Year 3
Welcome to Year 3 at Paulton Junior School!
NB: P.E. is on Mondays (Basketball) and Fridays (Gymnastics). Children will be expected to arrive at school in their P.E kits on these days. Please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the weather these days as we will go out in all weather. Likewise, Outdoor Learning will take place on Wednesdays, so please ensure 'Forest School' kit is in school then. Children will also need suitable clothing for wet playtimes, especially if they would like to use the field or playscape.
Term 1
We are thrilled to welcome our new Year 3 pupils to their first term at Paulton Junior School. This year promises to be full of exciting learning experiences and new opportunities.
We encourage healthy eating, so children can bring fruit for a playtime snack. Please remember that we are a nut-free school due to severe allergies among students and staff. Please ensure all children bring a named water bottle with them each day.
There will be no written homework set during this first 4-day week of school; however, your child will be bringing a new reading book home from school by the end of the week, so please encourage them to get into daily, home-reading routines this week.
We look forward to seeing as many parents as possible on Friday at ‘Meet The Teacher’: a short meeting designed for parents to hear key information, from class teachers, about the school year ahead and weekly routines in Year 3.
If you have any questions, for your child’s class teacher, please contact the school office and we will get back to you.
Year 3 Teachers:
Mrs. Mallon and Mrs. Walker (3MW) and Mr. Barge (3B)
Expectations and Routines
- P.E. days this term are: Monday – basketball (outdoors) and Friday – gymnastics (indoors). Please wear your full P.E. kit to school on Monday and Friday.
– On Monday, Homework & Spellings will be given to your child to stick in their Homework Book. Homework books, online apps and Reading Records need to be completed and brought into school on Friday for your teacher to check. In Year 3, the expectation is that homework works out to be about 20 minutes a day or approximately 1 and a half hours a week: this should be a combination of spelling practice, daily reading, use of online learning apps and set homework tasks (Maths/English/Foundation).
– Reading at home. In Year 3, this should happen every day. Reading 15-20 minutes a day can significantly impact a child’s development. It improves language skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. Regular reading fosters critical thinking, creativity, and empathy. It also strengthens the parent-child bond and instills a lifelong love for learning and books, paving the way for future academic success. This can be in a variety of forms, such as: children reading independently, sharing a chapter together and reading on Fonetti (if your teacher has given you access). Also, remember reading to your child and listening to audiobooks is extremely beneficial too!
Reading books and reading records will be issued for children to bring home in the first week. We will expect children to read as much as possible at home (daily) as part of their weekly homework tasks. Reading records should be commented in by an adult a minimum of 3 times a week. Reading Records and reading books should be transferred between home and school every day. Please ensure Accelerated Reader quizzes are completed within 48 hours of finishing the book. See below for the links to assist with reading using apps and AR Quizzes. We expect every child to complete a minimum of 3 quizzes every term.
Homework
Term 1
Week 1
No homework activity is being set this 4-day week in the orange homework book. Please prioritise your daily reading this week.
Spelling
Weekly spelling homework begins next week.
Reading (daily)
Reading should happen every day. It can take a variety of forms, such as children reading independently and sharing a chapter together. Remember that listening to audiobooks can be very beneficial too.
Adults, please remember to listen to children read and sign their Reading Records a minimum of 3x per week.
Online Apps
These will be introduced over the course of the year.
When they are, children’s log-ins will be found on the inside cover of Reading Record. If you are having problems with these websites, please let us know as soon as possible.
For reference:
Medication
If your child requires medication to be kept in school (including inhalers), please ensure it is in their school bag that is kept at their desk throughout the day. If your child has additional medication, please ensure the office has been informed and parental consent has been given for us to administer it.
Uniform and Kit
Outdoor Learning – wellies/boots and waterproofs. Children should have these in school if they wish to use the playscape and field in the autumn and winter months. Our outdoor learning time is on Wednesdays so definitely make sure it is in for then.
Please note that the appropriate uniform and PE are also required. Children should not be wearing jewellery (unless it is one pair of stud earrings which must be removed for PE). All kit/clothing should be named. If you do not have the suitable kit, please let your teachers know. Please contact the office if you have any issues with the appropriate clothing.
Clubs and Music Lessons
Club opportunities will be presented to the children early this term and parents will be contacted regarding how to book their child a place at these fantastic opportunities.
To sign up for music lessons, please see the links below:
Rocksteady – https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/
Other Music Lessons – https://uksouthglos.speedadmin.dk/registration#/
Email: music@wema.org.uk
Communication
Homework queries can be communicated through the Homework Books or Reading Records. All other queries should go through the office (paulton_jun@bathnes.gov.uk) or give us a call on 01761 418137. Also, please continue to use the office phone line to report your child’s absence.
Open Door Friday
Every Friday after school, you are invited to come into the classroom to share and look at your child’s work. It's a great opportunity to see what they’ve been up to!
Curriculum Information for Term 1
We have many exciting things planned for the coming year. So, make sure you pack your smile every morning and get ready to give your BEST EFFORT!
ENGLISH
What an exciting first term we have ahead of us! In English, we will begin the term working on the book 'Stone Age Boy' by Satoshi Kitamura, which ties in nicely with our history lessons. We will consolidate our ideas on what word classes are and how to write a simple sentence, before expanding sentences using conjunctions and using apostrophes to show possession.
In the second half of the term, we'll write a non-chronological report exploring some of the Stone Age tasks that were carried out.
To complement our writing skills, we will be learning new punctuation and grammar skills and be thinking carefully about our presentation. We will also be brushing up on our phonics, getting stuck into our reading scheme - Accelerated Reader - which is a comprehensive scheme where children read books and complete quizzes to demonstrate their understanding. More information on this will be provided in due course.
MATHS
We will really be stretching our brain muscles this term in Maths. Firstly, we will be consolidating our understanding of place value, thinking about each digit in turn, representing numbers pictorially and with concrete resources exploring numbers up to 1000. Within this, we will be familarising ourselves with number lines, using 100 squares and comparing numbers using the less than and greater than symbols. Later in the term, we exploring adding and subtracting using mental and formal written methods up to 2 digit numbers.
Note to parents/carers: It is crucial that all children become confident with their number facts and times tables as they will be taking the Year 4 times table test in July 2025 and having fluent access to number and multiplication faces really is the cornerstone to mathematics.
FOUNDATION
History: This term in Year 3 we are being taken back to the Stone Age. We will be exploring what life was really like for people who lived in the Stone Age and how they coped with everyday tasks.
Science: The Stone Age topic will also link into our Science work, where we will be investigating different types of rock. Once we have delved into the properties of different types of rocks we will be carrying out investigations to test their properties.
PSHE: In PSHE this term, we are learning about being a team as part of our relationships curriculum and how we use our 6Rs (Learning Powers). These are used every day at Paulton Junior School and the children will become familiar with how they can use them to help themselves be successful in their learning.
Art: Our art work this term will be based around sketching. The children will gain a greater understanding of how the different grades of pencil can help us produce different effects in our art work. We will also investigate colour mixing and investigate an artist.
PE: This term we will be enjoying Basketball and Gymnastics. For Basketball on a Monday, children will be taught by Matt Analts, a superstar coach we have had the pleasure of using for years. In gymnastics, we will be looking to improve our spatial awareness and body control through the use of simple but controlled movements. Once these have been perfected the children will begin to incorporate them into their own gymnastic routines.
Music: For Music, the djembe drum will be our instrument of choice. We will hopefully be sharing some of our new skills with you later in the year.
Computing: The children will also be made familiar with computing this term with Connecting Computers. Children will explore how a digital device works, the parts that make up a digital device and how devices help keep us connected.
French: Bonjour! In French this term we welcome Madame Truelove to Year 3 who will be getting children excited about language and cultures.
We are looking forward to a term of fabulous learning, great team work and enjoyment for all.
Regards,
Mrs Mallon, Mrs Walker and Mr Barge
Useful Learning Links
READING @HOME
Oxford Owl for Home with lots of free resources for Primary age. It can provide your child with a schemed reading book. The free ebooks include : Biff and Chip, The Oxford Reading Tree Books, Project X, TreeTops.
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/
As a parent, you will need to sign up and log in with your email address to access lots of the e books. Most have an audio option, to read along or listen to the book being read and additional activities, including comprehension questions to help when you are sharing the books together. There is not a subscription, and you are not expected to buy any of the books.
Book recommendation
Write your name, book details and reason for your recommendation on the Padlet below:
Additional learning links:
– Topmarks English and Maths Games – https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ see below for help
See the picture below for help. Click learning games at the top of the website. Then select either Maths or English on the left-hand side. Check you’ve selected the right age! Finally, choose a category of game, browse the games and choose one to play.
Useful websites
These websites will help you for Writing:
www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/punctuation
www.resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy2.htm
www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/punctuation
For Reading:
www.funenglishgames.com/readinggames.html
www.readers.com/resources/education/kids-online-reading-games/
For Maths:
www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/7-11-years/times-tables
www.resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/interactive.htm
Fun with times tables
Practice singing along to the songs below to help you learn you times tables.