Welcome to Class 10
Your teaching team this year consists of Miss Katie Taylor (class teacher), Mr Luke Bradshaw-Swann (teaching assistant) and Mrs Pam Tapp (teacher on Monday mornings).
Your child's wellbeing and education is paramount to us. To speak to the class 10 team regarding any concerns or queries, grab us at the door or email Miss Taylor at k.taylor@thewilmslowacademy.co.uk.
Dates for your diary:
Start of Spring Term (1st half) - Tuesday January 6 2026
End of Spring Term (1st half) - Friday February 13 2026
Start of Spring Term (2nd half) - Monday February 23 2026
Conway residential trip - March 23-25 2026
End of Spring Term (2nd half) - Thursday March 26 2026 1:15 p.m.
For information regarding term dates, please see our term date document on the school website.
Our Curriculum
To view the this term's curriculum, please see the attached curriculum map. For an overview of the whole year, that is also available below. Further information about each subject can be found on the curriculum page of our website.
SPRING TERM - 1ST HALF
In English, the children will be writing story openings and instruction texts based on 'Arthur and the Golden Rope' by Joe Todd Stanton. They will aim to answer these enquiry questions 'Can I write an opening to a myth?' and 'Can I write instructions to look after a mythical beast?' They will continue to learn spelling, punctuation and grammar skills each week, as well as participating in shared reading sessions, where we will be concentrating on vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval and summarising. Children will regularly practise their handwriting, in order to be able to express themselves more easily and more quickly. We would like to encourage you to hear your child read at least three times per week and record reading in your child's reading diary.
In maths, the children will be learning the divisibility rules for the 3, 6 and 9 times tables and using these tables to solve problems. They will continue to learn more about the 7 times table and square numbers. The children will also practise mental methods for solving problems. Practice and recall of multiplication facts will be a focus throughout the year, the aim being for the children to know all the times tables up to 12x12.
In science, the children will be answering the enquiry question 'How does a simple electric circuit work?' They will be investigating conductors and insulators and building different circuits. Key vocabulary includes: mains, battery, plug, bulb, buzzer, motor and complete circuit.
In geography this half term, the children will be exploring the enquiry question, ‘How do we choose where to build a city?' They will learn why settlements develop in certain locations and compare the human and physical features of Manchester and Mumbai. Key vocabulary includes: water source, environment, trade link, flood, drought, location and land use.
PE
Our PE sessions will take place on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Please ensure your child has a suitable indoor and outdoor kit in school at all times. We will ensure PE kits are sent home at the end of every half term or earlier if needed.
Homework
Homework will be set every Friday to be returned the following Wednesday. Homework will consist of:
- A grammar or comprehension activity (sent home in their paper file)
- A maths activity (set via mymaths)
- Daily spelling practise (a spelling list will be sent home on a slip of paper in their spelling journals (spellings tested every Wednesday)
- Daily reading (set on Collins ebooks)
- Daily timestable practice (on TT Rockstars or other ways - see 'timestables' below)
'Daily' activities should be completed in short bursts (5-10 minutes each), this is most impactful and respects the children's need for free time. We recognise and prioritise their wellbeing, as well as their hobbies and interests outside of school.
Timestables
By the end of Year 4, children are expected to be fluent in multiplication facts up to 12x12. As a result, this is of high importance during school hours, however, the most progress is seen when children also practise their times tables at home. We ask that children complete 5-10 minutes practice every day. To do so, they could:
- Play on TT Rockstars
- Play 'hit the button' on topmarks
- Use flashcard booklets sent home for over learning of key facts
- Sticking facts to walls
- Practising facts in daily life (e.g. in the car)
Reading for Pleasure (RfP)
We believe that fostering a love of reading is essential for our children. It provides not only higher academic success, but has been proven to support wellbeing, relaxation, emotional growth and also sparks imagination.
Because of this, we ensure children are given time in class to read a book of their choice in any way they want. This could be lying, sitting, finding comfort on tables or even under! We also encourage children to engage in RfP at home.
Here are some books recommendations popular amongst Year 4 children:
