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Home / Year 4 News

Anglo Saxon History Workshop

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Year 5 recently enjoyed a wonderful history workshop with Richard (‘That History Bloke’).

We explored the lives of Anglo Saxon monks and discovered how important they were. Richard really brought the past to life as he shared many aspects of Anglo Saxon times with us. The pupils loved learning sign language that was use by Anglo Saxon monks and handling different artefacts. Just as Richard intended, we learned lots and we had lots of fun!

Here is a selection of photos of the children enjoying their brilliant afternoon:

 

Year 4’s Visit to The Word

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Year 4 had a lovely time this morning at their termly visit to The Word.  They enjoyed a scavenger hunt to familiarise themselves with the library, then had time to browse and choose a book to take home.

St Bede’s Art Gallery

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🎨 Our First St Bede’s Art Gallery!

We’re delighted to invite you to explore our very first St Bede’s Art Gallery, a celebration of creativity, reflection, and faith. Over the past academic year, children from Nursery to Year 5 have taken part in the Spirited Arts competition, exploring the theme “All God’s Creatures.”

Each piece of artwork has been thoughtfully linked to words from Scripture, helping our pupils reflect on the beauty and meaning of God’s creation. From colourful collages to intricate sculptures, the children have poured their hearts into expressing how animals and nature connect to faith, care, and wonder.

🖼️ The gallery is on display for you to enjoy from Monday to Wednesday this week on your way to and from the curriculum meetings. We hope it brings you joy, inspiration, and pride in the incredible work your children have created.

This is our first time hosting an art gallery, and we hope to make it a yearly tradition—not only to showcase our children’s talents, but also to help raise funds for the school.

📖 Before you leave, please take a moment to share your feedback or ideas in the book provided at the door. Your thoughts will help us grow and make future exhibitions even more special.

Thank you for your continued support.

When Tom Palmer came to St Bede’s!

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We were thrilled to welcome award-winning author Tom Palmer to our school this week for an exciting and inspiring visit with our KS2 children.

Tom spoke passionately about his journey as a writer and the importance of reading, captivating pupils with stories from his books and real-life experiences.

The children had the opportunity to ask thoughtful questions about writing, books, and what it’s like to be an author. Tom’s answers were both insightful and encouraging, sparking curiosity and creativity across the room.

One of the highlights of the visit was a lively penalty shootout quiz, where pupils tested their knowledge in a fun and interactive way, combining sport and storytelling in true Tom Palmer style!

It was a fantastic morning that left our young readers and writers feeling motivated and full of ideas. A huge thank you to Tom for visiting and sharing his love of books with us!

First Holy Communion Going Forth Mass

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On Sunday, the First Holy Communion children celebrated their ‘Going Forth’ Mass, where they received their certificates from Fr Bill.

Here they are together, and collecting their certificates.

First Holy Communion Day

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Some of our Year 4 children made their first Holy Communion on Saturday June 14th.  It was a wonderful mass – the church was filled with families, friends and staff to support the children, the children read beautifully and looked amazing!  Everyone was so proud of them!

After Mass, the children headed down to the church hall which was decorated with beautiful artwork, prayers, poems and cards made by their St Bede’s family.  The children then tucked into their First Holy Communion breakfast before continuing the celebrations at home with their families.

Y4 Arbeia Visit

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Year 4 had a fantastic visit to Arbeia Roman Fort last week.  The first part of their visit was the ‘Roman Soldier Touch Tour’ which was an interactive tour of the site looking at real and replica artefacts bringing the history of Arbeia and the lives of the Roman soldiers to life.

 

Their next workshop was the ‘Time Quest’ Dig activity.  The children took on the role of archaeologists, and discovered how to interpret excavated finds to explore the past from a range of sources of information to enable them to piece together the story of Roman life along the frontier.

The children enjoyed a lovely lunch, explored the West Gate and then enjoyed an art activity during which they drew various artefacts in the museum and made a frieze of their artwork to take back to school.

Incredible Illustrations with Liz Million

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We were thrilled to welcome Liz Million to our school this week for a fun and inspiring visit. The day began with a whole-school assembly where Liz introduced herself and shared the story of how she became a professional illustrator. Liz’s energy and enthusiasm were infectious, and the children were fascinated to hear about the books she’s worked on and the creative process behind her illustrations.

Throughout the day, each class took part in hands-on workshops led by Liz, where they learned some of her top tips for drawing. With a theme of ‘All God’s Creatures,’ the children explored how to bring animals to life on the page using simple shapes (like tacos, potatoes, and door arches) as the building blocks for their drawings. It was incredible to see how quickly Liz could create a character and even more exciting to see the amazing artwork the children produced using her techniques.

The day was a wonderful celebration of creativity, and it was clear from the smiles and laughter that Liz inspired a lot of budding young artists!

Pupil-led Celebration of the Word in Y4 – Bernadette House

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Gather

The children decided to gather on the field behind the Year 4 classroom and sit in a heart shape.  As they gathered they chose to sing the hymn ‘God’s Spirit is in my Heart’.

Prepare to listen to the Word of God

The children chose a theme of ‘Kindness’ following on from some arguments some children had recently had in the playground.  They chose to place both hands together like a bowl and into the bowl they wanted to place a memory of when they were unkind to someone – they then wanted to throw this memory away and choose kindness instead, drawing a line under their argument.

They remained holding their hands together like a bowl to offer up kindness to God and to each other as they listened to the Word of God.

This theme also links it with Pentecost, discipleship and service to others.

 

Listen to the Word

The children chose the Scripture ‘Encourage each other and show kindness’ from Romans 12:8-11.

Response

The children wanted quiet time to reflect on the Word, thinking about the times when they have forgotten to talk to God – asking him for forgiveness and help.

Mission

The children’s Mission was to be an example of Jesus today by helping someone in need, sharing with someone, being kind and patient or looking after our world.  Some of the children shared their mission with the group.

Pupil-led Celebration of the Word in Y4 – Bede House

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Gather

The children decided to gather on the field behind the Year 4 classroom and sit in a circle.  They held hands in a moment of silence and reflection.

Prepare to listen to the Word of God

One of the children placed a candle in the centre of the circle, saying, ‘We light this candle to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World’.  The children then passed a Bible around the group.

Listen to the Word

The Scripture chosen was from last Sunday’s Gospel John 21:1-19.

Response

Pupils reflected on the Word as they passed a wicker heart around the circle with each child being invited to hold it for a moment and think of someone that might need Jesus’ help.

Mission

The Mission was to make a promise to find an opportunity to follow Jesus’ example and share kindness with others this week.

© 2025 Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.