St. NicholasCatholic Primary School
Year 3
Hello and welcome to Year 3!
Welcome to our class page. This page is designed to give families easy access to the key information and documents you may need throughout the school year.
In the Useful Documents section at the bottom of the page, you will find our half-termly class learning leaflets. These give an overview of the learning taking place across the curriculum and help families understand the key knowledge, skills and topics children will be developing. They also include important practical information, such as PE days, when children should come to school in their PE uniform.
You will also find information about homework, which explain the homework offer for your child’s year group and how you can support learning at home, as well as our half-termly vocabulary maps, which highlight important words and subject-specific vocabulary children will encounter in their learning.
Throughout the year, we will also upload any other useful year-group information, including documents linked to parent information meetings, residential visits, trips, transition information and any other events or arrangements that are relevant to your child’s class.
We recommend checking this page regularly so that you can stay up to date with what your child is learning and access important information throughout the year.
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Reading
At St Nicholas Catholic Primary School, we want every child to develop into a confident, fluent reader who loves reading. Once children have completed the Read Write Inc. programme, we use our reading assessments to help them choose books that are appropriately challenging while still allowing them to explore their own interests.
How do we choose the right books?
Children who have moved beyond Read Write Inc. have their reading fluency assessed using the Salford Reading Test. This assessment gives us a reading age, which is then used to identify an appropriate Lexile range for each child.
A Lexile range helps us to identify books that are suitably challenging for each child – not too difficult and not too easy. This supports the development of vocabulary, comprehension, confidence and reading fluency.
Choosing a book
Children can choose their take-home reading book from a range of school reading spaces, including:
- Their class library
- Reading nooks and reading spaces
- The school Lending Library
Our class libraries are organised by Lexile range so that children can make independent choices within their reading range. Children are encouraged to explore different genres, authors and types of books and to develop their own reading preferences.
Reading for pleasure
Although books are matched to a child's Lexile range to support appropriate challenge, reading should also be enjoyable. We want children to develop a lifelong love of books and to discover authors, genres and stories that interest them.
Children are encouraged to talk about the books they are reading, recommend books to others and explore a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics and graphic novels. Our approach aims to combine appropriate challenge with choice, enjoyment and independence.
Physical Education (PE)
Our PE days are:
Monday and Wednesday
Children should come to school wearing their full school PE kit on their allocated PE days. Please ensure that all items of clothing, footwear and other belongings are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
PE is an important part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Lessons are carefully sequenced so that children revisit, practise and build upon their knowledge, skills and vocabulary over time.
Throughout the year, children experience a range of activities designed to develop:
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balance, coordination and agility
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fundamental movement skills
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strength, flexibility and stamina
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throwing, catching and ball control
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teamwork and cooperation
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confidence, resilience and perseverance
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an understanding of rules, safety and fair play
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positive attitudes towards physical activity and healthy lifestyles
PE lessons may take place indoors or outdoors, depending on the activity and weather. Children should therefore come appropriately dressed for the conditions.
We are committed to ensuring that every child can participate successfully in PE. Appropriate support, adaptations and reasonable adjustments are provided according to children’s individual needs.
For safety, earrings and other jewellery must not be worn during PE lessons, and long hair should be tied back. Children are expected to participate unless there is a medical reason preventing them from doing so. Please speak to your child’s class teacher if you have any questions or if your child requires additional support to participate.
Learning, Spellings and Homework
At the beginning of each half-term, parents and carers receive a Learning Leaflet outlining the key knowledge and skills that children will be learning across the curriculum. A copy of the current Learning Leaflet is uploaded to this class page.
Children also receive an individual Homework Leaflet at the beginning of each half term. This explains the homework expectations and identifies the learning platforms that have been selected for each child to focus on during that half-term. As this leaflet is personalised to meet each child’s learning needs, it is sent directly to families and is not uploaded to the class webpage.
Each week, all children will receive:
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a Big Maths activity, designed to practise and consolidate important mathematical knowledge and skills
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a spelling practice activity, linked to the spelling focus children are currently learning
A half-termly spelling overview is also sent home at the beginning of each half term. Spellings and spelling practice are carefully matched to children’s current learning needs; therefore, spelling overviews are not uploaded to the class webpage. If you require another copy of your child’s spelling overview, please ask their class teacher.
Regular practice at home helps children to remember key knowledge, develop fluency and become increasingly confident and independent learners. Thank you for supporting your child with their learning.
Online Learning Platforms
Every child receives an individual login sheet containing their usernames and passwords for the online learning platforms they use. Please keep this sheet safe so that your child can access their learning activities at home.
If you require another copy of your child’s login details, please contact the school office or speak to your child’s class teacher.
Mission Out
As part of our enrichment opportunities in Year 3, children will have the exciting opportunity to visit Mission Out Activity Centre in Leeds.
Mission Out provides children with a fantastic range of outdoor and team-building activities designed to encourage communication, cooperation, resilience and problem-solving. During their visit, the children will work together as a team, challenge themselves and develop confidence while enjoying a fun and memorable day outside the classroom.
Children will have the opportunity to experience a range of facilities and activities, including the jumping pillow, an obstacle course, mini-golf and rafting on the water. These activities encourage children to support one another, try new experiences and develop important personal and social skills.
The visit is a wonderful opportunity for children to build friendships, develop independence and create lasting memories while enjoying an exciting day of outdoor learning and adventure.
Further information, including the date of the visit, will be shared with families in due course.
