8th January, 2016

Dear Parents and Year 3 children,

We hope that you had a lovely Christmas and a restful new year, and are looking forward to the new term,
when the evenings become lighter and the birds begin to sing!
Our themes for the term are entitled Rock and Roll (1st half) and The Iron Man (2nd half), and our main
areas of learning are as follows:
English
Using the book Adventure Island The Mystery of the Whistling Caves by Helen Moss, we will discover
more about mystery stories, their structure, the type of language and authors techniques used, and then
trying to write a (shorter) story of our own!
The second half of the term sees us using the well-known story of The Iron Man as the basis for our work
in English using the novel as a theme, and comparing the book to the film. This will also link in with drama
work.
Other areas of the English curriculum will include work on diaries, poems and discussion texts.
We will continue to develop our skills in English with regular work in the following areas:

Grammar, which will develop the use of a variety of sentence structures, appropriate punctuation
and spelling
Handwriting, including using a joined style
Reading a range of texts and extracts from them in our weekly guided reading sessions. These
regular reading activities help children to develop fluency and expression in reading, broaden their
experience of different text types and deepen understanding of plot, characters and events.

We will also continue to have regular extended writing sessions on Fridays, where children have the
opportunity to put into practise the writing skills they have been developing.
Children will carry on having spellings to learn, which are then checked in class every Friday.
Maths Maths lessons will continue to include practise of mental strategies and how these are then
developed into written methods. Children will be learning about place value, fractions and division,
volume, capacity and mass, measures and money. We will also be looking at 2-D and 3-D shapes, including
angles, position, time and how information can be presented in graphs. Children will continue to practise
multiplication tables throughout the term, to ensure they have a quick and secure recall of facts for the 3,
4 and 8 times tables (building on the end of Year 2 objective of 2, 5 and 10 times tables), plus others tables
as appropriate.
In Science, we will be learning about the properties and uses of rocks, the rock family, soils and fossils. To
support this learning, we are visiting White Scar Caves, where we will be (safely) exploring an underground
caving system!
After half term, we will be investigating magnets and magnetic force, looking at how magnets are used in
everyday life and making our own magnetic games.

Other areas of learning are:

Computing we will continue our Computing curriculum, with a focus on programming. They will be
programming Dash and Dot (our robots) to create a beautiful musical symphony...
Children will continue to be taught E-safety, including establishing and reinforcing messages about using
technology safely, respectfully and responsibly.
History Exploring what it was like to live in Ancient Britain during the Stone Age, and learning about
important historical sites such as Stonehenge.
Geography Volcanoes and earthquakes.
Art and Design Observational drawing of fossils, which we will then develop into printed media.
French Lalphabet et les couleurs; attention au lion (animals/pets).
RE Christianity, including the Easter story, and other faiths.
Music learning the language of music through playing the glockenspiel; in the second half term, the
learning is focused around one song from Benjamin Brittens compositions - Friday Afternoons: There Was
a Monkey.
Design Technology Mechanical systems, including levers and linkages.
PSHE Learning how to make more informed choices, work well and negotiate with others and
understanding more about ourselves and others.
PE Dance and Gymnastics.
In addition, Kakapo (Mrs Ormerod) class swim on Thursdays, and Loris (Mr. Richardson) class swim on
Wednesdays. Your child will need a swimming kit for this day. PE for Loris is now on a Tuesday. For Kakapo
it is on a Thursday.
As parents, you can have a huge impact on how your child develops both in confidence and ability by
encouraging and supporting them with their homework. Written homework will be given out each Friday
and should be completed and returned to school by the following Thursday. We would also welcome any
support you could give your child by hearing them read very regularly. Your child will have a home/school
reading book, at an appropriate level, which they can change any day of the week. After hearing your child
read, please would you complete their reading record, adding comments if appropriate thank you.
As we hope you can appreciate, we are planning to have an action-packed and rewarding term! We hope
you have found this information useful and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Ormerod and Mr Richardson,
Year 3 teachers.