St Anthony's Drive, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS11 8AB

0113 2716 963

info@HG-PS.org

Hugh Gaitskell Primary School

One world, one school

Welcome to Year 4                 Welcome to Year 4              Welcome to Year 4   

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Christmas Cards 2024

This Christmas, our talented children have created beautiful handmade cards for their loved ones, capturing the true spirit of the holiday. Through colourful designs and heartfelt messages, these cards express love, warmth, and joy. More than just crafts, they reflect the values of kindness, gratitude, and togetherness that define Christmas. In making these cards, children spread festive cheer and remind us all of the importance of cherishing loved ones during this special season.

Year 4 End Of Term/Christmas Assembly

Year 4 have made fantastic progress so far this academic year!

They’ve embraced new challenges with enthusiasm, from mastering key concepts in maths and English to exploring exciting topics in science and history. Their curiosity and hard work have been impressive, and it’s clear they’ve developed valuable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity. With their positive attitude and determination, they’ve set a strong foundation for even more success in the new year. Well done, Year 4 – enjoy a well-earned break!

Christmas Carols @ DePuy Synthes

The School Choir, led by the wonderful Mrs. Rivers, brought joy and festive cheer to our dear senior citizens during a special concert organized by DePuy Synthes and the invaluable Kerry Seymour.

With beautiful harmonies and heartfelt performances, the choir created a warm and uplifting atmosphere, making the event truly memorable. The children's enthusiasm and talent were evident as they shared their music, spreading happiness and creating a lovely connection with the senior guests. It was a heartwarming occasion, and we are so proud of the choir for their outstanding performance and kindness in bringing smiles to so many faces. DePuy organised a fantastic, delicious Christmas dinner and as a thank you to our wonderful performers, each child received a gift from Santa! We will never forget that day!

 

Focus on Handwriting and Presentation

Handwriting and presentation are essential aspects of becoming an excellent writer, as they contribute to the clarity and impact of the writing. Neat handwriting ensures that the reader can easily understand and engage with the text, while well-organised presentation makes the writing more visually appealing and professional.

A clear structure, proper spacing, and consistency can help convey the writer's ideas more effectively, making the message easier to follow and more enjoyable to read. In addition, a polished presentation shows care and attention to detail, reflecting the writer's commitment to producing high-quality work. Ultimately, both handwriting and presentation enhance the overall reading experience and help establish the writer’s credibility and skill.

Take a look at these exceptional pieces from Years 3 & 4.

 

  

 

   

Our new Autumn 2 term brought some cold temperatures, but it is NEVER cold in our weekly Assemblies! Benjamin Zephaniah - in his personal to us message - once said, "We must flood the world with kindness, because kindness is the only cure" and in our first assembly of this term we awarded The Kindest Soul Awards. It is always so difficult to award, as we are blessed with so many kind and respectful children. 

                                                   

Winning house points is important for several reasons, both educational and social. 

One of the most important one is Fostering a Sense of Belonging
Our House system provides our children with a group or "team" they belong to, giving them a sense of community. Winning house points helps them feel connected to their peers and school, enhancing their overall experience. It can also encourage positive peer interactions as they work together to earn points. Look at their proud faces!

                                                 

Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night

Class 4 Nightingale have prepared a very educational assemly about Guy Fawkes. Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire Night, is celebrated on November 5th each year, primarily in the UK. In our school, Guy Fawkes Day is  celebrated in a more lighthearted and educational way, focusing on:

History and National Identity

Fire Safety and Traditions

Celebration of Free Speech and Democracy

Cultural Practice

Mirs Keegan's Class presented us with a mixture of history education, fun activities, and safety awareness, rather than promoting any specific political or religious views.

                                                       

At Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, we believe that teamwork is a fundamental skill that sets the foundation for success in both school and life. Our provision highglights the importance of collaboration, helping children learn to work together, communicate effectively, and support one another. Look at all those team players who received their House Points certificates today:

                                                 

 

Year 3 and 4 Award and SMSC Assembly

Our Week 6 Assembly must have been the best one so far this year! Year 4 Nightingale class prepared a wonderful, meaningful SMSC assembly about World Food Day! World Food Day, celebrated on October 16th 2024, raises awareness about global hunger and promotes sustainable food systems. Children asked thought-provoking questions and encouraged action towards ending hunger, improving nutrition, and fostering sustainable agricultural practices to support the planet and its people. 

Our Star Of The Week certificates were awarded to our emerging historians in Year 4, who spoke about philosophy and democracy in Ancient Greece. 

Congratulations to two children - the latest recipients of the Pen Licence award! They tried so hard to make sure their handwriting is pristine!

      

Attendance Matters!

Here, at HGPS, we believe that strong attendance is foundational for a successful educational experience and helps set the stage for  future learning. 

Learning Continuity: Regular attendance ensures that children do not miss out on essential lessons and concepts, which can lead to gaps in their understanding.

Social Development: School is a key environment for social interaction. Consistent attendance helps children develop relationships with peers and learn important social skills.

Routine and Structure: Regular attendance provides children with a stable routine, which is important for their emotional and psychological development.

This week we saw 4 Magpie Class getting their gigantic, shiny trophy for getting an astounding 99.9% attendance! Well done!

Year 3 and 4 Award and SMSC Assembly

Each time we meet to celebrate our children's achievements, it is a joyous occasion! This time, we celebrated our young authors, who have just composed their first stories of the year. Our super writers felt very proud when coming onto the stage to receive a certificate!

As if that was not enough, we awarded Pen Licences to two children whose handwriting has proved to be outstanding in recent days. They feel very 'KS2' now - no more pencils!

Each child at our school belongs to a House - Malala, Attenborough, Curie-Sklodowska or Zephaniah. Children can gather House Points to support their House and ultimately receive a treat from the Headteacher.

This week we saw the first recipients of the House Point Certificates - 25 House Points! Children worked very hard to get them and were very proud of their achievements.

Our SMSC assembly focused on Black History Month that commenced on 1st October 2024. Children from Year 4 talked about the importance of equality and civil rights and we all looked at many inspirational people. 

        

Year 4 Roman Art
Year 4 artists have been practising their shading skills. Their sketchbooks really showcase how hard they have been working! 
  
  
Ancient Roman Panus Quadratus!
‘I am powerful, I am strong” and it doesn’t get any more powerful or stronger than Ancient Romans! Year 4 made delicious Panus Quadratus from scratch and mastered their writing skills while preparing scrolls.
   

Year 4 Christmas Card Art

Children have developed plenty of new art skills during this year’s Christmas card-making endeavour!  Learning continues right up to the very last day of term!

Author Visit - Hannah Durkan

This week everyone is talking about Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale by the fantastic author Hannah Durkan! We were so inspired by her assemblies and book signing. We can’t wait to write our own science fiction stories! 

    

Exploring Sound

In Year 4 we used our knowledge of sound to create our own musical instruments. We are thinking of starting our own band!

  

Chinese New Year

Kestrel celebrated Chinese New Year by creating wonderful artwork inspired by the festival.

Magpie observed then creatively sketched mythical dragons and ferocious tigers to celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Tiger.

Natural Disasters- Shake, Rattle and Roll

Breaking News! Mount Hugh has erupted!
 

Don’t worry, be happy!

Year 4 Nightingale Class are rocking those ukuleles and sending positive vibes across the school. 

When art, poetry and science collide. Check out these beautiful group projects! How many skills were developed during this activity!?

Year 4 Yoga Club

Children are learning that the body benefits from movement and the mind benefits from stillness.

Boudicca and the Romans

Year 4 have been acquiring knowledge about the Romans -  who they were and their impact upon our society today.  In addition, to support connections throughout our learning, within reading we have considered the Iceni tribe leader, Boudicca, a strong, though controversial woman.  She challenged the Roman conquest in Britain and put up a valiant fight to avert  Roman ownership of English land. Unifying our learning within literacy, we used the excitement of gladiatorial battles to create news reports from the coliseum (some quite gruesome facts came to light - for instance, the charge from the Emperor to fight lions for your freedom from slavery).

Bringing Ancient Greece to Life! 
Wearing their wireless headphones, 4 Kestrel Class time-travelled to Ancient Greece! Immersed in sound, they became the main character in a story, meeting people, discovering places and solving problems along the way!
Voices for Justice

Breaking news from Hugh’s News! Our Year 4 journalists have been busy exploring the importance of freedom of religion in Beeston, Leeds.

I Have a Dream!

Did you know that Magpie Class can speak 14 different languages! Today they celebrated the power of diversity and each of the children wrote about the importance of equality

Key Information

Year 4 Staff:

Mrs L Wood -  4 Kestrel Class Teacher

Mrs C Keegan - 4 Nightingale Class Teacher

Mr M Pollard- 4 Magpie Class Teacher

PE:

Year 4 children arrive at school wearing their PE Kit on the following days:

Kestrel - Thursday Games/ Friday PE
Magpie - Thursday Games/ Friday PE
Nightingale -  Friday Games/ Thursday PE 

A P.E kit should consist of:

  • Black joggers or shorts
  • Bottle green t-shirt
  • Black pumps or trainers

Your child will also take part in swimming lessons during Year 4 - Please speak with your child's class teacher if you would like more information about these sessions. 

 

Reading:

It is important that your child reads every day for 10 - 15 minutes. Once they have read, please ensure you sign their reading record book to indicate that they have read at home.