Year 3 | Westfields Junior School

Throughout the Spring Term in Year 3, we have immersed ourselves in our History topic of ‘Back to the Stone Age’. Our historical investigations have enabled us to discover what legacies these historical eras have left behind and we used this knowledge to extend our historical skills and understanding.

On our Stone Age to Iron Age Creative Day we travelled back in time! From the moment the children arrived, dressed in their fantastic outfits, they were filled with excitement about a historical day of learning ahead. Firstly, they researched cave paintings to enable them to design and create their own. They all looked fabulous and wouldn’t look out of place in a Palaeolithic cave! Next, we became Iron Age jewellery designers. We looked at shields, torcs and jewellery and added our own Celtic designs. Finally, we became detectives to investigate how Stone Age people counted!

Our History topic also supported our English learning! We looked at a range of exciting texts such as ‘The Wild Girl’ by Chris Wormell and ‘How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth’ by Michelle Robinson and Kate Hindley. Using these texts, we wrote our own survival guide for the Stone Age and a story about a Woolly Mammoth arriving at our school for the day. We continued this theme by learning how to write a police report inspired by the book ‘Stig of the Dump’ by Clive King.

We have also enjoyed designing and making our own moving vehicle this term. The children followed a design process to learn how to safely and accurately use a variety of tools and learnt how to work with a range of materials to design and construct some amazing and unique cars that we loved testing out on the playground.

For our Maths lessons this term, we focused on developing our understanding of money and measurement. In addition to this, we explored different formal and informal strategies to multiply and divide. We set a range of challenges each lesson and developed the children’s ability to reason and explain their answers. Alongside these areas of study, we continued to focus on key mathematical facts including multiplication tables and conversions as well as deepening our understanding of key mathematical vocabulary.

Autumn Term 2021

This Autumn, the children in Year 3 worked exceptionally hard to settle into their new school and we are undoubtedly proud of their efforts across the curriculum. We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to know all of our children, setting expectations, introducing our topics and strengthening our team building skills as well as, of course, introducing them to the wonderful world of Westfields Junior School!

Through our ‘Explore London’ geography topic, we have learnt about the human and physical features of our capital city. In our English lessons, we have linked this knowledge by exploring different texts and genres as a stimulus for our written work. We created adverts persuading people to visit London, using our knowledge of landmarks as well as drafting recounts imagining we had been on a day trip exploring the beautiful city. We finished the Autumn Term by writing shape poems using descriptive language.

In Science, we have explored ‘Amazing Animals including Humans’ during which we learnt all about skeletons and their functions, how muscles work and healthy living. Also, we have experimented with designing our own animals, drawing their skeletons and deciding what joints would be needed to enable movement. We thoroughly enjoyed investigating how to keep our bodies healthy through eating a balanced diet using our understanding of food groups.

Within our wider curriculum, during PE sessions, we have learnt the basic passing skills for netball and applied these in game situations.

In Design and Technology we designed, made and evaluated our own moving greeting cards. We experimented with a range of designs to select those which are the most suitable for a specific purpose. We then relished the opportunity to investigate different levers and linkages and then learnt how to use a variety of tools to produce an effective final product.

In PSHE, we have focused on ‘Relationships’ to develop our understanding of how to develop and maintain positive relationships with family and friends. During our myHappymind time, we have explored the importance of knowing how our brain works best. We have also practised happy breathing to help us have mindful moments to improve our well-being and ability to manage our emotions.

Poetry Slam 2021

Autumn Term 2020

What a wonderful start to Year 3, the children have made this term.

This Autumn, we have thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to know all of our children, setting expectations, introducing our topic and strengthening our team building skills as well as, of course, introducing them to the wonderful world of Westfields Junior School!

Through our ‘Explore London’ geography topic, we have learnt about the human and physical features of our capital city. We have linked this knowledge with our English work and wrote poems about the firework display in London including referencing specific landmarks.

In Science, we have explored amazing animals during which we learnt all about skeletons and their functions, how muscles work and healthy living. Also, we have experimented with designing our own animals, drawing their skeletons and deciding what joints would be needed to enable movement.

Within our wider curriculum, during PE sessions, we have learnt the basic passing skills for netball and applied these. In PSHE, we will have focused on ‘Relationships’ to develop their understanding of how to develop and maintain positive relationships with family and friends. Our MyHappyMind time, has highlighted the importance of knowing when our brain works the best. We have also practised happy breathing to help us have mindful moments. Our Harvest Assembly this year needed to be virtual! We created, performed and recorded two fantastic poems and a Harvest prayer.

Looking ahead, we are very excited about designing our own shadow puppets later this term and promise to share our final products when they are complete.

Spring Term 2020

Throughout the Spring Term, we immersed ourselves in our History topic of the Stone Age to Iron Age which also supported our English skills! We looked at a range of exciting texts such as ‘The Wild Girl’ by Chris Wormell and ‘How To Wash A Woolly Mammoth’ by Michelle Robinson and Kate Hindley. Using these texts, we wrote our own survival guides for the Stone Age and stories about the adventures of a woolly mammoth.

In Maths, we have focused on developing our understanding of measurement and explored different formal and informal strategies to multiply and divide. We set a range of challenges each lesson and developed the children’s ability to reason and explain their answers. Alongside these areas of study, we continued to focus on key mathematical facts including times tables and conversions as well as mathematical vocabulary.

We enjoyed sharing our musical skills with a performance to parents and family members on the African drums! We demonstrated our knowledge about the different sounds this instrument can make and how to play a variety of rhythms on our own and as part of a group.

Our Year 3 Visit Butser Ancient Farm, was certainly a highlight of the term. We travelled back to Ancient Britain and experienced it all with great enthusiasm! We had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a range of activities such as chalk carving where the pupils carved a picture on a lump of chalk with a sharpened flint or carved it into a representative shape, just as prehistoric people did. We also learnt the skills of wattling with hazel rods to create a fence and as a frame for the walls of a house. The children explored a range of life size model dwellings and sat as a year group in the roundhouse, discovering what people of these ancient times ate, how they made fire, how they survived and where they slept. It was a wonderful experience!

Autumn Term 2019

In the Autumn Term, Year 3 quickly settled into life at Westfields Junior School. Through our ‘Explore London’ topic, we have learnt about the human and physical features of our capital city. We have linked this knowledge with our English work and wrote poems about the firework display in London including referencing specific landmarks.

Additionally, in English, we have thoroughly enjoyed writing non-chronological reports using the ‘Book of Bones’ as our stimulus. The children chose an underwater creature then wrote riddles and a non-chronological report that included generalisers, sub-headings and technical language. During this term, Year 3 have also begun to apply their knowledge of addition and subtraction to the expanded column method. In Science, we explored amazing animals; we learnt all about skeletons and their functions, how muscles work and healthy living. Within the wider curriculum, we have designed, created and evaluated our own shadow puppets. We were very proud of our outcomes from our first DT project. Of course, we also all enjoyed our amazing Christmas production of ‘I’m Gonna Shine’ where we learnt our lines, prepared our props and sung our hearts out!

Summer Term 2019

Dressed in their dazzling costumes (including a walking talking pyramid!), Year 3 travelled back in time to Ancient Egypt. Throughout the day, all of the children had the opportunity to investigate the importance of the River Nile for the survival of Egyptians, learnt how the Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics to communicate and designed a necklace fit for a Pharaoh! We were thoroughly amazed by everybody’s efforts with their impressive Egyptian costumes, even the staff! We had a fantastic Creative Day which immersed the children in practical activities to develop their historical understanding. Activities included making a hieroglyph bookmark and designing an Egyptian pectoral for our necklace.

Spring Term 2019

Year 3 Visit Butser Ancient Farm, Year 3 travelled back to Ancient Britain and experienced it all with great enthusiasm! Butser is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the UK; it is a real working farm that is used as an open-air research laboratory to explore life in the Stone Age to Iron Age. We had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a range of activities such as chalk carving where the pupils carved a picture on a lump of chalk with a sharpened flint or carved it into a representative shape, just as prehistoric people did. We also learnt the skills of wattling with hazel rods to create a fence and as a frame for the walls of a house. The children explored a range of life size model dwellings and sat as a year group in the roundhouse, discovering what people of these ancient times ate, how they made fire, how they survived and where they slept. It was a wonderful experience (and for the first time since I have been at WJS…with no rain)!

Autumn Term 2018

In the Autumn Term, Year 3 has quickly settled into life at Westfield’s Junior School. Through our ‘Explore London’ topic, we have learnt about the human and physical features of our capital city. We have used this knowledge to write a persuasive letter to Gru from the film Minions to encourage him to visit London. Additionally, in English, we have thoroughly enjoyed writing non-chronological reports about house elves and basilisks that included generalisers, sub-headings and technical language. During this term, Year 3 have also begun to apply their knowledge of addition and subtraction to the expanded column method. Within the wider curriculum, we have designed, created and evaluated our own shadow puppets for a small child. We were very proud of our outcomes from our first DT project. Of course, we also all enjoyed our amazing Christmas production of ‘Countdown to Christmas’ where we learnt our lines, prepared our props and sung our hearts out!

Year 3 Calendar

For the following trips and events, further details will be communicated to parents in due course.

September

03.09.21 Year 3 Transition Afternoon

06.09.21 First day of term

13.09.21 Whole School Reading Matters Week

16.09.21 Individual School Photographs (AM)

20.09.21 First week of clubs

20.09.21 Year 3 Meet the Teacher Meeting (2.45pm)

22.09.21 PAWS Welcome Meeting & AGM (7.00pm)

29.09.21 Blue Sky Thinking – opportunity to meet with Headteacher (8.45-9.45am, 2.25-3.15pm, 6.30-7.30pm)

October 2021

01.10.21 Christmas Card Designs home (with leaflet)

04-08.10.21 Walk to School Week

12.10.21 PAWS Film Night (3.15-5.00pm) postponed to Spring Term

15.10.21 Christmas Card Order Deadline

20.10.21 WJS Open Evening – prospective Year 2 parents and children (6.00-7.30pm)

21.10.21 PAWS Mufti Day

21.10.21 PAWS Fundraising Pizza Making Kits to go home

22.10.21 Inset Day

November 2021

06.11.21 WJS/Lions Yateley Fireworks Fiesta – volunteers required

10.11.21 PAWS Meeting (7.00pm)

11.11.21 Whole School Fun Run

12.11.21 3HC Radio Show

14.11.21 WJS attending Remembrance Parade

15-19.11.21 Anti-Bullying Week (Monday 15th Odd Sock Day – commences week with ‘what makes us unique’)

15-19.11.21 Road Safety Week (Friday 19th Time to Shine)

19.11.21 English Parents Workshop available online

24.11.21 Parents Evening (3.45-6.45pm)

25.11.21 Parents Evening (3.45-6.45pm)

27.11.21 Yateley Christmas Market

30.11.21 Whole School Flu Immunisations

December 2021

02.12.21 PAWS Christmas Pop-up Shop

08.12.21 Year 3 Christmas Production (2.00pm and 6.00pm)

10.12.21 Christmas Extravaganza (afterschool – all welcome)

14.12.21 School Carol Concert at St Swithun’s Church (10.30-12.00 parents welcome)

15.12.21 School Disco (Year 3 & 4 5.00- 6.15pm/Year 5 & 6 6.30- 7.45pm) – postponed

16.12.21 Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Lunch

17.12.21 End of term (1.15pm finish)

January 2022

04.01.22 Inset Day

05.01.22 First day of term

14.01.22 World Religion Day

21.01.22 3CC Class Assembly (10.00am)

February 2022

03.02.22 Year 3 Westfields Has Talent Auditions (lunchtime)

03.02.22 PAWS Film Night (afterschool)

04.02.22 Year 3 Stone Age Creative Day

08.02.22 Safer Internet Day

11.02.22 Westfields Has Talent Showcase

18.02.22 PAWS Mufti Day

18.02.22 3HC Class Assembly (10.00am) – rescheduled to Tuesday 1st March 2022

March 2022

02.03.22 Parents Evening (3.45-6.45pm)

03.03.22 World Book Day

03.03.22 Parents Evening (3.45-6.45pm)

10.03.22 Year 3 Butser Ancient Farm

11.03.22 3MP Radio Show

14-18.03.22 Science Week

25.03.22 Whole School Poetry Slam (World Poetry Day – 21st March)

25.03.22 PAWS Quiz Night

30.03.22 Year 3 Drums Performance to Parents (2.45-3.15pm)

April 2022

05.04.22 Potted Sports Afternoon

06.04.22 School Disco (Year 3 & 4 5.00- 6.15pm/Year 5 & 6 6.30- 7.45pm)

08.04.22 Easter Raffle and Last Day of Spring Term (1.15pm finish)

25.04.22 First day of term

27.04.22 PAWS Meeting (7.00pm)

May 2022

02.05.22 Bank Holiday

13.05.22 3MP Class Assembly (10.00am)

13.05.22 Year 5 Fiver Challenge (afterschool – whole school welcome)

19.05.22 Year 3 Local Area Walk

23.05.22 Year 3 Egyptian Creative Day

24.05.22 PAWS Film Night (afterschool)

25.05.22 The Great Debate Event

26.05.22 Westfields Jubilee Celebration Day – Dress to Impress for a party fit for the Queen!

27.05.22 Inset Day

June 2022

14.06.22 Class photographs and Year 6 Photograph

July 2022

05.07.22 Sports Day

06.07.22 Celebration Evening (3.30-5.00pm – all welcome)

08.07.22 3CC Class Radio Show & PAWS Mufti Day

12.07.22 Reserve Sports Day

21.07.22 Last day of term

Letters

Whole school letters and newsletters can be found under the Parents tab (link to whole school letters)

Year 3 Letters 2021-2022

Year 3 Letters 2020-2021

Gallery

: 13.09.18

: 20.09.18

: 27.09.18

: 18.10.18

: Class 3CC

: Class 3CC

: Class 3RP

: Class 3RP

: Class 3MP

: Class 3MP