The Y3/4 Team

1. The Y3/4 Team • Mr. Jaycock – Literacy, Science, Student and other placements co-ordination, Music support • Mr. McCahon – Sustainability, Geography • Mrs. Steer – Shadow Science • Mr. Bogod – Shadow RE

2. Key areas for Y3/4 • Organisers • Reading / Numeracy / Science • ICT / Fronter / Cyber Safety • Creative Curriculum • PE • Sustainability • Opportunities for wider learning

3. Organisers • Home School Agreement • Link between home and school • Target setting – personal and academic • Timetable alterations • Times tables check / helpful hints • Reading record – star readers

4. Reading We know that children who read with parents at home: • Show the strongest development at all levels of reading. • Always show more development than those that don’t. Children who only receive extra help at school make some improvement but nowhere near as much as those who also read with their parents. • Show a better attitude to learning and better behaviour at school. • Some children who read to their parents who cannot themselves read English, or cannot read at all, still show improvement in their reading.

5. Star Readers In Key Stage 2 we continue to run the ‘Star Readers’ reading certificate awards your child participated in through Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The main difference is that we give these awards termly rather than each half-term.

6. Star Readers Our expectation is that all children should be Star readers each term. To achieve this they must: • Read 4 times per week. • Have their organiser signed by you as verification, even if your child reads independently. (This year there is additional space in the organiser to record reading at the weekend.)

7. More about reading As juniors, children are expected to change their book independently after telling their teacher that they have finished the previous one. From time to time teachers will ensure children are reading at the correct level but we also rely on the children themselves and parents informing us if they feel the books are too easy or too hard. Teachers are happy for children to read their own books from home as long as they are appropriately challenging.

8. Library As you know, exchange of books is monitored by the use of a computer running Micro-Librarian software. Children are expected to use the computer, for the most part independently, to return and take out books. They use a barcode scanner to identify the book to the machine, and then either their own thumbprint or their own barcode in their organiser to identify themselves.

9. Library The use of the computer gives us good information about book use. It is a tool for library administration and an opportunity for children to become competent and responsible managers of their own book habits. The library provides reference and reading materials for children and teachers. Volunteer library monitors from Year 6 work daily during break times, supervised by Mrs. Phillips. They are responsible for maintaining library organisation and tidiness of the books. We encourage all children to join and use their local library.

10. Numeracy • Key areas • Weekly times tables tests / Maths homework • Understand number bonds to 20, 100.... • Partitioning numbers to support calculation strategies. • The grid method for multiplication and chunking methods for division. • Refer to calculation policy – or come to see us

11. Creative Curriculum and homework • In 2009-10 our curriculum was reorganised into areas that allow us to focus on a particular theme but generally incorporate all of the foundation subjects within it. We continue to refine and develop our curriculum in an ongoing way. Some subjects are taught separately to varying degrees to ensure we are covering National Curriculum objectives. • Creative homework allows us to extend the children’s learning and involve parents / carers in that process.

12. Science SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY Ideas and evidence in science Investigative skills Planning Obtaining and presenting evidence Considering evidence and evaluating LIFE PROCESSES & LIVING THINGS Life processes Humans and other animals Nutrition Circulation Movement Growth and reproduction Health Green plants Reproduction Variation and classification Living things in their environment Adaptation Feeding relationships Microorganisms MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIES Grouping and classifying materials Changing materials Separating mixtures of materials PHYSICAL PROCESSES Electricity Simple circuits Forces and motion Types of force Light and sound Everyday effects of light Seeing Vibration and sound The Earth and beyond The Sun, Earth and Moon Communication Health and Safety

13. Interactive Communicative Technologies (ICT) • Current provision – laptops, class computers, desktops in some rooms and gadgets. • School Network and Fronter VLP (Virtual Learning Platform) – secure and safe access for pupils. • Internet safety – links to school website (parents page)

14. Fronter

15. PE kit • Black shorts • White T shirts • Suitable footwear / trainers • Colder weather gear – tracksuit bottoms and sweatshirt

16. Sustainability at school • Edwalton Primary is a sustainable school • Research shows: • being a sustainable school raises standards • environmental quality and young people’s well-being are inextricably linked • Children have lots of opportunities to get involved in the school

17. Opportunities for pupils • Animal Club – Monday after school but limited places this year due to new DEFRA guidelines • Woodland Club – Monday after school • Eco Club – Thursday lunchtime • Pupil and family gardens – Apply to Mr Owens • Enriched curriculum – use of woods, farm outdoors in lessons

18. Ofsted agree! • The school’s “outstanding provision for both sustainability and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a marked impact on pupils’ attitudes to learning. This leads directly to pupils’ excellent behaviour ... and their deep understanding of the world in which they live.” Ofsted Jan 2012