English |
In Year 3, children will be taught in classes for English lessons and sets for Spelling. Children will have a regular reading sessions and also use Accelerated Reader to develop their independent reading skills. Below the programme of study for Years 3 and 4 is outlined as a guide to what will be covered during this academic year. Note that there is a single programme of study for both Year 3 and Year 4 given in the new National Curriculum to allow for the consolidation of key concepts and skills.
Reading - Word Reading
Pupils will be taught to:
apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (etymology and morphology) as listed in English Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet
read further exception words, noting the unusual correspondences between spelling and sound, and where these occur in the word
Reading Comprehension
Pupils will be taught to:
develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:
listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
using dictionaries to check the meaning of words that they have read
increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including fairy stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these orally
identifying themes and conventions in a wide range of books
preparing poems and play scripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action
discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
recognising some different forms of poetry [for example, free verse, narrative poetry]
understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by:
checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context
asking questions to improve their understanding of a text
drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
identifying main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarising these
identifying how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning
retrieve and record information from non-fiction
Writing Transcription - Spelling
Pupils will be taught to:
use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (English Appendix 1)
spell further homophones
spell words that are often misspelt (English Appendix 1)
place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with regular plurals [for example, girls’, boys’] and in words with irregular plurals [for example, children’s]
use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary
Handwriting and Presentation
Pupils will be taught to:
use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
Writing Composition
Pupils will be taught to:
plan their writing by:
discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar
discussing and recording ideas
draft and write by:
composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures (English Appendix 2)
organising paragraphs around a theme
in narratives, creating settings, characters and plot
in non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices [for example, headings and sub-headings]
evaluate and edit by:
assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements
proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of pronouns in sentences
proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
Writing - Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation
Pupils will be taught to:
develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:
extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
using the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense
choosing nouns or pronouns appropriately for clarity and cohesion and to avoid repetition
using conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause
using fronted adverbials
learning the grammar for Year 3 in English Appendix 2
indicate grammatical and other features by:
using commas after fronted adverbials
indicating possession by using the possessive apostrophe with plural nouns
using and punctuating direct speech
The Types of Texts to be Studied in Year 3
The children will read and produce pieces of writing inspired by a range of poetry, non-fiction and narrative texts including both modern and classic writing. These texts provide the context for the learning outlined above. During Year 3, the children will explore these genres and texts:
Autumn Term
Oral re-telling of a story
Book study of Jeremiah in the Dark Woods by Allan Ahlberg
Newspaper articles linked to the Romans
Descriptive poetry about the winter
Spring Term
Modern classic study – The Hodge Heg by Dick King Smith
Letter writing to famous authors
Performance Poetry
Diary of life as a pharaoh
Instructions for mummification
Summer Term
Adventure stories
Classic book study – The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Information reports linked to The Rainforest
Persuasive letters including writing to the Queen about deforestation
Mathematics |
In Year 3 children will be taught in classes for Maths. Written calculation methods will be taught as set out in our Calculation Policy to ensure continuity and progression.
Number and Place Value
Pupils will be taught to:
count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100; find 10 or 100 more or less than a given number
recognise the place value of each digit in a three-digit number (hundreds, tens, ones)
compare and order numbers up to 1000
identify, represent and estimate numbers using different representations
read and write numbers up to 1000 in numerals and in words
Addition and Subtraction
Pupils will be taught to:
a three-digit number and ones
a three-digit number and tens
a three-digit number and hundreds
Multiplication and Division
Pupils will be taught to:
Fractions
Pupils will be taught to:
Measurement
Pupils will be taught to:
Geometry - Properties of Shapes
Pupils will be taught to:
Statistics
Pupils will be taught to:
Science |
At Greswold we are using the Engaging Science scheme as the basis of our Science planning. This scheme was chosen for its strong focus on practical investigation. Pupils are encouraged to be curious and think both scientifically and creatively, using the outdoor environment to learn Scientific ideas in context.
Throughout the year, the children will be learning about the area within and near the school grounds and at the impact of humans on the environment. They discuss the need to balance human requirements against those of the environment.
Autumn Term
Pupils explore magnetism and forces. They test materials for magnetic properties and think about what materials are magnetic. They describe the properties of a magnet in simple terms and learn about the uses of magnets. Also this term the children explore the characteristics of rocks and learn their names. They carry out simple tests on different rocks and use chocolate to model how rocks are made. They explore the composition of soil and think about how soil is made. They learn about the formation of fossils and make their own model fossils. They look at pictures of dinosaur fossils and try to come to some conclusions about the living dinosaurs the fossils came from.
Spring Term
In the Spring the children consider food groups and consider the classification of animals according to diet as carnivores, herbivores or omnivores, researching the diets of animals in more detail. They look at human dietary requirements and begin to identify different food types and their different uses in the body. Pupils learn about external and internal skeletons, making a life size skeleton diagram and studying the names and functions of the major bones in the human skeleton. Also this term the children learn about light and distinguish a light source from reflected light. They learn that light travels in straight lines, study how we see and are taught how to protect their eyes. They investigate the transparency of fabrics using data loggers and carry out some experiments to find out about shadow formation.
Summer Term
Pupils carry out a long-term investigation of the factors that affect the growth of plants, observing and measuring their plants for the course of the unit. They learn about the main functions of the different parts of a plant and will study the life cycle of a flowering plant, including studying the structure of a flower and the different methods of seed dispersal. The children also start to consider food groups.
Computing |
We are using Solihull's Scheme of Work to deliver the requirements of the Computing programme of study. This scheme has an annual focus on online safety, using the Internet and finding out about technology pupils will be familiar with. Each year computer science skills and transferable ICT skills are also developed in a progressive way.
Autumn Term
Pupils are taught how computer networks including the Internet work. They know what the world wide web is and how to use and evaluate search engines in order to find information to support their using keywords. They understand plagiarism in simple terms. They know how to use advanced search to find copyright free images and how to bookmark websites. Pupils know how to use email safely as a method of communication and collaboration. They create avatars to use as an online alias when using discussion forums.
Spring Term
Pupils design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals and solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts. They use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs and work with variables. They use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs.
Summer Term
Pupils are taught about the role computers and other devices have in industry. They learn that data can be collected and retrieved in many ways including for example data loggers. They know how to structure and store their own data so that it can be easily retrieved. They are taught to recognise the effect their writing or images might have on others (including bullying) and to respect the ideas, work and communications of others. They understand that if they make personal information available online it may be seen, used and altered by others.
History |
Autumn Term
In the Autumn term the children learn about the Roman invasion of Britain. They learn about the Celtic way of life prior to the Romans' arrival and how England changed during the occupation. They find out about the Boudicca's revolt and how a historical event can be viewed in different ways. They also learn about the legacy of the Roman settlement on the UK as a country.
Spring Term
During the Spring term the children find out about the ancient Egyptian civilisation. They locate Egypt using an atlas and investigate the climate. The children find out about the importance of the Nile to the ancient Egyptians and how its flooding was vital for farming. Through class work and research they find out more about the society including the gods, why pyramids were built and how mummies were made.
Summer Term
There is a geographical focus for this term.
Geography |
Autumn Term
There is a historical focus for this term. The children will use atlas' and maps to find out which countries the Roman's conquered.
Spring Term
There is a historical focus for this term. The children use maps to find out the countries that the Nile flows through and investigate how the flooding of the river influences Egyptian society.
Summer Term
The geographical focus in Year 3 happens when the children learn about rainforest environments. They use atlases to find the locations of rainforests around the world. They compare the climate in a typical rainforest to the UK using comparative climate data. After finding out about the abundance of life that lives in rainforests, they consider the impact of deforestation. They look at how the destruction of the habitat affects local people by doing a study on the Yanamami tribe, the rainforest ecosystems and the Earth more widely. We also study the geographical difference in time zones (day and night) between countries in South America and the United Kingdom.
Physical Education (PE) |
Each week the children have two PE lessons each week - normally an inside PE and and outdoor Games lesson.
Autumn Term
Indoor PE - The children will use our new Sportshall Athletics equipment to improve their running, jumping and throwing. They will also take part in team building and orienteering activities.
Outdoor Games - There is a focus on invasion games. The children develop throwing and catching skills and learn how to apply tactics to team games.
Spring Term
Indoor PE – This term the children develop flexibility and control in gymnastics. They will also develop their dance skills, working in pairs and small groups to produce a piece inspired by life on the Nile in ancient times.
Outdoor Games - The children take part in, and develop skills for, playing net and wall games.
Summer Term
Indoor PE - The children return to the topic of dance and create a group piece inspired by the rainforest topic using The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
During the last half term the majority of PE lessons will be outside. The children develop their athletics skills including running, jumping and throwing, take part in Tri-Golf lessons leading up to a competition and take part in striking and fielding games.
Art |
Throughout Year 3, pupils will be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
Autumn Term
The children create mosaics, linked to the topic of the Romans.
Spring Term
The children study the work of artist Paul Klee. They learn how to mix colours and create a painting in the style of ‘Legend of the Nile’.
Summer Term
In the Spring Term, the children use a range of media to create rainforest artwork. They draw outlines, develop sketching techniques and blend colours.
Design and Technology (D&T) |
Autumn Term
During the Autumn Term, the children explore nets and make their own 3D packaging for some Christmas chocolates.
Spring Term
Linked to our Science work on food and diets, the children will design and make a healthy sandwich, using kitchen utensils safely and working in a hygienic manner.
Summer Term
There is a focus on levers this term and the children will make their own moving pictures.
Music |
In Year 3 the children will learn to read standard musical notation. They will listen to a range of music which produces specific moods or imagery and develop their singing skills. They will learn to play the recorder and also use tuned percussion instruments to compose and play their own pieces of music.
Religious Education (RE) |
We follow the locally agreed Solihull syllabus for RE.
Autumn Term
During the Autumn term the children learn about Peace and how each religion want to achieve it, and Religion and Art with a focus on the Nativity.
Spring Term
In the Spring term, we look at the 'Lost and Found' parables and how this teaches us about love, and how the Easter story is a sign of hope.
Summer Term
During the Summer term the children learn about the Prayer and the importance of it in each religion, and the Journey of Life and the different religious celebrations that promote comings of age.
French (Primary Modern Language) |
Autumn Term
This term the children learn greetings including Salut, Bonjour, Au revoir, Bonsoir, Bonne nuit and Bon Voyage. They learn the correct forms of address (Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle) and how to say their name or ask others their name. They learn nouns for people and follow some simple instructions. They also learn the numbers to 12 and say how many of an item there are, linking to the objects found in a classroom.
Spring Term
The children continue to learn the numbers up to 21. They learn how to ask someone's age and give their own. Also this term the children say how they are feeling in French and describe where they live.
Summer Term
This term the children learn the alphabet including sounds and recognising simple spellings. They say where they live and recognise the name and location of some French towns. They develop their use of verbs and learn how to give negative instructions. They also learn more vowel and consonant combinations and learn the vocabulary of family members.
Personal and Social Development (PSD) |
We follow the Jigsaw scheme, which teaches children a mindful approach to their personal and social wellbeing.
Autumn Term
1) Being Me in My World
This theme culminates in creating a learning charter as a class.
2) Celebrating Difference
Includes work on families, conflicts, bullying and compliments.
Spring Term
1) Dreams and Goals
Where the learning focus is on perseverance, overcoming obstacles and how to face challenges.
2) Healthy Me
The children are taught how to keep themselves fit and healthy, which includes drug education.
Summer Term
1) Relationships
Includes making friends, solving friendship problems and how to treat others with respect.
2) Changing Me
This theme covers Sex and Relationship education and transition into the next school year.
Curriculum Enrichment
In addition to the academic curriculum outlined above, Year 3 also offers: