Welcome to Year 3!

Each week we'll be keeping you up to date with our weekly blog. In addition to this, please read our half-termly curriculum map to find out what will be happening in Year 3. 

Important information

PE - Tuesday and Thursday. Please come to school in your PE kit on these days and these days only. 

Books - Change books on Friday Your child will come home with 2 new reading books every Friday. Please make sure you have been reading at home at least three times a week. Please record any reading you have done in your reading diary. Your reading diary must always be in your bookbag so that we can read with you in school. 

Spellings - New spellings will be sent home every Friday. Please make sure your child's spelling book is in their bookbag on Friday so that the new ones can be stuck in.  Please also see our spelling page where you can easily access this every week. Please use your spelling book to practice them in. If there is evidence of practising, your child will receive a green point. They will also receive a green point if they have achieved full marks or improved their score from the previous week. Please also check which spellings have been marked as incorrect as these will still need to be practised.

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Year Three End of Year Expectations

This table provides information for parents and carers on the end of year expectations for children in our school. All the objectives will be worked on throughout the year and will be the focus of teaching. Any extra support you can provide in helping your children to achieve these expectations is greatly valued. If you have any queries regarding the content of this booklet, please talk to your child’s teacher.

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Autumn 2

Week 1

Welcome back to another busy half term! Year 3 have hit the ground running and cracked straight on with a fantastic week of learning.

In maths, we kicked off a new topic focused on measurement, introducing the children to metres and millimetres. To put their new skills into practice, the children were set the challenge of measuring various objects around the classroom using both units of measurement.

We also launched our new geography unit this week, exploring the concept of settlements. The children learned what a settlement actually is and identified the different hierarchy types—cities, towns, and villages—as well as settlement patterns, including linear, nucleated, and dispersed layouts.

In computing, we began exploring the world of stop-motion animation. After discussing whether static pictures can move, the children put the theory to the test by creating their very own flipbooks, demonstrating how a series of individual drawings can come together to create the illusion of movement.

Finally, we were so excited to start learning Spanish this week! We discovered which countries around the world speak Spanish, explored some delicious Spanish cuisine, and learned about famous landmarks across Spain. Miss Knight-Francis was delighted by the class's incredible enthusiasm and hopes to see that same energy continue throughout the topic!

Autumn 1

Week 8

What a brilliant final week of the half-term we have had in Year 3!

In writing, the children have been busy drafting their diary entries based on our story, The First Drawing. They have done a fantastic job stepping into the shoes of the main character, imagining what it would be like to be the first person in history ever to create a drawing.

In science, we rounded off our topic on rocks by exploring soil. We discovered how soil is actually formed from tiny fragments of weathered rock mixed with organic matter over time.

To mark Black History Month, we learned all about the life and legacy of Rosa Parks. The children reflected on her courage and discussed how important it was that she stood up for herself and others to fight for fairness and equality.

Finally, we were treated to an inspiring visit from classical guitarist Samrat Majumder. He played a selection of pieces for us—the very same music he performed at a concert in Leeds the evening before!—and shared the story of his musical journey. The children were completely captivated and thoroughly inspired by his talent and dedication.

Thank you for all your support over this busy and successful first half-term. Have a wonderful, well-deserved week off, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for a new half-term!

Week 7

What a fantastic penultimate week learning before the half-term break! There has certainly been no slowing down in Year 3.

In writing, we have been busy mastering the use of direct speech and using short sentences for dramatic effect. Next week, the children will bring all these newly practised skills together to write their own diary entries based on the text, The First Drawing.

In maths, we have been building our confidence with larger numbers by counting across and on from 100, as well as finding different ways to represent 3-digit numbers.

The absolute highlight of our week was without a doubt our trip to Stump Cross Caverns! Linking perfectly with our science and history topics on Rocks and the Stone Age, the children drew on their classroom knowledge as they explored the ancient caves and took part in a fossil dig. A special mention must go to the incredible bravery shown by some of our children, who overcame their fears to venture into the caves—seeing their confidence grow was a truly wonderful moment! We have, however, made a mental note to find a slightly less bumpy route for our next coach journey!

Thank you for your ongoing support as we head towards the end of this half-term!

 

Week 6

What a busy, fun-filled week we have had in Year 3!

We started an exciting new writing topic this week, and to immerse ourselves in the inspiration, we became Stone Age artists! The children crawled under their tables to draw as if they were inside a cave, producing some wonderful Stone Age-inspired artwork.

In history, we explored trade during the Iron Age. The children took part in a trading game where they negotiated with classmates to collect seven essential items needed for survival, giving them a brilliant hands-on understanding of how ancient bartering worked.

Science was a huge hit as we learned all about fossils. We were fortunate enough to examine and hold some real fossils brought in by Miss Knight-Francis, with the fossilised shark tooth quickly becoming the class favourite!

It has also been a fantastic week for whole-school events. We were so proud of the children during our Harvest Service, especially when reciting our class poem. On Wednesday, we set off on our Welly Walk; thank you for your support with this, and please do sponsor your child if you are able to, as all funds raised go directly towards our class! On Thursday, we were thrilled to welcome members of the Leeds Knights ice hockey team, who taught us about the sport and showed us their kit and equipment. Finally, on Friday, we wore yellow to show our support for mental health awareness.

Thank you so much for all your continued support during such a busy week. We cannot wait for our trip to Stump Cross Caverns next week!

Week 5

This week in writing, we have been hard at work imagining what it would be like to travel back in time. Writing as if we were the character from Stone Age Boy, who accidentally falls down a hole into the Stone Age, we drafted letters back home. The children focused closely on their presentation and handwriting while working together to gather imaginative, descriptive vocabulary.

In maths, we turned our attention to number bonds and complements to 100. The children practiced a key mental strategy: ensuring the ones digits total 10 and the tens digits total 90 so the overall sum equals 100.

In science, we explored physical weathering—the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces through natural forces without altering their chemical makeup. To test if water alone could weather rock, we submerged five different rock types in water for 24 hours. Upon inspecting them the next day, we were surprised to find that three of the rocks had actually absorbed the water and grown heavier than their original weight.

Week 4

What a fantastic, action-packed week we have had in Year 3! 

On Tuesday, we stepped outside for a wonderful seed gathering workshop in our local area. The children had a brilliant time identifying different tree leaves and hunting for various seeds on the ground. It was a lovely afternoon spent connecting with nature and exploring our local surroundings!

On Wednesday, we became practical scientists! We investigated chemical weathering—the process where rainwater or naturally acidic liquids gradually react with rock minerals, breaking them down or altering their appearance over time. Using pipettes, we carefully applied vinegar to a variety of rock samples to observe if any erosion, fizzing, or colour changes occurred. It was fantastic to see the children applying their new scientific vocabulary so enthusiastically!

To wrap up the week, we enjoyed our very first DT lesson of the term! We explored a wide range of product packaging, discussing how different shapes and sizes are designed for specific items. The highlight of the lesson was carefully unfolding packaging to reveal the 2D nets inside, helping us understand how a flat design is transformed into the 3D structures we see on shop shelves.

Week 3

What a lovely week it has been in Year 3! We have been really enjoying learning about rocks at the moment. We learned about sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and we even got to look closely at a selection of different rock samples, trying to work out which type each one was.

In history, we discovered all about Stone Age houses and thought about what items people might have had in their homes back then. We also had great fun in our computing lesson, where we designed our very own digital devices, thinking carefully about their inputs and outputs and what each device would actually do.

Finally, a note to say that every child now has their login details for Spelling Shed and Times Table Rockstars. Please do encourage them to practise on these websites at home, as this forms part of their weekly homework.

Week 2

What a brilliant second week of Year 3 it has been! We are settling in wonderfully to our new key stage, and this week brought some lovely learning highlights to share.

In maths, we have been building our fluency with adding three numbers together, using handy tricks like finding doubles or near doubles, spotting number bonds to 10, and starting with the largest number first. We loved showing off our rich vocabulary too, using words like addends and sum with real confidence.

In science, we began our rocks topic, learning all about the formation and properties of igneous rocks. Miss Knight-Francis was thoroughly impressed with how much some of us already knew!

In history, we learnt something rather unexpected from a toilet roll, not something you would say every day! We used a toilet roll to represent a timeline of history, with each piece of paper standing for 1,000 years. We were amazed to discover that a whole toilet roll only represented a third of history, which really helped us understand just how long ago the Stone Age was. We can't wait to learn all about this fascinating era.

Finally, please do check the homework and spellings tab, as homework has been set for next week, including this week's spellings to practise.

 

Week 1

What a brilliant first week back at Westroyd here in Year 3! We spent some time settling into our new classroom and finding out what to expect from the year ahead.

We began our class text for this half term, Stig of the Dump, which we are already loving - we just want to keep reading and reading to find out what happens next with Barney and Stig!

In writing, we started reading Stone Age Boy, when we were interrupted by a letter that fell out of the book, from Stone Age Boy himself! We couldn't believe our eyes. He has inspired us to write our own letter home, imagining what it would be like to live in the Stone Age just as he did. We can't wait to get started.

We have also enjoyed lessons on zones of regulation, learning strategies to help us manage each zone, as well as lessons on British values and protected characteristics and why these matter so much in our country.

Finally, we completed our very first task from our Year 3 bucket list - making friendship bracelets! Many of us learned a bit about resilience along the way, and Miss Knight-Francis loved seeing everyone helping each other out whenever their beads went astray.

We ended the week with some wonderful memories, and we can't wait to see what next week brings.