Year 4 Curriculum

In Year 4, children broaden their understanding across all subjects and take on more challenging learning tasks. They tackle multi-step maths problems, master times tables up to 12x12, and refine their writing style with varied punctuation and descriptive language. Scientific investigations become more structured as pupils learn to set up fair tests and analyse their results. Children also deepen their understanding of different world cultures, environments, and historical periods.

Reading for pleasure is at the heart of our curriculum, nurturing curiosity, empathy, and a lifelong love for learning. Every day, teachers set aside dedicated time to read aloud to their classes, giving children the chance to immerse themselves in rich vocabulary, diverse cultures, and captivating stories purely for the joy of reading.

Fostering a Love of Books

Daily Teacher Read-Alouds: Every class ends the day with a shared class novel, picture book, or poetry collection read aloud by the teacher.

Our Library Bus: Pupils visit our library bus which is stocked with a wide range of genres, graphic novels, non-fiction, and diverse voices.

Book Talk & Recommendations: pupils share peer reviews, swap favorite titles, and participate in school-wide reading celebrations.

Books We Are Reading in Class:

Guided Reading

At our school, shared texts are paired with the VIPERS framework to explicitly teach key reading comprehension skills, providing a clear bridge between teacher modeling and independent reading.

The VIPERS Framework with Shared Texts

At our school, shared texts are paired with the VIPERS framework to explicitly teach key reading comprehension skills, providing a clear bridge between teacher modeling and independent reading.

The VIPERS Framework with Shared Texts

Focus Area	Classroom Application
Vocabulary Word meanings & context	Unpacking ambitious vocabulary, root words, and figurative language as a group.
Inference Reading between the lines	Using visual clues and character actions to uncover unstated motives and feelings.
Prediction Anticipating outcomes	Forecasting plot developments based on text clues, layout, and prior events.
Explain Author choice & purpose	Analysing why an author chose specific words, text structures, or themes.
Retrieve Locating facts	Finding and highlighting specific details, quotes, or answers directly within the text.
Sequence / Summarise Structure & main ideas	Ordering key plot events (KS1) or synthesizing main themes and arguments (KS2).

Classroom Organisation

Texts are sgared, projected onto digital boards or displayed on large easels, allowing teachers to annotate print and model VIPERS question types in real time

Guided reading tables are equipped with VIPERS question cards, sentence stems, and tracking pointers to scaffold group discussions

Books are organised into sets aligned with specific VIPERS focus areas (e.g., non-fiction texts rich in retrieval facts vs. narrative poetry built for inference).

Multiple copies of shared texts are stored in the classroom library, enabling pupils to re-read familiar texts and practice VIPERS strategies independently.

Supporting Reading at Home

Read Together Daily: Shared reading isn't just for younger children—reading to older children or taking turns with chapters builds comprehension and connection.

Celebrate All Reading: Audiobooks, comics, non-fiction magazines, and graphic novels all count toward developing a rich reading routine.

Keep Books Accessible: Keep books near bedtime routines, in car seats, or in travel bags to make reading an easy, go-to habit.

Writing

The Fortnightly Learning Journey

Writing units at St John's run on a two-week learning cycle focused on a single stimulus text, film, or theme alongside a targeted writing genre.

Week 1: Immersion & Guided Writing
- Monday (Text Immersion): Oracy-rich immersion using practical hooks such as drama, art, role-play, and guided discussions.
- Tuesday (Genre Features): Analysing exemplar texts (WAGOLLs) to unpick the specific structural and language features of the genre.
- Wednesday (Planning): Structuring writing using planning frames and sentence rehearsal.
- Thursday (Shared & Guided Writing): Teacher-led modeling (shared write) followed by targeted section writing with live teacher feedback.
- Friday (Misconceptions & Continuation): Addressing class misconceptions from Thursday, co-constructing the next section, and writing independently.
Week 2: Application, Stamina & Publishing
- Monday (Recap & Inspiration): Recapping the text and co-creating success criteria alongside creative stimulus activities.
- Tuesday (Planning): Developing independent planning frames tailored to the final genre outcome.
- Wednesday (Shared Writing): Teacher modeling focus skills and grammar targets in context.
- Thursday (Independent Write): Extended independent writing time dedicated to building writing stamina.
- Friday (Editing & Performing): Systematic proofreading, editing for impact, and sharing or performing finished work.

Core Non-Negotiables

Oracy & Drama: Pupils talk through their ideas and engage in role-play before putting pen to paper.
Daily Grammar Starters: Every writing session opens with a targeted Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling (SPaG) starter linked directly to the genre.
Editing & Proofreading: Dedicated teaching on reviewing vocabulary choices, fixing technical errors, and revising structure.
Writing Stamina: Progressively longer independent writing opportunities to prepare children for upper Key Stage 2 demands.

Weekly Spelling & Handwriting Routine

In Year 4, children build handwriting speed and consistency while expanding their spelling repertoire using school-adapted PlanIt Spelling resources. Key objectives cover complex prefixes (in-, im-, inter-), -tion/-sion endings, possessive apostrophes, and word families.

Transcriptions and handwriting skills are explicitly taught using the Letterjoin framework and structured weekly routines:

Monday: Spelling Lesson 1 (introducing new spelling patterns/rules).
Tuesday: Spelling Lesson 2 (Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check alongside matching games, crosswords, or word searches).
Wednesday: Letterjoin cursive handwriting lesson.
Thursday: Handwriting session directly integrating the weekly spelling words onto Letterjoin practice sheets.
Friday: Weekly spelling assessment covering 10 words from the half-term focus, followed by distribution of new spelling lists.

Year 4 Curriculum

In Year 4, teaching deepens structural control, focusing on fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases, inverted commas for direct speech, and clear paragraph cohesion.

Narrative & Character Focus: Structuring plots with clear openings, climaxes, and resolutions; developing character motives and richer setting descriptions using figurative language.
Non-Chronological Reports & Explanations: Multi-paragraph reports structured with headings, subheadings, bullet points, and precise subject vocabulary.
Persuasive Letters & Speeches: Formulating structured arguments with supporting evidence, using formal conjunctions and persuasive openers.
Diaries & Historical Recounts: Writing in role to capture emotive historical or fictional perspectives, ensuring consistent past-tense usage.
Poetry & Performance: Exploring diverse forms (e.g., narrative poetry, rhyming couplets, free verse) with an emphasis on rhythm, imagery, and oral performance.

Maths

In Year 4, the focus shifts toward rapid multiplication recall, working with 4-digit numbers, and introducing decimals and area through White Rose Maths.

Key Focus Areas: Times tables recall up to 12x12 (in preparation for the Multiplication Tables Check), 4-digit place value, formal multiplication and division, decimals, and calculating area.
How It Looks in Class: Lessons balance daily multiplication practice with reasoning tasks where pupils justify their strategies and spot mathematical patterns.
Support at Home: Encourage short, daily times table recall practice online or through flashcards, and look for decimals on shop price tags.

Year 4 Maths Overview

Maths Calculations Demonstration Videos

Maths Knowledge Organisers

Knowledge Organisers support pupils with information and methods they should know

Add / Subtract	Length	Area	Decimals	Fractions
Geometry	Multiply / Divide	Position	Place Value	Time

White-Rose Home Learning - to support Maths Learning at home

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Other Subjects

In Year 4,

Kapow Primary

schemes foster greater enquiry, problem-solving, and practical creation

. Science topics cover the human digestive system, states of matter, electricity, and living habitats

. History focuses on changing childhoods, Anglo-Saxon Britain, and the Maya civilization, while Geography explores food origins, rainforests, and river systems

. In DT and Art, pupils create working torches, explore light and shadow, sing in parts, and begin learning web design and HTML coding

Kapow Curriculum Learning

Kapow Spiral Curriculum