Year 3 Autumn Term 2025

Dear Year 3 Families,

Welcome to the Autumn Term and the very first Year 3 newsletter of the year! We are delighted to see how well the children have settled into Solent Junior School life. They have embraced new routines, shown great enthusiasm for their learning, and have already impressed us with their curiosity and energy. We are looking forward to a busy and exciting term ahead, with lots of opportunities for the children to learn, explore and shine.

Our first learning theme is Stone Age to Iron Age. The children will take on the role of historians as we travel back in time, discovering what life might have been like for a child growing up in these fascinating periods. We will bring this topic to life by linking our history learning across Guided Reading, Science and Art, ensuring that the children can make rich connections across the curriculum. Later in the term, our science focus will be Walk on the Wild Side. Here, the children will be introduced to the classification of animals, explore skeletons (both animal and human) and learn more about the natural world. Again, we will connect this to wider subjects to make the learning meaningful and memorable.

Homework will be set every Monday via Teams and will include a reading challenge, weekly spellings and multiplication practice for a Friday test. We would love the children to make regular use of the multiplication games shared on Teams, as this will give them a real head start in preparing for the Year 4 Multiplication Check. Please don’t worry if homework slips into the “Teams mist” – it can always be found safely under Assignments, with a PDF attached for further guidance. On other occasions, homework will be set on LBQ (Learning by Questions).  LBQ gives automatic feedback, and teachers are able to check the LBQ website to see who has completed the task and which questions may have proven difficult which will help inform our teaching.  There is no need to take a photo and upload LBQ work to TEAMS.

Reading remains central to everything we do. Our class library day is on Wednesdays, and children should bring their library book to school each week to renew or return. Later this term they will also bring home a Pandora reading book, carefully chosen for their reading stage. Please do ensure this comes into school every day so we can listen to their reading regularly.

As the term continues, there are plenty of events to look forward to. We will soon begin preparing for the Year 3 Nativity, and we know what a talented group of pupils we have! Parents’ Evening will also take place this term, giving us a chance to talk about how the children have settled and the progress they are making. Later in the year, we will also be enjoying swimming sessions, healthy snack making and an Egyptian exhibition.

P.E. will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays, and children should come to school in their kit on these days. For safety, please make sure earrings are removed or covered with tape (provided from home), long hair is tied back, and no jewellery is worn. Trainers are essential for outdoor games, while shorts are required for indoor lessons – these can be worn under jogging bottoms on colder days. A quick reminder too that mobile phones are not permitted in Year 3.

Finally, as the weather turns chillier and sometimes wetter, please ensure your child comes to school each day with a coat and a water bottle. A warm coat makes the playground much more enjoyable when the wind blows, and a hydrated brain is always a happy brain!

We are so pleased with how the children have started their Year 3 journey and we are confident that this will be a happy, exciting and successful year. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the school office email (solentjunior@thesolentschools.org), or catch us after school if you’d like to arrange a convenient time to chat.

Warm regards,

The Year 3 Team