Year 3 at Leighton In Year 3 at Leighton children learn to work with greater independence, building on the key skills taught in Key Stage 1. Learning is exciting, varied and hands-on whenever possible, and is based around a topic each term to broaden children s knowledge of the wider world: Autumn Term - Ancient Britain, from Stone Age to Iron Age. Spring Term Ancient Egypt Summer Term The World Cup Meet the Year 3 Team Mr Moore: Lobster class teacher, and Year 2 and 3 Miss Renno: Octopus class teacher Ms Brodie: HLTA Mrs Reynolds Numbers Counts teacher Phase Leader. Mrs Walji Mrs Hagan Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant
The Joy of Reading Central to our work is developing a love of reading. We share books with the children every day, and encourage children to talk about books and recommend them to others. We choose a children s author to focus on each half term, including Roald Dahl and Francesca Simon. Much of our English work is based around recommended quality children s books based on the Power of Reading initiative. We are also a flagship school for the National Literacy Trust s Young Readers Programme. This involves exciting reading events in school and at Serpentine Green Shopping Centre in the Summer term, and provides free books for our children to take home and keep. The Leighton Family Cafe Each half term, we now invite our parents to come to the Leighton Family Café, where they can m meet other parents and staff, and share a drink, a snack and a story with the children, before working alongside them in their classroom. Writing Reading at Home It has been shown that reading regularly at home is the most effective way of helping your child to do well in school and to get a good job when they become an adult. Each child has a reading book at their own reading level to take home each day. We work closely with our parents to encourage them to share books, and we have a reward system and treats to encourage children to read regularly at home. In Year 3, children are taught to organise and adapt their writing to match the purpose of their writing and the needs of their reader. As well as becoming more accurate in terms of spelling, grammar and punctuation, we actively encourage creativity and imagination. We base our writing on the interests of the children, stories we are enjoying together or reallife, first-hand experiences. We also teach children to join their writing and improve their handwriting fluency and neatness.
Spelling and Grammar Spelling and Grammar have been given much greater importance in the new National Curriculum and SATs tests, so they are taught regularly through the week, through short challenges, activities and games, focusing on the rules and the language of grammar and spelling. Each two weeks, children are given a list of spellings to learn at home. These words and the related spelling patterns are also taught and practised during those two weeks in class. Maths In Year 3 we aim for all children to be very confident using numbers up to and beyond 1000, to calculate mentally and use informal written jottings to work out all four operations (+, -, x and ). When ready, they also learn the formal written methods for addition and subtraction. We also teach children to apply these skills to solve a wide range of number problems, and to discuss and explain what they are doing and why. We still encourage children to use objects and equipment at first so they gain a real understanding of what they are doing and the real value of numbers. They also need to finish learning by heart addition facts up to 10+10, and continue to learn their times tables. At home you can help your child to learn these facts, and your teacher can demonstrate fun games to play. It is expected that children can tell the time on digital clocks and traditional faces, so this is another thing which you can really help your child with.
Extra support If your child begins to look like they might not reach the expected standard by the end of the year, or if they struggle with a particular skill or area of learning, the class teacher will plan to provide extra support for your child. Sometimes this is planned into normal lessons and sometimes it is in the form of a small intervention group led by one of our staff outside the classroom. The support is tailored to the specific needs of the child, and its impact is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is working. We are constantly changing these groups, but we inform parents at least each term about the extra support they are receiving. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Some children are identified as having specific difficulties with learning which need special additional support. This support is planned in consultation with Miss Rowsell (our SEND leader) or with professionals from outside school such as Educational Psychologists or Occupational Therapists.
The wider curriculum As well as teaching children to read, write and do maths, we work hard to provide children with an exciting, varied curriculum in which they can learn new skills, knowledge and the fun of learning. We learn science, art, music, history, geography, design and technology, computer skills, cooking, R.E. and P.E. In Year 3, children also start to learn French. We work hard to provide children with new, exciting experiences, from archaeological digs to dance-offs, to learning the ukulele. At least one school trip is arranged each term, and in the Spring term, Years 2 and 3 rehearse and perform a musical production. Even more important is teaching the children to get on with other people and to become a confident, resilient, happy member of our community who is prepared for a fulfilling life in our future world. This year we are becoming a Values-Based School, which means we will teach children our key school values, and to make these values a central part of every aspect of school life. Our children are expected to work hard and be polite and considerate towards each other. Their good behaviour is rewarded with house points, treats, awards and a special token treat at the end of each term which involves a trip or activity that the children help to choose.
Dates for Autumn term 2017 in Year 3 Tuesday 26th September: Family Café for Y3 parents,9.00-10.30am Friday 13th Trip to Flag Fen. Thursday 19th Lobster Class Assembly (Harvest Festival) Monday 23rd October Friday 27th Half term break. School closed. Tuesday 31st Halloween Disco (5pm-6pm) Wednesday 1st November, and Thursday 2nd November: Parents Evenings. Tuesday 19th December: Christmas Fete. Last day of term.