Term 4 Week 2

WB: 02.03.26

Just a reminder that it is World Book Day tomorrow, Thursday 4th March. I can’t wait to see who everyone comes dressed as!

The sun has got his hat on – hip hip hip hooray! The brighter weather has made such a difference to our days in school. The children have loved spending more time learning outdoors, which has really boosted their energy, focus and enthusiasm.

In English, we have met some more curious characters: Iris the Mermaid, Mr Culpeper the Albatross and Cliff, the Rambling Isles stone giant. The children wrote persuasive letters encouraging Cliff to enter the “Night of the Seawigs” contest – a wonderful event where the most magnificent wigs are shown and judged. We focused on using emotive language, exaggeration and a little flattery to make our arguments as convincing as possible. I am delighted to say their efforts paid off – they successfully persuaded Cliff to be brave and take part! In our linked learning, the children also designed and created their own seawigs, using sequins as fish scales and feathers to create birds’ nests, showing great creativity and care.

In Maths, we have continued our work on fractions. We have explored fractions on scales and fractions on a number line. A key learning point was understanding that when placing fractions on a number line, we count the spaces (intervals) rather than the small dividing marks. We also discovered that 2/4 is equivalent to 1/2 and began exploring other simple equivalent fractions.

In Science, we carried out an investigation using magnets to explore which objects in our classroom were magnetic. The children tested a variety of everyday items and made sensible predictions before checking their ideas. They discovered that magnetic objects are usually made from metals such as iron and steel.

We also learnt about the two poles of a magnet – north and south. The children enjoyed finding out that opposite poles (north and south) attract each other, but the same poles (north and north or south and south) repel and push away from one another. We spent time experimenting with this and observing what happened when we turned the magnets around. It was a fun and hands-on way to develop our scientific thinking and understanding.

In French, we have begun learning our numbers to 12. We started by singing a fun French counting song, which helped the children hear and practise the correct pronunciation. We listened carefully to the sounds in each word and repeated them with growing confidence. The children then matched the numerals to the written French number words and practised saying them aloud. We also played quick-fire games and did partner quizzes to help build fluency and recall. It has been wonderful to see the children becoming more confident at recognising, saying and reading their French numbers.

In Geography, we have been learning about the different types of tectonic plate movements: convergent, divergent and transform. The children explored what happens when plates move towards each other, move apart, or slide past one another.

To help bring this learning to life, we used wooden blocks and sandpaper to model how tectonic plates can sometimes get “stuck” as they try to move past each other. When the pressure builds up and they suddenly slip, this sharp movement is what causes an earthquake. The children really enjoyed seeing how this worked in a practical way, which helped them understand why earthquakes happen.

We have also been learning a fun song (with actions!) to help remember the different types of tectonic movements – do ask your child to perform it for you at home - PLATE TECTONICS SONG | Science Music Video - YouTube

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support with your child’s learning – it really does make a difference and is greatly appreciated.

Please continue to support your child with regular reading at home and by updating their Boom Reader account whenever possible. Your support makes a real difference to their confidence and progress. Please also ensure your child brings their reading book into school every day. Please also follow this link https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/6704864

 to access quizzes when your child finishes a book. They will know their login details for this. 

We are continuing to learn our times tables with some fun songs! Practising for just 15 minutes a week on the recommended website will make a huge difference in building strong multiplication and division skills, which are essential throughout Key Stage 2 and beyond. We have been practising our 11 times table. This song is a bit fast and has some tricky, tongue-twisting parts, but the children are really enjoying it and having fun while learning - 11 Times Table Song | Skip Counting the Multiples of 11

3 Times Tables - Have Fun Learning!

4 Times table song (A Whole New World from Disney's Aladdin)

4 Times Table Song (APT be Rosé and Bruno Mars)

Counting By Sixes Song

7 Times Table Song | Skip Counting by 7 Song with Multiplication

Seven Times Table Song (Cups by Anna Kendrick Cover) with Classroom Instruments

Eight Times Table Song (Cover of All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor)

Nine Times Table Song (90's Song Mashup)

9 Times Table Song (cover of Takedown by Huntrix from K Pop Demon Hunters) - YouTube

The 12 Times Table Song | Skip Counting by 12 for Kids

S3 Usual weekly timetable (please note that there may be changes to this at times).

The Year 3 Team