Year 3

Welcome to our Year 3 Class Page

We have a very exciting year of learning ahead of us. We hope that the following information about our curriculum and routines will help you and your child settle into Elm Class.

Year 3 Teaching Team

Mrs. Pearson and Mrs Hayes – Class Teachers (Mon-Wed/ Thur-Fri)

Mrs. Robinson and Mrs Moir – Teaching Assistants

Mrs. Hayes - Teaching Assistant (Mon-Wed)

Physical Education Reminders

P.E kits are required on a Monday (Dance) & Wednesday (P.E.)

During the Summer term we will be swimming on a Tuesday, please remember full swimming kits.

Homework Reminders

On a Tuesday the children will be given homework and spellings, the Homework book should be returned to school by Friday.  Children should aim to read and learn spellings on a daily basis.  The children will have a weekly spelling test on a Monday, please make a note (or take a photo) of the spellings before handing the book back on Friday. This will enable you to support your child to continue learning their spellings over the weekend.

Year 3 Reading

Reading books will be issued on a Monday and should be returned to school on Friday. Books are issued from the schools reading scheme. We will retain a book from the appropriate level to read in school. In addition to the school reading scheme, we also have our own dedicated Year 3 ‘in class’ library. It is well stocked with a range of fiction books, short novels and non-fiction books. The ‘You Choose’ library has been very popular with the children so far. They can select their own book and are learning to develop their personal tastes and preferences. They have quiet reading time to encourage ‘reading for enjoyment and relaxation’. This will be of great benefit as they transition into Year 4 where they will start to access Accelerated Reading, which draws on more independent reading skills.

Curriculum Information

This year at Kings Meadow, in a change to our curriculum, we have developed new themes and learning sequences to inspire our children that ‘LEARNING MEANS THE WORLD’! Information about our new ‘Dimensions’ Curriculum can be found in the Curriculum section of this website. The following information is specific to Year 3.

In Year 3 we are ‘ADVENTURERS’.  Through our teaching, and the experiences we offer, this year our children will learn how to become:

BRAVE - I can take responsibility, showing confidence in myself and my contribution to the group.

RESILIENT - I am prepared to try things out even if they might not work.

RISK-TAKERS I can adapt my ideas as circumstances change.

PREPARED - I can propose practical ways forward, breaking these down into small, manageable steps.

Current Curriculum Theme

Our current theme is ‘Athens Vs Sparta’.

Curriculum Breadth

“Athens v Sparta” is a thematic unit based on Ancient Greece, with a key focus on history. Learning is centred on how the Greeks used to live, including the key aspect of mythology, especially highlighting the con­flicts that characterized Ancient Greece.

Curriculum Depth

Dimensions Curriculum puts great emphasis on curriculum depth. We focus on common attributes that ensure provision of a deep curriculum and use them to underpin our thematic units.

We consider these to be:-

meaning and relevance; cohesion; opportunities for inquiry; development of critical, creative and high order thinking skills; integration of subjects; provision of access to information from a range of sources and viewpoints; authenticity of end products.

Through elements such as ‘Making it Real!’, Catalyst Questions and Essential Learning Experiences (ELEs), teachers can then ensure a greater depth of learning.

In this theme we will cover the following Learning Objectives:

Hi15 Develop their understanding that the past can be divided into different periods of time

Hi16 Explore the different ways we can find out about the past and how to understand the evidence

Hi17 Identify different ways in which the past is represented

Hi18 Recognise similarities and differences between people’s lives during different periods of time

Hi19 Use dates and vocabulary relating to the passing of time and sequence events

Hi20 Sequence several events or artefacts

Hi21 Begin to give reasons for and results of the main events and changes

Hi22 Use sources of information including ICT to find out about events, people and changes

Sc15 Ask relevant questions

Sc16 With help, set up and carry out simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests

Sc17 Suggest what might happen in comparative and fair tests

Sc18 Make careful observations and comparisons

Sc19 Recognise what constitutes a fair test

Sc20 Identify simple patterns, changes, similarities and di­fferences

Sc21 Make measurements using standard units

Sc22 Discuss and describe findings

Sc23 Communicate findings using simple scientific language in written explanations, drawings, labelled

diagrams, keys, bar charts or tables

Sc24 Use results to draw simple conclusions

Ar34 Modelling and Sculpting Research, plan, design and make models

Ar45 Modelling and Sculpting Work with a degree of independence

Ar46 Modelling and Sculpting Construct a simple clay base for extending and modelling other shapes

Ar47 Modelling and Sculpting Make a simple papier mache object

Ar48 Design and create images and artefacts in response to their personal ideas

Ict19 Identify how ICT can be used to collect and structure information, including the use of surveys, so that

it can be searched and analysed

Ict20 Identify the opportunities computer networks off­er for communication and collaboration

Ict21 Verify the accuracy and reliability of the information found, distinguishing between fact and opinion

Ict22 Use key words to search for and select appropriate information from the internet and other digital

sources

Ict25 Use a variety of ICT tools to create, re‑ne and present work in a variety of ways

Ict27 Use ICT safely and appreciate the need to keep electronic data secure

Ci15 Work co-operatively, showing fairness and consideration to others

PW31 Resp­ect on own mistakes and make amends

Knowledge Organisers / Curriculum Letter to Parents / Carers

Please download the files below to see our current Knowledge Organiser (WHISK Sheet) and our Curriculum Letter to Parents / Carers. These will provide you with a clear overview of all the subjects and learning that will take place in your child’s current theme.

Our current class novel is Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura.

We will then move onto Greek Myths such as Pandora’s Box. We will read a variety of Greek myths in narrative and playscript form.

Please keep checking this page for more information, links to useful websites and lots of photographs of our learning.