St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School
Year 3 Class Information for The Spring Term 2016
English:
Myths and Legends- To become familiar with a range of Greek Myths, The Orchard Book of Greek Myths by Geraldine
McCraughrean, Greek Myths by Marcia Williams. Use them to study powerful verbs, verb tenses, use of first and third person,
paragraphs and ways of showing dialogue. Children retell another myth in written form.
Stories from Imaginary Worlds – based upon Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox. Focus upon direct speech, writing dialogue between two
characters, use of story pegs to write own version of the story. Comparing and contrasting the written story with the film version.
Recounts – Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Gaiman and McKean. Discuss the
features and uses of diaries. Predicting endings to stories using vocabulary of possibility. Learn how prefixes un-, in-, dis- and mis- can
be used to create negatives. Writing character profiles in the 1st person. Know that adverbs modify verbs (adjectives, another adverb or
clauses). Know that an adverbial is a word or phrase that is used like an adverb to modify a verb or clause.
Non-chronological Reports – based upon the Harry Potter novels. Identify the features of non-chronological reports. Identify and
create complex sentences. Plan a leaflet or poster. Compare and contrast descriptive writing with report texts. Analyse school reports.
Write in the style of a text they have read. Use formal language/write in an impersonal tone to create a school prospectus.
Traditional Poems – Robert Louis Stevenson poems. Analyse the vocabulary used in a poem. Create a class poem using rhyming
couplets. Appreciate how the sounds of words and the rhythm of a poem add to its effectiveness. Compare and contrast a range of
poems by one poet. Learn a poem by heart.
Spelling- Continue to learn new spelling rules.
Maths:
Multiplication- Mrs Bettam’s Maths set – Grid method. Mrs Cullen’s Maths set- Grid method, formal written method.
Division – Sharing whole numbers, using the inverse (multiplication) to check answers.To use arrays and the chunking method to
divide, moving onto formal written method. When dividing they will learn about and use remainders
Fractions – Recognise, find and write unit and non-unit fractions of convenient amounts, e.g. 1/10 of 100 or 1/3 of 60. Count up and
down in tenths and understand that tenths are the result of dividing an object or quantity into 10 equal parts.
Data Handling – To interpret and represent data on scaled bar charts, pictograms and tables, and solve problems using these.
Money - Add and subtract amounts of money and give change by counting up; use both £ and p in practical contexts.
Time - Tell and write the time on digital and analogue clocks (incl. those with Roman numerals).
Problem Solving - Solve problems, including missing number problems, using number facts, place value, and more complex addition,
subtraction, division and multiplication.
Know the 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 8x and 10x times tables, including division facts.
The expanded method for multiplying is called the grid method. It uses the mental skills and the knowledge children have
been learning and will help most children to move, with understanding, to the ‘compact’ method. An example of ‘the grid
method’ is shown below. It uses knowledge of number facts and the idea of splitting a number into its parts (place value)
to help understanding of the process.
How many sweets do I need for 24 party bags if each is to have 6 sweets?
x
6
20
120
4
24
= 144 sweets
The expanded method for division is called ‘chunking’ and involves taking away chunks of the same size until you run out. It uses the
fact that division is repeated subtraction of the same size group. So 204=5 involves subtracting 4s from 20 until it’s been used up. You
can do this 5 times.
Here is an example for 86÷3.
86
-30
56
-30
26
-24
2
(3 x 10)
(3 x 10)
(3 x 8)
28 r2
R.E.: Preparation for Reconciliation- exploring the importance of the words and actions of the Sacrament. Explore human choices,
the consequences of sin, Christ’s teaching on forgiveness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Lent- Gospel stories about Jesus
bringing change into the llives of people he encountered. Holy Week – deepening the knowledge of some of the events of Holy Week.
Prayers will be focused around the Year of Mercy, The Confiteor, Act of Reconcilliation and the Glory Be to God.
Other areas:
Science – Forces and Magnets - To explore what forces are and notice that some forces need contact between two objects. To
compare how things move on different surfaces. To explore how magnetic forces work. To be able to identify magnetic materials. To
investigate uses for magnets.
Art – Cave painting and Celtic roundhouses.. P.E. – Indoor Athletics, Gymnastics and Ball Handling skills. Music – Exploring
descriptive sounds/singing Computing – We are bug fixers, finding and fixing bugs in programs. Communicate online safely and
respectfully, recognise uses of IT outside of school.
Modern Foreign Language – Learning simple phrases in French.
Spellings
Maths
English
I Belong homework
P.E. Kits Required
Set On
Thursday
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Tuesday
Hand In
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Wednesday
Friday
Special Events
Whole School Mass in Church - Wednesday 13th January
Group of Y3 children to Billesley Centre for Athletics - Monday 18th January
National Storytelling Week – 1st February
BMAG Trip Y3 Romans – Friday 5th February
Parent’s Evenings – 9th February for siblings, 10th February for individuals
Class 3B Ash Wednesday Mass - Wednesday 10th February
Internet Safety Day – Friday 12th February
School Closes for Half Term – Friday 12th February
School Re-opens – Monday 22nd February
Attendance Week - Monday 29th February
Author in school- Monday 29th February
Y3/4 Cake sale in aid of CAFOD - Tuesday 1st March
World Book Day - Thursday 3rd March
ECO Week - Monday 7th March
Y3 Class Assembly 3pm - Monday 21st March
Whole School Mass - Tuesday 22nd March
School closes for Easter Break - Thursday 24th March
School re-opens for Summer Term – Tuesday 12th April
We need your help with:
Supporting reading, please sign and date when you hear your child read. Your child’s book will be changed when an adult has indicated
that they have completed the book twice over a two day period. Parents are required to comment on their child’s reading and sign the
reading diary daily.
Check homework: please sign and date the completed Maths & English homework.
Spellings – please initial each daily column in ‘LOOK, SAY, COVER, WRITE, CHECK’ spelling homework book.
Regular times tables practice and number bonds
Supporting your child with Sacramental preparation.
All P.E kit and uniform named.
Useful Websites
http://durham.schooljotter.com/coxhoe/Curriculum+Links
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/
http://uk.ixl.com/
www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Bettam and Mrs Cullen