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Welcome to Year 4!

Our teachers in Year 4 are:

Hi everyone, my name is Mrs Gibbens and I teach Pankhurst class. I have taught in Year 3 for the last 5 years and I lead music. Within music, I lead weekly singing assemblies and I’m in charge of the school choir who regularly sing in front of the school and once a year sing offsite at a concert. My passion is performing arts and I regularly go to the theatre in my spare time to watch different musicals. Outside of school, I do tap dancing classes every week and have a fluffy dog called Ghost! I love learning about the world especially animals and knowing all of the countries which I can now name in under 15 minutes!

My name is Mrs Dolman and I teach in Einstein class. It is my second year at Queens after teaching year 5 for a year and now year 4! I will be running colouring club in the Summer term. Outside of school, I love watching films, trying new food and spending time with my family. 

I am Mr Bolus, a Year 4 teacher at Queens and currently teach Chanel class. I am subject lead for Design and Technology. In my spare time I enjoy participating in a range of sports (particularly football) and enjoy watching Coventry City play as well as socialising with my friends and family. I also like drawing, painting and  gaming. 

Autumn Term Curriculum in Action 

What We’ve Been Learning! 

This term has been packed with exciting learning experiences for your children, and we’re excited to share all the fantastic topics we’ve covered! 

Geography: Volcanoes and Earthquakes 

In Autumn Term 1 our Geography topic is `The Earth Strikes Back’ where we have been exploring the powerful forces of nature that shape our planet. The children learned about volcanoes, including how they form and the different types (shield, composite, and cinder cone). We found out where volcanoes and earthquakes are commonly found around the world. Through drama,  we met a farmer called Berdi from Indonesia, where volcanoes and earthquakes are commonplace and we considered why he would choose to work there.   

Science: Circuits and Electricity 

In science, we’ve been diving into circuits and electricity. The children have explored how electrical circuits work, the role of conductors and insulators, and the importance of safety when dealing with electricity. They’ve built their own simple circuits using wires, batteries, bulbs, and buzzers, gaining hands-on experience with how electricity flows. These lessons have been a great introduction to the wonders of energy and technology. 

English: Writing on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

In our English writing lessons, we’ve focused on Roald Dahl’s much-loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Using modelled examples for inspiration, the children crafted their own short, descriptive versions of the story. They also had a fun, hands-on experience tasting different types of chocolate and inventing their own unique sweet and chocolate names to include in their writing. This approach has beautifully blended creativity with the key elements of structured writing! 

Reading: The Firework Maker’s Daughter 

As part of our reading curriculum, we’ve been immersed in the wonderful world of The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman. The children have thoroughly enjoyed following Lila’s adventure as she embarks on a dangerous journey to follow her dreams. Through discussions and activities, we’ve focused on themes of perseverance, courage, and friendship, helping the children connect with the characters and deepen their comprehension skills. 

Religious Education: Judaism and Worldviews 

In our RE lessons, we’ve been learning about Judaism, The children have discovered key Jewish festivals such and Passover and have learned about the Torah, the importance of the synagogue, and Jewish customs. Alongside this, we’ve also been exploring worldviews, encouraging the children to think about different perspectives and beliefs that shape people’s understanding of the world. These lessons have been invaluable in fostering empathy and respect for diverse cultures and faiths. 

This term has been a vibrant mix of hands-on learning, creativity, and critical thinking. We are incredibly proud of all the hard work the students have put in, and we look forward to building on these foundations as we continue our learning journey. 

Thank you for your continued support, and we encourage you to ask your children about what they’ve enjoyed the most this term!  

Spring Term Curriculum In Action 

In Spring 2, we will be focussing on the big question 'Should we save the Rainforest?' in Geography. We also have an amazing rainforest explorers workshop to kick-start our topic off! In Science, we are moving on to Chemistry with a focus on Solids, Liquids and Gases, thinking about the particle structures of these and applying it to things we use in every day life.

In Writing, we are going to be looking at persuasive adverts and sustainability - in line with our rainforest topic - to come up with alternatives for plastic straws. If you would like to see what our inspiration is, you can visit the Stroodles website! 

In Maths, we are continuing to look at fractions, moving onto equivalent fractions and converting improper fractions to a mixed number and vice versa. 

Our Re topic this term is all about Good Friday, in the run up to Holy week. We will be answering the question 'Why do Christians call the day that Jesus dies 'Good Friday?' whilst also looking at the importance of Palm Sunday and what we now know as Easter Sunday. 

In Spring 1, our English focus was on Fiction texts. Our children read the 'Dreams' chapter of the BFG and rewrote their own dreams based on a job role that they admire. The children became experts in using Roald Dahl's Gobblefunk words and imitating the BFG's speech. 

In Maths, we began with a focus on measures and ended the term beginning to look at adding and subtracting fractions. Our Science topic this term was classification. As part of this topic, we took part in an animal classification workshop in December at the Think Tank Birmingham. The children enjoyed doing an animal hunt in the school's ground and classifying these based on individual characteristics. 

Our History focus has been Dragon Slayers, in reference to the vicious Vikings. This followed on nicely from our Angles to Angels topic in Autumn 2 and we dove into the Viking's invasion of Lindisfarne and the importance this had. At the end of the half term, our children wrote a diary entry from the perspective of an Anglo-Saxon monk that, fortunately, survived the Lindisfarne attack.