Year 4

curriculum overview

Click below for an overview of topics covered in Year 4: .

Curriculum Overview 2024-2025

english

Click below for overviews of the English Curriculum in Year 4:

English Overview 2024-2025

mathematics

Click below for an overview of the Mathematics Curriculum in Year 4:

Mathematics Overview 2024-2025

science

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in Science in Year 4.

Liv Living things and their habitats

Pupils will be taught to:

recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment
recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things

Animals, including humans

Pupils will be taught to:

describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans
identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions
construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey

States of matter

Pupils will be taught to:

compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases
observe that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (ºC)
identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature

Sound

Pupils will be taught to:

identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases

El Electricity

Pupils will be taught to:

identify common appliances that run on electricity
construct simple series electrical circuit identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers
identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series circuit, based on whether or not the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery
recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit and associate this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple series circuit
recognise some common conductors and insulators and associate metals with being good conductors

Computing

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in Computing in Year 4.

Internet Safety

Learning how to stay safe online is taught throughout all of our Computing units and as stand-alone lessons. It is also integrated into the PSHE curriculum and assemblies. The topics covered are:

Self-image and identity
Online relationships
Online reputation
Online bullying
Managing online information
Health, wellbeing and lifestyle
Privacy and security
Copyright and ownership

We also participate in many discussions and events during ‘Internet Safety Week’ and keep children’s knowledge up-to-date with the current changes in technology so they can stay safe online.

Programming A – Repetition in shapes

Children create programs by planning, modifying, and testing commands to create shapes and patterns. They will use FMS Logo, a text-based programming language. This unit progresses childrens’ knowledge and understanding of programming. It progresses from the sequence of commands in a program to using count-controlled loops. Children will create algorithms and then implement those algorithms as code.

Computing systems and networks- The internet

Children will apply their knowledge and understanding of networks, to appreciate the internet as a network of networks which need to be kept secure. They will learn that the World Wide Web is part of the internet, and will be given opportunities to explore the World Wide Web for themselves in order to learn about who owns content and what they can access, add, and create. Finally, they will evaluate online content to decide how honest, accurate, or reliable it is, and understand the consequences of false information.

Creating media- Photo editing

Children develop their understanding of how digital images can be changed and edited, and how they can then be resaved and reused. They will consider the impact that editing images can have, and evaluate the effectiveness of their choices. This unit progresses childrens’ knowledge and understanding of digital photography and using digital devices to create media.

Data and information- Data logging

In this unit, children will consider how and why data is collected over time. They consider the senses that humans use to experience the environment and how computers can use special input devices called sensors to monitor the environment. Children will collect data as well as access data captured over long periods of time. They will look at data points, data sets, and logging intervals and spend time reviewing and analysing data. Towards the end of the unit, children will pose questions and then use data loggers to automatically collect the data needed to answer those questions.

Programming B- Repetition in games

Children explore the concept of repetition in programming using the Scratch environment. The unit begins with a Scratch activity similar to that carried out in FMS Logo in Programming Unit A, where learners can discover similarities between two environments. Children look at the difference between count-controlled and infinite loops, and use their knowledge to modify existing animations and games using repetition. Their final project is to design and create a game which uses repetition, applying stages of programming design throughout.

religious education & British Values

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in Religious Education in Year 4.

In Year 4 we look at symbols, worship and sacred texts. We look at the importance of symbolism across different religions and how they express meaning. In Spring, we then look at celebrations, commemorations, festivals and how beliefs and values are expressed through worship of a religion. Finally, we look at a range of sacred texts. What do they say about God? The world? Human life? We make links to stories from different religions.

history

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in History in Year 4.

The Romans

The children will learn about the Roman Empire with a particular focus on how this affected life in Britain. The unit will start with a timeline activity in order to help the children understand the chronology of the time period. They will learn about initial invasion attempts and have a class debate about Boudicca, focusing on sifting through sources and asking historical questions to come to a conclusion. The children will learn about how Romans changed the way of living for the people of Britain.

The Victorians

This unit focuses on life in Victorian Britain. The children will learn to interpret different secondary sources in order to write a diary in the style of a young factory worker. They will understand the Industrial Revolution: the creation of factories, the new inventions and the mapping of canals and the knock-on-effect in the countryside.

Ancient Greece

The children start by comparing ancient and modern-day Greece. They will then use secondary sources to research famous Greeks, such as Socrates, and architecture. There will be cross curriculum link with English, with Year 4 performing Greek myths and creating their own booklet about the Olympic Games.

geography

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in Geography in Year 5.

Study of an area of the UK: London

Children will:

use atlases to compare the location and to investigate the common features of major cities
understand how transport systems are trade routes are important to city locations
create a brochure to encourage visitors to London

Study of a European Country: Greece

Children will:

identify and describe the features of Greece using a map
learn about the differences between the physical features in Greece and the UK
investigate how Greece’s climate impacts on its people

design technology

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in Design Technology in Year 4.

Iron Man – Moving Model

In this unit, the children will create a moving 3D model with a lever and linkage system. This project links to their learning of the novel, The Iron Man.

Pupils will be taught to:

develop an understanding of how simple systems can create movement
investigate a range of lever systems to see how they work and evaluate their function
measure mark and shape a range of materials using tools and equipment
develop planning skills using prior knowledge
join and combine components accurately and with appropriate tools

Greek Salads

In this unit, the children will understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet based on their History topic on Ancient Greeks.

Pupils will be taught to:

Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
Understand seasonality and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Greek Pottery

In this unit, the children will design and create their own Greek Vase linked to their History topic on Ancient Greeks.

Pupils will be taught to:

Explore different vase designs from ancient civilisations using a range of historical sources
Develop planning skills with a specific design criteria and flow chart
Developing skills to cut, shape and join terracotta clay accurately
Design appropriate materials according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities
Evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work

art

Below is an overview of the topics that are covered in Art in Year 4.

Roman Mosaics

Children will use tiles to create a mosaic representing the Roman period.

Pupils will be taught to:

create a mosaic in a Roman style
investigate mosaic designs
create a design for a Roman mosaic.
plan a layout for a mosaic
evaluate mosaic design and make process

LS Lowry Art study

Children will create an art piece in the style of JS Lowry using oil pastels adding detail with charcoal. Children will understand the concept of perspective and proportion and include this in their final piece.

Pupils will be taught to:

research LS Lowry
use proportion to draw figures accurately
use perspective to draw a crowd
add colour to highlight elements
add oil pastel and charcoal to sketches

Greek vases

Children will plan how to combine Greek pictures and patterns that represent them. They will then create a Greek Vase using plans, sugar paper and black felt tips.

Pupils will be taught to:

research Ancient Art
use symbols to represent a Greek god or goddess
look at an artist who uses patterns
plan repeated Greek patterns
combine Greek pictures and patterns to create a composition
use plans and ideas to inform a design for a Greek vase

music

Below is an overview of the skills that are taught in Music in Year 4.

Singing and Performing

♫ Children will be encouraged to sing with confidence by expanding their known repertoire across diverse genres and world music. They will improve breathing and posture, singing in 2-part harmonies and canon. They will read absolute note names in the treble clef, basic rhythms, and perform in un-pitched and pitched ensembles. Children will be learning to work together through singing and dancing a variety of folk and world-music dances Students will also be encouraged to share their own instrumental or vocal studies during music.

Improvising and Composing

♫ The children will will develop an understanding of melodic shape and line through graphic scores, and by reading and writing in steps and skips on the stave. They will learn about compositional devices such as ostinato, phrases and form, and will use these devices when they compose in groups. The children will compose by using rhythmic notation to compose in groups within the un-tuned percussion section. Children will use xylophones to compose using the pentatonic scale, and to arrange and improvise known songs by ear.

Listening and Aural Awareness

♫ Children will listen to a variety of compositions, from Renaissance to Contemporary, to develop an understanding of form, melody, rhythm, tempo, style, modes and timbre. The children will compose by using rhythmic notation to compose in groups within the un-tuned percussion section. Children will use xylophones to compose using the pentatonic scale, to arrange and improvise known songs by ear, and compose their own melodies to reflect story components.