It has been a busy time in Year 3 this month!  We all enjoyed taking part in the Christmas Concert and singing our songs to our friends and families.  The children did so well and we are really proud of them. 

In Science, we have been learning about magnetic poles.  The children had fun exploring the poles and finding out that like poles repel and opposite poles attract.  They then created their own magnetic games using magnets that attract.  We had fishing games, race tracks and mazes

We have continued to learn about Fractions in Maths and have been finding out about equivalent fractions and ordering and comparing fractions.  We have started our new topic learning about Money.  We have looked at pounds and pence and added coins together to make different amounts.

In DT, we loved designing and making our own pneumatic monsters.  The children used a piece of plastic tubing and two syringes to make their monster open and close its mouth.  They all looked so different and unique with different teeth, horns, eyes and colours!

In Computing we have been learning to program and add sounds in Scratch.  The children are becoming confident at programming a sprite to move and make sounds and love their Computing lessons.

In Literacy we have been looking at instruction texts and have written our own instructions about ‘How to Mummify a Tomato’.  The children included key features such as a title, sub-headings, numbered instructions and imperative (bossy) verbs.

As we approach the end of another exciting term, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful experiences our children have had over the past few weeks.

Firstly, I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas performances as much as we did! The children displayed tremendous talent and enthusiasm, truly bringing some festive cheer to our school. It was heartwarming to see their hard work pay off and to share those joyful moments with you.

We also had the chance to enjoy the Woking pantomime of Sleeping Beauty. The children were exceptionally well-behaved, making the outing all the more enjoyable. It’s always a delight when we can enrich our curriculum with such engaging experiences.

In our design technology lessons, the children tackled their marble runs with great creativity and skill. They practised important techniques such as cutting, joining, and shaping, culminating in a fantastic project that they proudly took to our friends in Starfish class. It was wonderful to see them share their hard work and see others enjoying their creations.

As we complete our unit on Ancient Greece, I want to commend the children for their enthusiasm and interest in learning about the incredible legacy left by the ancient Greeks. Their curiosity has made for some lively discussions! Looking forward, next term we will be exploring the topic of Natural Disasters in geography, which I am sure will captivate their imaginations.

In maths, we have been focusing on position and direction, and I am pleased to report that the children have excelled in their work with coordinates. Their progress has been impressive!

As we head into the Christmas break, I encourage you all to take some time to relax and enjoy the festive season. Please remember to keep reading with your child and practising those all-important times tables. These consistent activities will help them maintain their skills while having a bit of fun at home.

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas break and a Happy New Year!

Sea Turtles have had a busy December thus far! The children worked hard on both of their Christmas concert songs and performed them beautifully to all of the Maybury family and friends who came to watch. As they all did such a brilliant job, they also had the opportunity to perform to their fellow peers in last Friday’s assembly. The children also enjoyed an informative and fun Life Space Workshop where they learnt about effective ways to deal with peer pressure, took a virtual tour inside the human body learning about how our organs worked and their vital roles in keeping us alive, as well as breathing techniques we can use to help us feel calm and focused.

In Literacy, the class have been researching plastic pollution and climate change in order to help them to write a formal letter to Mrs Merritt and Sir Keir Starmer about their concerns regarding these two global issues. The children outlined their concerns for our planet and future generations to come, as well as the causes of these two issues and the small changes we can all make to help reduce the negative impact we are making as humans. The whole class discussions that resulted from researching these two issues were very insightful, and it was great to see how passionate the children were about making small changes and passing the message on!

In Maths, we started our ‘Multiplication and Division’ unit and also consolidated certain areas of our ‘Place Value’ and ‘Fractions’ units. It is very important that the children continue to practise their times tables up to the 12 x tables over the Christmas holidays, as this is necessary for them to be able to confidently apply them when using the formal long multiplication method and division methods that we will be learning in Spring 1. 

In Science, we have conducted a few practical investigations which have all been based around our current unit ‘Materials and their Properties’. The children have conducted or watched experiments involving dissolving, melting, filtering and sieving of materials, as well as learning about thermal and electrical conductivity. In Computing, the children have been using the programme ‘Scratch’ which they have loved – they continued to build on past skills- and by the end of the unit were able to create individual quizzes based on a topic of their choice.

In PE, the children have continued to enjoy their football and hockey lessons – in Spring we will be moving on to our Dance and Tennis units which I’m sure will be equally as fun! In DT the children thoroughly enjoyed making their vegetable soup, throughout the unit we focused on key practical skills, such as: slicing, cutting, grating and peeling. The children also revisited the Eatwell Guide and analysed soup recipes to see which category individual ingredients fit into- as when they made their soups we wanted to ensure the children were selecting ingredients that were nutritious, healthy and cost effective.

As the Autumn term is now coming to an end and the children will soon be on their Christmas break, just as a reminder, please continue to read with your child and have them practising their times tables. The class page on the website will also be updated with the Spring 1 timetable and any changes made for PE days. I hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday, and I look forward to welcoming the children back in the new year!

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that lunches are currently free for Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 students under the government's Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme. For children in Years 3 to 6, the cost of a school lunch is £2.95 per day / £14.75 per week. We would appreciate it if you could ensure that your child has sufficient funds in their lunch account. Please can we remind parents that school dinners should be paid for in advance. Please ensure that payment for the week ahead is made by the Monday morning.

Please click here to view the menus via our school website - School Meals

If your child would like to change from a packed lunch to a school dinner or vice versa, please contact the school office to advise of the change.  Please note changes can only be made at the beginning of a term.

Please be reminded that we are a nut free school.  Please do not send your child to school with any food containing nuts, for example Nutella / nut chocolate spread, Peanut butter, Peanut chocolate bars (Snickers) or nut cereal bars etc.  If you are unsure please visit the school office to pick up a healthy lunch leaflet.

If your child has recently borrowed spare clothing from school, in particular children in Reception class, year 1 and year 2 please can we ask that these are returned.  We have a washing machine onsite so you can be assured that any items returned are washed as needed.  

We are also looking for donations of spare clothing such as underwear, leggings, jogging bottoms in small sizes such as ages 4 - 8.  Please either hand into the office or to the class teacher.  Thank you for your support. 

Please see below for PE days for the Spring Term

The children will need to wear their correct PE kit on their PE day. Correct PE kit consists of:

·        Sky blue Maybury t-shirt

·        Navy blue or black hooded jacket

·        Navy blue or black jogging bottoms

Trainers (only lace up if your child can tie their own laces please) 

If you consider that there are exceptional circumstances relating to your request, please let the school have full details. Each application for a leave of absence will be considered on a case by case basis.

Penalty Notices to Address Poor Attendance at School

A Penalty Notice may be issued as an alternative to the prosecution of a parent/carer for their child’s unauthorised absence from school (absence without the agreement of the school or not covered by a medical note) and willbe used by Surrey County Council in the following circumstances :-

1. Pupils identified by police and Attendance Advice Officers (formerly Education Welfare Officers) engaged on Truancy Patrols and who have incurred unauthorised absences.

2. Leave of absence in term time (5 days or 10 sessions or more).

• Please be aware that The Education (Pupil Registration)(England)(Amendment)  Regulations 2013, which became law on 01 September 2013 state that Headteachers may  not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

• The Headteacher is also required to determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if leave is granted.

• In such cases the Headteacher/Governing Body must decide whether there are exceptional circumstances.  They may request that Surrey County Council issue Penalty Notices when the absence is not authorised.

Warnings will not be given where it can be shown that parents have been notified that such absences will not be authorised.

3. Finally, the issuing of a Penalty Notice will also be considered where it is judged that a parent is failing to ensure their child's regular school attendance.

This will be considered when a pupil has incurred 10 or more unauthorised sessions in the previous 10 school weeks, which may include a pupil arriving late after close of registration.

If you believe at any stage that your child’s absence from school may leave you liable to receive a Penalty Notice, it is extremely important that you act without delay to secure their regular attendance. 

If you have any questions or require further support to achieve an improvement in your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s school or the Attendance Advice Officer.

Penalty Notice relating to Exclusions

If a child is excluded from school, Section 103 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on parents/carers to ensure that their child is not in a public place without justifiable cause during school hours. 

This duty applies to the first five days of each exclusion.  Failure to do so will render the parent/carer liable to a Penalty Notice. (Alternative education provision will be made available from the sixth day of any exclusion.)

Amount Payable for a Penalty Notice and Consequences for repeat uauthorised absences

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996.

Surrey County Council is not responsible for authorising pupil absence and therefore cannot withdraw any Penalty Notice requests without the written permission of the Headteacher.

Advice and support is available from an Attendance Advice Officer by contacting Surrey Attendance Service as follows:-

North West - Tel: 01483 518130 South West   - Tel: 01483 517179

North East - Tel: 01372 833588 South East   -       Tel: 01737 737777

Please bear in mind that all of these dates are subject to change

Please remember that school will close on   

Friday 20th December at 1:30pm

We wish all our families a restful and safe break. 

We look forward to welcoming the children back to school on

Tuesday 7th January 2025