Year 4 Spring
English
In English, we began exploring the classic story Gulliver’s Travels. The children learned about Gulliver’s first adventure when he arrives in the land of the tiny Lilliputians. To help us understand the story from Gulliver’s point of view, we used drama and imagination to step into role as Gulliver himself.
One of the highlights of the week was our “Lilliputian picnic” activity. The classroom was transformed as the children imagined they were giants like Gulliver while the food around them represented the tiny meals prepared by the Lilliputians. This fun activity helped the children think carefully about size, perspective and how Gulliver might have felt waking up in a strange land surrounded by tiny people.
Using this experience, the children generated descriptive vocabulary and discussed Gulliver’s thoughts and feelings. They then used their ideas to begin writing in role as Gulliver, describing what he could see, hear and feel when he first met the Lilliputians. The drama and role-play helped the children bring the story to life and develop their descriptive writing.
Maths
This half term, we have been developing their understanding of key concepts through concrete learning using manipulatives. Resources such as counters, cubes and place value equipment helped the children to physically represent numbers and mathematical ideas before moving on to pictorial and written methods. This hands-on approach supported the children in deepening their understanding and explaining their mathematical thinking.
We have also continued to practise our times tables, focusing on accuracy and recall. The children used a variety of strategies and activities to strengthen their multiplication knowledge and build confidence. Regular practice with times tables is helping the children become quicker and more fluent, which supports their learning across many areas of maths.
Music
The class has been developing a range of important musical skills while learning to play the trumpets. They explored notation, learning how written music represents sound and how musicians read notes and rhythms.
The children practised rhythm skills by clapping and playing different patterns, helping them understand how music is organised in time. They also worked on recognising and keeping a steady pulse and beat, which is essential for playing together as an ensemble.
In addition, the class explored pitch, listening carefully to whether notes were higher or lower, and began to think about dynamics (how loud or quiet the music is) and articulation (how notes are played, such as smooth or short). It has been wonderful to see the children building confidence as young musicians while learning how these elements come together when playing the trumpet. 🎺
Science
Year 4 took part in British Science Week 2026, joining schools across the UK in celebrating the excitement and importance of science. The children explored how scientists ask questions, investigate ideas and learn about the world around us.
Throughout the week, the class took part in a range of hands-on investigations and practical activities. The children made predictions, carried out experiments and carefully observed what happened, just like real scientists. They also discussed their ideas with partners and recorded their findings.
A key focus was developing scientific enquiry skills, such as asking questions, testing ideas, observing closely and explaining results. The children enjoyed working collaboratively and showed great curiosity when exploring the different challenges.
British Science Week was a fantastic opportunity for the children to see how science is all around us, and it inspired lots of thoughtful questions and exciting discoveries in our classroom. 🔬
Religious Education
In RE, we began our new unit “Desert to Garden.” The children explored the Parable of the Prodigal Son and reflected on the important messages within this story that Jesus shared.
Through discussion and storytelling, the class thought about the choices made by the different characters and how the father showed forgiveness, love and mercy to his son. We talked about how this parable helps us understand God’s love and how people can change, grow and be welcomed back.
The children shared thoughtful ideas about how forgiveness can help relationships grow again, turning difficult situations into something positive — just like the image of a desert becoming a garden. This helped the class reflect on how we can show kindness, understanding and forgiveness in our own lives.