In Year 3 are Mrs Harvey and Mrs Lane (class teachers).

Welcome to Year 3: Stepping into Key Stage 2!

Year 3 is a milestone year as the children move into Lower Key Stage 2. It’s an exciting time where we build upon the foundations of the infants and begin to develop deeper independence, resilience, and a broader curiosity about the world. Our classroom is a place where we think big, work hard, and celebrate every "lightbulb moment"!

Transitioning to Junior Life

In Year 3, we encourage the children to take more ownership of their learning. Our daily routine evolves to include more independent inquiry, while still providing the warmth and support needed for this transition:

  • The Morning Routine: We start with "Early Bird" tasks that focus on number fluency and grammar, getting our brains in gear for a morning of English and Maths.

  • Deepening Literacy through Reading: We move into more complex texts, focusing on reading skills, learning new vocabulary, understanding inference and prediction. We develop our oral ability for explanation and information retrieval.

  • Exploratory Afternoons: Our curriculum expands with exciting new topics. Whether we are becoming Stone Age survivors in History or exploring the power of magnets in Science, the learning is immersive and fast-paced.

The Big Three: Handwriting, Spelling, and Tables

As we move into Key Stage 2, we place a high priority on the "Fundamentals" that allow children to access the whole curriculum with confidence.

1. Beautiful Handwriting

We take great pride in our presentation! In Year 3, we work hard on transitioning to a consistent, fluent joined-up (cursive) style. Good handwriting isn’t just about looking neat; it helps with writing flow and gives the children added pride in their work.

2. Super Spellings

Our spelling focus shifts toward more complex patterns and the Year 3/4 Statutory Word List. We use a variety of "look, say, cover, write, check" strategies and investigate the origins of words to help them stick.

3. Times Tables: The TTRS Journey Continues

Fluency in multiplication is the "secret key" to success in Year 3 maths, especially as we begin to tackle formal column methods.

  • The Goal: We focus heavily on the 3, 4, and 8 times tables, alongside the 2, 5, and 10s from Year 2.

  • TTRS: We continue to use Times Tables Rock Stars daily. Rapid recall of these facts allows children to solve complex division and fraction problems with ease.

Helping at Home: Making a Difference

  • Daily Reading: Even as children become more fluent, hearing them read aloud is vital. Discussing the meaning of new words and the motives of characters helps develop their higher-level comprehension.

  • Spelling Bee at Home: Why not have a weekly "mini-test" or use "pyramid writing" to practice the week's spellings?

  • The "Rock Star" Lifestyle: Aim for "Little and Often"—5 minutes on TTRS every day is much more effective than one long session!

Communication & Independence

  • Digital Learning: We continue to use Class Dojo for homework and sharing the wonderful work we do in class.

  • Organisation: We encourage the children to start managing their own belongings. Please help them remember to bring their Book Bags and Reading Records in daily, as we have many opportunities for independent reading.

  • Partnership: As the children grow in independence, our partnership with you remains as important as ever. If you have any questions about the move to Key Stage 2, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Here’s to a year of discovery, growth, and becoming true "Junior" learners!