Transitions 2024- 2025
Mrs Middleton and Miss Hailes are the Year 3 teachers at Harlaxton CE Primary School. Below is a transition booklet informing you of a little bit about Year 3 before you begin. We look forward to seeing you soon.
School Year 2023 - 2024
Autumn Term - 2024
What would it be like to live in the Amazon Rainforest?
Hello Year 3!
I hope you have all had a wonderful summer break. I can't wait to hear all about what you have been up to.
This term our essential question is, 'What would it be like to live in the Amazon Rainforest?' It is a really interesting topic and I know you are going to enjoy learning about it. We will be exploring and comparing physical geography and settlements of Brazil to the UK, looking at the layers of the Rainforest, deforestation and much more.
PE this term will be on a Wednesday morning, however please ensure that kits are in school all week. Please remember that for PE, earrings are to be removed and hair is to be tied back.
Homework will be given out on a Friday and should be handed in by the following Wednesday. The weekly spelling test will take place on a Friday. We will check reading records, give out house points if you have read 4 or more times in a week and change books on Wednesday.
Spelling tests - See below for the termly spelling overview. The children will be given their termly overview at the start of the term but will no longer be getting a weekly spelling grid.
Please practise your times tables at home. In Year 3 we will be focussing on 3x, 4x and 8x tables as well as recapping 2x, 10x and 5x tables.
Below is an overview of what we will be learning about this term in each subject.
Mrs Middleton
Autumn Term Curriculum Overview
Autumn Term Spelling Overview
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Year 3 had an amazing trip observing all of the wildlife and even got to handle some rainforest animals.
English
Year 3 have worked incredibly hard on their own versions of the Great Kapok Tree this term. They have included lots of lovely descriptive language, adverbs and conjunctions. Year 3 were very proud to share their stories with Year 2.
Harvest festival
Year 3 performed a harvest song at Harlaxton church for harvest festival.
English
Year 3 have worked incredibly hard to write the own versions of ‘The Great Kapok Tree’. They have taken pride in their final pieces, ready to share with another year group.
Art
Year 3 have been exploring tone in Art. The children have been exploring different graded pencils to create a range of effects. They noticed that 4B pencils were softer, therefore creating darker tones and 4H pencils were harder, creating lighter tones.
The children then used this to create different tones in shapes.
Playtime
Year 3 have been enjoying using the equipment during playtime. They have particularly enjoyed the climbing wall, challenging the whole class to move across without falling down.
Geography
Today we were using 8-point compass references to describe to location of places in relation to Brazil.
In today’s lesson we were learning about compass directions (NESW). We used atlases to find countries that were North and South of Brazil.
Maths
We have started looking at place value this week. For this activity, we used base ten to help find different ways of making 41.
Science
In Science this term, we are learning about forces including friction.
Here, we are investigating how different surfaces affect the distance a toy car can travel.
Music
In Music we have been learning about different classifications of musical instruments and about stamping tubes. We have used different lengths of tube to explore making sounds. We also invented musical 'conversations' of different pitches on tubes.
Transitions 2023- 2024
Mrs Middleton and Miss Hailes are the Year 3 teachers at Harlaxton CE Primary School. Below is a transition booklet informing you of a little bit about Year 3 before you begin. We look forward to seeing you soon.
School Year 2023 - 2024
Summer Term - 2024
This term we will be learning about the Ancient Egyptians.
Our essential question is - What were the greatest achievements of the Ancient Egyptians?
PE this term will be on a Tuesday morning, however please ensure that kits are in school all week. Please remember that for PE, earrings are to be removed and hair is to be tied back.
Homework will be given out on a Friday and is to be handed in on the following Wednesday or before and the weekly spelling test will be on a Friday. We will check reading records, give out house points if you have read 4 or more times in a week and change books on a Tuesday.
Spelling tests - see below for the termly spelling overview. The children will be given their termly overview at the start of the term but will no longer be getting a weekly spelling grid.
Below you can find our curriculum overview of what we will be learning as well as the spellings for the term.
Mrs Middleton, Miss Andrews and Miss Hailes
Summer Term Curriculum Overview
Summer Term Spelling Overviews
Ancient Egypt
What were the greatest achievements of the Ancient Egyptians?
RE Workshop
We took part in a RE workshop where we were able to learn about different faiths. We explored foods, language, clothing and lots of other aspects.
My Styles
The children have really enjoyed sharing the My Styles they created, linked to our Ancient Egyptian project. They have been AMAZING! Thank you for all your hard work.
Cricket and Countryside Day
We had the best time at Cricket and Countryside. We played some cricket games, did some orienteering, met a sheep farmer and saw some birds of prey.
Sport’s Day
Project
We have been learning about the pyramids in Project. We explored why they were built and how historians thought they were built. We then had a go at building our own pyramids using a range of resources. We found out that it isn’t as easy as it looks.
Roots to food
We had the best time learning to create Singapore noodles from scratch. We learnt where the ingredients came from and the importance of the different food groups for health and nutrition.
Maths
The children have been using flash cards to help them learn their 3 timetables or to help them with their quick recall.
Golden Wonka ticket prizes
Here are the year 3 children who won the golden ticket prizes.
English
Year 3 have worked incredibly hard on their stories in English. They have been working on writing in paragraphs and including lots of features in their writing, such as noun phrases and fronted adverbials. The audience for the stories was a younger year group, so this afternoon Y3 shared their stories with Y2.
Egyptian Day
We have had the best day being ancient Egyptians. We had a go at writing hieroglyphics, creating candles with herbs, creating amulets, carving into soap, bread making and lots more. We finished the day with a banquet and performing some Egyptian stories.
Mental Health Awareness Week
13th - 19th May
The theme for this year’s mental health awareness week is ‘Moving for your Mood’. We talked about why it is important to look after our mental health and different activities we could do during the school day and those we could do at home. We will be filling in a journal throughout the week to see the different types of activities we completed.
Music
The children have worked hard to create their own raps about their local area. Place watch them on the school videos page here.
French
This term we have been building up our French vocabulary and have starting putting it together to create short conversations with each other. We have been learning how to ask and answer the following question:
History
This week we were being historians and exploring secondary sources to help us find out what life was like in Ancient Egypt. We worked in small groups and looked at some images. We then had to feed back to our peers about what we found out.
Computing
This week we created code to turn our micro:bit into a step counter using accelerometer and variables. We tried out our step counter to see how many steps it took to walk to the end of the field and back.
Then, we created code to make a nightlight using the sensors on our micro:bit.
Today we had a go at create emotions on our LED display when pressing a button. We used sequenced some new code to create our emotions.
In computing this week, we have been using code to create a beating heart on the LED display of our micro:bits.
In computing we have been looking at micro:bits. We learnt that they are a tiny computer that you can give it instructions by writing code. The code is an algorithm, a sequence of instructions. This week we have been writing code so that the micro:bit displays our names on the LED display.
Science
This week we have been exploring materials that could be used in our circuits to conduct electricity in order to make our bulbs light up.
In Science, we have been learning about electrical circuits and different components. Miss Hailes challenged us to use bulbs, buzzers and motors in our circuits.
Music
Our unit is called environment. This week we have been playing the xylophones to play an ostinato accompaniment.
Cricket
For our final cricket lesson, we were working on our batting skills before we played a few cricket games where we took it in turns to field and bat.
Today we continued to practise our catching and throwing skills. We also played a game called ‘Yes, No, Wait’ which we all really enjoy.
For our third lesson with our cricket coach, we’ve been learning how to bowl. We made sure our arms were straight and made a windmill action.
This week we have been learning to bat in cricket. We looked at how to hold the cricket bat correctly and had a go at batting a ball.
This term, we have a coach coming in to teach us some cricket. This week we were learning about throwing and catching the ball as well as learning the correct catching position.
Spring Term - 2024
This term we will be learning about Planet Earth and how the weather changes.
Our essential question is - How does the weather change?
PE this term will be on a Tuesday morning, however please ensure that kits are in school all week. Please remember that for PE earrings are to be removed and hair is to be tied back.
Homework will be given out on a Friday and is to be handed in on the following Wednesday or before and the weekly spelling test will be on a Friday. We will check reading records, give out house points if you have read 4 or more times in a week and change books on a Tuesday.
Spelling tests - see below for the termly spelling overview. The children will be given their termly overview at the start of the term but will no longer be getting a weekly spelling grid.
Below you can find our curriculum overview of what we will be learning as well as the spellings for the term.
Mrs Middleton and Miss Andrews
Spring Term Curriculum Overview
Spring Term 2 Spelling Overview
Spring Term 1 Spelling Overview
Planet Earth
How does the weather change?
Easter crafts
To finish off our spring term, we completed some Easter crafts.
Easter Cup
We completed lots of Easter activities in the Easter cup to collect points for our houses. We had lots of fun!
English Poetry
For the last couple of weeks, we have been creating our own version of the poem ‘Storm at Sea’ by Alexander Rakic. We have worked really hard to include features such as similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia and alliteration. Today we completed writing our final draft and shared our poems with the Year 6s.
Easter service
Today we went to church for our Easter service. Year 3 read an Easter poem. Click here to watch.
My Styles
Thank you for creating some amazing My Styles this half term. We have loved showing each other what we have created.
English
We have been creating our own weather news broadcast in English. Please click here to watch the videos. We hope you enjoy them.
Comic Relief 2024
For comic relief this year, the children could tell some jokes. Please watch the Year 3 children telling their best jokes on the video page. Click here. Enjoy!
Computing
We have been learning our touch-typing skills on 2type on Purple Mash. We been learning about our home row, top row and bottom row keys as well as learning where to place our fingers.
World Book Day
Year 3 have been learning the poem ‘Bed in Summer’ for World Book Day. Please watch the clip of our class reciting the poem here.
We also visited Reception and shared poems and stories with them.
E-safety workshop
Today we had an e-safety workshop, learning about how to stay safe online and what to do if we don’t feel safe.
Art
Today we created a landscape in the style of David Hockey. We then painted it using vibrant colours.
Today we continued with our paintings, adding more detail. We mixed colours to create new shades.
Meeting Caryl Hart
In preparation for World Book Day next week, we got to have the chance to meet Caryl Hart, the author of the book ‘Together We Can’. We were able to ask her questions, listen to her reading some of her other stories and find out a bit more about her.
Children’s Mental Health Week
This week is children’s mental health week and this year’s moto is ‘We have a voice’. The children have come up with some conversation starters to help them have a voice when they feel they may need help. We also talked about different ways that we could help our mental health. We ended our day by trying out some of our well-being activities e.g. going for a walk, reading, drawing etc.
PE
In PE we have been learning how to create interesting point and patch balances, develop stepping into shape jumps with control and develop the straight, barrel and forward roll.
Science
As part of our learning about the States of Matter, we have been learning how to measure the temperature accurately using thermometers. Using this skill, we have measured the temperature is lots of different locations around the school!
We also carried out an investigation to find out which materials melted at which temperatures. We tested butter, chocolate and candle wax at three different temperatures.
Art
Today we have been using charcoal to create a tornado. We peer critiqued our first draft and had a go at improving it.
This week in art we have been using charcoal and developing our skills using it. Today we had a go at drawing an object such as a ball or apple.
Maths
This week in maths we have been looking at division. In today’s lesson we have been using lollipop sticks to explore remainders when dividing.
Music
We have been learning about the use of pentatonic scales and melodies in Chinese music. We learned a song called Gung Hay Fat Choy, which celebrates Chinese New Year. We have been following a score to accompany a song, as well as performing using a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments.
This week in music we have been exploring pentatonic scales on the xylophones. We will be having a go at composing and playing our own pentatonic Melodies in the next few lessons.
Geography
Today we were locating the equator, tropics, hemispheres and poles. We then identified some countries that are located above, on or above the equator using an atlas.
Computing
This term we are looking at emails. Today we talked about communication and identified different methods of communicating. We created a mind map with advantages and disadvantages of each method, creating links between them on Purple Mash.
Today we were writing and sending emails to our classmates.
Autumn Term - 2023
Welcome to Year 3. We hope that you have all had a great summer and we look forward to hearing about it.
This term we will be learning about the Roman Empire, their invasion of Britain and life in Roman Britain.
Our essential question is - Who were the Romans?
PE this term will be on a Monday morning, however please ensure that kits are in school all week. Please remember that for PE earings are to be removed and hair is to be tied back.
Homework will be given out on a Friday and is to be handed in on the following Wednesday or before and the weekly spelling test will be on a Friday. We will check reading records, give out house points if you have read 4 or more times in a week and change books on a Wednesday. After half term we will do this on a Monday.
Below you can find our curriculum overview of what we will be learning as well as the spellings for the term.
Mrs Coupland, Mrs Middleton and Miss Andrews
Autumn Term Curriculum Overview
My Style homework
Termly overview
Autumn Term 1 Spelling Overview
Autumn Term 2 Spelling Overviews
The Romans
Who were the Romans?
Christmas Cup fun
Christmas Jumper Day
Art - Roman mosaics
Today we had a go at printing a border mosaic. We tried to create a repeated pattern using printing sticks.
Today the children have had a go at creating a mosaic border for their pictures. They were trying to create a repeating pattern all the way around, using no more than three colours.
Thanksgiving
Today we had some visitors from Harlaxton Manor who taught the children about the American holiday, Thanksgiving. The children shared with each other what they were thankful for and created some Thanksgiving crafts.
Anti-bullying Week
Monday 13th – Friday 17th November 2023
Make a noise about bullying
Today the children have been learning about Odd Socks Day. We discussed what unique means and how we can celebrate this.
Christmas tree decorations for St Wulfram’s Church
The children have created some decorations as a class for a tree in St Wulfram’s.
The Collection - Lincoln (Roman Day)
Being archaeologists.
What it was like to be a Roman soldier.
Roman artefacts.
World Mental Health Day
10th October
We have been discussing World Mental Health Day today and identified small feelings and what we can do if we are experiencing small feelings.
We created a wheel of activities together that children could do in school e.g. read a book, count, deep breaths etc. We also discussed what big feelings are and what these can look like, and talked about what to do if we feel like this. We also looked at how to be a good listener too.
Black History Month
We have been talking about Black History month and have discussed some significant people who have contributed to Black History.
We have focussed on Rosa Parks and looked at her life and how she stood up for what she felt right. We read the Little People, Big Dreams Rosa Parks book as well as the Brilliant Black British history book where we focussed on black people from the Roman times.
We are going to continue to read some other stories of other significant individuals throughout October.
English (Autumn term 1)
This term we are writing a play script for part of the story of Romulus and Remus.
The audience - an online performance.
The purpose - to entertain.
We have created the following story map to help us with our writing.
We have set the scene by writing a description of the setting and have been busy editing each others work against the rubric.
Please click on the link to watch a selection of our play scripts being acted out.
Maths - Addition and Subtraction
The children are in the early stages of learning the formal written method for subtraction and addition.
To support their understanding we have been adding and subtracting practically with place value counters. This has aided their understanding of how to exchange when adding 1s across 10s.
Maths - Place value
We have been using manipulatives - place value counters to help us understand the value of digits in numbers.
RE
We have been learning about the festival of Diwali and what this means to the Hindu community. We have created Rangoli pattens.
Science
In science we have been learning about nutrition and have used food labels to investigate the amount of sugar that there is in some food products. We used cubes to represent the amounts.
Music - Autumn 2
Today the children have been learning about metres. We have looked at 2, 3 and 4 metres and have been practising tapping the beat and then marking the metre.
We sang a song called ‘What’s the metre?’ whilst counting the metre.
Click the link to watch the video on our school videos page:
https://harlaxton-c-of-e-primary-school.primarysite.media/playlist/year-3-music-whats-the-metre-1
Music - Autumn 1
Watch this short film of the children singing a traditional Caribbean song called ‘Dis long time, gal’ with a steel pan accompaniment.
Dis long time gal
A short clip of the children using xylophones and maracas to play a call and response structure to the traditional Caribbean song ‘Dis long time, gal’.
PE - Autumn 2
This term we are doing yoga in PE.
PE -Autumn 1
The children have been exploring balance today and tried different challenges which involved balance.
Computing
During our first week of school we have been learning how to keep safe. We have focused on passwords and the importance of not disclosing these to anyone other than the people who look after us and care for us.
We have created a class Blog and discussed how we can use it. Blogs can only be authorised to be published my a teacher.
Design and Technology
The children enjoyed their first D&T lesson - they explored pulleys to see what items they could lift.
The children have been creating their final draft design.
The children have enjoyed building their structure from their final design.
Maths guides for parents
Please find below parent ‘how to’ guides which provide information on how you can help your child understand certain mathematical topics.
If you follow this link you will be taken through to White Rose parents page called Maths with Michael. You will find short film clips to accompany the guides.
White Rose calculation policies which are inline with our teaching.
Maths
At Harlaxton we use the White Rose Scheme of work to support our planning and teaching of Mastery Maths lesson. Mastery Maths is broken it 5 elements - please see the diagram below.
White Rose launched home-learning resources during Covid, these can be found at the following link. These resources include film clips, questions and answers.
https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/
Top tips from White Rose for everyday maths at home.
https://whiterosemaths.com/latest-news/top-tips-for-everyday-maths-at-home/
I See Maths
Gareth Metcalfe also launched home learning lessons, where he built understanding in small steps. His website can be found at the following link.
Online Learning
Your children have their usernames and passwords in their home-learning book.
Purple Mash
https://www.purplemash.com/harlaxton
TT Rockstars
https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school/student
Leader in Me
On a daily basis, the children try to demonstrate our core values within school. As we aim to practise them so often, they become good habits that we can use not only in school but also at home too.
Growth Mindset
This year we will be helping the children to develop a Growth Mindset. This aims to increase their resilience, perseverance and independence in their learning. Further information can be found by following the link below.
All website content copyright © Harlaxton Church of England Primary School
Website design by PrimarySite