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TheSchoolRun.com closure date

As we informed you a few months ago, TheSchoolRun has had to make the difficult decision to close due to financial pressures and the company has now ceased trading. We had hoped to keep our content available through a partnership with another educational provider, but this provider has since withdrawn from the agreement.

As a result, we now have to permanently close TheSchoolRun.com. However, to give subscribers time to download any content they’d like to keep, we will keep the website open until 31st July 2025. After this date, the site will be taken down and there will be no further access to any resources. We strongly encourage you to download and save any resources you think you may want to use in the future.

In particular, we suggest downloading:

You should already have received 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep. If you haven’t received these, please contact us at [email protected] before 31st July 2025, and we will send them to you.

We are very sorry that there is no way to continue offering access to resources and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Year 4 science: what your child learns

Toy cars going down a slope
Find out what is taught in Year 4 science and how you can build on your child’s learning at home.

In Year 4 science, your child will be encouraged to ask questions about scientific concepts and then carry out experiments to find out the answers. In doing this they will:

  • learn what a 'fair test' is.
  • take measurements from a range of equipment.
  • gather and record data.
  • report on findings orally and in writing.

Science topics in Year 4

Living things and their habitats

  • use classification keys to group living things.
  • recognise that environments can change and this can pose dangers.

Animals, including humans

  • describe the functions of the digestive system in humans.
  • identify types of teeth in humans and their simple functions.
  • interpret food chains, naming producers, predators and prey.

States of matter

  • classify materials as solids, liquids or gases.
  • observe that materials change state when they are heated or cooled.
  • understand evaporation and condensation as part of the water cycle.

Sound

  • understand how sounds are made through vibrations.
  • look at how pitch and volume can be altered.

Electricity

  • understand how a circuit is made up of cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers.
  • recognise some common conductors and insulators.

Try this at home

  • Look at your teeth in the mirror. You will notice that they are all different shapes and sizes. Why do you think this is? Think about how your teeth help you to break down food. How do the different shapes and sizes help to do this?
  • With adult supervision heat some butter in one pan and some chocolate in another. What happens to them as they heat? Now put each one in a small dish and put it in the fridge. What do you think will happen?
  • If you have any musical instruments in the house, have a go at playing them. Objects need to vibrate to make sounds. How is each instrument vibrating?
  • Go to the library and see if you can find any books on food chains, the water cycle or electricity. Now you can impress your class with your background knowledge when you get back to school!

Practise the concepts your child is investigating in school with our Year 4 science worksheets.