Shibden Head Primary Academy

Curriculum Information for Parents & Carers

Year 4

There is a requirement for all schools to publish the outline curriculum for each year group

on their website. It is impossible to publish details of every aspect of the curriculum. This

document outlines the key content. Staff will always be very happy to discuss the

content of the curriculum in more detail with any parent or carer. It should be noted that

the details below are the ‘standard curriculum’ requirements; we constantly differentiate

these to support and extend all pupils.

Learning Challenge Curriculum – much of the curriculum is taught through topic-based

cross-curricular themes. Topics run for a half term, each one led by a different foundation

subject. Maths, English are taught daily in addition to the topics. Details of the topics can

be seen on the website class pages.

Date updated: September 2016

• Gives a personal point of view on a text.

• Re-explain a text with confidence.

• Justifies inferences with evidence, predicting what might

happen from details stated or implied.

• Uses appropriate voices for characters within a story.

• Identify how sentence type can be changed by altering

word order, tenses, adding/deleting words or amending

punctuation.

• Skim and scan to locate information and/or answer a

question.

• Recognise the apostrophe of possession (plural).

• Vary sentence structure, using different openers.

• Uses adjectival phrases (e.g. biting cold wind).

• Use appropriate choice of noun or pronoun.

• Uses apostrophe for singular and plural possession.

• Uses a comma after a fronted adverbial (e.g. Later that day,

I heard bad news.).

• Uses commas to mark clauses.

• Uses legible, joined handwriting of consistent quality.

• Write using paragraphs to organize ideas.

• Use connecting adverbs to link paragraphs.

• Count backwards through zero to include negative numbers.

• Compare and order numbers beyond 1000.

• Compare and order numbers with 2 decimal places.

• Read Roman numerals to 100.

• Find 1000 more/less than a given number.

• Count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1000.

• Recall and use multiplication and division facts of all tables to

12 x12.

• Recognise place value of any 4-digit number.

• Round any number to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000.

• Round decimals with one decimal place to the nearest

whole number.

Add & subtract:

• Numbers with up to 4-digits using column method.

• Numbers with up to 1 decimal place.

Multiply:

• 2-digit by 1-digit.

• 3-digit by 1-digit.

Divide:

• 3-digit by 1-digit.

• Count up/down in hundredths.

• Write equivalent fractions.

• +/- fractions with the same denominator.

• Read, write and convert time between analogue and

digital 12 and 24 hour clocks.

• Suggest own ideas to find an answer to a question.

• Carry out a fair test with some help and explains why it’s fair.

• Measure in standard units using a range of simple equipment.

• Suggest improvements to their work.

• Provide explanations for findings, observations and simple

patterns in measurements.

• Make simple predictions based on everyday experiences.

Living Things and Their Habitats

• recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of

ways

• explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and

name a variety of living things in their local and wider

environment

• recognise that environments can change and that this can

sometimes pose dangers to living things.

Animals, including Humans

• describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the

digestive system in humans

• identify the different types of teeth in humans and their

simple functions

• construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying

producers, predators and prey.

States of Matter

• compare and group materials together, according to

whether they are solids, liquids or gases

• observe that some materials change state when they are

heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature

at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C)

• identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in

the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with

temperature.

Sound

• identify how sounds are made, associating some of them

with something vibrating

• recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a

medium to the ear

• find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of

the object that produced it

• find patterns between the volume of a sound and the

strength of the vibrations that produced it

• recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the

sound source increases.

Electricity

• identify common appliances that run on electricity

• construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and

naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches

and buzzers

• identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series

circuit, based on whether or not the lamp is part of a

complete loop with a battery

• recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit and

associate this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple

series circuit

• recognise some common conductors and insulators, and

associate metals with being good conductors.

• Plan how to use ICT to solve a problem.

• Refine and develop information using ICT tools and

techniques to make changes.

• Comments on the success of a solution.

• Describes how ICT is used at school and outside school.

• Collects, stores and retrieves data.

• Uses a sequence of instructions to control events.

• Uses ICT-based models or simulations to answer questions.

• Presents information using text, images and other media.

• Uses digital communication to exchange ideas.

• Identifies ways to keep safe when using ICT.

• Identifies and selects appropriate information using

straightforward lines of enquiry.

• Chronological Understanding

• Plot recent history on a timeline using centuries.

• Place periods of history on a timeline showing periods of time.

• Use their mathematical skills to round up time differences into

centuries and decades.

• Knowledge and Interpretation

• Explain how events from the past has helped shape our lives.

• Appreciate that wars have happened from a very long time

ago and it is often associated with invasion, conquering or

religious differences.

• Know that people who lived in the past cooked and travelled

differently and used different weapons from ours.

• Recognise that the lives of wealthy people were very

different from those of poor people.

• Appreciate how items found belonging to the past are

helping us to build up an accurate picture of how people

lived in the past.

• Historical Enquiry

• Can they research two versions of an event and say how

they differ?

• Can they research what it was like for a child in a given

period from the past and use photographs and illustrations to

present their findings?

• Can they give more than one reason to support an historical

argument?

• Can they communicate knowledge and understanding orally

and in writing and offer points of view based upon what they

have found out?

Geographical Enquiry

• Carry out a survey to discover features of cities and villages.

• Find the same place on a globe and in an atlas.

• Label the same features on an aerial photograph as on a map.

• Plan a journey to a place in England.

Physical Geography

• Describe the main features of a well-known city.

• Describe the main features of a village.

• Describe the main physical differences between cities and

villages.

• Use appropriate symbols to represent different physical

features on a map.

Human Geography

• Explain why people are attracted to live in cities.

• Explain why people may choose to live in a village rather

than a city.

• Explain how a locality has changed over time with reference

to human features.

• Geographical Knowledge

• Know the difference between the British Isles, Great Britain

and UK.

• Name up to six cities in the UK and locate them on a map.

• Locate and name some of main islands that surround the UK.

•

• Draw arrangements of objects from observation.

• Is able to use colour to create effects.

• Print using at least 4 different colours.

• Use a sketchbook to adapt and improve their original ideas.

• Experiment with collage techniques to create images and

textures.

• Begin to sculpt clay.

• Create a piece of work which includes digital images they

have taken.

• Use early sewing skills as part of a project.

• Begin to show facial expressions and body language in their

sketches. • Organise line, tone, shape and colour to represent figures and forms in

movement.

• Experiment with different styles which artists have used. • Explain art from other periods of history.

• Collect the information needed to use from a number of

different sources e.g. internet, looking at existing products,

books. Select and use this information to come up with

design ideas.

• Produce step-by-step plans that take into account the needs

of the user or consumer of the product.

• Get details of a range of ideas across to other people clearly

by: using words, phrases and sentences; draw annotated

sketches; make scale models and prototypes.

• Work effectively with a range of materials, components and

ingredients by: working accurately; producing quality work;

choosing appropriate materials and ingredients; choosing

appropriate components.

• Work effectively with a range of tools, equipment and

processes by: choosing the most appropriate tools and

equipment to use; choosing the most appropriate making

techniques and processes; accurately cutting, weighing,

measuring, forming and shaping a range of materials,

ingredients and components.

• Evaluate the designing and making by: thinking about the

way the product will be used and its ability to fit the purpose

it is designed to serve; evaluating the way similar products,

made by other people, work; suggesting improvements to

the way own work is presented.

• Evaluate the finished products by: commenting on what

parts work well or are successful; suggesting improvements to

the products they have made.

• Food Education:

• ‘Hedgehog’ a mango

• Grate hard foods.

• Separate an egg.

• Cream fat and sugar.

• Fold flour into a creamed mixture.

• Handle and roll shortcrust pastry.

• Coat with egg and breadcumbs.

Composing

• Compose and perform simple melodies and songs

independently.

• Use sound to create more abstract images.

• Recognise and create repeated patterns.

• Make up singing games with words, actions and a sense of

pulse, and teach them to others.

• Create simple accompaniments for own tunes using drones

or melodic ostinato based on a pentatonic scale.

• Recognise how musical elements can be used together to

compose descriptive music.

• Carefully choose, order, combine and control sounds with

awareness of their combined effect.

Performing

• Sing songs from memory with accurate pitch either in a group

or alone.

• Sing and play a range of singing games in tune.

• Maintain a simple part within an ensemble.

• Demonstrate a good memory for songs and sounds and

show control and articulation in their voice.

• Perform with control and awareness of what others are

playing.

• Combine sounds with movement and narrative.

Appraising

• Describe music using appropriate vocabulary.

• Listen carefully with attention to detail.

• Listen to several layers of sound and talk about the combined

effect.

• Link skills, techniques & ideas and apply them accurately and

appropriately.

• Show good control in their movements.

• Compare and comment on skills, techniques and ideas that

they and others have used.

• Use own observations to improve their work

• Explain some important safety principles when preparing for

exercise.

• Explain what effect exercise has on their body.

• Explain why they need to exercise.

• Demonstrate control when taking off and landing in a jump.

• Throw with accuracy.

• Combine running and jumping.

• Follow specific rules.

• Identify the main points of a spoken passage.

• Understand short passages made up of familiar language.

• Is able to have a short conversation, saying 2 or 3 things.

• Read familiar phrases independently.

• Use a bilingual dictionary to look up new words.

• Write what they like/dislike.