St John's C of E Primary - Nurturing Excellence

Puffin Class

Welcome to Our Puffin Class Page!

English-The Firework Makers Daughter

This term, Year 3 is exploring The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman! Children will follow Lila on her exciting journey to become a firework maker, exploring chapters like washing the elephant and venturing inside the volcano. They will learn to identify the opening, build-up, climax and resolution of a story, explore language features such as similes, metaphors, personification, short sentences and expressive language, and discover how authors show time, place and cause using adverbs and prepositions. Pupils will also learn new vocabulary like pungent, determination, scampered, billowing, and transfixed. In writing, they will practice fronted adverbials, commas, sentence types, conjunctions, tense, and speech punctuation. By the end of the term, children will create a biography, instructions, short story and non-fiction report, supported by drama, shared writing and model examples.

Maths – The Power of Numbers
Year 3 will strengthen their understanding of the four basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Pupils will explore how addition combines numbers; subtraction finds the difference, multiplication is repeated addition, and division splits numbers into equal parts. Through practical activities, problem-solving, and regular practice, children will develop confidence and accuracy in applying these skills to everyday maths challenges.

RE – Incarnation
This term, children will explore the Christian belief of the Incarnation, learning that Jesus, the Son of God, became human to live among people. Pupils will explore the Nativity story and consider why the birth of Jesus is important for Christians today. Through discussion, reflection, and storytelling, children will deepen their understanding of Christian beliefs and how these shape the lives of believers.

Geography – Maps, Compasses, and Rivers
In Geography, Year 3 will develop their spatial sense and map skills! Children will learn to use map symbols, keys, and grid references, including 4- and 6-figure references, and explore the eight points of a compass. Using maps, atlases, globes, and digital mapping, pupils will locate countries and describe features. They will study the history of maps, including compasses (used for over 2,000 years) and the role of the Ordnance Survey in mapping Britain. Children will compare places in the UK, Europe, and North or South America, exploring human and physical geography, and understanding similarities and differences in landscapes, population, transport and rivers.

Later in the term, pupils will focus specifically on rivers, learning about their journeys from source to estuary, and how humans interact with rivers for transport, trade, irrigation and water supply. Children will explore rivers across the world, including the Danube, Nile, Niger, Indus, Mississippi and Amazon, and consider how human activity, droughts, and dams can change rivers and affect the communities who rely on them.

Music – Vivaldi’s Winter
Year 3 will be introduced to Antonio Vivaldi’s famous The Four Seasons, focusing on the first movement of Winter. Children will learn that a concerto features a soloist with orchestral accompaniment, and that Vivaldi’s music is an example of programme music, telling a story through sound. Pupils will explore motifs, minor tonality and ritornello structure, and compare this with the song California Dreamin’. Over the term, children will compose their own wintery pieces using tuned and untuned percussion, work in groups, notate their music with dots on a stave, and perform, record and evaluate their compositions.

Design & Technology – Pop-Up Books
In DT, Year 3 will be designing and making a pop-up book for a child of their own age, using linkage mechanisms to create moving parts. Children will research different types of linkages and products that use them, design their book with clear criteria, create annotated drawings and prototypes, and then make their books using appropriate tools, materials, and joining techniques. Finally, pupils will photograph and evaluate their books, reflecting on what worked well and what could be improved.

Science – Rocks and Soils
Children will investigate rocks and soils, using magnifying glasses and microscopes to observe closely. They will learn that rocks are grouped into sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic, explore properties such as permeability, and discover how rocks are used in everyday life. Pupils will study fossils, how they form, and the work of paleontologists, and examine soil composition, including organic matter. The unit concludes with an extended writing task: What can rocks tell a geologist about our planet? allowing children to apply their scientific knowledge and investigative skills.

History – Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
Year 3 will explore Anglo-Saxon England and the Vikings, learning how Britain changed after the Romans left. Children will study Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, daily life, farming, homes and beliefs, and the later spread of Christianity. Pupils will then investigate Viking invasions, raids, settlements, the Danelaw, and the leadership of King Alfred the Great and King Cnut. The unit concludes with Edward the Confessor and the Norman Invasion, helping children understand how these events shaped England’s history.

Art – Ancient Egypt
In Art, pupils will explore Ancient Egyptian art, learning how art was used to tell stories, show beliefs, and demonstrate power. Children will create sketchbooks to record observations, and practise drawing, painting, and sculpture. They will study the Great Sphinx, the bust of Queen Nefertiti, and Ancient Egyptian gods, exploring how art helped the dead in the afterlife and reflected the power of Pharaohs. Pupils will reflect on what these artworks tell us about life and beliefs in Ancient Egypt.

PE – Circuit Training
This term, children will take part in circuit training, a fun way to improve fitness, coordination, agility, and balance. Circuit training provides a healthy break from classroom learning, encourages teamwork, competition and friendship, and helps children develop new physical skills to support future activities like athletics.