Welcome to Year Four

Meet the Team

Welcome to the Year 4 staff team. We are a friendly team, determined to help your children flourish into the best versions of themselves. If you require any help or have any questions, please do not hesitate to chat to us at drop off / pick up or contact the school and one of us will respond.

Phase Lead	Mrs Short
Hawks Teacher	Mrs Short and Mrs Coleman
Eagles Teacher	Miss Wilkes
Teaching Assistants	Mrs Power, Mrs Hughes, Mrs Gwyther & Mrs Saeed

Key Information

Year Four Curriculum Overview: Click Here

Instagram: Avonwood.year4

Homework: Click Here

Year 4 is an exceptionally exciting year in students’ primary journey; it is usually the year that children become fully independent learners and their personalities truly begin to flourish. Our key texts grow in complexity as the children progress and expose children to a wide range of authors and genres; from the mysterious descriptions of ‘The Iron Man’ to the cultural diversity represented in the tales of ‘A Thousand and One Arabian Nights’. Our books engage and inspire our children to become life-long readers.

In Year 4 we begin to tackle more mature themes, such as ‘deforestation’ and ‘socio-economic discrepancies between settlements’ in Geography. These always generate some fascinating and engaging debates! Without a doubt, a highlight of the Year 4 experience is our 2-night residential trip to Harry's Island with our wonderful forest school team. On this trip children are able to take risks, work as part of a team and achieve feats they never thought possible. Year 4 represents the bridge to upper Key Stage 2 and through our knowledge-rich curriculum, inspiring activities and dedicated staff team, we truly believe we are setting up students with the best possible chance of success both in their education and wider life.

Support for Year 4

Curriculum Briefings 2024

At the beginning of each half term we invite parents and carers to our presentation which includes information on curriculum coverage and key dates for the halfterm ahead.

The key dates for the half term ahead and information on homework (including Reach for the Stars Challenges) are captured on the half termly curriculum handout, a paper copy of which is sent home with your child. The electronic version of the handout can also be found below:

Y4 Parent curriculum handout - Nov 24

Y4 Parent curriculum handout - Sep 2024

If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can find the slides below:

Y4 Parent Curriculum Events - Nov 2024

Y4 Parent Curriculum Events - Sep 2024

From Autumn 2, we recorded the online briefing and this can be accessed below:

Y4 Curriculum Briefing Nov 2024

Year 4 Timetable - A Typical Day

At Avonwood our mantra is ‘Every Moment Matters’, so please help us by arriving promptly at 8:40am daily. Morning break is 15 minutes and we have a one hour lunch.

y4Timetable

Home Learning

As children transition into our junior school phase, they will be exposed to increasingly independent opportunities to develop and learn. With the academic standard of core subjects also rising, there is an increased need to consolidate and recall prior knowledge from weekly lessons. Our home learning therefore reflects this by expecting the reading, maths, times tables and spelling to be completed by all children on a weekly basis. This will be set on a Friday each week and checked each Thursday. There will also be some additional, optional challenges handed out on the half-termly hand out, which can also be found here.

FAQ's

What trips and visits do you complete in Year 4?

We go away for 3 days (2 nights) to Harry's Island where we complete many exiting activities.

What day of the week is homework set?

Homework in Year 4 is set on a Friday and is due in on the following Thursday.

I would like to support my child with their learning from home, what can I do to help?

At Avonwood, we ask parents to read with the children every day, this should be logged in their reading records so teachers can keep track of students’ reading. Whilst the homework tasks set should be able to be completed independently, we encourage parents to support where necessary and review the homework when completed with your child.

What days do our children need to wear PE kit?

In Year 4, we have PE on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Children should attend school in full PE kit, including navy jogging bottoms and our branded Avonwood navy hoody.

My child would like to walk to and from school independently, is this possible?

Children are not permitted to walk home independently in Year 4. They must be collected from their classrooms by a named adult (16+) each day. Children can start walking home independently from Year 5.

What is the Year 4 multiplication tables check?

The multiplication tables check is a new government-set, statutory online test for pupils in Year 4. Pupils are asked to answer 25 questions on times tables from two to 12. They are given six seconds per question, with three seconds rest between each question, so the test should last less than five minutes.

When does the Year 4 multiplication tables check occur?

There is a 3-week window in June to complete the Year 4 multiplication tables check.

How can I help prepare my child for the Year 4 multiplication tables check?

We ask parents to complete daily times table practice with their child. This could be in the format of verbal quizzing, written times tables or playing on times table rockstars.

Will I find out the score my child achieves in the Year 4 multiplication tables check?

Yes, your child's score will be outlined on their end-of-year report.