Year 3

Class Teachers: Mrs Billins (Mon-Wed), Mr Handy (Thurs-Fri)

Teaching Assistant: Mrs McComish (Mon-Thurs)

Learning Support Assistants: Mrs MacLeod, Miss Milstead, Mrs Lyne

Spring Term 2026

Maths

In Maths, we will start the new year by looking at multiplication and division, including the formal column methods. Please continue to practise the multiplication tables daily. We will then move onto geometry; learning about length and perimeter.

How can you help at home? The great majority of the children in the school are enjoying using Times-Table Rockstars regularly, and this is reflected in their learning of the tables. We are expecting some of the Year 3 children to learn all their tables to 12x by the end of the year! We will be continuing the popular Thursday multiplication tables challenge; many of the children really enjoy challenging themselves; their hard work being rewarded with good progress.

Please try to find opportunities to practise everyday maths in the real world: counting coins to find the correct amount; working out the correct change; weighing ingredients using scales and reading the time on an analogue and digital clock. 

English 

During the Spring term, our writing  is linked to our history and geography topics. We will reading The Ice Palace (Robert Swindells), The Last Bear (Hannah Gold) and The Egyptian Cinderella (Shirley Climo) . We will be using these books, and our learning in history and geography, to write our own version of these stories, and writing some non-fiction work about settlements and the Ancient Egyptians.

How can you help at home?  Please ensure that your child reads aloud at least 4 times a week. This is absolutely vital if the children are to shine to their best ability; it is the biggest factor in how well your child progresses in almost every area of the curriculum. The children should bring in their reading record books every day, signed by an adult when they have read. Remember to colour in the stars on their bookmarks each time they have read, so the children can be presented with their reading certificates and move on to the next bookmark. 

Science

In Science, we will be learning about rocks, fossils and soils.  How are fossils formed? What is soil why is it so important to us?

R.E.
 

The children will be learning to answer the following questions:

- Does Easter make sense without Passover?

- Is a Hindu child free to choose how to live?

P.E.

PE will be taught on Mondays (by Mrs. Billins)  and Thursdays (by Mr Handy); on these days the children should continue to come to school in their PE kit. This term the children will be enjoying volleyball, dance, orienteering and swimming. 

Homework

Alternating Maths and English homework will be sent home every Thursday, and should be handed in by the following Monday. All children will be expected to complete their homework by this deadline. Completed homework will stay at school so that any errors and misconceptions can be addressed at school. 

Of course, you are welcome to help your child complete their homework, but if they need a lot of help, please let us know, so we can give them further support.

As well as the written homework, please also encourage your child to read at least 4 times a week and play times tables rock stars as much as possible. 

As always, if you require any further information, please come and chat to the class teacher after school or send an email via the school office secretary@st-michaels-school.org

Times Tables Challenge

 The times tables challenge involves a number of levels, each with 36 (or more) questions, to be completed in 3 minutes. (This is the speed required by the statutory Year 4 tables test).

The children are not allowed to miss questions out and need to get 100% correct to move onto the next level. The more practise the children get, the quicker they become!

The most enjoyable way to prepare for this is using the Times Tables Rockstars app.

The questions are shuffled up so please encourage your child to learn the tables in any order!

Useful websites

Writing Inspiration

Spelling Help

Timestables

Mathsbot

Mathaids

Readtheory

BBC Skillswise - advice for parents who want to help with homework

BBC Bitesize

Interactive teaching programmes (maths)

Interactive teaching clock

Timestables games

Once upon a picture