Class Teachers - Mrs Roberts / Mrs McManus (3D) and Mrs Burr/ Mrs McManus (3C)

• January - Determination and Perseverance

• February - Honesty and Trust 

• March - Learning and Effort

During Literacy, Language and Communication lessons, pupils will study the book 'Escape from Pompeii' by Christina Balit. Pupils will explore the historical context of Pompeii and how the natural disaster impacted the local area of Pompeii and the world then and now. Pupils will be provided the opportunity to read as a whole class and then perform dramatic versions of parts of the text, acting in role and considering how people may have been feeling during the disaster. Pupils will convey their opinions using inference and deduction of the text and begin to formulate their ideas into written form. This term, pupils will be working more independently on their written tasks, with a focus on sentence structure, accurate punctuation and appropriate word choices. The culmination of the study ends with pupils creating a newspaper report to tell of the disaster, including the impact on humans and the facts that we remember today. 

Alongside Literacy lessons, pupils will also be participating in daily Guided Reading sessions. This is an opportunity for teachers to listen to pupils read and discuss elements of the text in a small group. Teachers will check for understanding and ensure pupils can find information, skim and scan, and identify key points from the text. The book that pupils will be studying is Earth-Shattering Events. This book is a non-fiction text, focusing on technical and scientific language and vocabulary. Pupils will have the opportunity to learn about a range of natural and man-made disasters and deduce information using the text. 

Welsh lessons will focus on 'Beth sy'n bod?' and 'Beth wyt ti'n hoffi?' to begin with, progressing through the term into speaking and writing in the third person to ask and answer questions. Pupils will play games, complete written activities and speak and listen to a range of Welsh language sentences to build and develop confidence.  As the term develops we will move onto studying 'Y Cartref', with pupils talking about where they live and their own homes. 

During the start of the Spring term, pupils will continue to develop their understanding of multiplication at a greater depth. They will explore the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables within a range of problems and contexts. Moving on through the term, pupils will begin to investigate division and, in turn, consider how this relates to multiplication facts. They will recall facts from the given times tables to solve problems involving everyday scenarios. 

Pupils will then further build on their understanding of geometry by exploring the area of shapes. Pupils will begin by counting squares, extending to using multiplication to find the area of simple and compound shapes. 

Continuing into the latter half of the Spring term, pupils will investigate fractions, focusing on halves, quarters, thirds, fifths and tenths. Pupils will grasp the concept of fractions as being a part of a whole, order, compare and count in steps of given fractional amounts. As pupils become increasingly sophisticated in using fractions, they will begin to find fractions of amounts and use their knowledge to solve problems related to everyday scenarios. 

Towards the end of the Spring term, pupils will consider how we use graphs to collect and record data. Pupils will collect data, record findings and answer questions based on a given data set.

Across the term, pupils will continue to develop resilience, perseverance and independent working skills. We will encourage pupils to problem solve and make appropriate decisions in a safe environment, with and without support as required, to promote independence and reflection on their actions. 

Pupils will continue to participate in Enrichment activities, taking place on a Friday afternoon. These sessions will incorporate physical education, theory lessons and outdoor learning. Pupils will have the opportunity to take part in sports off-site, including tennis and outdoor learning. 

During outdoor play sessions, pupils will be encouraged to turn-take, follow rules and set up team games together. 

Throughout all lessons, pupils will continue to develop their skills of relationship building and conflict resolution, whilst maintaining a focus on Thrive-based approaches. 

Pupils will also be able to build on their understanding of the United Nations Conventions of the Rights of the Child, exploring how the UNCRC affects their everyday lives. 

Our unit of work this term is Sunrise to Stardust and this builds on the work completed in Year 2.  The children will complete an investigation into gravity, working in a group and recording the results independently. They will use the results to construct a graph and interpret their findings. The children will explore the features of the Moon and what keeps the Moon orbiting around Earth. They will discover how different seasons occur in various parts of the world and what causes hurricanes and tsunamis. We will discuss the impact of construction and large-scale farming on the environment and whether the negative consequences can be reversed.  The children will use a range of skills to record their ideas and develop their discussion and empathetic understanding.

Enrichment activities will take place on a Friday; please wear sportswear and suitable footwear for possible outdoor activities. Please avoid wearing jewellery on this day if possible and ensure long hair is tied back.

Children should bring a water bottle to school with them every day, this should be a sufficient amount to last them the whole day. 

Children should bring their reading books to school with them every day. 

Please ensure that all school uniform is clearly labelled with your child’s name.

Download our School App via the Play or App stores - The School App will provide you with up to date information about activities and events at Oldcastle Primary School.  Please look out for our weekly newsletter issued via The School App and available on our website on a Friday afternoon.  The newsletter contains all forthcoming diary dates for the school.