Welcome to Year 3 - Birch

Miss Edizer

Learning Update

Literacy
In Literacy, we have been completing work on the book The Tear Thief, which we started after half term. We began by discussing why we cry and how the different types of emotions we feel can be assigned different colours. This helped us to describe our feelings using adjectives and figurative language such as similes and metaphors. Some examples include: “tears of anger are red like lava” and “tears of sadness are a blue ocean.” We have also written descriptions of what the Tear Thief looks like, using verbs and adverbs to describe how she moves around at night. An example could be: “The Tear Thief crept quietly over the rooftops and jumped quickly from window to window.” We are now working towards writing a newspaper report, where we will combine all these ideas to provide a detailed description of what the Tear Thief is like. We will also include quotes from eye-witnesses who claim to have seen her, and advice about why it is okay to cry—after all, it might even lead to us spotting the Tear Thief ourselves!

Maths
In Maths, we have been building on our work with addition and subtraction by using the column method to solve equations with larger numbers, including hundreds, tens, and ones. We have been practising starting with the ones column first, moving on to the tens, and finishing with the hundreds. We have also learnt how to regroup (or carry over) when the sum of a column is greater than ten, which helps us to find accurate answers. When subtracting using the column method, the children have learnt that we cannot swap digits around, and that sometimes we need to borrow from the next column to make our top number larger before completing the subtraction. The children have been working hard to show all their working out, which is great to see! We are now moving on to estimating numbers by rounding to the nearest ten or hundred, enabling us to make sensible guesses before checking with the column method. We are also learning about inverse operations, recognising that the opposite of addition is subtraction. This helps us to rearrange parts and wholes in an equation and check if our answers are correct.

History
Our driver topic this term is Through the Ages. We have finished learning about the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, and children were able to compare how human life was similar and different across each time period, identifying significant changes that improved the way early humans lived and worked. We have now started learning about the Iron Age, when groups of tribes called Celts came to Britain from Europe, bringing new skills from craftspeople known as blacksmiths. Iron was a more accessible metal for everyone in this time period, which meant tribes became wealthier and more skilled. This, however, led to more conflicts between tribes, as people began making advanced weapons and training for possible battles. We will continue to learn about this in more detail to understand how this impacted people's lives further.

French

In French, we are beginning to learn words and phrases for simple introductions. So far, we have learnt how to say “hi,” “hello,” “what is your name?”, “my name is…,” and “nice to meet you.” This has enabled us to start having short conversations where we introduce ourselves, with all children in the class feeling confident to come to the front and share their conversations with a partner. We also created postcards to practise writing these phrases, introducing ourselves and asking questions in French.

PE

In PE, the children have started new topics. In ball skills, they have been playing a range of games that focus on controlling the ball and working with a partner to pass accurately. Gymnastics has also focused on partner work, with pupils creating routines using a variety of poses and stretches. The children have demonstrated great teamwork skills, encouraging one another to take part and succeed, which has been lovely to see.

Looking Ahead
Over the next few weeks, we will be finishing our newspaper reports in Literacy, writing them up neatly, adding pictures, and practising how to use a newspaper layout. In Maths, we will be completing our addition and subtraction unit, with some extra practice sessions to revisit areas that some children found more challenging. After this, we will move on to multiplication and division, building on skills learned in Year 2. On 27th November, the children will visit Monk’s Walk School in the morning to take part in a football event. This is something they are all looking forward to, as it will give them the chance to apply their ball skills learnt in PE in a new setting. They will also continue to develop their teamworking skills, cheering for friends and proudly representing Oaklands School.

Autumn Term 2025

Click on the links below to see what the children in Year 3 will be learning in the Autumn Term.