What will my child learn in Year 4?

What's new this year

The national curriculum expects children to recall all multiplication and division facts up to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4. In June they take the multiplication tables check:

• Schools can use a "try it out" version from 26 April 2027.
• The check window is Monday 7 to Friday 18 June 2027, with a catch-up week after it.
• It's on screen: 25 timed questions on tables up to 12 × 12, and it takes only a few minutes.
• There's no pass mark, and results aren't published school by school. Your child's school must tell you their score by the end of the summer term.

Our multiplication tables check guide explains it in full.

Maths in Year 4

• Times tables to 12 × 12, and short multiplication of two- and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number.
• Place value in four-digit numbers, rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 1,000, negative numbers and Roman numerals to 100.
• Decimals: tenths and hundredths, decimal equivalents of a quarter, a half and three quarters, and dividing by 10 and 100.
• Equivalent fractions, and adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator.
• Area by counting squares, perimeter, converting units and between 12- and 24-hour time.
• Acute and obtuse angles, lines of symmetry, coordinates, and bar charts and time graphs.

✖️

Short Multiplication: Run the Times Factory with Bolt

Learn short multiplication, the distributive law, scaling and combination problems by helping Bolt the robot… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 8–1055 min ♡

⛰️

Rounding Numbers: A Hill-Rolling Adventure with Pip

Learn how rounding numbers works for 10, 100, 1,000 and decimals, then build number-line hills, roll Pip and… Ages 7–1030 min ♡

🏛️

Roman Numerals: A Quest Through Ancient Rome with Cato

Learn to read Roman numerals from I to C by counting apples, calling up Roman soldiers, opening Colosseum gat… Ages 7–1025 min ♡

🔢

Year 4 Decimals: Chop, Count and Shop with Dot the Robot

Learn Year 4 decimals: tenths, hundredths, rounding and comparing. Chop a chocolate slab, roll cars down Roun… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 8–1060 min ♡

📐

Area and Perimeter: Plan a Garden with Hattie the Hedgehog

Learn area and perimeter by counting squares and adding sides in cm and m. Lay turf, build fences and measure… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 7–1060 min ♡

🗺️

Coordinates: A Treasure Map Adventure with Pip the Parrot

Learn to read and plot coordinates, describe moves left, right, up and down, and complete shapes while sailin… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 7–1045 min ♡

English in Year 4

• Reading: inferring what characters think, summarising the main ideas of a passage, and performing poems.
• Grammar: fronted adverbials with a comma ("Later that day, ..."), determiners, and choosing nouns or pronouns so writing is clear.
• Standard English: "we were" rather than "we was", and "I did" rather than "I done".
• Punctuation: apostrophes for plural possession (the girls' coats) and full punctuation of speech.
• Spelling: the rest of the Year 3 and 4 word list, homophones and more prefixes and suffixes.

✏️

Year 3 and 4 Spelling Words: A Space Mission with Nova

Learn the Year 3 and 4 spelling words with a memory trick for each, then fly a rocket round nine planets of w… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 7–950 min ♡

🚂

Fronted Adverbials: All Aboard the Sentence Train

Learn how to start sentences with fronted adverbials that say when, where or how, then build sentence trains… Ages 7–1040 min ♡

🚂

Determiners for Year 4: Ride the Determiner Express

Learn what determiners are, from a, an and the to my, some and every, by building word trains and spotting de… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 7–1045 min ♡

✏️

Pronouns for Kids: Clear Writing Adventure in Pronoun Town

Learn when to use a noun or a pronoun, including possessive pronouns like mine and theirs, by fixing echoes,… Ages 7–1045 min ♡

🏷️

Possessive Apostrophes: Fix the Signs in Apostrophe Town

Learn possessive apostrophes for one owner and many, like the girls’ coats and the children’s coats, by label… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 7–1040 min ♡

💬

Commas and Speech Punctuation: All Aboard the Comma Express

Learn commas and speech punctuation for Year 4: commas after fronted adverbials and inverted commas, by punct… Members · chapter 1 freeAges 7–1040 min ♡

Science and other subjects

Year 4 science covers grouping living things and how environments change, the digestive system, teeth and food chains, solids, liquids and gases (including the water cycle), sound, and simple electrical circuits. History and geography topics vary, for example the Romans in Britain or rivers and settlements.

This year's topics, subject by subject

The roadmaps below show the order in which topics usually build up through Year 4, subject by subject. Schools teach in different orders, so treat them as a guide to what's coming rather than a timetable.

How you can help at home

• Little and often works for tables: five minutes a few times a week beats an hour on Sunday. See our times tables guide.
• Use fact families: if 7 × 8 = 56, then 56 ÷ 8 = 7.
• Spot decimals in prices and on the kitchen scales.
• When you read together, ask "How do you know?" to build inference.
• Keep it calm. A relaxed child recalls facts faster than a worried one.