Dear Parents and Children,

Welcome to Terms 1 and 2 at Borough Green Primary School

We are so excited to share our Term 1 and 2 plans for Year 3 and 4 with you. We are looking forward to what is going to be another exciting year.

The Curriculum in Terms 1 and 2 

Our first Cornerstones topic this year is ‘Through the Ages’. This topic will run throughout Terms 1 and 2 and will focus on aspects of History, Science, Geography, Art and DT. Our English and Reading lessons will link to History, while Maths, RE, PE, Computing, Music, PSHE and Spanish will be taught discretely. ‘Through the Ages’ is an exciting history-led topic. Children will learn about British prehistory from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including changes to people and lifestyle. ‘Through the Ages’ includes five companion projects – Animal Nutrition and the Skeletal System (Science); One Planet, Our World (Geography); Cook Well, Eat Well (Design Technology); Contrast and Complement and Prehistoric Pots (Art and Design). You will shortly find a Knowledge Organiser for this topic on the school website. Please do read this and discuss it with your child both before and during the topic. The Knowledge Organiser contains the key knowledge and vocabulary we expect children to know by the end of the topic and in school we refer to this during and after their learning to assess what children know and can retain.

Parental involvement: reading, spelling and times tables 

We will be sending home reading records each day, along with your child’s reading book. These are to be brought into class each day.

Reading at home

We ask that you spend at least 15 minutes listening to your child read every day. Reading aloud is a vital skill and builds their confidence, fluency and extends their vocabulary. If you would like advice on how to support your child with reading at home, please do ask us. We are continuing to use Accelerated Reader, which gives your child the opportunity to read books at an appropriate level. Children will then complete a quiz on that book (at school or at home) before they can choose a new one from our library. Please sign your child’s reading record each time your child has read at home, for which they will be awarded one housepoint. Some children have a Reading Eggs log in at the front of their reading record. If your child has been given a log in, they can alternate reading at home from a text, with spending 15 minutes on Reading Eggs. Please sign the reading record to say they have done this.

Spelling

In the reading record, you will also find a list of the words all children are expected to spell correctly by the end of Year 4. Regular practice of small groups of words at home will help children to retain their knowledge of the key spellings and will reinforce our spelling lessons at school. We will also stick in a list of spellings that we are Welcome to Terms 1 and 2 Years 3 and 4 looking at in school each week. These will be based around a particular spelling pattern, and we will complete various activities across the week in school to help us learn the rules around the pattern. 

Times tables

At the front of the reading record, you will also find a Times Tables Rock Stars username and password for your child. This is a fantastic website that the children can use to play games and earn points which in turn, reinforces and consolidates their knowledge of the times tables. Children should use this regularly so that they continue to develop and feel secure with their times tables, to support the work we will do with them in school. Year 4 children will be taking the statutory Multiplication Tables Check in Term 6 and it is expected that most children will know their times tables up to 12 times by this point.

Arrival at school & Equipment 

All children in Years 3 and 4 should enter by the door from the nursery playground. An adult will be on duty to welcome them in between 8.40 and 8.50 each day and the register will then be taken, and lessons will begin. In the afternoon, Poplar Class will leave from the same door. Cherry Class leaves from the middle door opposite the car park (to the left of the main entrance). All equipment that your child needs in Year 3 and 4 is provided by the school, which means that pencil cases are not needed in school. Children will be allocated their own locker, so any bags and belongings must fit into their locker. Please note that children should not bring toys or fidgets to school unless prior agreement is obtained from Mr Wheatley, our Inclusion Manager, or as a result of a conversation with a class teacher

Uniform 

Uniform promotes a sense of belonging and equality. We expect our children to demonstrate pride in their appearance and respect for the school uniform. Please ensure your child is in correct uniform at all times. 

We expect our children to demonstrate pride in their appearance and respect for the school uniform. 

Children should be well-presented and their white shirt/polo shirt must be tucked in at all times.  Children must wear sensible black shoes to school, NOT TRAINERS or BOOTS.  

Makeup and nail varnish are not permitted. Excessive hair accessories or extreme hairstyles or colour are also not permitted.  No jewellery except for one, small, stud earring allowed in each ear.  Analogue watches are encouraged but SMART watches are not allowed. 

Many items are available from the school office. To order uniform please click on the link https://www.brigade.uk.com/parents/  or visit the uniform section on our website.  

The Parent and Teachers’ Association also runs an excellent second-hand uniform shop on site. 

PE 

This term, we have PE on a Thursday. Please ensure that your child comes into school wearing their PE kit on this day. If a child is unable to join in with the PE lessons due to injury they should still come in their full PE kit as they will contribute to the learning and assessment of skills covered. Pupils with long hair should have their hair tied back at all times and earrings must be taken out or protected with tape during PE lessons. Teachers are not allowed to take earrings out for children so please ensure it is done before they arrive to school that morning.

Swimming

We are pleased to let you know that Year 3 and 4 will be swimming in Term 1. Swimming days will be on a Monday for Poplar class and Tuesday for Cherry class, beginning in Week 2. Your child will need their swimming kit, swimming hat, towel and goggles (if they use them) on their allocated day.

Outdoor Learning

We hope to have lots of opportunities for outdoor learning so please make sure your children have suitable footwear and waterproof jackets in school every day. This really is essential as we move into the winter months. You are welcome to send a named pair of wellington boots, old trainers or boots into school with your child and these can be left at and stored in school. We will let you know of any Forest School dates so that you can send appropriate footwear in on these days.

Other information and key dates

Wednesday 10th September – Year 3 and Year 4 Meet the Teacher Meeting at 2.45pm

Friday 26th September - European Day of Languages

Monday 13th October - Individual photos

Tuesday 14th October - Parent’s Evening

Thursday 16th October - Flu Vaccinations

Thursday 16th October - Parent’s Evening

Friday 17th October - Last day of Term 1

Monday 3rd November - First day of Term 2 

w/b Monday 10th November - Anti-Bullying Week

Thursday 20th November - Year 4

Times Table workshop at 3.30pm

Friday 19th December - Last day of Term 2

 

Please do let us know if you have any questions or queries at all. You can email in to the school office and they will forward this on to us; or talk to one of us after school at collection. We are more than happy to discuss any issues at any point, so please do not feel you need to wait for a Parents Evening meeting to do this.

Many thanks, from

Mr Ashe, Mrs Bowers and Miss Wilson