Year 3
Welcome to Champion Chestnut Class
Weekly Notices
- PE is on a Wednesday - Please come in to school in your PE kit
- Spelling tests are on and marked every Friday
- Pick 'n' mix homework is available every half-term
- Please remember to read and practise timetables on TTRS every day at home
Important Information
Group 1 = SB, ND, ZD, ZH, MI, NL, IU
Group 2 = KHA, KA, AI, EM, HR, JS
Group 3 = K-MJ, SMCM, LM
Group 1 -
Group 2 -
Group 3 -
There are also Common Exception Words that children should know by the end of Year 3.
Let's take a look at our learning journey throughout each term...
Autumn Term 2
A short but excellent first week of Autumn Term 2!
I have been impressed by how well Champion Chestnut settled into their learning this week!
In Maths, we practised adding 3-digit by 2-digit numbers using column addition, remembering to carry over the ten into the next column. We then were able to do the same by subtracting 3-digit by 2-digit numbers, remembering to exchange them from the next column if we could not subtract. At the end of the week, we enjoyed learning about complement to 100 (two numbers added to equal 100) and estimating answers using the rhyme: 5 and above give it a shove, 4 and below keep it down low.
In Talk for Writing, we started our new unit: Recount in the form of a diary entry focusing on the model text called Poppy’s Diary. We were able to learn the features of a diary entry, started text mapping the model text and created excellent short burst writing examples focused on language techniques from the text.
In Talk for Reading, we began reading The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman. Using retrieval and inference skills, we answered questions, made predictions, and used information from the text. We also began looking at new vocabulary from the text and understood the meanings linking it to our everyday life.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children started learning about various new topics.
In Geography, we focused on the question: What is a county? We linked the lesson to the Big Ideas: Space and Scale to understand where Milton Keynes is. We then drew a diagram showing that Milton Keynes is the city, Buckinghamshire is the county, England is the country and Europe is the continent. In Science, we focused on the question: What is nutrition? We linked the lesson to the Big Ideas: Life and Energy to discuss that nutrition is the ‘goodness’ in the food we eat. We then designed our favourite nutritious meal using the Eatwell plate. In Spanish, we started a new unit called: Los animales. We discovered how to name (with accurate pronunciation) and remember five animals in Spanish with the correct indefinite article/determiner.
I hope you all have a fantastic, and I look forward to next week full of more learning!
Miss Fisher.
Coming soon...
Autumn Term 1
A short but exciting first week of Year 3!
Through their hard work and determination, I have been incredibly proud of every child in Champion Chestnut class.
We have explored some interesting topics this week.
In Maths, we started learning about place value within 1,000. We now know how to represent and partition numbers up to 100 using 1s, 10s, and 100s dienes. We also discovered how to recognise numbers up to 100 on a number line, counting in 10s.
In Talk for Writing, we created short burst writing responses using the description toolkit. We practiced using expanded noun phrases, adjectives, and similes to craft effective poems.
In Talk for Reading, we began reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Using retrieval and inference skills, we answered questions, made predictions, and used information from the text.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children started learning about various new topics.
In Art, we examined shapes and proportions closely, focusing on accurately depicting facial feature proportions. In Science, we recognised that light is needed to see, and that darkness is the absence of light. We also sorted pictures of light sources into man-made (artificial) and natural categories. In Spanish, we discovered where Spain is located, which countries border it, and explored Spanish culture, including cuisine, leisure, and famous figures.
I hope you all have a great weekend, and I look forward to another fantastic week ahead!
Miss Fisher.
A great first full week in Year 3!
The children have worked extremely hard this week, delving into new subjects and topics while following The Langland Way.
We have explored many exciting topics this week.
In Maths, we practised partitioning numbers up to 1,000 using a part-whole model with confidence. We also discovered how we can represent numbers using a part-whole model by placing counters in the hundreds, tens, and ones columns. The children worked really hard to understand how to place numbers up to 1,000 on a number line using their knowledge of 1s, 10s, and 100s.
In Talk for Writing, we created short burst writing responses using the settings toolkit. The children practised using personification, adjectives, and similes to craft effective poems. Their poetry on a haunted forest and a magical beach impressed me.
In Talk for Reading, we continued reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Using retrieval and inference skills, the children answered questions, made predictions, and gathered information from the text. We also began discussing how Charlotte and Wilbur felt during different parts of the chapter and why that influenced their actions.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children built their knowledge across various subjects.
In Art, we explored observational drawing, focusing on noticing fine details. The children practised drawing eyes realistically, paying attention to the similarities and differences in our own eyes, using pencil and charcoal. In Computing, we used a computer to create and manipulate text. The children explored a range of tools to change the appearance of their documents, such as bold, italic, underline, and font changes. In Spanish, we focused on learning how to greet friends and family. The children now know how to say "hello," "goodbye," "good morning," "how are you," "I am happy," "I am sad," and "I am okay." They enjoyed having conversations around the classroom to practice their new vocabulary.
I hope you all have a well-rested weekend, and I look forward to another fun-packed week ahead!
Miss Fisher.
Another fantastic week in Champion Chestnut Class!
The children have continued to show me that they can be Ready, Respectful, and Safe around the school.
We have loved increasing our knowledge and vocabulary across different subjects.
In Maths, we practised finding 1, 10, and 100 more or less with confidence. We also discovered how to compare numbers up to 1,000 using greater than, less than, and equal to symbols. The children worked hard to understand how to count in 50s using a range of resources and their new multiplication knowledge. We even ended the week with a game of Snakes and Ladders in groups to consolidate our learning of place value.
In Talk for Writing, we explored the difference between direct and indirect characterisation. Using vocabulary from the class, the children were able to create poetry and writing without revealing the emotions of the person or animal they were describing. The responses were amazing, and the children even acted out scenarios to guess which emotions others were feeling.
In Talk for Reading, we continued reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Using retrieval and inference skills, the children answered questions in depth, made predictions, and uncovered key information from the text. We also created letters from Wilbur to Charlotte about a dilemma the character was facing. The children were able to correctly form and structure a letter, including the vital information needed to convey Wilbur’s point of view.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children discovered new ways to understand vocabulary using ‘Big Ideas.’
In History, we learned that Bronze Age people developed new ways of farming and metalworking. We explained that there was a social divide between skilled workers and those who could not make things. We also described the big idea of trade, which involves the buying and selling of goods and services, using re-enactment. In Science, we discovered that shadows are formed when light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. We searched the classroom for objects and categorised them as opaque, transparent, or translucent. In Spanish, we focused on learning how to say "my name is" in a conversation. We enjoyed having conversations around the classroom in Spanish and were able to ask, “How are you?”, “My name is…”, “What is your name?”, and say different forms of “Good morning” and “Good afternoon.”
What a great week we have had! I am sure we will enjoy many more successful weeks this term. Happy weekend!
Miss Fisher.
Halfway through Term 1 and what an exciting one it has been so far!
This week, the children have worked very hard to show everyone how responsible they are and just how resilient they can be!
In Maths, the children discovered a new mathematical topic: Addition and Subtraction. We recapped and practised using known number bonds with confidence. We also discovered how to add and subtract 1s, 10s and 100s from a given number using place value grids and other resources. The children worked hard to understand how to use addition and subtraction to find out the missing number.
In Talk for Writing, we explored the new unit about writing a portal story focusing on settings. We wrote our cold task vocabulary response as a sense poem and then completed our own portal story using our vocabulary. We are super excited to delve into the story more next week.
In Talk for Reading, we re-read Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Using retrieval and summarising skills, the children made key summaries about Charlotte and Wilbur to show the reader how their characters progressed throughout the extract. We also created replies from Charlotte to Wilbur in response to the previous dilemma we wrote about. The children were able to correctly form and structure a letter, including the vital information needed to convey Charlotte’s differing points of view.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children built on previously taught and learnt knowledge to understand further vocabulary using ‘Big Ideas.’
In Science, we could recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. We were also able to find patterns in the way that the size of shadows changed by using torches and objects to see how the size of the shadow could change. We wrote our findings using sentence stems such as: The closer the torch, the bigger the shadow. In Music, we recapped using listen and praise on the song ‘Let Your Spirit Fly’. We played warm-up games, learned how to correctly sing the song using pitch and speed. We used the glockenspiel to play and improvise the song using C, B, D.
On Thursday, we were able to celebrate: European Day of Languages. We had the amazing opportunity to try new foods such as pitta & tzatziki, ginger biscuits and bread sticks. We also wrote and illustrated the word ‘hello’ in a different European language and decorated it with drawings or patterns related to that nation (e.g., colours, landmarks, flags).
Wow! A super, fun-packed week we have had. I hope you have a big rest and are ready for more learning next week!
Miss Fisher.
Week 5 and what an enjoyable one it has been!
This week, the children have worked great as a team to learn new concepts and help each other to work through misconceptions.
In Maths, the children discovered a new mathematical topic: Addition and Subtraction. We recapped and practised using resources and column addition with confidence. We also discovered how to add and subtract 1s and 10s from across 10 and 100 experimenting with base 1, 10 and 100. The children worked hard to understand how to use addition and subtraction to spot patterns in mental thinking.
In Talk for Writing, we created a poem using the senses: see, hear, smell, and feel about the woods. We then created poetry using personification, which means that non-human objects, ideas or animals are given human characteristics, actions or emotions. On the hook day, we imagined what our perfect ‘feast’ of food would be and created short burst writing examples using adjectives and sentences of 3 to show the reader how amazing the food would be.
In Talk for Reading, we read a new chapter in Charlotte’s Web about what exactly happened to Charlotte near the end of the book. We read the chapter in 3 parts and noted down any changes or emotions that Charlotte went through and how this differs from the beginning of the book. We noticed that at the beginning of the book, Charlotte was very confident and as the book progressed, she began to become weak. On Monday, we will be writing a summary of this using the Big Question: Was Charlotte the same type of character (strong, clever and confident) all the way through the story?
In the Wider Curriculum, the children started to write as historians, scientists etc. using their new knowledge of concepts.
In Science, we discovered that light from the Sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect our eyes. We made systematic and careful observations and took accurate measurements using a data logger. We enjoyed learning about how to use the data loggers and then could measure how much sunlight was present through different materials. In Spanish, we focused on learning how to say numbers up to 10. We started off the lesson by learning how to sing a number to 10 song and realised that some of us already knew numbers in Spanish. In History, we were taught that Iron Age people were known as Celts who lived in tribes led by a king or queen and fought among themselves in a dangerous time period. In this lesson, we focused on the Big Idea of Trade, which means: the activity of buying, selling or exchanging goods or services.
On Friday, we had the most exciting time being visited by an ambulance and service workers. We were able to try on their outfits, look inside the vehicle and even hear the siren!!
An exciting and busy week we have had. I hope you all enjoy the weekend and are ready for a super week ahead!
Miss Fisher.
What a fun-packed Week 6 Champion Chestnut has had!
This week, the children have worked hard to learn new concepts, work together to solve mathematical problems and show their amazing artistic skills.
In Maths, the children revisited their column method skills and delved into a new mathematical topic: Addition and Subtraction. We remembered that when using the column method to add or subtract numbers, we must start at the ones column ready for exchanging next week! We also discovered that when spinning a number wheel, if you roll 3 numbers and subtract from the same starting number, you can get completely different answers.
In Talk for Writing, we started to understand the model text by recalling the story by drawing a story map. We were all able to recite each part of the story using actions and making sure to address punctuation throughout. We created short burst writing using prepositions, adjectives, similes and sentences of 3 linking our learning to the setting.
In Talk for Reading, we started our non-fiction focusing on spiders (which links to our original TfR text! At the beginning of the week, we used retrieval to understand if a statement was true or false. Throughout the week, we read, highlighted and made notes around the text to understand how we can write inference responses using evidence from the text. We discovered some interesting but gruesome facts about spiders – who knew that they trapped other insects for food?
In the Wider Curriculum, the children continued to write as scientists using their new knowledge of concepts and became portraiture artists.
In Science, we based our learning around the question: What makes mirrors so special? We were able to recognise that light is needed in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light. We used a blackout tent and different objects to observe whether it was shiny or dull using a flashlight. We made systematic and careful observations to notice that light is reflected from surfaces. In Spanish, we focused on learning how to say colours. We started off the lesson by learning how to sing a colours/objects song and realised that some of us already knew colours in Spanish. We discovered that some colours in Spanish sound similar to how we say them in English. In Art, we based our learning around the question: Can I create a portrait of myself? We had a picture of our face which had guidelines drawn over it and we had to follow modelled grids and guidelines to build compositions of our face. We were then able to draw subjects of increasing complexity throughout the lesson.
On Tuesday, we had the most exciting time again being visited by not one, but two artists. We were able to revisit the photos we took last week with the ambulance and created our pictures inspired by this.
I want to thank every parent who came to our Maths Be our Best event on Friday. Every child enjoyed sharing with their parent/s how to use the Active Learn platform and worked extremely hard in their chosen activity.
Have an amazing weekend and I look forward to our penultimate week of learning!
Miss Fisher.
Wow, it’s finally our penultimate week of this term and how great has it been!
This week, the children again have worked extremely hard in their learning and have shown me just how much understanding they now have from this term.
In Maths, the children again revisited their column method skill in Addition and Subtraction. We remembered, as a class, that when using the column method to add or subtract numbers, we must start at the one's column! We discovered how to use exchanging in Subtraction and carrying a number over in Addition. We are super excited to be learning about Time next week!
In Talk for Writing, we used all the sentence patterns and story maps to produce our boxing-up plan for a portal story. We then were able to start innovating the story using our ideas and newly learned vocabulary. We found it interesting that the portal story linked closely with other stories we know, so found it fun to innovate our own story using the toolkit we made last lesson.
In Talk for Reading, we started a poetry unit about Crocodiles called ‘How Doth The Little Crocodile’ by Lewis Carroll. At the beginning of the week, we learnt how to understand the poem using likes, dislikes, questions and puzzles. We then noticed that each verse rhymed with the next to create impact. We have then started to innovate our poem based on Lewis Carroll's about a different animal of choosing. Next week, we will publish our poems and read them to the class.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children continued to write as scientists using their new knowledge of concepts and became portraiture artists.
In Science, we based our learning around the question: How can we use light to see well in the dark? We were able to recognise that light is needed to see things using a torch and objects inside a blackout tent. We were also able to discover from the experiment that dark is the absence of light. We had lots of fun using a mirror ball to show how light behaves when it hits a reflective surface, using optics and reflection. In Spanish, we recapped all of the learning we have discovered so far in our Spanish language development. We then took part in our final assessment where we had to: listen, speak, read and write in Spanish about colours, numbers and general greetings. In Art, we based our learning around the question: Who is Picasso? We were excited to start our Artist Appreciation and learn about great artists in history. We were then able to evaluate the techniques and styles used and apply them to our work. To do this, we finished the portraits of ourselves and distorted them in a cubist way.
I just wanted to thank every parent who came to the parent’s evening this week! I loved sharing with you about how your children are doing and sharing their creative work.
I hope you all have a well-rested weekend and the children are energised for our final week of term!
Miss Fisher.
What an amazing first term in Year 3 this has been!
In the final week, the children have worked exceptionally hard rounding up the learning they have been taught and created fantastic final pieces!
In Maths, the children were super excited to discover that they would be learning about time. We recapped how to use a portable analogue clock to tell the time. We found that there are 24 hours in a day and they are split into am and pm. At the end of the week, we were able to understand what was meant by years, months, days and hours to describe a time.
In Talk for Writing, we used our story maps and boxing-up plan to produce our own portal stories. We were able to use taught sentence patterns and amazing vocabulary to create the premise of a portal story. We amazed Miss Fisher with the breadth of ideas we used and how well-structured our writing was!
In Talk for Reading, we created artwork based on our chosen animal and published our poem titled: ‘How Doth The ________ ‘. We ensured that our poems were in the style of Lewis Carroll using a certain structure using rhyming. At the end of the week, we were able to make conclusions about the poem and think about why the poet used certain vocabulary to describe something with a different meaning.
In the Wider Curriculum, the children continued to write as scientists using their new knowledge of concepts and became portraiture artists.
In Science, we based our learning around the question: How can we use light to see well in the dark? We were able to recognise that light is needed to see things and that dark is the absence of light. We enjoyed designing a safety accessory which could be worn by a dog in the dark to help them be seen easily. We then needed to justify our choices of materials. In History, we recapped the similarities and differences between the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age. In doing this, we were able to produce a balanced piece of writing to explain which age we thought was the best time to live in. Less fighting and weaker material vs more fighting and strong material!
I hope you all have a wonderful half-term break and enjoy a spooky Halloween. I am super excited about what term 2 brings!
Miss Fisher.
Champion Chestnut had an exciting day on Friday 4th October 2024.
An ambulance visited our school with service workers and we got to meet them and explore inside the vehicle. We were even able to try on the service worker costumes. We will be working with an artist soon and beginning to create our own images inspired by the visitors. Furthermore, we will work with Sarah (the resident artist) to support the creation of a mosaic which will be displayed in the Blue Light Hub at Ashland.
We hope you enjoy the pictures!
