Welcome to Year 3!

2025-26

In Year 3, our teachers are Mr Cameron and Mrs Becousse(Class 1), Miss Davies (Class 2), and Mrs Clarke (Class 3). We are also supported by our dedicated Learning Support Assistants (LSAs): Miss Banton.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with your child's teacher. If they are not around at pick-up, you can speak to them by phoning the school office and requesting an appointment.

Keep referring back to this page for regular updates about the children's learning. 

Curriculum Newsletters

Year 3 Autumn 1 - Curriculum Newsletter

Update - Friday 17th October 2025

We’ve all been very proud of the children this week. Despite a few tired faces and the usual wave of autumn germs making their way around school, the children have continued to impress us with their perseverance and positive attitude towards learning.

In Maths, the children have been deepening their understanding of addition and subtraction. They explored how to bridge across hundreds and tens, used number lines to check their thinking, and practised using mental strategies to solve problems efficiently. By the end of the week, they brought all their learning together to tackle the column method — lining up digits carefully and remembering to carry when needed (with some very proud “lightbulb” moments along the way!).

In history, we have waved goodbye to the Stone Age and stepped confidently into the Bronze Age! The children learned about how the arrival of the Beaker people changed life in Britain — from farming and tool-making to the creation of impressive burial mounds. To end the lesson, we held a lively “hot seating” session where one brave child became a Beaker person, and the rest of the class turned into curious historians, asking thoughtful questions about what daily life was like all those years ago. There were some excellent performances and even a few accidental Bronze Age accents!

Our PSHE lessons this week focused on empathy. We began with the story The Only Way is Badger, which helped the children reflect on how it feels when someone only thinks about what they want. They then watched a fun Sesame Street clip featuring Mark Ruffalo (better known to the children as the Hulk!) explaining empathy in a way that really made them smile. We finished the lesson by thinking of real-life examples of empathy we’ve seen around school — and there were plenty to celebrate!

In science, we’ve been learning all about joints and muscles in the human body. The children discovered that muscles work in pairs — when one muscle contracts (tightens), the other relaxes — a bit like a team doing a perfect push-and-pull routine! They carried out fun activities to see this in action and were amazed to realise just how many muscles are needed for simple everyday movements like bending an arm or jumping.

Update - Friday 10th October 2025

As we reach the halfway point of the half term, the children are continuing to show great focus and enthusiasm in their learning. They’ve enjoyed exploring new ideas across the curriculum this week – from writing stories inspired by Anansi, to learning how our planet changes beneath our feet. It’s been another week full of curiosity, creativity and thoughtful discussion.

This week in Maths, the children have been deepening their understanding of addition and subtraction. They’ve been learning how to estimate answers, use the inverse operation to check their calculations, and solve missing number problems by thinking logically and applying what they know about number relationships.

We’ve been using bar models and number lines to help represent problems visually, which supports both understanding and accuracy. The children have shown great perseverance when tackling trickier questions and have been encouraged to explain their thinking clearly using full sentences – a key skill in developing confident mathematical reasoning.

In RE this week, the children deepened their understanding of symbols by looking more closely at the use of trees in religious stories. We watched videos that showed how trees are mentioned throughout the Bible, often as symbols of life, strength, wisdom, or choices between good and evil – such as the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

This week, the children were introduced to some exciting new learning in Geography as we explored the concept of plate tectonics for the first time. We began by learning that the Earth's surface is made up of huge slabs of rock called tectonic plates, which are constantly moving — although far too slowly for us to notice!

The children discovered how these movements can cause dramatic changes to our planet, including the formation of mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes. We used diagrams, models, and videos to help bring these big ideas to life, and discussed real-world examples of where plate movements have shaped the land.

To help build their understanding, the children worked in groups to match new scientific vocabulary to pictures and definitions, making great links between cause and effect. This was a fascinating and thought-provoking session that really sparked their curiosity about the natural world.

In History, the children explored Stone Age monuments and discovered how early humans built impressive structures using only simple tools. We looked closely at examples such as Stonehenge, Skara Brae, and other stone circles, thinking about what they might have been used for and why they were so important to the people of the time. The children then carried out research about Stonehenge to find out more about how and why it was built, before answering questions to show their understanding. To finish, they used equipment from their tables to recreate their own version of Stonehenge, showing great teamwork and creativity as they imagined what it might have been like to build such a monument thousands of years ago.

Update - Friday 3rd October 2025

The children have continued to work brilliantly this week and have produced some terrific learning across all subjects. They’ve shown growing independence and creativity, and we’re very proud of how they’re developing as learners.

This week, we started our new English unit based on the traditional tale Anansi the Clever Spider. The children listened to the story and then worked together to come up with actions to help them remember it. This fun, active approach helped embed the structure and key phrases of the tale, ready for their retelling later in the unit. They’ve also been introduced to how speech is written in stories using inverted commas (speech marks) and have started experimenting with using dialogue in their own writing. We’ve been working on up-levelling sentences too – the children were shown how to take a basic sentence and improve it using more exciting vocabulary, adjectives and expanded noun phrases. This supports their confidence as writers and helps them make more deliberate word choices to enhance meaning.

In Maths, we began our new unit on Addition and Subtraction. The children have been learning how to: - Add and subtract ones, tens and hundreds from 3-digit numbers - Use number lines to count forwards and backwards - Partition numbers to support mental strategies - Recognise number patterns and identify which strategies to use in different situations They’ve shown fantastic perseverance, especially when using structured representations like bar models and number lines to support their reasoning.

Our Through the Ages topic continued this week with a focus on Stone Age settlements, especially the fascinating site of Skara Brae. The children examined images and artefacts to learn how people lived during this time, from how they used fire for warmth and cooking, to the types of animals they hunted for food and clothing. We also introduced the idea of primary and secondary sources, helping the children understand the difference between real-life evidence and later interpretations made by historians.

In Geography, the children built on their mapping skills by learning about compass points. They used the four main directions – North, East, South and West – and then extended their knowledge to include the intermediate compass points like North-East, South-East, South-West and North-West. The class enjoyed a range of activities to practise using compass directions to find their way around a map. These tasks helped develop their understanding of spatial awareness and positional language in a real-world context.

Update – Thursday 25th September 2025

Although the children have only been in school for four days this week, they have worked incredibly hard and produced some fantastic work across the curriculum.

This week in English, the children brought their imaginative ideas to life by writing their own set of instructions for a marvellous medicine, inspired by George’s Marvellous Medicine. Using their planning notes, they included key features of instructional writing such as imperative verbs, time adverbials, numbered steps and clear sequencing. The children then edited and improved their final piece using our school marking code. It was brilliant to see how confidently they applied their learning and took ownership of their writing.

In Maths, we completed the final part of our Place Value unit using the Year 3 White Rose Maths scheme. This week, the children practised comparing and ordering numbers to 1,000, finding 1, 10 or 100 more or less, and working with number lines. They also developed their reasoning skills through problem-solving tasks that encouraged deeper thinking. The class made excellent progress and are now well-prepared to begin our next unit on addition and subtraction.

In History, we continued exploring our topic, Through the Ages, by learning about everyday life in the Stone Age. The children considered how early humans hunted, gathered food, built shelters and made tools. They then wrote diary entries in the role of someone living in the Stone Age, using what they had learnt to describe the daily challenges and experiences of prehistoric life. This creative task helped to deepen their understanding of the period.

In Science, the children carried out a practical investigation to find out which foods contain the most fat. After making predictions, they tested a range of food items by leaving them on blotting paper and checking for grease marks. The class recorded their results carefully and answered questions using the evidence they had gathered. This experiment supported their learning about nutrition and helped them better understand how different foods affect the body.

Update – Friday 19th September 2025

The children have continued to be amazing this week, showing great enthusiasm and resilience as they tackle new learning across the curriculum. We’re so proud of how hard they are working and how well they are settling into Year 3 routines.

In English, the children have been preparing to write their own set of instructions for a marvellous medicine, inspired by our focus book, *George’s Marvellous Medicine*. This week, we explored how using conjunctions can improve instructional writing by adding more detail and clarity. The children practised combining ideas and giving more precise explanations to help their readers understand each step.

In Maths, we continued our work on place value. This week’s focus was on identifying missing numbers on number lines. The children worked through a series of steps to help them estimate and calculate which numbers should go where. This supported their understanding of number sequences, intervals, and logical reasoning.

Our History topic 'Through the Ages' continued with a hands-on activity using prehistoric picture cards. The children used the images to explore what life might have been like during the Stone Age, making thoughtful observations and drawing comparisons to modern-day life. They examined closely how people hunted animals for food and clothing, and how the discovery and use of fire helped transform life in the Stone Age.

In RE, we’ve continued to explore how symbols are used in Christianity. This week, the children reflected on how trees are mentioned in the Bible and the deeper meanings they can represent. For example, we discussed how a tree might symbolise strength, growth, or wisdom, and how these meanings can be personal or spiritual.

In PSHE, under the theme *Being Me in My World*, we looked at the importance of rights and responsibilities in society. The children discussed how these two ideas are linked, and why it’s important for everyone to take responsibility for their actions to help make our class and community a fair, respectful place.

Update – Friday 12th September 2025

A Fantastic First Full Week! We’ve all been incredibly proud of how well the children have settled into Year 3 during their first full week back. They’ve shown fantastic enthusiasm across all areas of the curriculum and have produced some truly impressive work. It’s been lovely to see their confidence and independence already beginning to grow.

In English, the children continued developing their knowledge of instructional writing. They focused on what makes a good set of instructions and began drafting their own apprentice pieces. A new grammar focus this week was quantifying determiners – words such as 'some', 'many', 'several', and 'each', which help us describe amounts more precisely. We also introduced the children to using a thesaurus to improve their vocabulary. They really enjoyed finding more interesting and ambitious adjectives to enhance their writing!

In Geography, we began our new unit, 'Our Planet, Our World', with an exciting first lesson. The children explored a variety of maps to identify the seven continents, five oceans, and key countries around the world. They practised finding different countries and their capital cities, helping them build their understanding of global geography and the layout of our world.

 

This week in Art, the children began their new unit on colour theory. In this first 'Engage' lesson, they experimented with colour in a range of creative ways. Some children created their own colour wheels, learning how primary colours mix to make secondary colours. Others explored the difference between warm and cool colours, discussing how colours can create different moods and feelings. A few groups also investigated contrasting colours and how these can be used effectively in artwork. It was a hands-on session full of creativity, with lots of thoughtful discussion and beautiful outcomes!

Update – Friday 5th September 2025

It’s been a very exciting first few days back at school, and we’re so proud of how well the children have settled into their new classes. They’ve adapted brilliantly to the new junior school routines, including navigating the new routes around the building. Next week, we’ll continue establishing routines, such as taking reading books home and logging in to use TT Rockstars for times tables practice.

In English, the children have started a unit on instructional writing, building on what they learnt last year in 'How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth'. They remembered the importance of making their instructions clear and concise. We also recapped imperative verbs (bossy verbs like “put,” “get,” or “mix”) and introduced a new grammar focus: determiners – words like “the,” “a,” “some,” and “this” that come before a noun.

In Religious Education, we began exploring the concept of symbols. The children discussed the difference between a symbol and a logo, sorting familiar images and explaining how symbols can carry deeper meanings, while logos usually represent brands or companies.

   

Our history topic this half-term is the Stone Age. We began by examining timelines and learning key vocabulary related to time and chronology. The children also learnt about the three different periods of the Stone Age and worked together to put them in the correct chronological order.