Year 3 |
Welcome to Palm and Pine Class
| Palm Class Staff |
| Teacher: Miss Rowswell |
| Teaching Assistants: Mrs Boulton, Mrs Kelly, Mrs Hill, Mrs Horton, Ms Massie, Ms Thomas |
| Teacher Planning, Preparation and Assessment time (PPA) is usually half a day on a Friday; Mrs Bailey teaches the class during this time. |
| Pine Class Staff |
| Teacher: Miss Stewart (Monday & Friday) |
| Teacher: Mrs Curtis (Wednesday & Thursday) |
| Teaching Assistants: Miss Malia |
| Teacher Planning, Preparation and Assessment time (PPA) is usually on a Tuesday; Mrs Bailey teaches the class during this time. |
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Welcome to our exciting Summer Term in Year 3! We have a wonderful final stretch of learning planned, filled with creativity, curiosity and hands-on experiences. Below you will find an overview of all the subjects the children will enjoy as we journey towards the end of the school year.
English
We begin our English learning this term with persuasive writing inspired by the uplifting story Speak Up!. Using this text, the children will learn how to share their opinions confidently by using strong, persuasive language and clearly structured paragraphs. They will explore how writers use reasons, emotive words and formal tone to influence the reader and will have the chance to write their own persuasive letters with purpose and passion.
Our next focus is instructional writing, guided by the beautifully illustrated story Wolf in the Snow. The children learn how to write precise and easy-to-follow instructions, using imperative verbs, adverbs of time and carefully sequenced steps. This topic helps them understand the importance of clarity and organisation in their writing.
We then move on to a non-chronological report using A Year Full of Celebrations. This joyful text allows the children to explore celebrations around the world and teaches them how to group facts into sections, use headings and subheadings, write in the present tense and include fascinating details that inform the reader.
Later in the term, we dive into narrative writing with the classic story The Iron Man. This powerful book inspires the children to develop descriptive language as they learn how to create atmosphere, build tension and bring characters to life using rich vocabulary. They will also practice punctuating dialogue accurately as they write their own imaginative stories based on the text. We finish the year by performing poetry aloud, helping the children grow in confidence as they practise using expression, rhythm and intonation.
Maths
Our Maths learning begins by revisiting fractions and deepening our understanding of them. The children recap how to add and subtract fractions and how to partition a whole into equal parts. They explore unit and non-unit fractions of amounts and challenge themselves through reasoning and problem-solving activities that develop their confidence.
We then move into our topic on money, where the children revisit the difference between pounds and pence, learn how to convert between them and practise adding and subtracting amounts. They finish the topic by calculating change in real-life contexts. Following this, we begin our work on telling the time. The children start by revisiting Roman numerals to 12 before learning to read the time to the nearest five minutes and then to the nearest minute. They learn to read digital clocks using AM and PM, explore months and years in the calendar and practise measuring and comparing durations using start and end times. By the end of the unit, they will be solving a range of time-based problems with growing independence.
In the final weeks of the term, we explore 2D and 3D shapes, learning how to identify, describe and draw polygons and construct simple 3D models. We also revisit statistics by collecting, presenting and interpreting data. Alongside all of this, we continue to strengthen our multiplication and division skills, especially focusing on the 3, 4 and 8 times tables and how these can be used to solve related division questions.
Science
Our Science topic this term is the fascinating world of plants. The children begin by identifying the different parts of a plant and understanding the important roles they play in helping a plant grow. They explore what plants need to stay healthy and set up their own investigation to test these ideas. Through careful observations over time, they record what happens, discuss patterns they notice and draw conclusions based on evidence. The children also learn how water is transported through a plant and explore this through practical activities and experiments.
Towards the end of the term, we revisit our previous Science topics—skeletons and muscles, forces and magnets, light and rocks. The children enjoy reviewing and applying their knowledge through a series of fun experiments, investigations and scientific discussions designed to consolidate their learning from across the year.
History
Our final History topic of the year takes us back in time to the extraordinary world of the Romans. The children learn how Rome began, how the empire expanded across Europe and how Roman inventions shaped the world we live in today. They explore what daily life was like for Roman citizens, learn about the discipline and organisation of the Roman army and use their knowledge of Europe from Geography to help them understand the vastness of the Roman Empire. We are thrilled to celebrate our learning with an exciting Roman Day—so start planning those fabulous Roman costumes!
French
In French, the children continue building their confidence in speaking simple sentences. They learn how to use the phrase Je peux… meaning “I can…” to talk about what they are able to do. As summer approaches, the topic becomes even sweeter as the children learn the names of different ice cream flavours in French and practise asking politely for their favourite one. This helps them develop real conversational skills in a fun and memorable way.
Music
Music remains an exciting part of our curriculum. Throughout the term, the children use their voices and a variety of instruments to play and perform both individually and together. They learn about rhythm, pitch, tempo and dynamics and begin to understand how these musical elements work together to create different moods and effects. They also explore the history of music in greater depth, listening to pieces from different times and discussing how music has changed and developed over the centuries. By the end of the term, the children will have created their own musical patterns and short compositions, showcasing their creativity and growing confidence.
Computing
In Computing, the children become young programmers as they learn all about flowcharts and how they are used to plan and structure computer programs. They explore different types of timers, discover how the repeat command helps programmers write more efficient code and begin to understand the importance of nesting instructions properly. As they develop their skills, the children learn how to test and debug their work, refining their programs when something does not go as expected. By the end of the unit, the children will design and code their own computer program using their planning documents as guidance.
PE
In PE this term, the children will enjoy developing their skills across four exciting sports: football, cricket, rounders and athletics. In football, they will focus on improving control, passing, dribbling and shooting, while also learning how to work effectively as part of a team during small-sided games. In cricket, the children will build their batting and bowling techniques and learn how to field with accuracy and speed, developing tactical awareness as they play simplified matches. Our rounders lessons will help them refine their catching and throwing skills, practise striking a ball with increasing confidence and understand the rules and strategies needed to play successfully as a team. Finally, in athletics, the children will explore different running, jumping and throwing events, improving their stamina, coordination and technique as they prepare for an exciting end-of-term sports day. Together, these four sports help the children grow in teamwork, resilience and physical confidence.
Design & Technology
Our DT topic this term is all about seasonal food. The children begin by exploring British ingredients that are available throughout the year and learning how fruits and vegetables are grown and harvested. They discuss what makes a healthy and varied diet and learn why vegetables, fish and meat contribute to balanced eating. After exploring recipes and flavour combinations, the children plan, prepare and cook their own seasonal dish, enjoying a delicious and hands-on end to the unit.
Geography
In Geography, the children explore the continent of Europe through the topic Our European Neighbours. They begin by locating all seven continents on a world map before focusing more closely on Europe. The children learn to identify many of its countries, recognise their flags and discover what makes each one unique. They also explore some of the currencies used in different European countries and compare physical and human features across the continent. This topic helps the children develop an awareness of the wider world and understand how countries differ and connect.
Art
This term’s Art unit focuses on shape, space and sculpture. The children begin by exploring how 2D shapes can be used to create interesting 3D structures. They learn different ways of joining materials, experiment with building techniques and develop problem-solving skills when their ideas do not quite go to plan the first time. As their confidence grows, they apply these skills to create their very own 3D abstract sculptures, drawing inspiration from modern artists and their unique styles.
Religious Education
We have two thoughtful topics in RE this term. Our first explores the question, What kind of world did Jesus want? The children learn about the Christian faith by exploring Jesus’ teachings and considering how and why people choose to follow him. We are lucky to welcome Reverend Simon Morre into school, and the children will prepare questions to ask him about how leaders today share God’s love and support their communities.
Our second topic introduces the children to Judaism. They explore how Jewish festivals such as Shabbat and Hanukkah are celebrated, discover the importance of family and tradition in Jewish life and examine special Jewish artefacts to understand their meaning and significance within the faith.
Reading in KS2
In KS2, children are encouraged to become confident, expressive and passionate readers. Most children will move fairly quickly onto the broader range of books available in the Brown, Grey and Blue book bands. Your child may spend quite a while on each book band. This isn't because they are not progressing, it is rather an opportunity for your child to be exposed to a wide range of authors, genres and styles of writing at a level in which they can comprehend what they are reading. They will be asked to answer comprehension questions to show their understanding of what they have read and encouraged to discuss the books they have enjoyed from the book band and the ones they have disliked.
We aspire to make every child a passionate reader and need your help to do this!
We will try to read with your child as often as we can in school. This will be either 1:1 with an adult, or in a guided reading activity where the children will read in a group and discuss the text together. We aim to read with your child once a week but encourage you to supplement this by reading with your child as often as possible at home.
Ways you can help at home
- Read with your child for 10 minutes every day
- Support your child to complete the homework set each week
- Ask your child questions about stories that they are reading to you, or about stories you are reading to them.
- Ask your child to tell you the time to help them to practise the skill of telling the time. To challenge your child, you could ask them to tell you the time on both an analogue and digital clock.
- Ask children to help you to count out money and ask for change
- Encourage your child to write stories, recounts, shopping lists to help build their stamina for learning.
Websites for homework:
TT Rockstars
Spelling Shed
If you have any questions please talk to any of the team in Palm and we will be happy to help you. You can also make an appointment at the school office. Look out for further messages about events in school through parent mail.
We thank you for your support this year.