Year 3

The Year 3 classroom is situated in the main part of the school building next to the Hall. Year 3 is the transitional year from Infants to Juniors; therefore the children not only have to rise to the challenge of a stimulating and challenging curriculum, but also a new timetable with shorter breaks.

Year 3 is primarily a consolidating year with children entering at Level 2 (on average) and with the aim to rise 2 sub-levels in Literacy and Numeracy. We strive to achieve this by offering a range of engaging activities in a caring and nurturing environment. Literacy and Numeracy are taught in the morning and we link these subjects as often as possible with the class topic. Music is taught by a specialist teacher and children in Year 3 also learn to play the recorder as part of the timetable. They receive half an hour’s French tuition weekly with our French tutor. The children have outdoor and indoor P.E lessons weekly and during the summer term the children take part in swimming lessons at The Waterfront Sports Centre.

We organise a range of trips and educational visits throughout the year to enhance children’s learning as well as encouraging confidence outside the school. In the past, we have been to the British Museum during our Egyptian project and the Woodlands Farm as part of our Stone Age theme. We also use the local environment wherever possible, especially during Science and Geography.

Year 3 celebrate many festivals and events. We participate in the Christmas Carol concert which takes place at the local church St Luke’s, Easter celebrations, and also May Day. May Day is a fantastic experience in Year 3 as the children get to dance around the Maypole as well as crowning our King and Queen. This is a tradition that has continued for over 80 years at Thorntree School! We also celebrate Book Week during the summer. With all these celebrations the children develop a strong sense of belonging to a larger group and school community.

We aim for a successful partnership with parents and carers and meet informally with parents daily. We also meet more formally during parents’ evenings which take place three times a year.

Please click on the buttons below for a copy of the half-termly newsletters as they become available.

Please see the Curriculum tab in the 'Teaching and Learning' section for an overview of this year's learning.

Homework

The children use the Bloom's Taxonomy approach to homework, as used in the classroom. It is more stimulating for the children. A half-termly sheet is devised by the class teacher and sent out. Many tasks set are practical. The children select only one activity from each column fortnightly and work across the grid throughout the half term. At the top of the grid are the 'areas of learning': Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating and Creating, which are in order of progression. Our aim is for the children to really be inspired by their homework and to achieve their own level, facing challenges where appropriate.

Please click on the buttons below for a copy of the half-termly Homework Grids as they become available.

The children also use Maths iXL which is an online comprehensive learning program. It offers unlimited Maths practice problems in thousands of skills, all of which are aligned to the National Curriculum. Both parents and teachers can monitor the children's progress.