Welcome to Derwent’s Class Page!
Derwent class is made up of lots of fantastic Year 3 and Year 4 children! Mrs Brown is our teacher and Miss Bradley is our teaching assistant.
Our Curriculum
In Year 3 and 4, we strive to develop our independence as learners by endeavouring to demonstrate respect, responsibility and resilience in everything we do. In Year 3 and 4, we work hard to ‘Be The Best We Can Be’! We start every day with an arithmetic session to improve our mathematical fluency and boost our confidence with maths. As well as daily arithmetic and taught maths sessions, we also practise times tables every day to help us secure those crucial multiplication facts and ace the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check that happens in June. Reading and English skills are also a priority for us, with daily sessions of spelling, reading and English built into our busy timetable. To maximise our learning, apply a range of skills and promote a broad, balanced curriculum our afternoons are filled with a range of curriculum subjects, such as: science, computing, history, geography, art and design, design and technology, French, music, PSHE, PE and RE. All of our learning is designed to build on the skills and knowledge that we have learnt both this year and from previous year groups. To learn more about our curriculum coverage this half term, check out the Curriculum section of the website and look for our overview.
What does my child need to bring to school each day?
Your child will need the following in school every day:
- water bottle
- full school uniform, including school shoes
- reading book
- PE kit (we suggest that they bring this to school at the start of the week and take it home again to be washed at the end of the week)
- packed lunch (if they have one)
PLEASE label everything with your child’s name. It makes it much easier to find lost clothing when it is labelled.
How can I help my child at home?
READ! We ask that all children read to an adult at home for at least 15 minutes each day. Sharing stories with your child builds a love of reading and develops children’s reading skills; their understanding of new words and the world around them. It is so important to read with your child every day.
Reading & comprehension: Age 7–8 (Year 3) – Oxford Owl
Reading & comprehension: Age 8–9 (Year 4) – Oxford Owl
Reading, Writing and Spelling
To help your child with their literacy skills, you could:
- tell stories
- enjoy books together
- imagine stories together and encourage writing stories down – we would love to hear them in school!
- read books, magazines, subtitles on the TV, newspapers, eBooks, shop signs – anything and everything!
- encourage children to speak in full sentences and use correct grammar
- spot spelling patterns they have been learning in the words you read with them
- write cards to family, friends or neighbours
- write letters
- make posters about something they are interested in
- play teachers and ask them to teach you their spelling rule of the week
- visit the library
- write a shopping list
- write a diary
- log in to Spelling Shed to practise spelling rules
Try the links below at home:
Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press
Spelling and Grammar, English Games for 7-11 Years – Topmarks
ictgames || html5 English Games Page
Maths
To help your child with maths, you could try:
- tell the time with analogue and digital clocks
- baking together, using the scales to help measure ingredients
- finding 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 or 1/8 of an object or a number – you could even work out what 4/5 or 6/8 would be!
- login to Times Tables Rockstars
- go shape spotting and count the number of sides, vertices (corners), edges, faces
- count in 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s, 112, 12s, 25s, 50s, 100s and 1000s
- Recall times tables up to 12 x 12 and the related division facts
- find 1000 more or less than a number
- count backwards from 0 using negative numbers
- add and subtract four digit numbers
- add up prices in the supermarket or work out your change
- work out the cost of 4 or 8 of something that is under £1
- time how long challenges take and work out the difference
- convert hours into minutes, minutes into hours, minutes into seconds, weeks into days or years to months to find out how long something will take
- use a map to find coordinates
Here are a few websites that could help:
Times Tables Rock Stars: Play (ttrockstars.com)
Mental Maths Tests and Games (topmarks.co.uk)
mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/22/most-popular
Fun maths games and activities – Oxford Owl for Home
Free Online Math Games for Kids | Play Math Games – SplashLearn
Games and Interactives (maths.org)
Math Games | Math Playground | Make Learning Fun
Getting in touch with us
All of our staff are more than happy to help you with any questions that you may have, please call the office or pop in to arrange an appointment. We are here to help!
Remember to keep an eye on our Facebook page to see what your child has been up to. We post regular pictures to show off how fun learning is, how amazing our children are, celebrate successes and invite you to school events.
Please ensure that you have updated any contact details with the school office to make sure that you receive communications via ParentMail.