Class Updates

 

Cardinals have had a fantastic first half-term in Year 3 and have settled brilliantly into their new routines. The children have worked incredibly hard, embraced new challenges and shown great enthusiasm for learning. It has been a busy and exciting start to the year, with lots of opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills across the curriculum.

In English, we have enjoyed exploring a range of engaging texts. We began the term with Mini Rabbit Not Lost, using the story to develop our understanding of narrative writing. The children practised writing in the correct tense, using capital letters, full stops and expanded noun phrases to create interesting sentences. Our extended writing involved creating our own alternative stories inspired by Mini Rabbit Not Lost.

We then moved on to poetry, exploring the work of Michael Rosen and Kit Wright, with a particular focus on The Magic Box. The children enjoyed performing poems, discussing vocabulary and creating their own imaginative writing. More recently, we have focused on developing sentence structure, punctuation and handwriting while building confidence in expressing ideas clearly. This culminated in our final extended writing, where we created, published and performed our own free-verse poems.

In Maths, we have concentrated on place value and developed our understanding of the value of digits within three-digit numbers. The children have compared and ordered numbers, identified numbers on number lines and solved a range of reasoning and problem-solving challenges. We have also explored addition and subtraction strategies, using a variety of practical resources and written methods to support our learning. More recently, we have begun developing our understanding of multiplication and division, recognising patterns and making connections between mathematical concepts. The children have shown resilience when tackling challenging problems and are becoming increasingly confident in explaining and justifying their mathematical thinking.

In Science, our topic has been Light. We investigated different sources of light and learnt the difference between luminous and non-luminous objects. The children explored reflection, shadows and how shadows change when the position of a light source changes. We also learnt about the importance of protecting our eyes from strong sources of light, including the Sun. Practical investigations enabled the children to develop their scientific enquiry skills and ask thoughtful questions.

Our History learning focused on the Stone Age. We travelled back in time to discover how early humans lived, hunted and survived. The children explored the different periods of the Stone Age and examined evidence from the past to learn about settlements, tools and daily life. They particularly enjoyed comparing their own lives with those of Stone Age people and discussing how life changed over time. During the term, we also took part in a Stone Age workshop, which enabled the children to fully immerse themselves in life during this fascinating period of history.

In Computing, we learnt about connecting computers and developed our understanding of digital networks. The children explored how devices communicate and discovered the role of different pieces of technology in everyday life. They also created their own stop-frame animations, carefully planning, photographing and editing sequences to bring their ideas to life.

In Art, the children explored abstract drawing and experimented with shape, line and composition. They learnt how artists use different techniques to create interesting effects and developed their own creative responses using a range of drawing materials.

In Design and Technology, we investigated wearable technology. The children considered how technology can be incorporated into products to make them more useful and designed their own innovative wearable items. They enjoyed thinking like designers and identifying how technology can help solve everyday problems.

In RE, we have explored Hinduism, learning about religious beliefs, traditions and celebrations. The children enjoyed comparing similarities and differences between faiths and began to think about the importance of festivals, worship and community for believers.

Our PSHE learning focused on Being Me in My World. We explored our hopes and goals for the year ahead, learnt about children's rights and responsibilities, and discussed how to make our classroom a happy and safe place for everyone. We also reflected on how our words and actions affect others, celebrated our differences and learnt how to be supportive and respectful members of our school community. During the term, we also recognised Hello Yellow Day and Black History Month, taking time to reflect on wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion.

In PE, the children enjoyed developing their skills in tag rugby and handball with Mr Stevenson and Mrs Jefferies. They practised teamwork, communication and sportsmanship while improving their throwing, catching and movement skills.

In French, Mrs Jefferies supported the children in developing their speaking and listening skills through learning greetings, colours and numbers. The children have shown great enthusiasm and are becoming increasingly confident in using French vocabulary.

In Music, the children have continued to develop their musical skills through singing, listening and performing. They have enjoyed opportunities to explore rhythm, pulse and different styles of music with Mr Dickinson.

The children have worked incredibly hard this half-term and have demonstrated our school values every day. They should be very proud of everything they have achieved, from embracing new challenges to showing kindness, resilience and enthusiasm in their learning.

We hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable half-term break, and we look forward to welcoming the children back for another exciting half-term of learning and discovery.

 

Miss Silva

Year 3 Class Teacher