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Year 3
Teacher: Miss Khan
Teaching Assistant(s): Mrs Ledger, Mrs Adamson & Mrs Drury
The Courtwood Curriculum
We provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which is enhanced with the option to participate in many extra-curricular clubs and activities. Maths and Literacy are taught every day for at least an hour and links made to applying knowledge in real-life contexts. Foundation subjects such as science, history and art are taught via Learning Journeys which immerse the children in a topic.
Literacy
We teach literacy using a scheme of work called The Power of Reading. Reading and writing skills are embedded and taught by studying a whole text from beginning to end, lasting anything between a week and six weeks. As well as reading and writing there are opportunities for speaking and listening, drama, art, music and computing.
Numeracy
Numeracy is taught using a scheme of work called Abacus. All areas of maths are covered within this scheme including calculation, data handling, shape and space, geometry, measurement and mental maths. Children are regularly taught problem-solving skills and given the opportunities to apply these to a real-life context.
Learning Journeys
Learning Journeys bring together many of the remaining school subjects such as art and geography. Class trips are often organised to enhance a topic and support the learning taking place at school. Junior children receive French lessons for a term. Some subjects such as RE, PE, PSHCE, Music and French are taught discretely, whilst others such as history, geography, computing and art are usually taught through Learning Journey’s in a cross curricular way. Please see the Curriculum map in this booklet for a wider overview.
Homework
Homework is set half-termly and matches the class Learning Journey for the half term. There are non-negotiable tasks that must be completed weekly such as spellings and times-tables practise. In addition there are a further nine tasks (either literacy, numeracy or topic based) that the children can choose to complete (a minimum of three must be completed.)
Extra-Curricular
We provide a wide-range of extra-curricular clubs and activities throughout the year at Courtwood. Clubs include: Multi-Sports, Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Street Dance, Ball Skills, Craft, Gardening, Cookery, German, Science, Computing and Lego. Years 5 and 6 may have the opportunity to represent the school in teams such as Netball and Football.
What Will You Be Learning About in Year 3?
During the year you will go on many Learning Journeys with your class. You can find information about some of these below.
What do Rocks tell us About the Way the Earth was Formed?
We will be comparing and grouping different kinds of rocks, investigating their properties and finding out different uses for rocks in our locality. We will research how fossils are formed and examine how rocks and organic matter make up soil.
Who First Lived in Britain?
We will be finding out what archaeologists do and why are they so valuable in helping us find out about history. Our research will look at the history of Early Britons from the Stone Age, through the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. We will study where they lived, how they hunted and how they celebrated and worshipped.
What Makes the Earth Angry?
This learning journey focuses on the geography and science of volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and extreme weather. We will be researching the causes of these and how they are monitored, as well as studying the impact they have on the land and the lives of people living nearby.
How can Usain Bolt Move so Quickly?
This learning journey is about how skeletons support and protect humans and animals, and how muscles allow bodies to move. During investigations we will look at nutrition and digestion. We will be getting physical, investigating exercise and we will research, design and create a healthy snack.
How Does Light Behave?
In this learning journey we will be researching different light sources, experimenting with reflective surfaces, discovering how shadows are formed and investigating patterns in the ways shadows change. We will discuss how light from the sun can be dangerous and how we can protect our eyes and skin. We will also use light to create different pieces of artwork.
How Did that Blossom Become an Apple?
We will be investigating the function of different parts of plants, discovering what plants need to flourish and researching the lifecycle of a plant. We will conduct an investigation into the journey of water through a plant.
Are You Attractive Enough?
In this learning journey we will be investigating forces and magnets, observing how things move on different surfaces, comparing the magnetism of different materials and making predictions and tests to see whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.
Why do so Many People Choose to go to the Mediterranean for their Holidays?
During this learning journey we will be comparing the geography of a region of the United Kingdom and a region of a Mediterranean country. First, we will use maps to locate different countries and to identify geographical features. We will focus on differences including language, climate, culture and food. Finally, we will create an advertising campaign to sell a holiday!
Forest School
Wise Owl Woods (WOW)
The woods were gifted to the school in 2013 and officially ‘opened’ by the Deputy Mayor of Croydon in September 2013. They are a superb resource and we use them as often as possible, to enhance learning across the curriculum. Trained teachers and Teaching Assistants lead Forest School sessions and Year 5 and Year 1 children attend scheduled Forest School sessions on Friday afternoons during the course of the school year. Class teachers will use the woods at any other time to support outdoor learning.
The Tree House Enhanced Learning Provision
The Tree House is a purpose built SEN unit for children on the Autistic Spectrum, built and opened in 2014. The Tree House can cater for up to 14 children, two per class from Reception to Year 6. There is an infant classroom (Holly class), a junior classroom (Chestnut class), a therapy room, sensory room, meeting room and toilets. There is also an outdoor area. Where appropriate, children from the Tree House will join their mainstream classes for lessons.
Targets for Year 3
Reading – Year 3
- Comment on the way characters relate to one another.
- Know which words are essential in a sentence to retain meaning.
- Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions.
- Recognise how commas are used to give more meaning.
- Recognise inverted commas
- Recognise:
- plurals; pronouns and how used; collective nouns; adverbs.
- Explain the difference that the precise choice of adjectives and verbs make.
Writing
- Use conjunctions (when, so, before, after, while, because).
- Use adverbs (e.g. then, next, soon).
- Use prepositions (e.g. before, after, during, in, because of).
- Experiment with adjectives to create impact.
- Correctly use verbs in 1st, 2nd and 3rd person.
- Use perfect form of verbs to mark relationships of time and cause.
- Use inverted commas to punctuate direct speech.
- Group ideas into basic paragraphs.
- Write under headings and sub-headings.
- Write with increasing legibility, consistency and fluency.
Mathematics
- Compare & order numbers up to 1000.
- Read & write all numbers to 1000 in digits and words.
- Find 10 or 100 more/less than a given number.
- Count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100.
- Recall & use multiplication & division facts for 3, 4, 8 tables.
- Recognise place value of any 3-digit number.
- Add and subtract:3-digit nos and ones; 3-digit nos and tens; 3-digit nos and hundreds
- Add and subtract:Numbers with up to 3-digits using written columnar method.
- Estimate and use inverse to check.
- Multiply:2-digit by 1-digit
- Count up/down in tenths.
- Compare and order fractions with same denominator.
- Add and subtract fractions with same denominator with whole.
- Tell time using 12 and 24 hour clocks; and using Roman numerals.
- Tell time to nearest minute.
- Know number of days in each month and number of seconds in a minute.
Rights and Responsibilities
We use our Courtwood Rights and Responsibilities as a way for all the children in the school to understand the school rules. The principle is that children understand that they have a right to certain things, but with that right comes a responsibility to behave in certain ways. We have a right to:
Learn
Be safe
Be treated fairly
Be happy
Be listened to
RIPPLE
The RIPPLE effect is a set of six learning behaviours that we believe will enable the children to do the best they can in their learning, whilst at Courtwood. These were developed in partnership with our children, governors and staff. They are:
R
Resilience
I
Independence
P
Perseverance
P
Practise
L
Listening
E
Effort
Our children understand the language of learning and are able to articulate how these skills are used in their daily lives at Courtwood. Achievement is celebrated weekly.
PSHE Curriculum
At Courtwood, we see PSHE as central to everything we do. We teach PSHE as a discreet subject at least once a week, but it is also integrated in all aspects of daily school life. We place great importance on helping children to learn the knowledge, understanding and skills required to live healthy, safe, responsible and rewarding lives. We recognise that in order for children to achieve their full academic potential they must also develop socially, emotionally and morally.