Welcome to Year 3!!

Hello again! I wish you a warm welcome back to school and to Year 3.  I hope you have all had a lovely summer break and are now ready to take your next steps on your learning journey. We are all looking forward to sharing this exciting learning adventure with you. Please find below important information about the organisation for this school year.  

Class Staffing: 

As well as myself, Mrs Sullivan will support the teaching and learning in class each day. Miss Shepherd will cover PPA time on Tuesday mornings.

Curriculum: 

We will be covering some really exciting topics over the year and the children will be encouraged to explore and ask questions to develop their curiosity and interest. At the end of this letter is the Curriculum Overview for Autumn Term 1 with key vocabulary, a copy will also be displayed on the class webpage. A new overview will be sent at the start of each new half-term. Enrichment homework tasks will also be provided to encourage children to discuss their learning at home. 

Class Equipment: 

Children will be provided with everything they need in class therefore children will only need to bring their reading book and reading record in a small book bag; coat; healthy morning snack; named water bottle and lunch bag (if required) with them to school. Please do not send large bags/backpacks or pencil cases into school. Water bottles will be sent home every night to be washed for the following day. Please ensure that all items brought into school are clearly named. 

P.E. Lessons: 

Year 3 will have P.E. lessons on Mondays and Fridays. On these days children should wear their P.E. kit and school jumper/P.E. hoodie to school. P.E. kit comprises of a white tee-shirt with the school logo, plain black shorts or plain black jogging bottoms/leggings, school jumper/school P.E. hoodie and black pumps/trainers. Kit may be required at other times but prior notice will be given. Please ensure that cardigans/jumpers/hoodies are clearly named. Please can you also make sure that all jewellery, for example earrings, are removed on those days.

This is a national curriculum subject and unless medical advice prevents your child from participating, in which case we would need a written note to that effect, then your child must have the correct kit to join in with these sessions. 

Reading At Home: 

We want to encourage children to read for pleasure at home. Children will select a book at an appropriate reading level to read at home. Books, along with a reading record, will be sent home each day. Please encourage your child to read for at least 10 minutes a day to yourself, another adult family member or an older sibling. Comments about how fluently, accurately or confidently your child has read at home can be added to the reading diary which should be returned to school, along with the book, the following day. Children will be expected to answer questions to assess their understanding of the text once they have completed a book.  

Reading in School:  

In addition to English lessons there will be daily guided reading sessions. Activities taking place may include:  

Guided reading with class teacher or teaching assistant;  

Language and text comprehension work; 

Library sessions;  

Independent reading; 

Follow-up activities e.g. book review, blurb writing etc; 

Book Buddy sessions; 

One to one reading. 

Each half-term we will also enjoy reading a class novel together, this half-term we are starting with the classic ‘The Spy Master’ by Jan Burchett. 

Homework Activities: 

Each week your child will bring homework activities to share with you.   

If homework is to really help your child and fully advance their learning, then it needs to fulfil two purposes: 

The activity should involve your child in explaining something they have learned at school. 

The activity should be one which draws upon the situation and resources of the home. This means that school-learning is transferred to real-life contexts. 

Homework is the one time in the week when your child can share with you some of his/her school learning. Allowing them to ‘be-the-teacher’ and to explain an activity or process to you is one of the best ways of helping them.  However, homework should not be a chore or source of conflict yet it is a key part of consolidating learning, therefore it is important for children and families to set routines that fit into family activities. Children are not expected to spend more than 2 hours over the week completing the tasks which will focus on the development of core skills. 

A homework activity booklet will be sent home on a Friday to be returned the following Wednesday. This will include key tasks focussed on times table facts, phonics, spellings, English and Maths.  In addition to these weekly core tasks, the children will have an enrichment challenge grid from which they can select three tasks to be completed over each half-term. These tasks will cover learning from the wider curriculum and are designed to provide the children with the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning; choosing how to present their work and the areas of learning they would like to research and cover.  

Any feedback about how well your child did with a piece of homework is always welcome therefore please add any comments to work being returned to school. 

I look forward to meeting you over the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss anything or have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact me via the school office and we will arrange an appointment.