Year 3 Autumn 2025-26

 

• Support your child with daily reading and encourage them by ticking that you have heard/seen them read in their home school book. Don’t forget to add a comment yourself.
• Home School books to come into school every day, please.
• Spellings can be practised using the Spelling Shed website without the app.
• It is also very helpful if you can practice the x3, x4, and x8 times tables. Your child we bring home a password for Times table Rockstars.

 

Our first unit has been following and writing instructions for Roman lollypop catapults and creating Pop Art volcanoe pictures. We will look at a variety of instructions and record the features they need. We will collect verbs and time adverbials. After making our spoon and square-based catapults we will plan and then write our own instructions to go with them. We will include introductions, things we needed, and numbered steps. We will then edit and improve our last set of instructions by changing verbs and by making our sentences longer using 'and' 'but' 'so' or 'because.'  

English - Escape from Pompeii

 

Our narrative unit will be based on the story ‘Escape from Pompeii’ by Christina Balit. Travel back in time to the days of the Roman Empire and join Tranio, the son of an actor, and his friend Livia, the baker's daughter, in witnessing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Tranio, like most Roman boys, likes to watch whatever is going on: tradesmen selling their goods, ships unloading their exotic cargoes, politicians making speeches in the forum. But one hot August day a very different scene unfolds. The ground begins to shake, the sky to darken. People run gasping for air. Heading for the harbor, Tranio and his friend Livia hide on a boat and witness one of the most terrifying moments in recorded history-the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of their beloved city, Pompeii.

 

 

 

Reading is really important in Year 3. We have lots of different things to read. We have 100s of Beano comics and First News Newspapers. We also have 'Horrible Histories' and 'Horrible Science' magazines. There are also National Geographic Kids issues and 100s of exciting 'Phoenix' stories to jump into. 

Guided Reading: 

 

In Guided Reading this term we will be looking at non-fiction texts. During the first half term we are looking at 'Earth Shattering Events by Robin Jacobs. This book explores nature at its most destructive. Clear, coherent explanations break down the science behind phenomena including hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, alongside fascinating facts about the biggest and the worst. Informative, accessible illustrations by Sophie Williams make this so much more than your standard geography book.

 

 

 After half term, we will be reading 'The Street Beneath My Feet' by Charlotte Guillian. This double-sided foldout book takes you on a fascinating journey deep underground. One side of the foldout shows the ground beneath the city, whilst the reverse side shows the ground beneath the countryside. The underground scenes include tunnels and pipes, creatures' burrows, layers of rock and the planet’s molten core, and run seamlessly into the next. Mixing urban and rural settings, covering subjects such as geology, archaeology, and natural history, The Street Beneath My Feet offers children the opportunity to explore their world through a detailed learning experience.

 

Following our White Rose scheme, we will start with ‘Place Value within 1000’, before moving on to ‘Addition and Subtraction’. After half term, we will be learning about ‘Multiplication and Division.’ 

 

Year 3 will be learning about the x3, x4, and x8 times.  Your child should have learned the x2, x5, and x10 times tables in Key Stage 1. To help your child become more fluent with their times tables they will bring home a password for the Times table Rockstars app. Watch the video below to learn 10 top tips for Times Tables Rock Stars!

Videos to help your child learn their x3, x4, and x8 times table can be watched below. Try them out.

 

In Science, we will be learning about Rocks and their properties. We will be looking at igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. The 'Dr Binocs' clip below explains how these three different rocks are formed. Year 3 will look at and discuss the properties of different rocks. For our first science investigation, Year 3 will investigate 'Which rock would be the best for a Kitchen top?' We will need a rock that would not dissolve, rub off on our hands, or be scratched easily.  We will test the different rocks using our fingernails and a pin. We will then record our results in a table and explain what we found out.

After half term, we will be looking at Magnets and Springs. We will be exploring magnets and their properties and investigating which materials are magnetic both inside and outside the classroom.

Art: 

 

In art, we will be looking at and creating our very own mosaics to decorate our classroom. On the move-up day, we made simple sticky foam mosaics. What do you think? We will also look at the work of the artist, Andy Warhol. We will create a volcano pop art picture in a similar style. The video below shows you how to make your own.

 

In Geography we will be exploring the key question 'Why do people live near Volcanoes?'. Throughout the topic we will look at mountain and volcano formation, understand how the earths layers work and explore tectonic plates. 

 

To start the term we will be creating some Roman catapults using elastic bands and a range of materials. Watch the video below to see how we will create our first catapult.

Computing: 

 

We will be using Purple Mash to create our own simple animations using code. Watch a little video below to find out more.

We will also be learning about how to stay safe online. Parents and carers play a key role in supporting children to learn about how to stay safe online.  

 

Watch 'Kara and the Smart Crew' which will help teach the SMART rules when online.

 

 

 

In R.E this half term we will be asking: What do Christians learn from the Creation story? “Creation” is a big word you may hear at church. What does it mean? . The children began considering this through a picture representation used in our 'Understanding Christianity' scheme. What can you see ? Perhaps some bible stories you may spot? 

 

 

Beginning and Belonging is our first topic in PSHE and we will be looking at ways to build relationships and cope with new situations.

 

This year we will be continuing to use the 'real PE' scheme. The programme is delivered using a holistic approach to develop children's physical, personal, social, and emotional skills.

 

We are on a mission to get our children more active by developing the fundamental physical skills that are so often overlooked. Our PE lessons are centered around the child to enable them to be successful both in the classroom and in later life.

 

Autumn units: 

 

Unit 1 with focus on Personal Skills

Unit 2 will focus on Social Skills

 

 

If you fancy testing out your reaction/response try out the activities in the videos below.

 

Mrs. Eatock will be leading Music lessons in Year 3 using the Kapow Music scheme. The children will be learning to tell stories through music. Listening to music and considering the narrative it could represent. Paying close attention to the dynamics, pitch, and tempo and how they change. Creating original compositions to match an animation, building up layers of texture.

 

 

Key questions:

• What does the music make you think of?
• How does the music make you feel?
• Do you like the music?Why/Why not?
• What instruments/dynamics/layers can you hear?
• What could the story be about?

Our first unit is French is called 'Getting to know you.' During this unit we will practise key greetings to be able to:

• Ask someone their name
• Say goodbye
• Ask how are you
• Count to ten
• Ask how old someone is.