Author: Hollie Gilliland

This week in Writing, we have been exploring the poem The Magic Box by Kit Wright. The poem uses imagination to describe all the wonderful and unusual things that could be kept inside a magical box.

Over the next few lessons, Year 3 will be writing their own versions of the poem, using their creativity to think of special objects, memories, sounds, smells and dreams they would like to keep in their own magic box.

To help prepare, why not have a chat at home? Ask your child:

• What would you put in your magic box?
• Would it hold real things, imaginary things or special memories?
• What sounds, smells or feelings might be inside?

Encouraging your child to think creatively and jot down a few ideas will help them feel confident and inspired when they begin writing their own poem in class. We can’t wait to read all of their imaginative ideas!

This week, our class made the most of the warm weather by taking our reading lesson outside to a cool, shaded area. The children enjoyed relaxing with their books in the fresh air while staying comfortable away from the hot sun.

We also discussed the importance of sun safety during the UK heatwave. The children remembered to wear sun hats, apply sunscreen, drink plenty of water and stay in shaded areas whenever possible.

A highlight of the session was when several children volunteered to read aloud to the class. They spoke clearly and confidently, and everyone enjoyed listening to the different stories being shared. It was wonderful to see the children developing their reading skills while enjoying the outdoors safely.

Well done to everyone for being enthusiastic readers and for following our sun safety rules so responsibly!

This week, we have been exploring a fantastic new maths resource called Square Maths Club Connections. It has been helping us solve problems by spotting patterns, making links between different ideas and explaining our thinking.

The activities encourage children to look carefully at mathematical relationships and discuss how different concepts connect together. By finding these connections, we are developing our reasoning skills and becoming more confident mathematicians. The resource is designed to help children think deeply about maths rather than simply finding an answer.

The best part is that it is free and very easy to use!

Help at Home:

Why not have a go together at home? Visit:

Square Maths Club Connections

Set it to Year 3 by clicking the ‘pencil‘ icon and selecting the options below:

 

Spend some time exploring the challenges and discussing the different connections you can find.

Challenge!

Can you explain more than one way to solve a problem? Finding different methods and explaining why they work is a great way to strengthen your mathematical reasoning.

We would love to hear about any interesting connections or discoveries you make at home!

In Design and Technology, we learned how to sew using a needle and thread. First, we learned how to hold and use the needle safely. We practised threading the needle and tying a knot in the thread before we started sewing.

We learned two different types of stitches: a running stitch and an over stitch. The running stitch goes in and out of the fabric in a straight line and is useful for joining pieces of fabric together. The over stitch goes over the edge of the fabric and helps to keep the fabric secure and stop it from fraying. We carefully followed the instructions and practised both stitches to improve my sewing skills.

At first, sewing was a little tricky, but with practice we became more confident. We worked hard to make our stitches neat, even and the correct size.

Learning these sewing techniques has helped us develop patience, concentration and fine motor skills.

Help at home:

Discuss what is important when you’re stitching?

What does a good running stitch look like?

 

What a fantastic day Year 3 had at the Bradford Science and Media Museum!

Our visit began with an exciting workshop in the Wonderlab, where we explored the fascinating world of sound. We learned how sound travels, how our ears hear different sounds, and carried out several hands-on experiments to test our ideas. The children were curious, engaged, and asked some brilliant scientific questions throughout the session. (IMG_2376)

One of our favourite activities was creating our own Star Wars scene using a sound foley. A foley artist is someone who creates sound effects for films and television, and we had great fun experimenting with different objects to recreate sounds from the famous movie. The children were amazed to discover how many everyday items can be used to create realistic sound effects! (IMG_2383)

We also explored the museum’s Eurovision exhibition, where we learned about the history of the famous song contest and how music, technology and broadcasting have evolved over the years. The children enjoyed discovering how sound is captured, mixed and shared with audiences around the world. Of course, no visit to the Eurovision exhibition would be complete without a karaoke performance of ABBA’s Waterloo—you can imagine that Miss Gilliland thoroughly enjoyed this part!

Downstairs, we stepped back in time to explore classic arcade games. Many parents may remember these from their own childhoods! The children loved entering the worlds of Space Invaders, Pac-Man and some of the earliest Mario games. There were also lots of interactive screens and exhibits to explore, allowing the children to discover how technology and gaming have changed over time.

It was a wonderful day filled with learning, exploration and fun. The children represented the school brilliantly and were a credit to themselves throughout the visit.

 

We are looking forward to our exciting class trip to the Science and Media Museum in Bradford this Thursday!

Important Information:

• We will be leaving school promptly at 9:00am, so please ensure your child arrives at school on time.
• We will return to school by 3:10pm.
• Children will need to bring a packed lunch and a drink.
• Children may wear their school PE kit along with suitable footwear and a weather-appropriate coat if needed.

During our visit, we will have the opportunity to explore all levels of the museum and take part in activities in the Wonderlab Studio, where we will be learning about sound and light through exciting hands-on experiments and demonstrations.

We are sure it will be a fantastic day of discovery and learning. We can’t wait to share our experiences with you afterwards!

Help at home:

For more information about the museum, please visit:
Science and Media Museum – https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/

This week has been one of our Living and Learning themed weeks.  We have been learning all about how to stay safe.

• Being Safe

We’ve been learning about what is appropriate and what is not using Rachel Brian’s book ‘Respect: Consent, Boundaries and Being in Charge of YOU’.

We’ve also thought about boundaries when negotiating about space and objects.

We’ve discussed about it not always being right to keep a secret if it relates to being safe.

If something doesn’t feel right, in person or online, with someone we do or don’t know, we’ve talked about how we should Start Telling Other People (STOP.)

• Health protection and prevention

We’ve been learning about safe and unsafe exposure to the sun and how to reduce the risk of sun damage including skin cancer.

We’ve completed some basic First Aid training to empower us to act calmly and effectively in emergencies.

We’ve had a very engaging session with D:Side learning about drugs and medicine.

• Personal safety

The Canal and River Trust led an assembly all about water safety.

Louise Crossland (our PCSO) spoke to us about how to stay safe near roads and at the park.

We reflected on hazards that may cause harm, injury or risk:

– around water

– on the road

– with food

– in the home

and thought of ways to reduce these risks.

• Online safety

We learned that we need to be aware of our digital footprint.

• Citizenship: Living in the wider world

We thought about how the British values of the rule of law and individual liberty help to keep us safe.

• Christian values

We reflected on how the Christian values of courage and perseverance might be needed to help keep us safe.

 

Help at home: 

Please take some time to talk with your child about the learning we have covered this week. You could discuss:

• Who are the trusted adults they can talk to if something worries them?
• Why is it important to tell an adult if something does not feel safe or right?
• What should they do if they see something upsetting online?
• How can they stay safe near roads, water and at the park?
• Why is sun protection important?
• Which medicines are safe to take and who should give them medicine?
• What hazards can they spot around the home and how can risks be reduced?
• What information is safe to share online and what should stay private?
• How do rules and laws help to keep people safe?

Encourage your child to explain what they have learned about the STOP message:
Start Telling Other People if something feels unsafe, worrying or uncomfortable.

Did you know that Leeds launched the UK’s very first City of Maths in January 2026? This exciting two-year initiative (running through 2026 and 2027) aims to transform how people think and feel about maths. There will be lots to look forward to, including a permanent maths-themed playground, puzzle hunts, city-wide events and free resources for schools!

We are incredibly proud to share that our Year 3 class has been selected as the very first class, out of 800 schools, to take part in Asda’s Molly’s Money Adventure: Let’s Talk About Money!

The children had a fantastic time exploring the world of money, learning about spending, saving and making smart choices in a fun and engaging way. They showed great enthusiasm, asked thoughtful questions and represented our school brilliantly.

What a wonderful opportunity to be part of such an inspiring project. We can’t wait to see what comes next on our maths journey!

Help at home:

Discuss through their activity booklet that has been sent home.

This week in Geography, we have been learning about flood defence in the cities of York and Venice. We discovered where both cities are located and why flooding is such an important problem there.

We created fact files about each city and explored the similarities and differences between them.

Help at home:

Watch both videos of York and Venice. Discuss the similarities and differences between them. Can your child remember any facts about each city?

This half term, Year 3 have been busy becoming biologists in our Plants unit! We have planted sunflowers to investigate  Does the number of seeds planted affect the rate of growth?

As scientists, we are observing changes over time and carefully recording what we notice. We are measuring the height of each plant, the amount of water added and the mass of soil in each pot. To make our investigation fair, we are changing only one thing- the number of seeds in each pot. We are keeping everything else the same, including the type of seed and the light source.

We are really enjoying watching our sunflowers grow and spotting any differences between them!

How you can help at home:
Ask your child about their investigation. What have they observed so far? Have they noticed anything surprising or new?

We can’t wait to share our results with you soon!