Throughout the Spring Term, the children have immersed themselves in our topic: Back to the Stone Age! As well as this, we have had a variety of other extracurricular events including World Religions Day, Wellbeing Week, Safer Internet Day, Science Week, World Book Day, Potted Sports, musical performances and our Creative Day! The children have worked hard throughout the term on all activities and as a result have made excellent progress across the curriculum.

English highlights:

In English, the children began their learning journeys being transported back in time with ‘Stone Age Boy’ and used information they learnt from his journey and facts from our own research to write non-chronological reports about hunting, tools and general camp life. After, we explore the stories of ‘Wild Girl’ and ‘The Wild Way Home’ to delve into what life might have been life for people living in the Stone Age. The children worked hard on developing their use of fronted adverbials, propositions and conjunctions in order to write survival guides and adventure stories. It has been fantastic to see how the children have used our grammar features to make their writing cohesive.

Maths highlights:

During the Spring term, the children developed their knowledge of multiplication tables, informal and formal methods to strengthen their multiplication and division. The children used methods such as arrays and partitioning in order to multiply and divide increasingly large numbers. Following on from this, the children explored measurements through a study of length and perimeter. We learnt how to calculate the perimeter of shapes both on a grid and by adding up measurements. Later the term, Year 3 explored numerators, denominators and parts of a whole in their study of fractions. The children learnt how to compare fractions as well as place fractions on a number line.

Foundation subject highlights:

Continuing to develop their knowledge of the Stone Age through to the Iron Age period, the children have immersed themselves in a range of History learning experiences including our Creative Day. We began our learning by exploring what the world used to look like before the drifting of the continents to where they are today and how this impacted on the movement of people during this time to spread across the world. Following on from this, the children studied different types of houses throughout these periods and what materials were used to make them. The children learn about the type of food that people would eat and created their own Stone Age menus! During our Creative Day, the children enjoyed foraging outside for sticks, leaves and other materials to build their own tepee shelters as well as creating their own cave art.

Within Science, Year 3 learnt about rocks and soils and carried out investigations into permeability as well as the properties of different rocks. The children also researched how rocks and fossils are formed to understand better the layers of our Earth. After half term, the children studied ‘Forces and Magnets’ as they explored the question: How would you describe the effect that forces and magnets have on objects?

Across the curriculum, the children have developed their understanding of staying safe. This includes learning how to stay safe online and while using a range of software as the children developed their computing skills on iMovie, Green Screen, Scratch and Stop Motion. The children also continued this learning through their PSHE lessons with learning how to manage risks and hazards as well as in their Wacky Races DT project as they designed and built their own wooden cars.

It has been a fantastic start to Year 3 with the children settling into the routines of junior school remarkably well. They have shown great enthusiasm and made significant progress in their learning across all subjects.

One of the standout moments has been their brilliant performance in the Year 3 Nativity play, ‘Fleece Force’, where their creativity and teamwork were truly impressive. The children have also thoroughly enjoyed exploring their London topic, discovering the rich history and iconic landmarks of the capital. It’s been a joy to see them grow in both confidence and knowledge, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead.

Writing highlights

This term in English, the children have completed some wonderful learning journeys. The first focused on the story The Fox and the Star, where the children explored how Fox felt living in the forest after Star mysteriously disappeared. They investigated themes of loss and hope while reading a variety of fables, before writing their own short stories featuring Fox and Star, each with a moral at its heart. The second learning journey took them on an adventure with Katie in London, where they followed Katie and her brother on a journey with the lion statue from Trafalgar Square. This exploration culminated in the children writing their own shape poems about London landmarks, capturing their creativity and descriptive skills. 

Reading Highlights

The children have had a fantastic time with reading this term. They began with our whole-school Reading Matters Week, where they explored what it takes to train to be an Olympic Reader! The children eagerly took on reading challenges, including sharing their ‘Podium Perfect Paperbacks’ and discussing which characters they thought were medal-worthy. They also enjoyed participating in our Federation Readathon where they had the opportunity to read with children from different classes across the Federation.

Our first reading journey took us on a journey with ‘A Bear Called Paddington’, where the children laughed at Paddington’s silly adventures in London with the Brown family. They also explored a range of non-fiction texts, including ‘An Infographic Guide to London’ and ‘London City Trails’, to learn more about our fascinating capital city while honing their reading skills. It’s been a term full of reading adventures and discovery!

Maths Highlights

In Maths this term, we began by exploring place value, learning to recognise the value of each digit within numbers and practicing how to order and read numbers with confidence. From there, we developed our addition and subtraction skills, using mental strategies and gradually mastering formal written methods. We also made great progress with multiplication and division, revising our knowledge of the 2, 5, and 10 times tables while also learning new facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables. The children have shown fantastic enthusiasm for building their number skills and we look forward to seeing their continued growth in the months ahead!

Science and Foundation Subject Highlights

In Science, the Year 3 children have been exploring the fascinating world of ‘Animals and their Habitats’. They began by learning about the importance of the skeleton and the different parts that make it up, gaining an understanding of how it supports and protects the body. The children then studied muscles and discovered how they work together to help us move, making connections between structure and function. Finally, they delved into the topic of diets, learning about the importance of a balanced diet and how it contributes to maintaining good health.

Year 3 have been busy exploring the vibrant city of London through our overarching topic, ‘Exploring London’ while answering the key question: Why is London important to the people of the UK? The children have helped Paddington learn about the significance of the River Thames, its many uses and how to label the different parts of the UK including mountains. They have also honed their map-reading skills, using compasses and grid references to navigate their way around the capital. In Art, the children continued their study of animals, creating their own unique animal prints. Their Design and Technology project focused on designing and making a greetings card with a moving element as they studied levers and pulleys to help Clinton’s Card design a new Christmas card. It’s been a fantastic term full of hands-on learning, creativity and a deeper understanding of London’s importance!

This summer term has been an incredible journey filled with diverse learning opportunities. We explored Japan’s fascinating physical and human features and stepped back in time to uncover the remarkable achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.

Our study of Japan began with a focus on Kumamoto where we compared this vibrant city to our hometown of Yateley. To deepen our understanding, we embarked on a local area walk to identify various geographical features. This hands-on exploration made geography come alive!

In Design and Technology, we took on an exciting challenge from Yo! Sushi which was to design a new healthy starter. After tasting a variety of sushi, we experimented by creating our own versions and eventually crafted our final designs.

In Art, Kumamoto Castle served as a stunning source of inspiration. We captured its beauty through cherry blossom-themed artwork and detailed pencil drawings of the castle itself. These masterpieces received high praise from everyone who visited our classroom!

On our Ancient Egyptian Creative Day, we began by learning about how papyrus paper was made in ancient times. We then tried our hand at creating our own versions using brown paper and PVA glue, producing some impressive results!

Next, we delved into the fascinating world of hieroglyphics. Taking on the role of ancient scribes, we used our historical knowledge and creativity to design our own cartouches.

We also explored the captivating stories of Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses. While we did not learn about all 2,000 of them, we discovered some amazing facts about a few key deities. To conclude the day, we sketched our favourite gods and goddesses onto our handmade papyrus, bringing our learning to life in a creative and memorable way.

During the course of the term, we will be learning about what life was like during the Stone Age all the way through to the Iron Age! Our historical investigations enabled us to discover what legacies these historical eras have left behind and we will use this knowledge to extend our historical understanding. We also visited Butser Ancient Farm where we made Stone Age Jewellery, fences out of wattle and took part in an archaeological dig! We also has our first ever ‘Fantastic Finish’ session this term which provided an amazing opportunity for family to come and see what we have learnt and take part in a range of activities!

Our History topic also supported our English learning! We looked at a range of exciting texts such as ‘The Wild Girl’ by Chris Wormell and ‘The Wild Way Home’ by Sophie Kirtley.  Using these texts, we wrote our own survival guide for the Stone Age and an adventure story.

For our Maths lessons this term, we focused on developing our understanding of fractions and measurement. In addition to this, we explored different formal and informal strategies to multiply and divide. We set a range of challenges each lesson and developed the children’s ability to reason and explain their answers. Alongside these areas of study, we continued to focus on key mathematical facts including multiplication tables and conversions as well as deepening our understanding of key mathematical vocabulary.

During our Science lessons, we looked at different types of rocks and how they are formed. This enabled us to identify a range of rocks. During our ‘Forces and Magnets’ unit, we learnt about forces including friction and magnetic attraction. In all of our Science topics, we have opportunities to develop their practical investigation skills by working scientifically.

In Music, will be used djembe drums and junk instruments to learn about pulse, rhythm, dynamics, tempo and simple non-standard musical notation. Also, we sang and performing a variety of African ‘call and response’ songs and at the end we composed and performed our own percussion pieces to their parents.

We have also enjoyed designing and making our own moving vehicle in Design and Technology this term. The children followed a design process to learn how to safely and accurately use a variety of tools and learnt how to work with a range of materials to design and construct some amazing and unique cars that we loved testing our on the playground.

What a fabulous start the children have made to Westfield Junior School! We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to know all of our new children, setting expectations, introducing our topic, ‘Explore London’ and strengthening team building skills. In particular, we have enjoyed learning about the different areas to play on our playground such as the trim trail, tyre park, climbing wall and (of course!) Parker’s Place. In addition, we have introduced the children to the wonderful world of Westfields Junior School with Odd Socks Day, Reading Matters Week, Share my Talent Race for Life, and of course our wonderful Christmas production, to name a few…

In terms of curriculum highlights, we have particularly enjoyed writing all about London. Linked with our Geography topic, we explored different texts and genres as a stimulus for our written work. We created adverts persuading people to visit London, using our growing knowledge of landmarks as well as draft our own recounts. Alongside these text types, we have also continued to work on our spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge and understanding as well as our handwriting.

During our Maths lessons, Year 3 focused on developing their understanding of place value. We started to consolidate Year 2 objectives, then we applied our skills to a wide range of problems as well as developing strategies for addition and subtraction. We also continued to work on mental fluency (recall of number facts including number bonds and multiplication facts) in order to become a more confident and efficient mathematician

In Science, we have explored ‘Amazing Animals including Humans’ during which we learnt all about skeletons and their functions, how muscles work and healthy lifestyles and choices. Also, we have experimented with designing our own animals, drawing their skeletons and deciding what joints would be needed to enable movement. We thoroughly enjoyed investigating how to keep our bodies healthy through eating a balanced diet by using our understanding of the different food groups.

In Design and Technology, we designed, made and evaluated our own moving greeting cards. We experimented with a range of designs to select those which are the most suitable for a specific purpose. We then relished the opportunity to investigate different levers and linkages and then learnt how to use a variety of tools to produce an effective final product.

In Art this term we were inspired by our animal theme during which we developed our sketching and printing techniques linked to patterns in animal skins.

What a wonderful way to end the term with our Christmas Play ‘A Magical Christmas Jigsaw! Year 3 performed a dazzling dance show to celebrate the special occasion of Jesus’ birth and it was jam-packed with nativity celebrities. Great fun was had by all (even those who were a little nervous to start with!) – and the final achievement of our teamwork was a marvellous variety of songs and spectacular dancing. All of the staff were so proud of all the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm the children showed during the performances.