Welcome to Redwood 4!
2025 – 2026
Miss Purdy/Mrs Hill - Class Teachers Mrs Williams, Mrs Finch, Mrs Shaw, Ms Winsloe-Warder - Teaching Assistants
Summer 1
Vikings
During PE, we have been learning the skills of tag rugby. This included how to throw and catch the ball correctly as well as defending and attacking skills.
During gymnastics, we have been learning how to perform a handstand, safely.
A group of Year 4 pupils recently had the exciting opportunity to visit Maths Circle, the company behind the hugely popular Times Table Rock Stars. The visit was a reward for the fantastic effort and enthusiasm that our pupils have shown towards developing their times tables knowledge in recent weeks. During the day, the children met a range of staff members involved in creating and developing the product, giving them a fascinating insight into the many different roles and skill sets involved in bringing such a successful educational platform to life. It was wonderful to see our pupils so inspired, and for some, the visit may even have sparked ideas about future careers within the creative and technology industries.
The team at Maths Circle gave our pupils a very warm welcome and were genuinely interested in hearing their thoughts and ideas. Our children were invited to share suggestions for future developments to Times Table Rock Stars and even helped to create backstories for some of the characters featured within the game. It was fantastic for the pupils to see how much value is placed upon pupil voice when developing resources designed for children. Throughout the visit, our Year 4 pupils were an absolute credit to the school. Their behaviour, enthusiasm and thoughtful contributions were praised by all of the staff at Maths Circle, and they represented Birchwood brilliantly as wonderful ambassadors for our school.
Redwood 4 had a brilliant time enjoying a visit from some adorable ducklings who had been staying with our reception classes. They watched them having lots of fun splashing around in their pool, and loved seeing their tiny feet paddling. Everyone also had the chance to pet them carefully, which was a lovely moment for all.
Redwood 4 have really enjoyed creating coil pots as part of their art topic, where they combined the styles of Anglo-Saxon history with the designs of modern sculptor Elizabeth Fritsch.
To support their scientific enquiry, Redwood 4 used dental tablets to observe the plaque that had formed on their teeth throughout the day. They looked at the causes of tooth decay and the importance of brushing their teeth.
They then carried out an “eggciting eggsperiment” to investigate the causes of tooth decay by placing eggs in a variety of different liquids and observing the effects.
To support their understanding of Anglo Saxon and Viking life within the local area, Redwood 4 visited Tamworth Castle. During their trip, they learned about some Saxon local history focusing on the ‘Magnificent Mercians’. They explored the importance of Tamworth and Mercia during the Saxon period and what life was like living in a Saxon burh. They looked at the roles of King Penda, King Offa and Aethelflaed and their links to Tamworth, the Saxon burh and Saxon culture. They also compared the differences and similarities between Saxon and Viking soldiers by learning about the different tactics used by each side. They even had an opportunity to role play being Saxons or Vikings by practicing their battle cries in the shield wall. During their tour of the castle grounds, they were lucky enough to view some actual pieces discovered from the Staffordshire Hoard.