On a recent school trip to Portsmouth, the children in Year 4 enjoyed a truly memorable day investigating how land is used in the different areas of Portsmouth and to enhance our understanding of whether Portsmouth is a gateway to the world.

We travelled to Portsmouth Harbour by train, and upon arrival at Havant Station, the excitement grew as we eagerly awaited our trains arrival. The journey was swift, and soon after disembarking at Portsmouth Harbour Station, we gathered to discuss how land is utilised in this area. The pupils found evidence of various transport links, including the Gosport and Isle of Wight ferries, as well as further travel with available train services leading to London.

After our discussion, we walked through to Gunwharf Quays, where we discovered and followed the Millennium chain. The pupils marvelled at the iconic Spinnaker Tower as we made our way toward Old Portsmouth. Continuing our journey, we passed the historic Hot Walls and took time to explore Portsmouth Cathedral before reaching the Garrison Church, noted for its missing roof. During our visit, we discussed Portsmouth’s significance as a maritime city, prompting engaging conversations among the pupils. They actively searched for clues related to the city’s maritime history throughout our walk, fostering an appreciation for its rich heritage.

As we walked, we also practiced compass skills at various points along the way. Using landmarks such as the Spinnaker Tower, we learned to utilise compasses effectively. The children particularly enjoyed this hands-on exploration, and were able to spot other Compasses en route such as the weather vane on the Catherdral and a compass plaque embedded in the ground near the hot walls.

After a wonderful morning of exploration, the children conducted a survey in a designated area to discover why people visit Gunwharf. This further fieldwork activity provided valuable insights into the area’s usage and enabled the pupils to connect their learning to real-world observations.

Finally, we made our way back to Gunwharf Quays to catch our return train to Havant. Despite the grey skies and occasional light showers, the enthusiasm of the pupils remained high, and they relished the opportunity to explore Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

Overall, the trip was a fantastic educational experience, effectively blending exploration, practical skills, and insightful discussions about Portsmouth land use, how it connects to the world and the maritime history which was evident throughout.

What a fantastic day of tennis we had at our school’s inter-house competition! The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the courts as four houses – Oscar Romero, Mother Theresa, St Mary, and St John Paul- battled it out for the top spot.

The competition was fierce, with each house showing excellent sportsmanship and teamwork. The standard of play was extremely high, with all players demonstrating exceptional accuracy and control of their tennis racquets. We were particularly impressed with the number of precise shots and clever volleys that were executed throughout the day.

In the end, it was St Mary House that emerged victorious, taking home the top prize. John Paul House came in second place, with Oscar Romero House claiming third position. Mother Theresa House put up a great fight but unfortunately finished in fourth place.

Despite the competitive nature of the competition, there were only a couple of balls that went over the fence – but even those were quickly retrieved by our enthusiastic ball boy – Mr Mack!

The Year 6 students did an outstanding job as umpires, ensuring that the matches ran smoothly and fairly. Their enthusiasm and knowledge of the game were impressive, and they did a great job of keeping the players focused and on track.

We are thrilled to have had such a fantastic afternoon and to see everyone having so much fun while showcasing their tennis skills. It left everyone feeling tired but proud. Well done to all participants and congratulations to Red House on their winning performance!

This was our question for our Science lessons this week. Here are some examples of the work that the children have been working on this week.

Our STEM day helped us to understand that living things can be divided into groups based upon their characteristics and environmental change and human activity affects different habitats differently.

We collected our research about each of the following habitats:

• Aquatic
• Forest
• Desert
• Tundra
• Grassland

We used information books and Planet Earth documentaries to record key facts about each biome.

Afterwards, we talked about our homes and what was needed to keep humans alive. The children then discussed how they would re-create suitable conditions for the animals to survive within their domes. We also talked about the life cycles of different animals. Our 3D biomes helped us to show a cross – section of each habitat.

Copy and paste the links below into Youtube to listen to some of our podcasts!

Podcast One: https://youtu.be/rUDU6bAQZ_s

Podcast Two: https://youtu.be/OQT6ihQWGOw

Podcast Three: https://youtu.be/CCqnE-ne2NU

Podcast Four: https://youtu.be/EbFdB_wp9LM

Podcast Five: https://youtu.be/34IOU2NZXdA

Podcast Six: https://youtu.be/tFso0y3doGo

Podcast Seven: https://youtu.be/pUkW1lod-LQ

Podcast eight: https://youtu.be/DgOgtg5Ty_0

Podcast Nine: https://youtu.be/YqqGnHx07OI

Podcast Ten: https://youtu.be/U09CVdljty

We were learning to:

• Record voice recording using clear intonation and expression
• Import sound effects and/or background music using kid sound board
• Align the audio so the background noises fit with the voice recordings
• Edit the imported audio if needed – cutting it using the trimming symbol.
• Listen to and review our project throughout, editing audio to improve quality.
• Check the volume of the tracks making sure the background noise was quieter than the audio recordings.

Have a go creating Podcast over the holidays whilst having fun in the sun!!

Team Four

What a great week of learning we have had. We have  all been working very hard practicing our subtraction skills in maths, we’ve written our own persuasive leaflets in literacy but we’re sure all the children will agree that the best bit must have been our wonderful trip to Marwell Zoo which links in with our science topic this term.

Here’s part a piece of recount writing from Cecilia in 4HA that tells you some parts of our wonderful day…

Our visit to Marwell Zoo:

On Tuesday 20th September 2016, St Peter’s, the year 4 class, went to the wonderful Marwell zoo to learn about animals and their habitats.

We got onto the double decker bus in the morning. Outseide, we saw loads of different cars and a truck carrying loads of cars. We got out and waited for our groups and, when we were all there, we went through reception to sign in.

After that, Mrs Crocker’s roup saw the penguins dive into the water. they had little beds in the hut and we saw them actually swimming underwater from the look out. They loved swimming and gliding through the dirty water.

Next, we found the baby leopards. They were very cute. We saw them from the viewing platform and they played with the mummy leopard – she was trying to teach them how to climb up on rock hills and jump on logs.

It really was a great day.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello everyone, 

  Welcome to Year 4 and to a new academic year. We hope you all had a fantastic summer and are looking forward to the many fun and exciting learning opportunities in the year ahead. 

 We will be having a welcome meeting for all Year 4 parents on Monday 12th September to talk about the upcoming academic year. Details will be sent home shortly and we look forward to seeing you all there. 

From Miss Hill, Mrs Atkins, Mrs Stewart, Mrs Cairns and Mrs Richardson.