Year 4 Classes

In Year 4, pupils are supported to develop increasing independence and responsibility for their learning as they progress through Key Stage 2. Teaching is carefully sequenced to build on prior knowledge, enabling pupils to make meaningful connections between what they already know and new learning. Regular retrieval practice is used to strengthen long‑term memory and deepen understanding across the curriculum. 

We look forward to working in partnership with families and welcoming you into our Year 4 classes. 

Our curriculum is designed to promote a positive learning culture and growth mindset, encouraging pupils to approach challenges with resilience, curiosity and confidence. Through engaging and purposeful learning experiences, children are supported to develop their knowledge, skills and vocabulary across all subject areas, fostering a genuine love of learning. 

In Year 4, pupils study a broad and balanced range of curriculum content that builds on the foundations established in earlier years and prepares them for the increased expectations of Upper Key Stage 2. Across the year, children explore a variety of meaningful and engaging topics, including: 

• History: Pupils explore how children’s lives have changed over time, with a focus on comparing Tudor and Victorian eras. They learn to think like a historian by evaluating both primary and secondary sources to understand more about the past. 

• Geography: Children investigate modern day issues, such as sustainability, deforestation and global warming. They compare human and physical features of forests, using the Amazon rainforest as a case study. 

• English: Pupils develop their reading, writing and discussion skills through a rich selection of high‑quality texts. They study The Day I was Erased, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, exploring themes such as responsibility and compassion. They also read Varjak Paw, Flotsam and How to Train Your Dragon, using these texts to master skills such as retrieval and inference.

• Art: Throughout the year, children will develop their drawing and design skills through a range of medium, including textiles and paint. They will also look critically at a range of artists’ work to inspire their own.

• Design and Technology: Later in the year, pupils will design and create their own slingshot cars, applying practical skills, creativity and problem‑solving while following the full design process from planning to evaluation.

• Computing: Children explore the digital world, developing key skills such as online safety, digital creativity and responsible use of technology.

• Science: Children will develop their understanding of working scientifically through practical investigations by applying their knowledge of living things, states of matter and sound. They will develop their exploration of the physical world by using fieldwork and identification and classification.

All learning is planned in line with the National Curriculum for England, ensuring that statutory programmes of study and attainment targets for Key Stage 2 are fully met. Further details can be found in our Year 4 Curriculum Summary, which outlines the key knowledge and skills taught across the year.

As part of our wider personal development curriculum, pupils also engage in activities that develop social responsibility, character and citizenship. This year, our chosen charity focus is: RSPCA.

For further useful resources, please visit each curriculum page.