Welcome to Year 4

Meet the Teams Team Shark Miss Lochman Mrs Clarke Team Panther Mrs Smithson Miss Smith

 The Government’s main aim was to raise standards.  All maintained schools will have to follow the new curriculum but Academies can choose if they want to follow it. We have decided to take the best bits from it.  The new curriculum is intended to be more challenging where some of the objectives that used to be taught in year 5 are now taught in year 4 and so on.  By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in every subject.  The new National Curriculum identifies what to teach but not how to teach – this is decided by individual teachers.  Literacy is now called English.  ICT is now called computing; this now includes the teaching of computer programming. Changes to the new curriculum from September 2014

 All staff have been working on considering how we can incorporate the changes to the curriculum without losing what we know already works.  We have used our INSET training days and staff meetings to look at our existing Schemes of Work and are in the process of adapting these to include the objectives from the new national curriculum.  In Maths, there is a greater emphasis on mental skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and the promotion of column written methods and long multiplication and division. There will also be a more demanding content in fractions, decimals and percentages.  The English programmes of study will embody higher standards of literacy. Pupils will be expected to develop a higher level in both writing and speech. Through the teaching of phonics pupils will be helped to read fluently and the teaching of reading skills will help your child to comprehend what they have read.  In Science, there is a stronger focus on the importance of scientific knowledge and language and a greater emphasis on the core scientific concepts underpinning pupils’ understanding.  Your child will have a French language lesson once per week. What does this mean for your child?

What are the expectations? Reading  Be able to read fluently and understand the meaning of new words by checking that the text makes sense.  Predict what might happen  Identify themes in books  Identify and explain which words interest the reader  Ask questions about a text  Infer how the characters feel, think and act the way they do and show evidence from the text  Identify structure of texts and the use of punctuation  Retrieve information  Summarise the main points

Writing  Join their handwriting consistently  Draft and write texts in paragraphs  Start sentences in different ways e.g. Later that day, (with the correct use of a comma)  Use connectives like: before, after, while, during, because of  Punctuate sentences correctly including inverted commas for speech, commas and apostrophes  Write sentences that make sense What are the expectations?

Maths  Count backwards through zero into negative numbers  Round numbers to 10, 100 and 1000  Know the multiplication and division facts for all of the times tables up to 12 x 12  Mentally add and subtract 3 digit numbers  Use column addition and subtraction to add 4 digit numbers  Multiply 3 digit numbers by 1 digit  Find fractions of a set of objects  Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator  Round decimals to one decimal place  Measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m, cm, mm), mass (kg, g) and capacity (l, ml)  Convert measurements  Measure the perimeter and area of a 2D shape  Identify lines of symmetry in a 2D shape  Tell and write the time from an analogue and digital clock  Convert from hours to minutes, minutes to seconds, years to months etc.  Draw 2D shapes and recognise 3D shapes in different orientations  Identify acute, obtuse and right angles What are the expectations?

 At Oyster Park the tracking of every child’s progress is ongoing both in lessons, through teacher assessments and testing.; we need to assess what our children understand on an ongoing basis in order to plan our lessons.  The new National Curriculum does not have levels of attainment e.g. level 2c, 2b etc. anymore but expectations at each banding.  There has been no nationally agreed new system. Therefore, at this point in time, schools will be able to choose their own arrangements, although they will still have to track progress and attainment and report it to parents.  While we make this decision it is likely that we will undertake additional Teacher Assessments which will be moderated for accuracy.  All data that comes from either testing or Teacher Assessments is then analysed ; this is how we can then report your child’s current attainment and progress to you.  We currently use a system called Target Tracker to support us with this and they are developing a system to assist with this.  The Airedale Multi Academies Trust are keen for all the schools in the area to have the same way of assessing so that parents understand the difference between schools and so that the Trust Board can compare the standards and attainment across schools.  As yet we have no information as to how attainment will be reported. It is likely to be along the lines of a statement as to whether a child is either: Beginning working at the level of a specific year/phase with a lot of support to do so Withinworking at the level of a specific year/phase with some support Secureworking at the level of a specific year/phase with very little support How will your child be assessed?

 Obviously this is a time of change for children, teachers and parents. It is not the first time (nor likely to be the last) that the curriculum has been radically changed.  As we go through next year we will keep you updated so that as parents you have a clear picture of what, when and how your child will learn.  As with all changes there are positive and less positive things about it.  As a school we have decided that we will focus on ensuring that we incorporate the changes in such a way that our children will continue to thrive and progress not only academically but spiritually, morally and socially too.  For us at Oyster Park if we ensure that our children remain at the heart of all we do and take on the challenge of change rather than be anxious about it I am sure that by September 2015 (after one year of the new curriculum) it will feel as if we have always taught this way.

 Our curriculum themes in year 4 are:  Autumn term – Romans Who were the Romans? What did they do for us?  Spring term – Tudors Who the Tudors were? What their place was in history?  Summer term – Coal Mining  Local Mining history, particularly Fryston village. The year 4 curriculum

What can you do to help? Listen to your child read as often as you can and please leave a comment in the reading record. Ask your child questions about what they have read. Help your child to learn their times tables. Ensure your child practises their spellings. The first set of spellings will be given this Friday. Help your child to complete tasks from the homework challenges. Join the local library. Topics we are studying are on the class newsletter. Play the educational games on the list to develop skills in English and Maths.

Homework Challenges Over the Autumn term, children will be completing challenges about The Romans. Each time they complete a challenge, the children will receive 5, 10 or 15 points. These points will be totalled in the last week of term and children with the most points will receive prizes.

Homework Challenges Written work is to be completed on paper. Please ask if your child needs some paper. Pictures and posters will be put in a folder in school. Art sculptures / models can be brought into school. This homework challenge is to develop your child’s creativity, therefore the children are able to choose which challenges they would like to do and when. Please support your child in completing these and have fun working together!

Learning Habits The children will be collecting stamps inside a special passport. The skills we are developing are: Motivation Independence Stickability Reflection Group Work Creativity Problem Solving Exploring

PE is an important part of the curriculum. PE days may vary so please bring kit in on Mondays for the week. PE kit is essential. Earrings must be removed. PE

Year 4 Expectations Expectations will be HIGH The children are to become more independent and responsible for their own belongings. There will be consequences for forgotten PE kit, reading books and homework not being handed in! Help them out by naming their coats, jumpers and PE kits!

If you have any concerns… Mrs Clarke and Mrs Smith are available in the morning at the door to take any messages. Mrs Smithson and Miss Lochman are available at home-time at the door. Any queries concerning milk or monies should be directed at the office staff.

And finally… have you seen our new website?