Year 4 Rationale 

Autumn 1

Number (Place Value)

Year 4 begins with pupils building on the learning in Year 3 Autumn 1 when pupils developed a secure understanding of numbers to 1000; 100s, 10s and 1s; identifying numbers to 1000 on a number line and calculating 1, 10 and 100 more and less than a given number. Pupils progress onto understanding 1000s, 100s, 10s and 1s through accurately using partitioning, before moving onto rounding to the nearest 10 and 100.  Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto counting accurately in 1000s, calculating 1000 more and less than a given number, comparing 4-digit numbers and rounding numbers to the nearest thousand.  Once pupils are secure with numbers to 1000, they progress further onto investigating numbers on a number line to 10 000. Pupils apply their knowledge of number to negative numbers and roman numerals. This unit concludes with pupils building on their knowledge of counting in 50s in Year 3 to now counting in 25s.

Number (Addition and Subtraction)

Pupils apply their knowledge of Number and Place Value to Addition and Subtraction.  In Year 3 Autumn 2, pupils learnt to add and subtract two 3-digit numbers firstly without crossing 10s and 100s and without exchanges, before progressing onto crossing the 10s and 100s and with exchanges. Now pupils apply this knowledge to accurately add and subtract two 4-digit numbers, firstly with no carrying and exchanges, before progressing onto one carry and exchange and then more than one carry and exchange. This leads pupils into Autumn 2 when this unit continues.

Autumn 2

Number (Addition and Subtraction)

Pupils begin Autumn 2 with a review of the Addition and Subtraction learning in Autumn 1. Pupils then progress onto choosing efficient methods for addition and subtraction calculations, estimating answers before calculating and broadening pupils’ knowledge of methods for checking answers.

Measurement (Length and Perimeter)

Pupils build on their learning in Year 3 Spring 2, when pupils developed a secure understanding of equivalent lengths of mm and cm, and cm and m; methods for adding and subtracting lengths and what perimeter means. Now pupils progress onto understanding the metric unit kilometres, before learning how to calculate the perimeter of a grid, of a rectangle and then of rectilinear shapes.

Number (Multiplication and Division)

Pupils conclude Autumn 2 building on the learning in Year 3 Autumn 2, when they developed a secure understanding of multiplying and dividing by 3. Now pupils apply this knowledge to multiply and divide by 6, 9 and 7. Pupils then progress onto understanding methods to accurately multiply and divide by 10 and 100, before moving onto multiplying a number by 1, 0 and itself. This leads into Spring 1 when pupils build on this knowledge.

Autumn 2 concludes with an end of term review of learning which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress to date, highlighting pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and who are to be targeted for intervention next term.

Spring 1

Number (Multiplication and Division)

Spring 1 begin with a review of the Multiplication and Division learning from Autumn 2, before progressing onto pupils accurately multiplying and dividing by 11 and 12. Pupils build on this knowledge to multiply three numbers together and to accurately identify factor pairs. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they build on the knowledge of multiplying and dividing 3-digit by 1-digit numbers in Year 3 Spring 1 to now Multiply and divide 3-digit by 2-digit numbers, using efficient written methods. 

Measurement (Area)

Pupils progress from calculating the Perimeter of shapes in Autumn 2 to now calculating the Area of shapes. Pupils begin by gaining a secure understanding of what area means, before calculating the area of shapes by counting squares.  Once pupils are secure with this knowledge, they learn how to make shapes with a given area and apply their knowledge of area to compare the areas of different shapes. 

Number (Fractions)

Pupils build on their knowledge of Fractions from Year 3 Spring 2 and Summer 1, when they developed a secure understanding of unit and non-unit fractions, learnt how to count in tenths and identified equivalent fractions. Now pupils apply this knowledge to work with fractions greater than a whole and count in fractions.  This leads into Spring 2 when this Fractions unit continues.

Spring 2

Number (Fractions)

Spring 2 begins with a review of the Fractions learning in Spring 1.  Pupils build on their knowledge of adding and subtracting fractions in Year 3 Summer 1 to now add two or more fractions and subtract from the whole amount.  Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto calculating fractions of quantities, which builds from their knowledge of calculating fractions of a set of concrete or pictorial objects in Year 3 Summer 1. This unit concludes with pupils applying their Fractions knowledge to solve problems in real life contexts through choosing the most efficient methods.

Number (Decimals)

Spring 2 concludes with a Decimals unit.  Pupils recognise tenths (0.1) and hundredths (0.01) as decimals.  Pupils also identify tenths and hundredths on a place value grid and on a number line. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto dividing 1-digit and 2-digit numbers by 10 and 100, resulting in decimal answers to 1dp or 2dp. This leads into Summer 1 when pupils build on this decimal knowledge.

Spring 2 concludes with an end of term review of learning which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress to date, highlighting pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and who are to be targeted for intervention next term.

Summer 1

Number (Decimals)

Summer 1 begins with a review of learning in Spring 2.  Pupils build on this Decimals knowledge to make one whole; apply their place value understanding to write, order and compare decimals; round decimals and to convert halves and quarters to decimals accurately.

Measurement (Money)

Pupils build on their knowledge from Year 3 Spring 1, when they converted amounts of money between pounds and pence, added and subtracted money accurately and calculated change.  Now pupils deepen their understanding of working with pounds and pence, order and estimate amounts of money and apply their knowledge of the four operations to calculate with money.

Measurement (Time)

Summer 1 concludes with pupils building on their Measurement of Time knowledge in Year 3 Summer 1, when they calculated the time to 5 minutes and 1 minute, accurately used a.m and p.m and a 24-hour clock. Now pupils develop a secure understanding of hours, minutes and seconds; years, months, weeks and days along with the relationships between them, before progressing onto converting analogue time to digital time on a

12 and a 24-hour clock.  

Summer 2

Number (Statistics)

Pupils begin Summer 2 by building on the learning in Year 3 Spring 1. Now pupils apply their knowledge of charts to interpret them accurately, before progressing onto making and interpreting line graphs by calculating the sum, difference and comparisons of the data displayed.

Geometry (Properties of Shapes)

Pupils begin this unit by building on the knowledge from Year 3 Summer 2, when they developed a secure understanding of turns within angles, right angles within shapes, compared angles and identified horizontal and vertical lines. Now pupils progress onto identifying different types of angles and comparing and ordering angles.  Once pupils are secure with these skills, they recognise and describe 2D shapes, before studying triangles and quadrilaterals in greater depth. This part of the Geometry unit concludes with pupils identifying lines of symmetry and applying this understanding to completing symmetric figures.

Geometry (Position and Direction)

Pupils build on their learning in Year 2 Summer 1 and now accurately describe positions, draw and move positions on a grid and describe a movement that has taken place on a grid.

Summer 2 concludes with an end of year review of learning, which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 4. This data also informs the next academic year’s whole school areas for development, which is included within the Mathematics Action Plan. The knowledge that our pupils gain in Year 4 forms the foundations of their learning in Year 5 and beyond. Due to this, a review of learning takes place in Autumn 1 of Year 5 to ensure that pupils are ready for their new learning.