Term 3 & 4 Newsletter – Class 4

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! I hope everyone had a good and restful Christmas. We have had a great start to the term already and the children are excited to be back. I can’t wait for what looks to be a great two terms with lots of exciting opportunities.
Reminders:

Please make sure all belongings (water bottles, jumpers and PE kits) are named to avoid missing items.

On Wednesdays in term 3, the class have the great opportunity of forest school. The children will need warm and named forest school clothes, brought in on the correct day.

Many thanks!
Mrs Taplin
dtaplin@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

Geography

Our theme for both of these terms will be Natural Disasters. This will include the structure of the Earth and tectonic plates. We will be looking at volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Reading

During whole class reading this term, we will be reading ‘Clockwork’ by Philip Pullman.

Maths

We will start the year by learning about fractions, before moving onto decimals at the end of term 3 and into term 4. The year 5s will also look at percentages. We will also continue to have a big focus on times tables throughout the year, which children should be practicing at home regularly. It is especially important for the year 4s in order to prepare them for their multiplication tables check that will take place in the summer terms. More information about this will be given nearer the time.

RE

In RE, we use the big question approach to organise our learning. This term we will be considering the questions, ‘What is the trinity?’ and ‘Why do Christians call the day Jesus died Good Friday?’

Art

In term 4 we will be working on painting and mixed media skills in our art lessons.

Music

We will be relating our music work to the topic of natural disasters this term and looking at the piece ‘Storm’ by Benjamin Britten.

Computing

In computing this term, we will be looking at data and then in term 4 moving this onto inventing a product using different computing software.

English

Before half term, we will be reading the books ‘The Mousehole Cat’ by Antonia Barber and ‘Storm’ by Kevin Crossley Holland. In term 4, we will be reading ‘Running Wild’ by Michael Morpurgo. We will be using these books to inspire both narrative and non-fiction writing. We will also continue to work on our handwriting.

Spelling

During these terms we will be using Superhero Spellings. This approach has 3 stages: learn, build, and show. The children will be given opportunities to practice the words for the rule throughout the week, before completing dictation sentences on Fridays. These will be stuck in the back of homework books for the children to refer to if needed. The children will be split into year groups during these spelling sessions.

Science

In science this term we will be studying human development and life cycles. This will the six stages of human development, including puberty and reproduction, and the lifecycles of amphibians, insects and birds.

PSHE

In the first term we will be looking at the topic ‘Dreams and Goals’. After half term, our topic will be ‘Healthy Me.’ These lessons will be taught using the Jigsaw scheme of work.

PE

This term we will be having our regular PE lessons with Zara, working on gymnastics and then moving onto fundamentals in term 4. In our other PE lessons, we will be learning the skills involved in volleyball. PE sessions will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays. Full PE kit is expected.

DT

This term we will be looking at mechanisms and gears in DT.

MFL

Our French topic this term is ‘A Day in Town’.

Homework

The children will be sent home with a homework menu for the term. Each week the children will select one task to complete. This is sent out on Wednesdays to be handed back in on a Monday.

Spelling

Each week the children will be working on a different spelling rule and receive 10 spelling words. A list of these can be found stuck into homework books for the children to practise at home.

These will also be worked on in class and at the end of the week the children will complete dictation sentences including these 10 words.

Dictation sentences will be stuck into the back of homework books each week in order to see progress and any words/spelling rules that may need to be worked on further.

Reading

Reading is required every night which is to be shown in their reading records. Please bring completed reading records in for reading certificates.

Times tables

Don’t forget to keep practicing times tables at home whenever you can. We have a leader board for studio speed/Rockstar status up in the classroom which is updated weekly.

If you need your TT Rockstars login, just send me an email

Key Dates

Friday 23rd January – TT Rockstars Day

Monday 9th February & Wednesday 11th February – Parent Consultations

Tuesday 10th February – Safer Internet Day

Friday 13th February – Last Day of Term 3

Monday 23rd February – Start of Term 4

Thursday 5th March – World Book Day

Thursday 5th March – Uckfield College PE

w/b Monday 9th March – Assessment week

Wednesday 18th March – Class 4 and 5 School Trip to Natural History Museum

Tuesday 24th March – Easter Service & Hike

Friday 27th March – Cup Assembly & End of Term 4