Hawthorn Class 2025 - 2026

WELCOME TO HAWTHORN

Class teacher - Mr A Fowles

Learning Support Assistant - Mrs C Morris 

Mrs Shapland teaches on a Tuesday morning.

Mrs Shapland teaches on a Friday afternoon for French and Mrs Rowland for Art. 

Mr Fowles teaches PE on a Wednesday.

Mr Parish teaches PE on a Thursday.  

This term, the children will be immersed in an exciting and engaging curriculum that continues to build knowledge, creativity and confidence across all subjects.

In English, we will be using Arthur and the Golden Rope as our core text, linking closely to our Viking topic. This will inspire a range of writing opportunities, including descriptive narratives and character-focused pieces. Pupils will develop their use of dialogue, prepositional phrases, adverbs and ambitious vocabulary. This theme will also support our upcoming trip to York in June.

In mathematics, the children will focus on decimals, percentages, geometry and time. Lessons will continue to emphasise reasoning and problem solving, enabling pupils to explain their thinking clearly and apply their understanding in a range of contexts.

In history, we will be investigating the influence of the Vikings. Pupils will explore who the Vikings were, why they came to Britain and the impact they had on settlements, culture and daily life.

In computing, the children will develop their coding skills using Scratch. They will design, create and evaluate their own games, building confidence in programming and problem solving.

In geography, learning will focus on mountains and Europe. Pupils will explore physical features, develop map skills and deepen their understanding of different regions and environments.

In art, the children will investigate landscapes, developing their observational drawing and sketching techniques while exploring how artists represent natural environments.

In design and technology, pupils will first design and make energy bars, focusing on nutrition and food preparation skills. Later in the term, they will design and create puppets which will be used in a puppet show.

In religious education, the children will explore the question of what happens when we die and investigate what different religions believe about life after death. This will encourage thoughtful discussion and reflection.

In physical education, we will be preparing for Sports Day and practising for the Maypole performance later in the summer term. Pupils will also take part in golf sessions, developing coordination and teamwork skills.

In science, the children will study living things and their environments, as well as animals including humans. They will explore how living things grow, survive and interact with their surroundings. 

In art, children will design and create Viking purses, linking to our history topic. They will also take part in the NEP Northwich Art project, focusing on the theme of empowerment and expressing their ideas creatively.

Our Courageous Advocate this term is David Attenborough, as he celebrates his 100th birthday in May. We will explore how his work has helped people understand and protect the natural world, encouraging pupils to think about how they can make a positive difference.

Reading

Reading is at the heart of successful learning and we will immerse ourselves in a range of quality texts over the course of the year.  As reading is a priority across all subjects, we regularly use a range of fiction and non-fiction texts in our lessons to help inform richer learning across the curriculum in the afternoon. 

In addition to this cross-curricular learning, a single day might also see us exploring the motivations of characters in our gripping class novels or simply allowing children time to develop a love of reading through our provision of high-quality fiction books.  Wherever and whenever possible, we will prioritise developing the skills and positive attitudes towards Reading that will enable Hawthorn class to become confident, informed and engaged learners. 

Home Reading expectations are detailed below, but should your child express and interest in a particular author, series or genre, please let us know and we would be delighted to order books from our library partners free of charge. Visits to your local library are also encouraged!

Homework

Please ensure your child reads at home at least 4 times per week.  In Year 4 and 5, they are expected to record their own reading in their home – School contact books; parents just need to sign each time. 

TT Rockstars should be practised at least 15 minutes a week. This will be checked each Friday with extra time in school for those who can not fit it in.

Personalised spellings will be sent out at the start of each time, please allow time for analysis to be complete in school before they're sent home.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with me using the Home-School book or by email via this address: contact@whitegate.cheshire.sch.uk 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: YEAR 4 MULTIPLICATION TABLES CHECK

What is the Year 4 Muliplication Tables Check

The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a Key Stage 2 assessment to be taken by pupils at the end of year 4 (in June). The purpose of the MTC is to make sure the times tables knowledge is at the expected level.

What to expect:

The MTC is an online test where pupils are asked 25 questions on times tables 2 to 12. For every question you have 6 seconds to answer and in between the questions there is a 3 second rest. Questions about th e 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables come up more often. The questions are generated randomly based on the rules of the MTC.

How to prepare:

The best way to prepare is to start early, this is why Timestables Rocksters is to completed at least 3 times a week as part of home learning, in addition to class practise. With regualar pracitse, children will learn all the questions and gain confidence. Do also use the web links below:

Times Table Resources:
Times Table Rockstars – (soundcheck, at least 4 times a day)
Multiplication Tables Check – 2022 – Timestables.co.uk
Times tables Speed Test X – Timestables.co.uk
Times tables games – Learn them all here!
Times Tables Games for 7 to 11 year olds (topmarks.co.uk)
Test your Multiplication – Times Tables From 2 to 15 (mathsisfun.com)
Multiplication Tables Check – Mathsframe

Proposed timetable within the 'Files' section.