Author: Hollie Gilliland

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!

Welcome back, Year 3! We hope you all had a lovely and restful Easter break.

We have jumped straight back into our learning and are excited to begin some fantastic new topics this term.

In Topic (Geography), we are learning about explorers. Our main case studies are York and Venice, where we will be exploring their climates and thinking about how tourism affects these places. We will also be developing our geography skills, particularly our map-reading skills, to help us understand where these places are and what they are like.

In Science, we have become biologists! We are learning all about plants, including their life cycles and the changes they go through as they grow.

Help at home:

You can support your child by reviewing our key vocabulary (see below).

• Can your child use the word in a sentence?
• Can they explain what the word means?
• Can they tell you anything they already know about it?

We are looking forward to a busy and exciting term ahead!

This week in Year 3, we have been exploring how to use dictionaries to help us become more independent readers and writers. We linked our learning to the non-fiction text about Ava Lovedale, which inspired lots of curiosity and new vocabulary!

Year 3 learned how dictionaries are organised in alphabetical order and practised finding words by using the first and second letters. We talked about why this skill is important and how it can help us understand unfamiliar words when reading.

Everyone worked really hard to look up new vocabulary from the text and enjoyed the challenge of finding words quickly and accurately. It was fantastic to see their confidence grow as they used dictionaries independently.

Dictionaries help with reading because they make it easier to understand and learn new words.

When you come across a word you don’t know, a dictionary can:

• Explain the meaning so the sentence makes sense
• Show correct spelling, which helps you recognise the word next time
• Give examples of how the word is used
• Help with pronunciation, so you can say it correctly

Using a dictionary also helps you become a more independent reader, because you don’t always need to ask someone for help. You can find out yourself!

Over time, this builds your vocabulary, which makes reading easier, quicker and more enjoyable.

Help at home:

• Why not try reading a dictionary at home? Flick to a random page in the book and learn a new word. Can you use the word in a sentence? 
• Read a book at home and use a dicitonary on any words you’re curious about.

Don’t have a dicitonary? Use https://www.wordhippo.com/

Philosophy

Today in class, we explored Philosophy Friday. This is a time where we pause, think deeply and ask big questions about the world around us.

Our discussion was inspired by a surprising moment… Miss Gilliland discovered a squirrel in the class bird feeder (Click to watch the video! ) She stood up to scare it away, reminding us that the feeder is meant for birds. Was the squirrel being resourceful to find food or greedy and stealing from the birds?

This simple moment led us to a much bigger question:

We shared lots of thoughtful ideas:

”All animals are equally important because they are all part of nature.” – Izabella

”Humans sometimes prioritise certain animals, like pets or endangered species.” – Alexa.

There wasn’t one right answer and that’s what philosophy is all about! It helped us listen, reflect and respectfully challenge each other’s ideas.

Spring Equinox
Today also marks the Spring Equinox, the time of year when day and night are nearly equal and it officially signals the start of spring!

To celebrate, we went on a mini ‘spring spot’ around our school and noticed signs of the new season:

Help at home:

What do you think? Is it right to care for other animals and not others. Can you give any examples? And what signs of spring have you spotted? 

This week in maths we have been learning to count forwards and backwards in multiples of 2, 5, 20, 25 and 50. We practised this by chanting together, using number lines and discussing how we can tell when numbers are counting in a particular multiple.

The children did a great job spotting patterns and explaining how they know a sequence is counting in a certain multiple. We talked about looking carefully at the step between numbers and checking whether the pattern stays the same.

E.g. I know that the difference between 385 and 390 is 5. I also know that multiples of 5 end in a 0 or a 5.

We also discussed how this skill will help us later in maths. If we know how to count in these multiples, it will help us when we move on to units of measure and capacity, as we will be able to work out different intervals more easily.

A key message we shared with the class is that in maths it is important to pause and think before answering a question. We encouraged the children to ask themselves:

• What do we already know? 

• What is the question asking us to do?

What do we already know? I know that the midpoint between 100ml and 200ml is 150ml. Each interval is worth 50ml. With this knowledge, I know that there is 150ml of water in the jug.

What is the question asking us to do? The question wants to know how much more water is needed to fill the jug. 

Taking a moment to think helps us choose the right strategy and solve problems more confidently.

Help at home:

You might like to practise at home by asking your child to count in 2s, 5s, 20s, 25s or 50s, forwards and backwards, or by spotting the pattern in a sequence of numbers.

You could even try and answer the reasoning question above. Remember! What do we already know? What is the question asking us to do?