What an exciting and action-packed start to the school year we’ve had in Year 4! From stepping back in time to investigate the Tudors to becoming scientists, historians, artists and authors, the children have been busy exploring, discovering and developing new skills. Here’s a little look at some of the wonderful learning experiences we’ve enjoyed this half term!
👑 A Royal Visitor – Henry VIII Arrives!
We kicked off our exciting new theme, Don’t Lose Your Head!, with a very special visitor – King Henry VIII himself! The children had the opportunity to step back into Tudor times and begin discovering what life was like during this fascinating period of history.
Our visit helped launch our Big Inquiry Question:
“How did important people and events affect life in Wales and Britain during Tudor and Stuart times?”
This question has inspired us to become curious historians, asking questions, examining evidence and exploring how the decisions of powerful people shaped the lives of ordinary people.
🏰 Discover and Do – Travelling Back in Time
Our Discover and Do activities gave us a fantastic introduction to Tudor life. The children enjoyed dressing in Tudor-style clothing and investigating a range of real and replica artefacts to discover what everyday life might have been like over 500 years ago.
It was a wonderful opportunity to spark curiosity, share ideas and begin making connections between life in Tudor times and the world we know today.
🏰 A Fabulous Day at Berkeley Castle!
One of the highlights of our half term was our fantastic trip to Berkeley Castle, where history really came to life!
The children enjoyed exploring the magnificent castle and its beautiful grounds, discovering what life was like for people who lived there hundreds of years ago. We even had the opportunity to play boules on the lawn, just as Queen Elizabeth I once did!
Another memorable experience was our workshop with Queen Elizabeth I herself! We discovered some fascinating and rather surprising facts about Tudor life, including how snails were used to create purple dye, the problems caused by rats and how snakes appeared in Tudor portraits. We even had the chance to see and touch a real snake, rat and giant African snail!
It was a brilliant day filled with excitement, curiosity and hands-on historical learning, helping us bring our classroom topic to life.
🎨 Creative Tudor Learning
Our Tudor theme has inspired plenty of creativity across the curriculum. The children have been busy developing their historical knowledge while showcasing their artistic and literacy skills.
Some of our activities have included:
- Creating striking Henry VIII portraits
- Designing persuasive advertisements to find Henry VIII a new wife!
- Constructing timelines to sequence important Tudor events
- Researching fascinating facts about Henry VIII and debating whether he was a good king or not
- Investigating how religious changes during the reign of Henry VIII affected different groups of people, including those living in Wales
As we moved from the Tudors into Stuart times, we began exploring the fascinating story of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The children have been examining historical sources, investigating the events surrounding Guy Fawkes and King James I, and discussing why the plotters wanted to blow up Parliament. It’s been a great opportunity to develop our historical enquiry skills and consider different viewpoints.
Throughout these activities, the children have been encouraged to think critically, share their opinions and use evidence to support their ideas.
🫁 Super Scientists – Exploring the Human Body
We’ve been busy learning all about the amazing human body in Science! The children have explored the important organs that keep us alive, investigating where they are located and how they work together. We particularly enjoyed drawing around one of our classmates to create a life-sized body outline before predicting where the different organs belonged. This was a fantastic way to challenge our thinking and develop our understanding of human anatomy.
As part of our STEM learning, we also had the fascinating opportunity to examine a real lamb’s heart! This gave the children a much closer look at the structure of the heart and helped them understand its important role in pumping blood around the body.
🔬 Pupil Voice – Do Bigger People Have Bigger Lung Capacity?
One of our most exciting scientific investigations came directly from a question suggested by one of our pupils:
“Do bigger people have bigger lung capacity?”
We decided to put this interesting question to the test! The children worked scientifically by measuring their heights before using special bags to collect and measure the air they could blow out.
After gathering their results, they compared the measurements to look for patterns and considered whether taller children really did have a greater lung capacity.
This was a fantastic pupil-led investigation that encouraged teamwork, measuring skills, scientific reasoning and thoughtful discussion. Most importantly, it showed how children’s own questions can lead to exciting learning opportunities!
🌾 Harvest Festival Celebrations
We thoroughly enjoyed taking part in our school’s Harvest Festival assembly. It was a lovely opportunity to come together, celebrate the season and reflect on the importance of being thankful for what we have.
📚 Literacy Adventures – The Dreamgiver
Our Literacy lessons have taken us into the magical world of The Dreamgiver, an enchanting animated story that has inspired some wonderful creative writing.
The children have been developing their use of ambitious vocabulary, descriptive phrases and exciting sentence structures to bring their own imaginative narratives to life.
We’ve been particularly impressed by the children’s creativity and growing confidence as authors, using their imaginations to transport readers into a world of dreams and adventure!
➕ Marvellous Mathematicians
We’ve been developing our mathematical skills through a range of practical activities, challenges and problem-solving tasks.
The children have enjoyed using different manipulatives and resources to explore mathematical concepts, explain their thinking and develop their confidence.
We’ve also been encouraging everyone to challenge themselves, share different strategies and remember that making mistakes is an important part of learning!
🏃 Active Learning and Personal Bests
Our learning about the human body has also linked brilliantly with our P.E. sessions.
The children have been taking part in fitness circuits, investigating how exercise affects our bodies and challenging themselves to improve their personal bests.
We’ve focused on perseverance, teamwork and recognising our own progress, celebrating the importance of keeping active and leading a healthy lifestyle.
🌟 What a Wonderful Start to Year 4!
What a busy and memorable first half term it’s been! We’re incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, creativity and curiosity the children have shown as they’ve settled into Year 4.
From royal visitors and castle adventures to scientific discoveries and imaginative writing, there have been so many opportunities to learn, explore and grow.
We look forward to continuing our learning adventures after the half-term break, with plenty more exciting experiences still to come!
✨ Well done, Year 4! Keep up the fantastic work! ✨
