Year 3

This week, the children have been diving into the world of tea by making tea bags, tasting tea and describing, using prepositional language: where, when and how the tea can be enjoyed. The children’s imagination has been captured by the scents of ginger, lemon, lavender and berries so they can persuade others to buy their enchanting tea. These hands-on activities helped students practise using imperative verbs, clear sequencing and rich vocabulary in a fun and memorable way. The children are becoming tea experts and sharing their thoughts in writing and discussion.

In maths, the children have been introduced to Roman numerals and they've really enjoyed exploring this ancient number system! To help them remember the symbols and their values, the children learned a catchy Roman numerals song. They also used their new knowledge to create secret codes using Roman numerals, challenging their classmates to solve them. They would definitely love to try this at home! It’s been a fantastic way to link history with maths.

In Geography, we have talked about tectonic plates and how they shape our planet. The children discovered that the Earth’s surface is made up of large plates that move very slowly and they were fascinated to learn how this movement  causes earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of mountains. We explored how fold mountains are created when two plates push against each other, causing the land to rise and fold over time. We will continue exploring these key functions next week.

Year 3 had a wonderful time on their recent trip to Kew Gardens! The children explored the beautiful grounds and spent time walking through the vibrant gardens, taking in the sights and smells of nature. They visited the amazing Temperate House, where they saw plants from all around the world and learned about different climates. During the day, the children created their own colour palettes, carefully choosing shades from the flowers and leaves around them and drew detailed sketches of plants and trees - many of them drawing with great focus and enthusiasm! One of the highlights was climbing up to the Treetop Walkway, where they could see the gardens from high above. The class also enjoyed a relaxing picnic lunch together, making it a fun and creative day full of learning and fresh air.

  

  

This week: 12.05.25

Spelling rule: short /u/

sound spelt with ‘ou’ e.g. enough

 

Key words: 

Maths: roman numerals, time, hour, minutes

English: preposition, where, how, when

Science: magnetic force, south, north

Geography: tectonic plates, fold mountain, mountain range

 

Maths facts: 6 x tables

 

Next week: 19.05.25

Spelling rule: 

Word families based

on common words,

showing how words

are related in form

and meaning.

 

Key words:

Maths:  roman numerals, time, hour, minutes

English: imperative verbs, alliteration, rhetorical questions

Science: attract, repel

Geography: summit, valley, lakes, ridge

 

Maths facts: 6 x tables

 

Key dates: 

19th May - Twickenham Literary Festival

24th May - End of half term. School closes at 3.15pm

 

Year 4

The half term is flying by! As the break approaches, the children continue to work with great pride and enthusiasm. Everyone is taking a focused approach to their times table practice, with the MTC test taking place in Summer 2, week beginning 9th June.

In English, over the past two weeks, the children have been planning and writing a narrative set within the land of Narnia - but with their own twist (ask them about their unique setting and character!). They have written in the first person, describing settings, creating characters and included speech using inverted commas. 

In maths, we have concluded our topic on fractions and decimals, and have moved onto money. We would encourage adults to point out decimals when they pop up in the real world (!), so the children’s understanding of tenths 0.1 and hundredths 0.01 is embedded, ready for more learning in year 5. 

In geography, following our learning on tectonic plates and earthquakes, the children have explored volcanoes (with great interest!). Firstly, they considered how a volcano was formed, and will next turn their attention to the question: If volcanoes are so dangerous, why do people live close to them?

Ever-popular art has given the children the chance to use natural and pre-made materials to print. 

As this is the last newsletter before the half term break: we hope you have a wonderful half term, and a gentle reminder to please remind your child to continue to practise their times tables as much as possible in readiness for the MTC check!

            

             

  

w/b 12.05.25

Prefix non-

non-stick
non-stop
non-starter
non-smoker
nonsense
non-fiction
non-drip
non-violent
non-profit
non-believer

Key words: 

Decimal, tenth 0.1, hundredth 0.01, first person, fronted adverbial, apostrophe, inverted commas, volcano, erupt, igneous rock, printing

 

w/b 19.5.25

Prefix non-

exit
extend
explode
excursion
exchange
export
exclaim
expel
external
exterior

Key words: 

Pounds, pence, change, volcano, lava, magma, eruption, fertile, geothermal energy

 

Key Messages: 

• Multiplication practice - we’re really encouraging children to practise at home, and using TTRS enables teachers to track children’s progress!

• Reading records - a reminder that children should have 5 entries per week, with reading records handed to class teachers every Monday. 

• Please ensure the children have a water bottle, hat and are wearing sun cream.