Friday 27th February 2026

In English, we completed our non-chronological reports. Including our introduction, diet, habitat, appearance, why our chosen animal was endangered and what is being done to preserve these animals. The work came out so well. Each child chose how to set out their work. They also included a title, pictures and captions.  At the end of the week, we looked at the front cover of our new book Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd Stanton and made predictions based on the image.

In maths, the focus was on finding the perimeters of regular and irregular polygons. The children were able to use their knowledge of multiplication when working out the perimeter of a regular polygon.  They also worked on many reasoning questions to using their knowledge of inverse operations, division, to work out some answers.

In world religions, the children continued learning about Islam.  We discussed and learnt about the leaders in Islam, an Imam and then we learnt about their holy books, the Quran and the Hadiths.  The children had a good discussion about this

In geography, the children finished their mapping topic, whereby they had to locate several locations on a map of the local area and then give their coordinates. The children really enjoyed this real-life activity.

In art, the children sketched out their endangered animal onto polystyrene, added a black outline so it would stand out and then they added water coloured paints to their drawing. The children took time and care over this work, producing work to be proud of!

In music, we learnt to play the chorus of Count on Me by Bruno Mars on the ukulele.

Reminders:

• Money for equipment, please
• The British Museum trip is on Wednesday, 18th March

Have a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

The Year 4 Team

Friday 13th February 2026

This week we had ‘Safer Internet Day’.  The theme was how to use AI safely and when it is/is not ok to use it.  We recapped the safe rules of using online games.  The children were able to remember how to stay safe on the internet.  Then they had a fantastic in-depth discussion about what AI is and how it should be used in different situations.

In English, the children continued with our work on Non-Chronological Reports (NCR).  This week the children chose the endangered animal that they wanted to research and then they learnt how to take notes about their research.  We then wrote an introduction to the NCR and used our notes to draft paragraphs under different subheadings.

In maths, the children learnt about perimeter and understood that it is the total length around a shape. They found the perimeter of rectangles by adding the length of each side together or adding the length of two sides and then doubling that amount. They were mindful to include the correct unit of measurement with their answer.

In science, the children learnt about different types of habitats across the world and then did research about their chosen habitat and produced a NCR.

In art, the children continued their work on animal silhouettes and created a background to make them stand out.  The work was wonderful!

In Forest School, they started with a game of Sticky Mole, learning how moles use their senses to move underground, with the children taking turns wearing blindfolds and having great fun relying on touch and listening skills. At the log circle, we explored the upcoming Lunar New Year and listened to The Four Dragons, a Chinese folktale about four dragons who became China’s great rivers, which the children eagerly joined in with. The children then chose from a range of activities, including making Chinese spinning rattle drums, stamping the 2026 Lunar New Year animal (the horse) onto wooden discs, whittling, and tree climbing, all of which encouraged problem solving, focus and perseverance. We finished the session with a clapping rhythm song called Break It Down, with some children taking turns to be the conductor.
 

In World Religions, we continued our learning of Islam.  In this lesson, we learnt about important symbols, the crescent, in Islam and also about some important items such as a prayer mat and a hijab.  

Reminders:

• Each day, I would like the children to practise their times tables.  I am adding a new link to Google Classroom where they should be completing a Multiplication Check https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/ or the Times Table Diplomas https://www.timestables.co.uk/diploma/. 
• There is no Forest School next half term.

Have a wonderful Shabbat and half-term break!

The Year 4 Team

Friday 6th February 2026

This week, we had a visit from the Jewish Blind and Disabled Charity.  They came to talk to the children about what life is like with a disability and how they overcome any obstacles they might have.  A man named Arnold, who is blind, spoke about his life and how he gets around.  He explained that he walks using a white stick that helps him feel any obstacles on the pavement and cross the road safely. Then they were shown a children's book with Braille and how there is now an app on the iPhone that can read the book to you. They also showed the children about special equipment which helps the partially sighted make hot drinks without the water spilling on them, and one that records what food is in tins.  The children listened very carefully and asked appropriate questions.

In English, we learnt about what endangered means. The children discussed it and read information about it. They then had to write a detailed explanation of what it means for animals to be endangered. This is all leading up to the children creating a Non-Chronological Report on endangered animals. We recapped the features of a Non-Chronological Report and the children learnt about the importance of subheadings. Later in the week, we learnt about speech marks and used to write direct speech linked to our book.

In maths, we learnt about division of 2 and 3-digit numbers by a 1-digit number, as well as division with reminders. The children learnt to partition the number into tens and ones, in order to divide by a 2/ 3-digit number. The children used their knowledge of multiplication to help divide by a large number.

In science, the children learn about classifying animals using a classification key, which uses yes and no questions to lead to different animals. They then had to create their classification key.

In geography, the children used maps to locate different landmarks in the area and then find their grid references.  They really enjoyed finding where they lived and comparing it to where school is and other local points of interest.

In art, the children learnt about silhouettes and then created a silhouette of a wild animal. They first drew this on black card and then cut it out. The children spent a lot of time cutting out their detailed silhouettes. 

In music, the children continued with the ukulele, applying the three chords that we know - C, G, and F. Please continue to encourage your child to practice these at home using the resources on Google Classroom. 

In Forest School, they began their session with a clapping team challenge, encouraging careful listening and focus, followed by the energetic game Head Honcho, which helped everyone work together and warm up. Emma then introduced the children to Imbolc, using a seasonal mat to explore the transition from winter to spring.  For the main activities, many children enjoyed creating 2D needle-felted pictures, proudly demonstrating how their skills have developed since last year. Others were inspired by snowdrops and watercolours to produce beautiful floral artwork, while another group continued their slackline challenge, showing excellent risk-taking, perseverance, resilience and collaboration.  The session ended with a calm reflection, as each child shared something they had learned about themselves.

Reminders:

• English homework is due back on Monday.
• Maths homework is due back on Wednesday.

Shabbat Shalom to all our wonderful families!

The Year 4 Team

Friday 30th January 2026

This week, the children worked hard and produced some wonderful work.  Read below to find out more.

In English, we continued to read The Wild Robot and then discussed in pairs what we liked, disliked, anything that puzzled the children and any connections we made.  The children were able to discuss these ideas very well, making links in the story and connections to other books they have read.  We worked on reading an extract from the story with dramatic technique.  The children got to perform these for each other.  Later in the week, we wrote clear, concise instructions to help Roz escape from danger as well as a short paragraph describing what Roz could see and learn from her camouflaged position. 

In maths, we looked at informal methods of calculating 2-digit x 1-digit numbers, then we moved on to the formal column multiplication of 2/3 digit numbers.  The children worked hard to write out the questions in a clear format to help them understand when multiplying the hundreds, tens and ones. They realised the importance of this when they had to add up the numbers and if they weren’t in the correct place then the final answer was incorrect.

In science, the children learnt about the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates.  They were then given a different group of vertebrates to research and produce a non-chronological report about the group.  Choosing the subheadings and how they set out their work.

In geography, the children learnt about the map symbols, what they are and why they are important.

In art, we completed our animal collages.  The children really worked hard to add texture to their pictures by tearing up pieces of magazines to add layers and different colours.  These have been put on display in the classroom.

In music, we began with some rhythm activities on the theme of fruits, linking to Tu B'shevat. We then learnt a song for the Shivat Haminim, the 7 fruits of Israel. They were able to play this on their ukulele! We also learnt the new chord, F.

In Forest school, they recapped the class motto and linked the ‘Caring for Our Earth’ element of it to the upcoming festival of Tu B'Shevat. Then she asked the children ‘What is something you are grateful for from nature today?’ Each child took a turn to share their gratitude and there were some lovely responses, including: “the birds singing”, “the logs we are sitting on as they are from the trees”, “the grass that breaks my fall”, “the sun that brightens up our day”, “trees that give me fruit”, “the moon and the light it gives us at night”, and “looking at all the beautiful things in nature”. 

Then the children practised tying a reef knot with our teaching ropes. After this, Emma showed the children some buds from different trees. Buds are a great way to identify the trees at this time of year. The children worked in pairs to hunt for different buds growing within Forest School.  For the rest of the session, some children chose to use their knot skills to make their own nature mobiles. They chose a sturdy stick and then tied on different nature treasures including buds and pine cones. They chose to use yarn from the donated t-shirts to wrap around them, too.

Reminders:

• Money for equipment
• Please read up until chapter 45 of The Wild Robot. This will be part of the English homework set next week.

Shabbat Shalom and have a wonderful weekend!

The Year 4 Team

Friday 23rd January 2026

We’ve had another successful week of learning.

In English, we continued reading The Wild Robot and had a brilliant discussion about home, belonging and Roz and the animals view of this. We linked this to the Shabbaton last weekend to which children brought small things with them to remind them of their family and to make them more comfortable in a different environment.

In maths, this week we have looked at multiplying by 10 and 100.  Using place value grids we paid close attention to moving the digit, one or two place values to the left and adding in 0 as a place holder.  It was helpful to see it moving visually. We moved on to dividing by 10/100 by using place value grids to show how the digits move one/two spaces to the right. Children made the connection that this is the inverse of multiplying by ten and one hundred.

In science, we started a new topic: animals including humans and habitats.  We talked about how animals can be grouped together according to different criteria.  The children completed Venn and Carroll diagrams to represent these groupings.

In geography, we continued with our mapping topic and learnt about the 8 compass directions.  They then had to use this knowledge to find different items on a map.

In art, the children continued with animal texture and drew outlines to their animal and then used collage materials to create texture.  This will continue next week.

In computing, the children started code.org and recapped on algorithms, making connections to giving simple, clear instructions.  The children then had to write a simple algorithm for a partner to solve.  This was very successful and the children enjoyed the task.

In music, we learnt an Indian rhythmic pattern called the Tala. The children learn to play a type of Tala called a Dadratala, which is a repetitive pattern with six beats. They used percussion instruments to play this together. We will continue with the ukulele next week.

In Forest School, after a chat about the Big Garden Birdwatch, Emma and Carrie introduced the children to the different categories of bird songs and calls. For example, alarm or contact calls to communicate danger or to keep the flock together.   Then we played a game called Find your Flock.   For the rest of the session, there were bird-themed opportunities available. Some children chose to work with Emma and make their own macrame feather hanging decoration.  Bird posters were available as a prompt for observational drawing/painting and some children experimented with charcoal to make their own paint to use for this activity. Clay was another option for children to be creative and some chose to sculpt birds during the session. Other children were involved in imaginative play and digging for ‘gold’!

Reminders:

• Money for equipment please
• New spelling suggestion document - in the spelling tab
• Y4 recommended books - in the useful information tab.

Have a wonderful weekend,

The Year 4 Team

Friday 16th January 2026

We are so excited for our Shabbaton today! 

In English, we started a new book, ‘The Wild Robot’ by Peter Brown.  We started reading the first chapter and focusing on the use of language to describe the setting.  The children had a discussion on what robots are and where we might find them in their everyday lives.  They learnt some information about robots and where the name came from as well as different types of robots.  The children continued reading some more chapters and focused on giving their viewpoints about the story and making inferences.  We enjoyed reading chapters 5 and 6 of Wild Robot. The children discussed what Roz was learning and who she was learning from. 

In maths, the focus has been on plotting coordinates onto a grid and drawing 2D shapes on a grid.  The children worked hard to solve problems by finding different points on the grids to complete different polygons.  The children extended their understanding of coordinates by translating coordinates and explaining the movements.

In science, the focus was to understand that some foods can cause damage to our teeth.  They researched food that contained lots of sugar, then created a collage on their iPads of this comparison.  We also talked about how to prevent sugar from causing damage to our teeth and how brushing can stop this damage.

In art, we continued looking at different animals and created mosaic pictures of different animals.  The work was amazing and the children took time and effort to create work they were proud of.

In music, we played some simple, familiar songs together using the two chords C and G. We played The Wheels on the Bus, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. The aim was to give the children the opportunity to practise switching between chords.

Reminders:

• A new document has been uploaded recommending books. Please have a look in the useful information section.
• Money for equipment, please.

Shabbat Shalom,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose & Mrs Tapper

Friday 9th January 2026

Welcome back to all our wonderful families.  We hope you had a fantastic holiday.  The children came back with a positive attitude to learning and enjoyed being together in class. 

In English, we had another look at ‘How to Be a Mensch’.  The children reviewed what they had learnt and discussed how to be a mensch.  We recalled many different ways but discussed how a mensch is a person with compassion, integrity, responsibility, humility, respect, gratitude, recognising the good in life, empathy, justice and fairness.  They created pencil box cards with different scenarios and included how a mensch would behave, which they now have on their boxes. They also wrote promises, thinking about how they would behave like mensches this term.

In maths, we have worked on times tables and moved on to learning about factor pairs.  The children were able to use their knowledge of times tables to help them find the factor pairs of different numbers.  For example, factors of 20 are (1,20), (2,10) and (4,5).  They then used these pairs to solve different calculations, determining which factor pairs would be the most useful.  We then started a new topic on positions on a grid which will help with our geography topic of mapping.

In geography, we started a new topic on ‘Maps’.  The children review prior knowledge of the continents and oceans.  We then looked in more detail at the features of the map, such as the equator, longitude and latitude lines, the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.  They have to carefully plot these things on a world map and explain what they are.

In computing, the children continued with the programme ‘Move the Turtle’.  They enjoyed coding the turtle to move in different directions as well as making specific shapes.  We also had to debug the turtle when the children wrote the wrong code. 

In art, we started a new topic, Animal Textures.  We looked at a range of different animal skins and described their textures using a range of vocabulary.  After that, the children drew their own animal skins and described the texture in detail.

In music, we continued our ukulele work, focusing on the C and G chords. As we explained to the children, it is important that they practise at home what they are learning in school. They can use the resources on Google Classroom. Please can we ask that ukuleles are always in school on Wednesday for the lesson so that the children can all fully participate in the lessons. Many thanks for your support.

In Forest School, at the start of the session, we discussed the fact that it was a cold day today. We spoke about how we could look after our bodies today and a key way of doing this is keeping the warm air trapped inside our coats with zips up.

We kept warm with a fun team game of Giants, Wizards and Elves. Then the children helped Emma act out the story today to continue to keep their bodies moving. The story was called ‘The Tailor and His Coat’ which is a Russian folktale with a sustainability theme. The children enjoyed pretending to be the tailor and making lots of different clothing items out of one piece of fabric. We spent time discussing the meaning of sustainability and how everyone can be more sustainable at Forest School.

For the rest of the session, the children took part in various activities. Many children were excited to return to the parts of Forest School they loved last year. Other children took on the challenge of sewing like the tailor in the story to make a little felt bookmark. Some children followed the invitation of considering an intention for 2026. They wrote an intention or wish on a piece of paper and made a little herb bouquet with sage and rosemary to go with it. They also spent some time reflecting on Forever Green’s motto and discussed intentions/wishes that we could set for 2026 that may link to the different elements of our motto. For example, ‘I will notice what I am good at and feel proud’ linked to the Knowing Me aspect or ‘I will look for ways to make everyone feel welcome’ linked to the Community aspect. At the end, each child shared an intention for Forest School this year. 

Reminders:

• New document - please take a look in the ‘Spelling Idea’ section of the blog as we have added helpful ways in which to learn and practise spellings.
• Money for equipment such as whiteboard pens and pencils.
• Ukuleles to be brought in on Wednesdays, please

Have a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

The Y4 Team

Friday 5th December 2025

This week we’ve had a fun packed week, including preparing for our winter show. The children are showing great enthusiasm for their parts and the song. We can’t wait for you to see it!

In English, we continued with our work on adverts and looked to edit and improve the adverts we made about the Titanic.  Some children made their advert by hand and others on the computer.  The children focused on using the features of an advert.  These will be going up on display.  We then continued with Kaspar.  The children have talked about the iceberg in the story and have brainstormed words and phrases to describe it.  After this, the children wrote a full description of an iceberg, including fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases and similes. 

In maths, we have focused on time.  We have looked at reading time in the 5-minute and 1-minute intervals.  The children also focused on the knowledge about years, months, weeks and days, as well as an understanding of hours, minutes and seconds as well as converting time.  If your child hasn’t already got an analogue watch the following is a suggested teaching watch: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tikkers-Analogue-Analog-Silicone-ATK1040/dp/B081DDPM7V/ref=sr_1_9?crid=39KSKJPO3WP7H&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jdpRoBzePJWe5Hbz5oj6vnRj7rC4ZttLvf1H-U-9irbsIdKYOjtseKAORmGyigEWNCxbzEu45v6haQOhzEbaI5Q2NS4DekHoeuibqoK76RwaEfEuN1aHtDwFwGePmw3MjROXGPh4eP6WcuzVVLByEdvhseTJqQfDiTbz5qkoGbdMPiWOzkdSz-PkT8yO5dievGxAGWFXP15v8e46XRrjgyMdnDdNvRELAp716X3J3_cTh8JkpOWqEkVOu0mmqqpAJoOjdpRew_8pMNuOV041HS3YHD1o5ss14Tg_MDs3UKs.VXSR1uPcyppRoF9IkpYR27RbhVZOUCEUAtTI8CE4yig&dib_tag=se&keywords=teaching+watch&qid=1764854363&sprefix=teaching+watch%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-9 

In science, we carried out an experiment to see how different drinks affect our teeth.  We used eggs to demonstrate the effect as the shell is similar to that of enamel.  They are both made of calcium.  The children discussed that during an experiment, we can only change one factor and the rest must stay the same.  The children discussed this and made a prediction based on using different drinks.

In music, we have been practising our songs for the show next week. Please encourage your child to practise their songs before next week. The children are really looking forward to entertaining you!

In verbal reasoning, we continued our work on analogies. This week we looked at more complex questions including questions using homophones and where letter order had been changed around.

Reminders:

• Please send in the children’s costumes on Monday in a labelled plastic bag.

• Homework - 
  • English is set Wednesday, due in on Monday
  • Maths is set on Friday, due in on Wednesday.

• Towards the end of the year, the children will have a times tables assessment called the Multiplication Tables Check, (MTC) which is completed online. This assessment tests tables up to 12 x 12. We have been learning all of our timetables and practising a lot in class.  We would like the children to be regularly practising these tables.  Here is another website you can use.  https://www.timestables.co.uk/speed-test/ allows you to choose which table you would like to practise and this is a 1-minute timed test https://www.timestables.co.uk/1-minute-test/. Enjoy and good luck.

• Next term, we have forest school. Please remember to send in weather-appropriate clothing, particularly warm layers during colder weather. Children should bring their Forest School clothes and boots in separate bags as we do not have the session first thing in the morning.

Have a wonderful Shabbat,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose & Mrs Tapper

Friday 28th November 2025

In English, we read another chapter of the Kaspar story.  The children learned that Johnny ended up on the Titanic.  We learned about adverts and their features.  The children then had to use these features to create their own advert for an ice cream shop and then we moved on to creating an advert for the Titanic.  The children were able to use a lot of the features to create eye-catching adverts, including persuasive language. The children also learnt about using possessive apostrophes, it would be helpful if you could see if you can spot any during shared reading time together.

In maths, the children have been learning about area.  Area is the space that a 2D object or surface takes up.  The children were learning how to count the area by counting the squares it covered and then had to use their reasoning skills to answer the questions.

In science, the children learned about the different types of teeth we have in our mouths and the functions they serve.  The children then had to sort the information, including the name of the tooth, a picture and a description of its function.  Once this was completed, the children then had to cut and stick the different types of teeth and arrange them in the correct order in a mouth.

In DT, we started a new topic to design and create our own doughnuts for Chanukah.  The children looked at different doughnuts and their flavours and toppings.  We looked at menus and how the doughnut used adjectives to describe them. The children then had to decide what flavour and topping they would want to use for their doughnut.  They sketched their design and annotated it, including the flavour, fillings and toppings.

In computing, the children looked at the program ‘Move the Turtle’.  The children had to use different commands or algorithms to make the turtle move.  The children enjoyed using this app.

In music, the children enjoyed using their ukuleles to accompany the Chanukah song Mi Yemalel. We also continued learning how to play the G chord. Please continue to encourage your child to practise at home so they can become more confident in placing their fingers correctly

In verbal reasoning, the children learnt about analogies. These are questions like cow is to (fly, read, calf) as pig is to (milk, piglet, snout). The children did extremely well with these questions and were able to begin exploring more complex forms of these questions.  

In spellings, the prefix we were working on is auto.

Reminders:

• Please bring in money for equipment - 50ps
• Towards the end of the year, the children will have a times tables assessment called the Multiplication Tables Check, (MTC) which is completed online. This assessment tests tables up to 12 x 12. We have been learning all of our timetables and practising a lot in class.  We would like the children to be regularly practising these tables.  Here is another website you can use.  https://www.timestables.co.uk/speed-test/ allows you to choose which table you would like to practise and this is a 1-minute timed test https://www.timestables.co.uk/1-minute-test/. Enjoy and good luck.
• Next term, we have forest school. Please remember to send in weather-appropriate clothing, particularly warm layers during colder weather.
• Children should bring their Forest School clothes and boots in separate bags as we do not have the session first thing in the morning.

Have a wonderful Shabbat,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose & Mrs Tapper

Friday 21st November 2025

We’ve had a very special week, culminating in our trip to Hampton Court Palace. The children enjoyed going around King Henry VIII’s apartments. We looked around at the Great Hall and watched a short video of King Henry’s life and his wives. After that, our class had a guided tour of Henry’s kitchens. Once the largest kitchens in the world, boasting around 55 rooms. The children thoroughly enjoyed the trip and asked so many interesting questions. 

Mitzvah Day was on Friday.  We celebrated by having a special assembly where the children were introduced to Mitzvah Day and then the children heard from our invited charity and what they do.  Our class then sorted and packed up the food donations that were brought in by the children.  They then decorated recipe cards that are going to be distributed to the people our food donations are going to.  The children really enjoyed this activity and did their best to brighten them up.  At the end of the day, we finished with a communal Kabbalat Shabbat and a showcase of the different activities going on in the different year groups in school

In English, we read more of the story, Kaspar. The children worked on writing formal and informal letters. We also focused on using comparatives and superlatives in our writing.

In maths, the children focused on multiplying 0 & 1 and dividing by 0 and itself.  The children understood this concept well. Later in the week, the children learnt how to multiply three numbers.

In art, the children completed their final Tudor portraits. The children really focused on adding Tudor details and paid particular attention to trying to capture the features of their face.

In music, we continued exploring our theme of Carnival of the Animals. Using a range of percussion instruments, the children worked together to create their own version of “The Aquarium.” Each child was responsible for a particular instrument, helping to build the shimmering, flowing sounds of water. They did a wonderful job and showed great creativity and teamwork!  Please can everyone have their ukuleles in school for their lesson on Monday.

In verbal reasoning, the children learnt about antonyms. They worked on a variety of different question types exploring opposites. One trick they learnt was to put each word in their antonym sentence to check its meaning. Form example, I always eat my vegetables/I never eat my vegetables

Spelling pattern for this week was the prefix -anti.

Reminders:

• We are still not getting homework in by/on the correct days.
• English is set Wednesday, due in on Monday
• Maths is set on Friday, due in on Wednesday.
• Please practise your x3, x6, x9, x7, x11 & x12.  A great website is 'Hit the button'.  https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button or you can use 'Doodle Tables'.  If you do not know your login details, please let me know.  Otherwise, you can use: https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/ 
• Money for resources, please.

Wishing you all a great weekend,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 14th November 2025

We have had a wonderful week, beginning with ‘Odd Sock Day’.  We celebrated the beginning of Anti-Bullying Week by celebrating our differences.  The odd socks represented how different we all are and how that must be recognised and accepted. Then we had a workshop by ‘Streetwise’ about what bullying is and how we can be an upstander and stop bullying from happening.  The children remember lots of the information we had discussed previously and had very interesting conversations.

In English, this whole week was centred around Anti-Bullying Week.  We started by discussing the theme ‘Power for Good’ and the children wrote about what bullying is.  The children understood that the main elements of bullying are that it is repetitive, intentional with a power imbalance.  They went on to write either a story of a power imbalance and how this was resolved or an acrostic poem. Lastly, they wrote about how they could use their power for good and create their own superhero!

In maths, we continued with times tables.  We reviewed x3,6 &9 and then moved onto 7,11 and 12.  Please continue to work on these tables as much as possible at home.  See the websites below, where your children can practise.

In science, the children investigated how food passes through the digestive system and body.  The children had to write up their aims, method and what happened to the food as it moved through the digestive system.

In computing, the children took part in the Bebras Challenge.  They logged on to complete several different tasks to show computational understanding.  The children enjoyed the tasks they completed.

In PSHE, we continued to talk about ‘positive playground’ behaviours and then continued to make our playground game cards.

This week we were able to play some simple tunes, as a class, using the chord C that we have learnt. They were encourage the children to practise this at home, especially to ensure their fingers are in the right place. A video has been put on Google Classroom to help the children.

Spelling pattern for this week was the prefix -super.

Reminders:

• Please practise your x3, x6, x9, x7, x11 & x12.  A great website is 'Hit the button'.  https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button or you can use 'Doodle Tables'.  If you do not know your login details, please let me know.  Otherwise, you can use: https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/ 
• Money for resources please!

Have a wonderful Shabbat,

The Year 4 Team

Friday 7th November 2025

In English, this week we have been focusing on chapter 5 of Kasper, the Prince of Cats. We started off by reading the chapter and answering questions. We then focused on writing sentences using pronouns instead of repeating nouns. The children enjoyed fixing and writing their own sentences. We also did some drama recreating a part of the story and then freezing. When the children were ‘tapped’ they came to life and had to answer questions about the character.”, what they were doing, thinking and feeling at that moment. After this activity, the children wrote detailed thought bubbles for their characters. The children moved on to write diary entries from the perspective of Johnny or Lizziebeth They concentrated on using expanded noun phrases and similes in their writing.

In maths, we have focused on the 3, 6 & 9 times table and the corresponding division facts. As well as solving worded problems. Please can you ensure your child practises these tables. Below are suggested website and apps to practise.

In World Religions, the children continued to learn about Islam. This lesson we focused on the festivals of Eid and Ramadan.  The children then created fact files about the festivals, giving an explanation of the festivals and adding pictures.

In computing, the children looked at the Bebras website and practised different computational thinking and logic questions.  They enjoyed answering them. 

In art, the children took photos of themselves and began to plan and sketch their portrait in a Tudor style. The children focused on adding their features and then adding Tudor jewellery and clothing. This will continue next week.

In Music , the children learnt how to play the chord C on the Ukulele. We learnt how to play together ensuring that we are starting and stopping at the same time. The children can continue to practise this at home. 

In Verbal Reasoning we looked at questions using synonyms. You can support your children at home by playing games looking for similar word meaning.

Reminders:

• Please practise your x3, x6 and x9, which we will be learning this week.  A great website is 'Hit the button'.  https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button or you can use 'Doodle Tables'.  If you do not know your login details, please let me know.  Otherwise, you can use: https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/ 
• Send in 50ps for pens
• Forest School starts in Spring term
• Please keep reading books in the children’s bag so we can write in the yellow reading record when we have read with your child.
• Homework:
  • English is set on Wednesday to be returned by Monday
  • ​​​​​​​Maths is set on Friday to be returned on Wednesday.

Have a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 24th October 2025

This week was assessment week.  The children worked well in reading and answering a variety of questions in English, covering comprehension skills, spelling and grammar.  As well as different topics in maths.  Well done!

In English, the children worked on editing and improving their character descriptions from our book ‘Kaspar, the Prince of Cats’.  They were able to improve them vastly but adding in paragraphing and using the text to add descriptive details.  These were then rewritten for our display, focusing on their handwriting skills.

In maths, we have continued learning and answering subtraction questions when we have to exchange.  We have used both place value grids and counters, so the children could understand that when we ‘carry over’ (we say exchange), exchanging, for example, a ten for ten ones and then moving onto column subtraction with one or two exchanges.  The children worked very well.

In world religions, the children had an introduction to Islam.  They watch a clip about Islam and made notes about the religion.  Then they had to write down some information about the religion as an introduction.

In art, we learnt about the different fashion in the Tudor times.  This time we focused on what the women wore.  We learnt that they wore a shift, which is worn under the dress to show the cuffs and neckline under the outfit, the hood on their heads, the kirtle, made of a skirt and bodice, the farthingale, giving the triangular shape and the gown that was worn on top of the garments.  We discussed that, due to the Tudors not having central heating, they would wear many layers of clothing in order to keep warm.

In science, the children made their own digestive system.  They could either draw and label their own version or cut and paste the given pieces, making sure to label the parts correctly.  Some children challenged themselves to add a description of the body part used in the digestive system.

In music, we revised our school song, which the children enjoyed singing yesterday for Rosh Chodesh. We began our ukulele lessons, which the children were extremely excited about. We learnt how to hold the ukulele and how to strum up and down. The children will be bringing their ukulele home over half-term, as they will be doing every Monday. Please excuse the fact that the ukulele may be out of tune, as they do go out of tune quite quickly. We will retune them after half-term. The ukuleles must be back in school every Monday for our lessons. 

Reminders:

• Please send in 50ps to replace whiteboard pens.
• Please send in the children’s reading book folder each day so we can listen to them read.

Shabbat shalom and have a great half term,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 17th October 2025

In English, we began the week by focusing on questions. The children worked in pairs to write questions for different characters in the story. Once these were written, children came up to be ‘hot seated’. This is where a child becomes a character and has to answer questions as if they were a character in the story.  Then we read and discussed Chapter 4 of Kasper: Prince of Cats. The children worked on using the context of the sentence to help them understand unfamiliar words. They also completed a comprehension, focusing on answering in full sentences and using evidence from the text to support their ideas. Please continue to ask your child questions when reading together at home, and encourage them to explain their answers using information from the text. This helps to build both comprehension and critical thinking skills.

In maths, We have been working on developing the children’s understanding of subtraction with exchange. The class has done lots of practical work using manipulatives to ensure they are secure with the concept before moving on to recording their calculations using the traditional column method next week. This is a crucial step in helping the children understand what they are doing and why, before progressing to more formal written methods.

In history, the children learnt more about Henry VIII focusing on whether he was seen as a ‘man or monster’. The children looked at different primary sources and then had to decide what the sources said about him.  The children work very hard on this and tried to justify their thinking.

Reminders:

• Please make sure your child is reading consistently and that the yellow reading record is signed so we can see what they are reading.

• Please ensure your child brings in their reading book daily so they can be listened to.  

Have a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 10th October 2025

Thank you to both Salem families for having our class join your sukkah.  The children thoroughly enjoyed the very special experience.

In English, the children continued with the story ‘Kaspar, the Prince of Cats’, reading chapter 3.  The children looked at what happened in the chapter and worked on using expanded noun phrases within sentences and then answering questions about the chapter. They focused on using the structure, point, evidence, explanation. When you are reading together at home, please encourage your child to answer your questions using evidence from the text.

In maths, the children worked on adding two 4-digit numbers when there was more than one exchange.  The children used column addition when the numbers added up to over 10 or 100 and had to make an exchange.  

In history, the children looked in more detail at Henry VIII.  They looked at different primary sources and evaluated what they said about King Henry and considered whether he was ‘a man or a monster’.  The children had lots of partner discussions about the sources and worked together to come to a theory about Henry VIII.

Have a wonderful Shabbat and a great weekend,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 3rd October 2025

In English, the children have used ‘when’ to add subordinate clauses to their sentences when writing about our main character Johnny Trott and his feelings in the book.  This was built on the work they did last week.  We then looked at answering questions about chapter two in full sentences.  The children understood the story well.

In maths, we reviewed rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 100, then we learnt about Roman numerals and began our new topic of addition and subtraction.  

In art, the children learnt about the artist Hans Holbein and his style of painting.  The children read about his life and wrote a fact file about him.  After this, some of the children sketched pictures in his style of painting.

In PSHE, we continued to discuss about ‘what makes a good friend’ following on from our last few lessons.  We then began to talk about how we can share and compromise out in the playground.  We talked in detail about how to discuss what games they could play and how to navigate differences in the playground.  During this time, the children role-played different scenarios and how they might deal with disagreements in the playground.

In spellings, we learnt about adding the suffixes -ed, -er and -ing when the consonant stays single. Examples of these are gardener, gardening, limited, limiting, offering, offered, benefited, benefiting, focused, focusing.

Reminders:

• Please see the attached new document on the blog under the ‘Useful Information’ section.  There are generic questions that you should ask your child/ren to check their understanding of what they are reading.

Have a wonderful weekend,

The Year 2 Team

Friday 26th September 2025

In English, we learnt how to use when in a subordinate clause to extend sentences and if the when is at the beginning of the sentence the subordinate clause will need a comma before the rest of the sentence.  For example, when the Countess arrives, Kaspar is yowling loudly.

In maths, the focus was on rounding to the nearest 10 and 100.

In history, we discussed the problems with Henry V11 reign.  We talked about Henry having a weak claim to the throne, that the people from the House of York were angry with him, there was not much money and the fact that England did not have a good relationship with other countries.

We wanted to wish our families a very happy new year and Gmar Chatimah Tova!  May we all have a peaceful happy new year and see the return of our hostages and peace in Israel.

Reminder:

• Please send your child's reading book in daily so we can hear them read and sign their yellow reading record book.

All our well wishes,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper.

Friday 19th September 2025

We’ve had a busy week of learning. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to:

In English, we reviewed Chapter 1 of our new book Kaspar, the Prince of Cats. The children answered some challenging questions before moving on to Chapter 2, where we focused on using have in the present perfect tense. They enjoyed sorting sentences and rewriting them in the correct tense. They created an emotions graph, and plotted Johnny’s emotions across the second chapter.
 

In maths, our place value work continued, exploring numbers to 10,000. The children partitioned numbers in different ways, found 1, 10 or 100 more/less, located missing numbers on number lines, estimated and compared numbers. Hands-on resources such as place value charts, counters and base 10 blocks supported their learning.

In science, we looked more closely at the digestive system, identifying each organ and its function. Using diagrams, the children researched and matched definitions, sparking discussion and collaboration.

In art, the children studied Tudor portraits in detail and explored clothing vocabulary such as ruff, breeches, hose and doublet.

In history, we learnt about the key figures of the Tudor period, and the children created fact files on their chosen person.

In computing, this week’s focus was on word processing skills, including bold, italics, underlining, centring text, highlighting, and changing fonts. These will be used regularly throughout the year when working on iPads.

In PSHE, following Monday’s assembly on Friendship, the children reflected on what makes a good friend and gave thoughtful, real-life examples. We also discussed how to seek help in the classroom or playground if they feel unhappy or unsure.

In verbal reasoning we continued our focus on letter sequences. The children are beginning to recognise how to solve these problems and moved on to more complex sequences. 
 

In music, we reviewed the names of the rhythms that we looked at last week. The children had to work together to play different rhythm patterns. 
 

Reminders

• No homework will be set over the chaggim period.
   

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 12th September 2025

We’ve had a very successful first full week.  The children have been settled into their classroom and have been enthusiastic about the work they have been learning.  Well done to the girls who participated in the netball tournament.  They showed persistence and resilience going up against much older children and of course, risk-taking, kol hakavod to them all!

In English, we started a new book, ‘Kaspar, the prince of cats’ by Michael Morpurgo.  We’ve read the first chapter and looked at the characters in detail.  The children brainstormed noun phrases and descriptive language from the text to help write character descriptions of Johnny Trott, Countess Kadinsky.  The children focused on the language used and used paragraphs in their writing.

In maths, we have been learning about place value.  The main themes of the week include viewing numbers to 1000 on a number line, looking at what thousands are made up of, representing numbers to 10,000 using a place value grid, base 10 and Gattegno charts and partitioning numbers to 10,000.  All of this was done practically and with visual clues to make and partition the numbers.

In science, we learnt about the digestive system.  We examined the various components that comprise our digestive system and the process by which food undergoes digestion.  The children learnt new vocabulary such as esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and liver.  They soon discovered how our body uses all the nutrients from the food to return to our bloodstream and then eliminates the waste it can’t use.

In history, the children learned about the ‘Battle of  Bosworth’.  They learnt that a war had been going on in England for some years, known as the War of the Roses. This was a conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. They acted out the battle and then created a comic strip of the battle.

In art, the children looked at Tudor portraits and discussed how the different monarchs had two very different styles of portraits, one that seemed much more ‘beautiful’ than the other.  We had a very interesting discussion about why the artists might have painted a more ‘polite’ version of the Kings and Queens. 

In PSHE, we talked about the children’s feelings about Y4 and what they want to achieve as well as reviewing the learning culture in class and the wider school.

In verbal reasoning, the children learnt about letter sequences, they used an alphabet to help them find the next letter pair in a sequence and will continue this work next week.

In music, we reviewed the children's rhythmic knowledge and we discussed the length of different musical notes. The children had practice in clapping and playing different rhythm patterns. We have also been learning songs for Rosh Hashanah.

In spelling, we looked at the spelling pattern ‘sure’.

Reminders:

• Book changing days are Monday and Thursdays.
• Please remember to send your child in with a rain jacket, as they still go outside in light drizzling weather.
• Children should wear their house badges daily.
• Trainers are only allowed to be worn on PE days, Tuesday and Thursday.
• please find the Slides from the Meet the Teacher Evening, in the important information section.

Shabbat Shalom and have a wonderful weekend,

Miss Mansoor, Ms Rose and Mrs Tapper

Friday 5th September 2025

We are delighted to welcome back all our families and to share that Year 4 has had a fantastic start to the new school year. The children arrived fresh-faced and eager to learn, and it was wonderful to see how much they have grown since we last taught them in Year 2.

On their first day, the class enjoyed exploring their new classroom and its resources before sharing favourite memories from their summer holidays.

This week, we focused on building a positive learning culture. The children thought carefully about what this should look like in our classroom and how they could put these ideas into practice each day.

We also explored the theme of ‘How to be a Mensch’ across three sessions. First, the children worked in pairs to discuss their understanding of the word mensch, before breaking it down into eight key qualities: compassion, integrity, responsibility, humility, respect, gratitude, justice, and fairness. Through discussion and examples from their own lives, the children created shields to represent these qualities. Later, they considered scenarios to decide who was behaving like a mensch and why. Finally, they wrote diary entries reflecting on the opportunities they found to show mensch-like qualities.  

In computing, we learned about caring for technology and revisited the importance of online safety, both in school and at home. The children carefully read and discussed our online safety rules.

In maths and English, we reviewed presentation expectations for Year 4. The children were introduced to the helpful mnemonic DUMTUMS (Date, Underline, Miss a line, Title, Underline, Miss a line, Start).

In art, the children worked on their “half-and-half” portraits, one side a photograph, the other completed with their own drawing. Having completed this project from Year 1, it was wonderful to see just how much their artistic skills have developed. These will be on display at the Meet the Teacher Evening, so do come and take a look!

Reminders:
📅 Meet the Teacher Evening – Tuesday 9th September at 6:45 pm

We wish you all a restful weekend and a peaceful Shabbat.

Warm regards,
The Year 4 Team