Years 3 & 4 – Kestrels Class
Welcome to Kestrels Class page:
On this page you will be able to find information about the work which Year 3 and Year 4 pupils are undertaking. You will also find information of ways in which you can help and encourage pupils in their learning to enable them to fulfil the school values ‘To Nurture, To Grow and To Flourish’.
To enable you to be fully involved with your child’s learning we hold half termly consultation meetings which provide an opportunity for pupils and parents to meet with the class teacher to discuss progress, celebrate achievements and discuss the next steps.
Our topics this term are as follows:
Autumn Term- Kestrels Class
English
The class text for this half term is Stig of the Dump which links nicely with our topic of Stone Age to Iron Age. The children will be studying the text in more depth in our whole class guided reading session and then working on writing about the characters of Barney and Stig. In the latter part of the term we will be looking at instruction writing and using our skills to write a set of instructions on how to make a stone age tool.
Maths
The first Maths topic of the year is place value, this gives the children a good foundation in understanding the meanings and values of numbers up to 4 and 5 digits. The children will then move onto the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Science
This half term we will study systems of the human body. To begin with we will the muscular system and the skeletal systems before moving on to the nervous system and the digestive system.
History / Geography
Our topic for this half term is Stone Age to the Iron Age. The children will be looking the chronology of this period and how people would have lived. We will be looking at house, settlements, food, clothing and doing a brief study of Stonehenge.
This half term’s geography learning is all about spatial sense. We will be looking at using a compass and understanding the 8 main points. The children will also be learning how to use 4 figure grid references on maps. We will be putting these skills together to do some map work in the local area and within the school grounds.
This half term’s geography learning is all about spatial sense. We will be looking at using a compass and understanding the 8 main points. The children will also be learning how to use 4 figure grid references on maps. We will be putting these skills together to do some map work in the local area and within the school grounds.
Art/DT
This half term the children will be looking at line drawing. Using their sketch books they will be carrying out exploratory drawings using different kinds of lines and drawing materials. The children then study how artists can vary the weight of their line and look at how artists use lines in different ways, to show shape, tone and texture. They will do drawing exercises to use lines in ways which they may not have encountered before: continuous line drawings to show a piece of fruit and using multiple lines next to each other to show the contours of a hand.
RE
Through the whole of the autumn term Islam will be the focus of our RE lessons. The children will learn that there are many Muslims living and worshiping in the UK and that prayer is important for all practising Muslims. We will study the five pillars of Islam to help the children develop their knowledge and understanding.
PHSE
This half terms PSHE topic is ‘Beginning and Belonging’
This unit aims to help the children consider their feelings about starting something new and how to make others feel welcome. The children will also think about how to manage their feelings and how to calm down if necessary.
This unit aims to help the children consider their feelings about starting something new and how to make others feel welcome. The children will also think about how to manage their feelings and how to calm down if necessary.
PE
This term PE will be taught by Premier Sport. The topic for the half term is sending and receiving, and attacking and defending. The children will be taught these skills through a variety of different sports.
Computing
Our first computing topic of this year is The Internet. We will be learning all about how the internet works, how computers are connected and who owns the internet. The children will be taking a more in depth look at the workings of a website and deciding whether we can trust all that we read online.
MFL
In French the children will be introduced to colours, numbers and greetings. They will also study the body, clothes and appearance vocabulary.
Music
Music will be studied in the second half of the term.
Autumn Term- Kestrels Class
English
Our class reading book this term is Five go to Treasure Island.
We will be starting the term with a writing to inform unit focussing on diary writing, using our class reader as a stimulus.
Our first fiction unit of the term will be on traditional tales, we will link this to our Egyptians topic looking at The Egyptian Cinderella.
We will be starting the term with a writing to inform unit focussing on diary writing, using our class reader as a stimulus.
Our first fiction unit of the term will be on traditional tales, we will link this to our Egyptians topic looking at The Egyptian Cinderella.
Maths
Mondays – Wednesdays: In our Power Maths lessons we will be continuing our work on multiplication and division before moving onto fractions.
Thursdays and Fridays will see the completion of topics on addition and subtraction. After that Year 3 will study length whilst Year 4 will study perimeter and area. The term will finish with a unit on statistics.
Thursdays and Fridays will see the completion of topics on addition and subtraction. After that Year 3 will study length whilst Year 4 will study perimeter and area. The term will finish with a unit on statistics.
Science
On our return to school after Christmas, we will finish our unit on electricity. Following this we will be doing a biology topic that will look at nutrition in humans and other animals. and then move onto learning about bones and muscles. We will also study the digestive system and have a good look at teeth.
History / Geography
In History we will be learning about the Ancient Egyptians during the first half of the term and in the second half we will be studying the Anglo Saxons and the Scots.
Our first half term Geography topic is Rivers, the children will be looking at Rivers around the world as well how rivers are formed and the different parts of a river.
Our first half term Geography topic is Rivers, the children will be looking at Rivers around the world as well how rivers are formed and the different parts of a river.
Art/DT
Kestrels class will be learning how to draw cartoons this term. We will be studying a variety of well-known cartoonists and looking at their varying styles.
We will have two DT days this term focussing on the design process to create different end products.
We will have two DT days this term focussing on the design process to create different end products.
RE
The first RE unit of the term is all about saints. We will consider the characteristics required to be made a saint and then look at the four British patron saints. In the second half of the term will consider the question, ‘Why do Christians call the day Jesus died Good Friday?’
PHSE
The first half term topic will be ‘Community and Diversity’. We will explore how people have different views and lifestyles. After that we will consider stereotypes and how to challenge them. The second half term will be drugs education. The children will learn the names of some common medicines and what they are for. They will learn that medicines are drugs and can be both helpful and harmful. Finally we will consider the effects of alcohol and nicotine.
PE
Our PE lessons will be taught by Premier Sport. The children will be developing their ball control skills as they work socially distanced from each other outside.
We are lucky to be able to have a visiting teacher from The Lane Academy for the first half term of the year. This will be on a Monday afternoon and the children will be learning an Egyptian dance.
We are lucky to be able to have a visiting teacher from The Lane Academy for the first half term of the year. This will be on a Monday afternoon and the children will be learning an Egyptian dance.
Computing
In Computing we will be getting creative for the first half term making Animations, this will be linked with our Art topic of cartoons. The second part of the term we will be looking at storing information using simple branching databases.
MFL
Mme Bending will start by teaching French to Kestrels class this term. The children will be continuing their link with Little Thetford school and will be writing New Year cards followed by learning how to talk about the Months of the year, their birthdays, the alphabet, and the weather.
Music
In the second half of the term Mme Bending will be teaching music. The children will be learning how to read the music and to be able to perform a piece on the keyboards. This will include learning about the treble clef.
Autumn Term- Kestrels Class
English
The class will continue to work on both Fiction and Non-Fiction writing. Some of the work will be based on our class texts, these are Horrible Geography – Raging Rivers and Kensuke’s Kingdom.
The children will continue to work on their spelling through our Sounds-Write phonics sessions.
The children will continue to work on their spelling through our Sounds-Write phonics sessions.
Maths
Year 3 will be continuing our work on Fractions and Length. We will then move onto units on Mass, Capacity and Shape.
Year 4 will also be continuing work on Fraction before moving onto Decimals. They will then be studying units on Geometry.
Year 4 will also be continuing work on Fraction before moving onto Decimals. They will then be studying units on Geometry.
Science
The science units will be Ecology and Classification of plants and animals. We are also hoping to squeeze in the end of the electricity unit that was started before the latest lockdown. The units should be a mixture of theory and practical science.
History / Geography
In History this term the children will be looking at The Stuarts.
We will be looking at the lives and actions of Kings James I and II, Charles I and William of Orange.
We will be looking at some significant historical events during this period including The Great Fire of London (building on Y2 knowledge), The Plague, The Gunpowder Plot and the English Civil war.
We will be looking at the lives and actions of Kings James I and II, Charles I and William of Orange.
We will be looking at some significant historical events during this period including The Great Fire of London (building on Y2 knowledge), The Plague, The Gunpowder Plot and the English Civil war.
In the first half of the Term we will be studying London and the South East region of England. The children will be building up their knowledge of the counties of the UK. We will be studying the human and physical characteristics as well as the topographical features. We will study London and the River Thames, Canterbury, Brighton and the White Cliffs of Dover.
In the second half we will be looking at Japan. Children will be studying the climate, physical features, Architecture, and feudal Japan.
Art/DT
This term’s art topics are Monuments of Byzantine Empire and then Needlework, Embroidery and Weaving.
The children will be creating patterns and mosaics whilst developing their skills in watercolour painting and mosaic. In the Needlework unit we will be looking at fashion designers including Farrer and Hartnell. The children will be learning skills in cross stitch.
The children will be creating patterns and mosaics whilst developing their skills in watercolour painting and mosaic. In the Needlework unit we will be looking at fashion designers including Farrer and Hartnell. The children will be learning skills in cross stitch.
RE
In RE we will study two units on Christianity over the summer term. The first is ‘What Kind of World Did Jesus Want’ and that will be followed by a study of the Trinity and what it means to Christians.
PHSE
The units covered in the summer term for PSHCE will be Personal Safety and Managing Change. The Personal Safety unit will ask the children to consider who their trusted adults might be and to assess the local area in terms of safety. Managing Change looks at the different types of change a child could experience and the emotions they might feel. It finally asks the children who they might approach for help.
PE
We are lucky to be able to have a visiting teacher from The Lane Academy for the first half term. This will be on a Monday afternoon and the children will be studying Yoga.
In our Thursday PE sessions the children will be working on their skills in Striking and Fielding.
In our Thursday PE sessions the children will be working on their skills in Striking and Fielding.
Computing
We will be developing our programming skills this term using the Scratch program. The first unit teaches the children how to sequence sounds using the sprites, stages and blocks to program. The second looks more at actions and events and results in the children using their skills to create their own project.
MFL
The class will be studying MFL for the second half of the Summer Term. They will be learning Italian or Chinese (the children will get to vote on which language the class studies). They will be learning basic greetings, talking about themselves and writing to their partner class at Little Thetford Primary.
Music
This term the children will be learning about rhythm – notation and doing some singing. The children will be learning the songs for the summer term production.
