Welcome to Year Three

Meet The Team

A warm welcome to the Year 3 staff team. We are a warm and friendly team who have a real passion for teaching and inspiring the next generations of authors, sports people or even scientists! If you require any help or have any questions, please do not hesitate to chat to us at drop off / pick up or contact the school and one of us will respond.

Phase Lead	Mrs Short
Willow	Mrs Irvine
Elm	Mr Mather & Mrs Gilder
Teaching Assistants	Miss Langridge & Mrs Sharp

Key Information

Year Three Curriculum Map: Click Here

Instagram: Avonwoodyrthree

Homework: Click Here

Year Three is such an exciting year as the children progress from Key Stage 1 to the more formal and independent setting of Key Stage 2. It is a year full of great interactive lessons, visits and trips and a wide breadth of curriculum knowledge and skills. We work hard to build those key learning skills and character, but also to establish that all important enthusiasm for lifelong learning and discovery.

We start the year by spending time finding out more about where we live, with a study of Ordnance Survey maps to support our understanding of our local area. We then travel back in time to the Stone Age, where we learn all about their key discoveries and the impact they have had on our lives today. In Spring term, we learn all about the Ancient Egyptians and the significance of Pharaohs. We start this topic by transforming into Ancient Egyptians for the day and learning about the wonderful art of hieroglyphics. We finish the Spring term learning all about volcanoes, creating our own erupting volcano! At the end of the Spring term, we will have our Year 3 sleepover in the school hall where children will have the opportunity to stay away from home, before their residential trips in Year 4 and Year 6. The Summer term is an exciting one where we begin our swimming lessons at Littledown. We also learn about Ancient Greece, which culminates in a fun ‘Greek Play in a Day’.

Curriculum Briefings 2024

At the beginning of each half term we invite parents and carers to our presentation which includes information on curriculum coverage and key dates for the halfterm ahead.

The key dates for the half term ahead and information on homework (including Reach for the Stars Challenges) are captured on the half termly curriculum handout, a paper copy of which is sent home with your child. The electronic version of the handout can also be found below:

Y3 Parent curriculum handout - Nov 2024

Y3 Parent curriculum handout - Sep 2024

If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can find the slides below:

Y3 Parent Curriculum Events - Nov 2024

Y3 Parent Curriculum Events - Sep 2024

From Autumn 2, we recorded the online briefing and this can be accessed below:

Y3 Curriculum Briefing Nov 2024

Year 3 Timetable - A Typical Day

yr3Autumn24

At Avonwood our mantra is ‘Every Minute Counts’, so please help us by arriving promptly at 8:40am daily. Morning break is 15 minutes and we have a one hour lunch.

Home Learning

As children transition into our junior school phase, they will be exposed to increasingly independent opportunities to develop and learn. Homework will be set on a Friday, with the expectation that it is completed by the following Thursday. It is expected that every week, children will read every day and log this in their reading record. In addition to this, children are expected to complete independent learning online, according to the timetable below. This will be checked by your teacher each week. In the half termly newsletter, there will be ‘Reach for the Stars’ challenges, which provide optional enrichment activities to enjoy with your child.

FAQ's

What trips and visits do you complete in Year 3?

Our first history topic in Year 3 focuses on The Stone Age and we take a trip in the first term to Stonehenge. Here the children will walk in the footsteps of their Neolithic ancestors. In the Spring term, we visit the Secret Garden in Boscombe, where we study how vegetables are grown, before we look at parts of a plant in our Biology topic. In the Summer term, we hold a sleepover at school. In the evening, we play group games on the field, lay out our sleeping bags in the hall and enjoy a yummy breakfast in the Year 3 classrooms. Throughout the year we also have a range of visitors as part of our RE, Science and PE units.

What day of the week is homework set?

Homework in Year 3 is set on a Friday and should be completed by the following Thursday.

Reading records are collected and checked every Monday.

What days do our children need to wear PE kit?

In Year 3 we have PE on Wednesday and Friday. Children should attend school in full PE kit, including navy jogging bottoms and our branded Avonwood navy hoody.

When do the children go swimming?

In Year 3, during the Summer term the children undertake 9 weeks of swimming lessons at the Littledown Centre.

What should my child be reading and how often?

For some top tips of what your child should be reading in Year 3, please see our useful documents and links (below) for a recommended reading list. Research shows daily reading as one of the highest contributors to high achievement in children. Therefore, children should be reading daily all through their school life; we encourage children to log this in their reading journals, which we will check every Monday. Once your child has read five times, they will receive a ‘High 5’ pom pom to put into their class jar. Once the jar is full, the class will celebrate by choosing an activity from the reading raffle!

What should my child bring to school every day?

Each day, your child should come equipped with their reading journal (signed daily), their reading book, a named water bottle, a named snack box with a fruit or vegetable snack for playtime, a named lunchbox (or know that they are having a hot school dinner), a named waterproof coat and a named sunhat and sun cream in the summer.

I would like to support my child with their learning from home, what can I do to help?

The best way to assist your child at home is to help set up routines that ensure your child has increasing responsibility for getting their school things ready, completing their homework and daily reading. Daily reading is fundamental to children’s progress so any support with this would be fantastic. This could be a mix of the child reading to you and you reading to them too. Times tables are also key in a child’s success to maths in Year 3 and without this vital knowledge they will struggle with the everyday basics. Any support you can provide with helping your child to ensure they have high quality weekly homework (including their Doodle Maths) would be highly beneficial as well. Checking over your child’s homework and discussing the number of marks they achieved helps them to identify where they may have made any mistakes and what areas they should focus on in the future. For any other top tips, please refer to the Curriculum Information Powerpoint above.