Year 4 Term 1

August to December

Last updated

2 July 2025 at 01:45:44

Ancient Civilisations 📜

In Term 1, Year 4 students explore the fascinating world of Ancient Civilisations, with a particular focus on Ancient Greece. In maths, they build a solid foundation in place value up to 10,000, tackle written methods for addition and subtraction, explore area, and deepen their multiplication and division knowledge through times tables and number patterns. The term culminates with the Barvember maths challenge to develop problem-solving skills. In science, students classify living things, conduct experiments around states of matter, and explore the water cycle. Their reading journey features Beasts of Olympus: Beast Keeper, an engaging introduction to Greek mythology. In writing, students craft narratives and fables, learning to use dialogue, fronted adverbials, and correct punctuation, while also experimenting with play scripts and performance.

The wider curriculum brings learning to life with historical investigations into Ancient Greece, examining gods, myths, culture, and key events. In Art and Design, students create and evaluate Greek pottery, and in Computing, they build digital learning journals and design civilisations using Minecraft Education. PSHE focuses on healthy friendships, safe online behaviour, and respectful relationships. Through language lessons in Malay, Mandarin, French, or EAL, students develop oral and written communication skills, grammar understanding, and cultural awareness. In PE, students rotate through a variety of sports to develop physical literacy, teamwork, and resilience, while music lessons enhance creativity through performance, composition, and listening. It’s a term filled with curiosity, challenge, and creativity.

Maths 🧮

Place Value

Represent numbers to 1,000
Partition numbers to 1,000
Number line to 1,000
Thousands
Represent numbers to 10,000
Partition numbers to 10,000
Flexible partitioning of numbers to 10,000
Find 1, 10, 100, 1,000 more or less
Number line to 10,000
Estimate on a number line to 10,000
Compare numbers to 10,000
Order numbers to 10,000
Roman numerals
Round to the nearest 10
Round to the nearest 100
Round to the nearest 1,000
Round to the nearest 10, 100 or 1,000

Addition and subtraction

Add and subtract 1s, 10s, 100s and 1,000s
Add up to two 4-digit numbers - no exchange
Add two 4-digit numbers - one exchange
Add two 4-digit numbers - more than one exchange
Subtract two 4-digit numbers - no exchange
Subtract two 4-digit numbers - one exchange
Subtract two 4-digit numbers - more than one exchange
Efficient subtraction
Estimate answers
Checking strategies

Area

What is area?
Count squares
Make shapes
Compare areas

Multiplication and division

Multiples of 3
Multiply and divide by 6
6 times-table and division facts
Multiply and divide by 9
9 times-table and division facts
The 3, 6 and 9 times-tables
Multiply and divide by 7
7 times-tables and division facts
11 times-table and division facts
12 times-table and division facts
Multiply by 1 and 0
Divide a number by 1 and itself
Multiply three numbers

Barvember

Towards the end of Term 1, all students are invited to take part in Barvember Maths challenges. Find out more here.

Science 🧬

Group and classify living things (Biology) ♻️

Group animals
Vertebrates and invertebrates
Classification keys (animals)
Group plants
Classification kets (plants)

Data collection (Biology)

Data collection
Analyse data

States of matter (Chemistry)

Explore solids, liquids and gases
Think differently - solids, liquids and gases
Change states
Use equipment
Plan - melting experiment
Investigate - melting experiment
The water cycle
Plan - evaporation experiment
Investigate - evaporation experiment
Evaluate - evaporation experiment

Reading 📖

Beats of Olympus: Beast Keeper

Author: Lucy Coats Illustrator: David Roberts

Demon is chatting to the chickens when his dad arrives. Demon has never met Pan before, so the goat-legged, curly-horned, yellow-eyed god, ruler of all forests and wild creatures, is quite a surprise. Pan takes Demon to Mount Olympus by magic rainbow and installs him in the stinky Stables of the Gods as trainee stable boy.

Finding a new skin for the Nemean Lion is just one of Demon's dangerous assignments but when Hera commands him to bring her pet Hydra back to life, Demon is flummoxed. None of his magic helps to revitalise the Hydra's nine severed heads…

A funny, accessible, adventurous introduction to characters and stories from ancient Greece, starring an endearing hero faced with impossible tasks.

Reading age: 8+

Writing ✍️

Narrative

Narratives and retellings written in the first or third person
Narratives or retellings written in the past tense occasionally in the present tense
Events sequenced to create chronological plots using adverbials
Descriptions of settings are developed
Dialogue begins to be developed to convey a characters thoughts and move the narrative forward
Developed language choices
Use finger spaces
Use capital letters for the sentence starters
Use capital letters for names
Use capital for I
Use full stops for statements
Use question marks for questions
Use exclamation marks for commands
Use speech
Fully punctuate speech
Use a wide range of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
Use present and past tense including progressive
Use nouns and pronouns to avoid repetition
Use correct form of a or an
Form comparatives and superlatives
Use fronted adverbial phrases to say how, where or when

Playscript: Fables

Events sequenced in chronological order
Dialogue begins to be developed to convey a character’s thoughts and move the narrative forward
Fronted adverbials: soon, meanwhile, as, carefully, without a thought, after a moment etc.
Commas after fronted adverbials
Include a cast list
May include a narrator
Dialogue used with no speech marks
Start a new line with each speaker
May include stage directions

Across the curriculum 🌏

Overview: Ancient Greece

Timeline
Art and literature
Entertainment and leisure
Heroes and myths
Gods and Goddesses
Education and work
Key figures
Key events

Curriculum Objectives & Expectations

I can understand key aspects of life in Greece from Ancient to Modern times
I can describe the characteristic features of the past, including ideas, beliefs and attitudes of men/women/children
I can use a range of evidence to ask questions about the past
I can present different accounts of events, and discuss why they differ
I can explore the reasons for some of the events and changes in history
I can confidently place events, artefacts and historical figures on a timeline using dates
Draw evidence when making comparisons
Form own opinions based on different accounts and evidence
Discuss pros and cons of primary sources, compare to secondary sources
Make inferences about what life was like for a specific individual based on primary sources
Undertake own research to answer own devised questions

Key Vocabulary

Building, city, nation/country, religion, ruler, king, emperor, pharaoh, technology, trade, transport, travel, war, battle, conflict, invasion, army, civilisation, conquest, culture, economy, money, tax, barter, empire, enslavement, entertainment, farming, kingdom, knowledge, leisure, occupation, territory, power, settlement.

Art, Design & Technology 🎨 👷

Learn about the history and significance of Greek pottery
Create initial sketches of Greek pottery designs
Construct pottery pieces using clay
Ensure designs incorporate aspects of ancient Greek styles
Evaluate pottery based on appearance, functionality, and historical accuracy
Reflect on the design process and final products

Computing

Creating a digital learning journal
Minecraft Education: Building Civilisations

PSHE 😀 🫶

Personal, Social, Health and Economic education

Families and Friendships

About the features of positive healthy friendships such as mutual respect, trust and sharing interests
Strategies to build positive friendships
How to seek support with relationships if they feel lonely or excluded
How to communicate respectfully with friends when using digital devices
How knowing someone online differs from knowing someone face to face and that there are risks in communicating with someone they don’t know
What to do or whom to tell if they are worried about any contact online

Safe Relationships

To differentiate between playful teasing, hurtful behaviour and bullying, including online
How to respond if they witness or experience hurtful behaviour or bullying, including online
Recognise the difference between ‘playful dares’ and dares which put someone under pressure, at risk, or make them feel uncomfortable
How to manage pressures associated with dares
When it is right to keep or break a confidence or share a secret
How to recognise risks online such as harmful content or contact
How people may behave differently online including pretending to be someone they are not
How to report concerns and seek help if worried or uncomfortable about someone’s behaviour, including online

Respecting Ourselves and Others

To recognise differences between people such as gender, race, faith
To recognise what they have in common with others e.g. shared values, likes and dislikes, aspirations
About the importance of respecting the differences and similarities between people
A vocabulary to sensitively discuss difference and include everyone