Topics & Curriculum

This term our topic is

Put That Light Out!

In the last topic of the year, the children will learn about the more recent history of Europe and, specifically, about the Second World War. Science will link into this topic, with the children exploring electric circuits, and how to “Put That Light Out!”. They will have the opportunity to apply their learning by making Steady Hand games in Science, and using The Blitz as an inspiration for their Art and DT projects.

Please click here for a Learning Journey giving an overview of what the Year 4 children will be covering this term. Further detail of the curriculum coverage can also be found within the Topic Tree here.

The Pennthorpe PSHEE curriculum will continue this term. In accordance with government statutory guidance, specific elements of age appropriate RSE (Relationship and Sex Education) will be incorporated where applicable and a letter detailing planned curriculum content will be sent home before half term. Please do contact Form Tutors, in the first instance, should you have any specific questions regarding curriculum content and/or feedback.

Year 4 will be covering the following topics:

Economic Wellbeing – budgeting, saving and spending decisions, money management and how spending choices affect others.

Growing and Changing – growing up, puberty including physical and emotional changes and the importance of sleep.

Homework

Please find the Homework Timetable for the term here.

Homework (Prep) will continue to be set weekly in both Maths and Creative Curriculum, and we would like the children to spend no longer than 30 minutes per subject on these.

Spellings and times tables books will continue to be sent home every day to be used at home for practice.

SpellingShed is our online spelling resource for spelling homework; it helps reinforce spellings through games. We expect a minimum of 5 games spread out across the week to aid the children in learning and retaining their spellings. Children are also encouraged to practise writing their spellings in their book to further support their retention.

A focus will remain on times tables and  it will be noted in Prep Diaries which times tables each child should be working on. Children should be learning a different times table each week, and aiming to pass their bronze or silver test in school and moving on to the next. Even for those who may have achieved their gold award, children should continue to practice all times tables and associated division facts, to maintain fluency and recall. Please do encourage your child to keep revisiting all their tables as they are easily forgotten at this age.

DoodleMaths is our online Maths resource. We expect a minimum of 5 lots of their daily games, spread out across the week.

Trips

This term we’re looking forward to our trip to The Bluebell Railway, on Friday 21st June, where we will be inviting our children to experience a flavour of what it might have been like for evacuee children leaving their parents in towns and cities to be sent to the countryside. We will travel on the Bluebell Railway steam train and, on arrival, experience a workshop where the children will role-play being billeted to different families.

To get into the spirit of the day we would love it if the children could dress as evacuee school children. Costumes could be as simple as a plain dress with long white socks and shoes for girls, or shorts, a plain shirt and tank top for boys. Accessories may include a homemade gas mask box, name label pinned to clothing and a teddy bear and/or mini suitcase to carry.

There will be other events at school when they will have the opportunity to wear their evacuee outfit, including a Second World War immersion event in school on Wednesday 1st May and a Tea Dance, to which all parents are invited, on Friday 5th July.

More information will follow nearer to the dates.

Health & Wellbeing

For all absences, please complete the absence request form via the Parent Portal. Please see the guide here on how to request an absence for your child.

Please ensure your child is well enough to attend school each day. If they’ve required Calpol in the morning, they aren’t well enough for school, so please don’t send them in. If in any doubt, please contact Matron to discuss your concerns.

If your child will need any prescribed or over-the-counter medication administered during the school day, please complete the following form here. No medication can be administered without this form.

Children are to bring their water bottles to school and take them home daily. It is very important that the children drink water throughout the day, and using bottles in the classrooms helps to prevent spillages! If you do forget a bottle, just let us know and we can ensure that children have a cup to drink out of.

Equipment

As another step towards preparing for the transition into Year 5, we are encouraging all Year 4 pupils to bring in their own handwriting pen. The ink must be blue and the pen should be named please. Frixion pens are popular with many of our students as the ink is erasable but this is not a stipulation. No other stationery supplies are required at this time.

Year 4 Routine

Drop off is at 8:15am on the Terrace or in the Drop off zone, for registration at 8:20am. Children arriving earlier should be booked in for breakfast from 7:30am or join our Early Birds in the Sports Hall or Courts from 8:00am. Children shouldn’t enter the Clock Block earlier than 8:15am.

Pick Up is at 4:00pm at the front of school. Please ensure that your child blobs out with a teacher before they leave the school site.

If you’d like your child to join us for breakfast, or stay beyond 4:00pm for hobbies or after school supervision/supper club, please contact extendedday@pennthorpe.com to arrange this.

Transition Activities

This term, there will be many opportunities for the children to visit their new classroom, meet their new teachers and get a taste of life in Year 5. This will be incorporated into our timetable and it has been designed to allow the children to feel comfortable with the changes occurring.

Throughout the term, we will incorporate the themes of ‘Reflection’ and ‘Transition’. The first half of term will concentrate on activities related to ‘Good Goodbyes’ and the children will work with their current Form Tutor. In the second half of term, the children will focus on ‘New Horizons’ where they will have the opportunity to meet their new Form Tutor and complete activities in their new form bases.

Tuesday 25th June will be our Moving Up Day, where all the children will spend the day in the Year 5 classrooms. That evening we will also be hosting a ‘Meet the Teacher’ evening, where parents are invited to come in to school to find out more about day-to-day life in Year 5, and get to know the Year 5 team.

More information, along with Year 5 class lists, will follow towards the middle of the term.

Dates for your Diary

As well as your pocket-sized diary, parents can also view the Summer Term calendar via the website and Parent Portal.

Please do have a look through and pop important dates in your diary.  Of course, sometimes plans need to be updated, and so any changes will be updated on our electronic calendar and communicated to you as soon as possible.

The key events for our Year 4 parents include:

  • Parents of children in Years 3-5 are invited to an Atom Information Session on Wednesday 1st May at 8:30am.
  • The Year 4 children will have a WWII Day on Wednesday 1st May.
  • Sports Day followed by our Pennthorpe Family Summer Social will be taking place on Friday 24th May.
  • Year 4 will visit the Bluebell Railway on Friday 21st June.
  • Tuesday 25th June is our ‘Meet the Teacher’ evening, an opportunity to meet key staff for the next academic year.
  • Music for a Summer’s Evening on Thursday 27th June.
  • The children are invited to dress up for our Whole School ‘Be You’ Dress Up Day on Friday 28th June to celebrate PSHEE & Diversity Spotlight Week.
  • Save the date for our Pennthorpe Golf Day on Sunday 30th June.
  • Year 4 parents are invited to a WWII Tea Dance on Friday 5th July at 2:30pm.
  • Prizegiving for pupils in Years 1 – 8 will take place on Saturday 6th July.
  • Wednesday 10th July is the end of term with school finishing for Year 4 at 11:50am.

FoP events

Our brilliant Friends of Pennthorpe, as always, will be doing lots to support our school and community this term. Key things for you to watch out for include:

  • Bags of Support collections on Friday 26th April and Friday 14th June.
  • The Summer Term Friends of Pennthorpe meeting is scheduled for Thursday 2nd May at 8:30am. Everyone is welcome to attend to help develop upcoming FoP plans.
  • After school Ice Cream Sale on Friday 17th May.
  • The Friends of Pennthorpe Father’s Day Shop will open its doors on Wednesday 12th June.
  • The Friends of Pennthorpe AGM will be held on Tuesday 18th June.
  • Friends of Pennthorpe Second Hand Uniform Shop & Blueblood Sports Pop Up Shop on Tuesday 25th June.

Uniform

As it is the Summer Term, all children should now be in summer uniform. Please make sure your child’s uniform is labelled with their name, as it does make it a lot easier to reunite lost items with their owners.

Children are expected to wear smart uniform each day:

  • All children should wear their blazers coming to and from school.
  • Clean black school shoes (if a child need to wear trainers, for example where their school shoes have been misplaced, please make the form teacher aware)
  • Shirts need to be long enough to tuck in.
  • Earrings – one plain stud only. No hoops. The child needs to be able to take the earrings out independently for PE and Games lessons.
  • No necklaces.
  • Plain wristwatch, no smartwatches to be worn.
  • All shoulder length tied up with a plain hairband or small school coloured scrunchie or headband.

Please make sure your child has a sun hat and sun cream in school during the Summer Term, as the weather gets warmer. Please also apply sun cream before the children come to school as we will be outside as much as possible. We cannot provide sun cream in school so it is essential that children bring this in themselves.

As a reminder, all PE and Games kit should be brought in to school on a Monday morning and should be taken home for washing at the end of each week (see below for sports kit requirements).

The Year 4 Team will be conducting a complete kit check at the beginning of term.  This will include wellies, waterproof trousers, school play coat, water bottle and sports kit. Do talk to your children about the importance of looking after and organising their own property, as we gently begin to encourage their independence and development of organisational skills.

If you have any uniform requirements, please place an order via our website here. You can also book an appointment at the Uniform Shop by contacting uniform@pennthorpe.com or drop in during the times below:

  • Monday 8:30am – 9:30am
  • Tuesday 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  • Wednesday 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  • Thursday CLOSED
  • Friday 8:30am – 9:30am

Sports Kit

For the Summer Term the boys and girls will be switching to cricket and athletics. A full kit list is available here, and all branded items can be ordered through Blueblood

Cricket:

White Pennthorpe branded top, white cricket trousers (these can be any brand and are optional for girls), white socks, a blue Pennthorpe cap, and trainers or cricket shoes. White cricket jumper is an optional extra.

Athletics:

Blue Pennthorpe branded polo shirt and shorts, athletics vest (optional), white socks, and trainers or athletics spikes.

Car park

Please do not park in the drop-off lanes at the front of school if you are coming past the gates to drop your child into school, or collect them from one of the school buildings. These lanes are intended for dropping-off only!

Instead, please park up in the car park, or find a safe place to park on the neighbouring roads (being considerate of our neighbours, especially with regards parking near to junctions or driveways).