Class 3 (Y3 and Y4)

Class 3 – Welcome to the Autumn Term 2024!

 

I hope you all had a fabulous summer holiday, I can’t wait to hear all about them. Mrs Matthews and I are so happy to be working with you all this year. What a treat to teach the year 4’s again and get to know the year 3’s more. The autumn term will include a visit from storyteller Clive Pig, a trip to Kent’s Cavern and of course……Christmas!!!

Below is an outline of all the exciting learning we will be doing over the next few months, together with some class routines and organisation. I (Mrs Rothery) will teach the class all week except for Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday mornings to release me for PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time and leadership and management time. Wednesday mornings will be covered by Mrs Matthews who is beginning her final year of her training to be a qualified teacher, and Tuesday afternoons by either Miss Midwinter (WildTribe), Madam Clark (French) or Mr Hayler (PE)

Across the Carey Federation, we pride ourselves in the way we: ‘Aim High, Be Resilient and Take Care Of Each Other’ and strive to consider the Carey qualities ‘Be Respectful, Be Resilient, Be Resourceful, Be Reflect and Build Relationships’ in all that we do.

 

Curriculum

We plan the curriculum carefully to capture the interest of the children and build upon prior knowledge. Forging cross curricular links, where possible, helps to provide context and meaning to children’s learning.

‘Magnets and Forces’ will be our Science topic, with opportunities to work scientifically within the content taught. Pupils will start by comparing how things move on different surfaces and observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others.

We are travelling back about 2.6 million years in History to learn about the Stone Age and the changes in Britain through to the Iron Age. Our learning will have a focus on interpretation, change and continuity, evidence and significance as we learn what life was like in the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic times and key changes that took place from Neolithic to Bronze Age. We will develop our Place and Locational knowledge in Geography by exploring the Physical and Human characteristics of the United Kingdom, with a specific focus on Devon and Scotland (Skara Brae to link to History).

‘Still Life’ is our Art topic and we will investigate famous artists and develop the use of sketchbooks and drawing techniques to understand the use of tones when shading to create depth. We will also use painting techniques to create light and shadow.

DT will allow us to learn about packaging, where we will investigate a range of packaging and their 3D nets before designing and constructing our own. Within Art and DT evaluating our own and other products is an important skill which is taught and practised within each unit.

For Computing we will start by applying our knowledge of networks to appreciate the internet as a network of networks which need to be kept secure. Pupils will have the opportunity to evaluate online content to decide how honest, accurate or reliable it is, and understand the consequences of false information. We will move onto photo editing where we will learn how digital images can be changed and edited, resaved and reused. There will always be lessons dedicated to online safety as well as being woven into lessons.

In Music, each unit adapts an integrated approach where games, elements of music (pulse, rhythm, pitch etc.), singing and playing instruments are all linked. This term we will be using glockenspiels. In our Religion World Views, we continue to follow units within the Devon Agreed Syllabus. The unit ‘What do Christian’s learn from the Creation Story?’ will be taught.

Within RSE (relationships and sex education) we follow Scarf materials. We will be discussing ‘Me and My Relationships’, before moving onto ‘Valuing Differences’.

Class 3 will have WildTribe sessions on Tuesday afternoons for the first half of the autumn term. Pupils arms and legs must be covered to be able to take part. We also suggest wellington boots and wet weather clothes if rain is forecast.

PE will be Dance (taught on Friday afternoons for the first half term) and Games, (taught by Mr Hayler on a Tuesday afternoon in the second half term). However, it is always useful if the children have their PE Kit in school for the whole week.

 

Across the term, in Maths, children will look at Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, multiplication and Division and Area. There is some variation in coverage depending on the Year group. Times tables are a priority. Quick recall of number facts is a crucial skill that supports learning in all areas. Please support your children by regularly practising their times tables, pairs to 10, 20, 100 and basic doubles and halves. Of course, this will vary according to year group. Times Tables Rock Stars has lots of games and will help prepare pupils for the Year 4 Multiplication Check next Summer.

 

In English, we will begin with the text ‘Stone Age Boy’ to plan our own Narratives and Poetry Pie to rehearse and perform Poetry. As the term progresses, ‘How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth’ will be used in class to inspire the children to write their own instructions and ‘’Interview With a Tiger and Other Clawed Beasts’ to develop their writing and encourage them to apply the various grammar, punctuation, spelling and handwriting content taught.

 

Reading is a high priority. Pupils will have daily opportunities to read and develop the skills within the reading curriculum through Whole Class Reading. We use VIPERS (Vocabulary, Inference, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, Summarise) including written comprehension activities. Please support your children’s learning by hearing them read, reading to them or discussing what they have read five times a week and initialling in their reading record. It is so exciting that we will have access to Reading Buddies to support independent reading at home. Please can records and books be bought into school every day. Our Whole Class text this term will be ‘The Stolen Spear’ by Saviour Pirotta.

 

 

Class Routines

Homework will be posted on Dojo on Tuesday. This will be:

• Maths challenges through Mathsletics usually linked to work covered that week in class. Once the children have completed the tasks set they can then explore all the other exciting games on these very valuable online learning platforms. I will also continue to encourage times tables practise.
• Learning spellings. These will be written into spelling journals each week based on the common exception words, (spelling rules will be taught and practised in school through Spelling Shed) The words will be specific to your child according to assessment. The spelling journals are for use at home to practise spellings but it is vital they are bought into school on Monday for new spellings to be written in. There will be no formal ‘test’ of spellings each week, we look for evidence within class written work. However, I will carry out spelling checks to see how children are progressing with their year group list. A copy of this assessment will be stuck into their spelling journals. The highlighted words are the words the children spelled correctly in the check.
• Reading five times a week with an initial from a parent in reading records. Reading regularly to develop fluency, comprehension and stamina is essential to enable pupils to make progress across the curriculum, not just within reading. The five reads will be counted each week. So that we can support those pupils not reading regularly, they will have additional opportunities to read to an adult. This is not seen as a ‘punishment’ – it allows us to ensure all pupils make progress.

 

Children receive stars in their work as a reward point. Rewards may link to our Carey Qualities, it may be for listening well, being independent, great work or home learning, it may be for a lovely smile….the possibilities are endless! Pupils receive a sticker but it is not just an individual reward. They also receive a point for their team (Bells or Owls) which get counted up as a whole school each week, and a counter in our ‘working together’ jar. When the jar is full the whole class receives a treat.

 

In Key Stage 2 we no longer have ‘show and tell’ or a special bear….but we do have ‘Fluffy Friday’!! Where children can bring in one soft toy to join them in class for the day.

 

The children’s well-being is of the utmost importance and we aim to create a happy, kind and healthy environment for all. If you have any worries or questions, please do not hesitate in coming to see us. You can message via Dojo but this is not checked regularly, so if it is something urgent, please email the school office to ensure we receive it straight away.

 

Many thanks,

Mrs A Rothery (Class Teacher), Mrs S Matthews (Teaching Assistant/Apprentice Teacher)