21st May). Please see either your electronic letter that was emailed or a paper copy that were sent home with children a few weeks ago. 

Paper letters were also sent home about our leavers assembly and the year 4 summer term event. Please can you complete and return the slips to the Year 4 team. If you need another copy of these letters please don't hesitate to let us know. 

Homelearning

There are no spellings this week as we will not have a spelling test on the 23rd but we strongly encourage your child to continue practicing their times tables, reading regularly and we also have a writing activity for them to complete. Paper copies will be sent home on tomorrow but an online link can be found here.   

Upcoming events ( a ful list of dates can be found in this week's emailed newsletter)

Friday 16th May -  Regional table cricket final (Table cricket team only)

FRIDAY 16th May - Bake sale after school in aid of dreamflight

Wednesday 21st May - Class trip

Thursday 22nd May - CAABU Workshops

Friday 23rd May - Alternative sports festival 

Friday 23rd May - Last Day of term 

Monday 2nd June - Children return

Monday 2nd June - Multiplication Tables Checks start

Thursday 5th June - RSE parent's information session.

Friday 20th June - Year 4 special event

Who Will Be Our Online Safety Champion?

This afternoon in Computing, Year Four pupils stepped into the role of designers, illustrators – and digital protectors! As part of a national competition, each pupil was challenged to create their very own Online Safety Champion – a character who helps others use the internet wisely, kindly, and safely.

The children really impressed us with their thoughtful ideas and colourful designs. We saw characters equipped with shields, warning symbols, capes and even gadgets to help spot and stop unsafe behaviour online. Some champions had catchphrases, others had special missions – but they all had one goal: to help keep people safe in the digital world.

This activity supported our ongoing learning around e-safety, which is a key focus not only in Computing but across our wider curriculum. At our school, we weave online safety into our PSHE topics, and it’s often discussed in whole-school assemblies too. It's part of how we help children build confidence, awareness, and responsibility when using technology.

We’re really proud of how seriously Year Four approached this task, combining creativity with a strong message. Fingers crossed for the competition – but whatever happens, we’ve definitely found some champions right here in our classroom!