Welcome to Year Three

Meet The Team

A warm welcome to the Year 3 staff team. We are a warm and friendly team who have a real passion for teaching and inspiring the next generations of authors, sports people or even scientists! If you require any help or have any questions, please do not hesitate to chat to us at drop off / pick up or contact the school and one of us will respond.

Year Lead	Mrs Grimley
Willow	Mrs Grimley, Mrs Irvine
Elm	Mr Mather
Teaching Assistants	Ms Nash, Miss Moore

Key Information

Year Three Curriculum Map: Click Here

Twitter: @AvonwoodYear3

Year Three is such an exciting year as thae children progress from Key Stage 1 to the more formal and independent setting of Key Stage 2. It is a year full of great interactive lessons, visits and trips and a wide breadth of curriculum knowledge and skills. We work hard to build those key learning skills and character, but also to establish that all important enthusiasm for lifelong learning and discovery.

We start the year by spend time finding out more about where we live, with a study of our local area and the New Forest. We then travel back in time to the Stone Age, where we learn all about their key discoveries and the impact they have had on our lives today. In spring term, we learn all about the Ancient Egyptians and the significance of Pharaohs. We start this topic by transforming into Ancient Egyptians for the day and learning about the wonderful art of hieroglyphics. We finish the spring term learning all about volcanoes, creating our own erupting volcano! At the end of the Spring term we will have our Year 3 sleepover in the school hall which for many might be their first sleepover. The summer term is an exciting one where we begin our swimming lessons at Littledown. Then, we will finish the year looking at Alice in Wonderland and the magic of fairy tales. The children plan their own bonkers Mad Hatters tea party! Finally, we will learn all about the Greek mythical creatures and taste some delicious Greek food.

Curriculum Information Evening - October 2023

Year 3 Timetable - A Typical Day

At Avonwood our mantra is ‘Every Minute Counts’, so please help us by arriving promptly at 8:40am daily. Morning break is 15 minutes and we have a one hour lunch.

Home Learning

As children transition into our junior school phase, they will be exposed to increasingly independent opportunities to develop and learn. With the academic standard of core subjects also rising, there is an increased need to consolidate and recall prior knowledge from weekly lessons. Our home learning therefore reflects this by expecting the English or Maths piece to be completed by all children on a weekly basis. To support this increase in expectations, an invitational home learning club will be available on request to help develop and nurture independence with these tasks. In lieu of the increased expectations on a single weekly maths or English task, the half termly projects become optional in Key Stage 2.

FAQ's

What trips and visits do you complete in Year 3?

Our first history topic in Year 3 focusses on The Stone Age and we take a trip in the first term to Stonehenge. Here the children will walk in the footsteps of their Neolithic ancestors. Towards the end of the Spring term, we hold a sleepover at school. In the evening, we play group games on the field, lay out our sleeping bags in the hall and enjoy a yummy breakfast in the Year 3 block. Throughout the year we also have a range of visitors as part of our RE, Science and PE units.

What day of the week is homework set?

Homework across the school is set on a Wednesday, ready to be handed in the following Wednesday.

Reading records are collected and checked every Monday.

What days do our children need to wear PE kit?

In Year 3 we have PE on Wednesday and Friday. Children should attend school in full PE kit, including navy jogging bottoms and our branded Avonwood navy hoody.

When do the children go swimming?

In Year 3, during the summer term the children undertake 9 weeks of swimming lessons at the Littledown Centre.

What should my child be reading and how often?

For some top tips of what your child should be reading in Year 3, please see our useful documents and links (below) for a recommended reading list. Research shows daily reading as one of the highest contributors to high achievement in children.Therefore, children should be reading daily all through their school life; we encourage children to log this in their reading journals which we will check every Monday. Once your child has read five times, they will receive a ‘High 5’ pom pom to put into their class jar. Once the jar is full, the class will celebrate by choosing an activity from the reading raffle!

What should my child bring to school every day?

Each day, your child should come equipped with their reading journal (signed daily), their reading book, a named water bottle, a named snack box with a fruit or vegetable snack for playtime, a named lunchbox (or know that they are having a hot school dinner), their homework book, a named waterproof coat and a named sunhat and sun cream in the summer.

I would like to support my child with their learning from home, what can I do to help?

The best way to assist your child at home is to help set up routines that ensure your child has increasing responsibility for getting their school things ready, completing their homework and daily reading. Daily reading is fundamental to children’s progress so any support with this would be fantastic. This could be a mix of the child reading to you and you reading to them too. Times tables are also key in a child’s success to maths in Year 3 and without this vital knowledge they will struggle with the everyday basics. Any support you can provide with helping your child to ensure they have high quality weekly homework (including their Doodle Maths) would be highly beneficial as well. Checking over your child’s homework and discussing the number of marks they achieved helps them to identify where they may have made any mistakes and what areas they should focus on in the future. For any other top tips, please watch our ‘Year 3 Curriculum Evening’ video from October 2024 above.