Archive - Year 3 2025/6
Colchester Castle Trip
Year 3 visited Colchester Castle to support their history topic on the Romans. During this interesting visit, the children were able to search around the castle to find some historical artefacts and learnt all about how the Romans built the city of Colchester. Cece said: “When we walked in, we could see the dragon holding the crown and were able to look at old coins.”
They also experienced what life was like living in a roundhouse and tried on some costumes. A highlight of the day was a guided tour of the underground vaults which were the foundations of the original Roman temple. Esmai said: “I liked going under the castle because you got to see all the armour and we learnt lots about the Romans.” Finley added: “We held the shields in a turtle formation like the Roman army did. They felt very strong and heavy. I felt very protected!”
Finally, the children had a hands-on experience of building a Roman villa and role played what it was like for the Iceni tribe as they camped in the woods. This was Hallie’s favourite part: “I liked building the roman villa because it was really big and I enjoyed working with my friends.”
Everyone really enjoyed the trip and all the children were very well-behaved. Alice said: “It was a really, fun fascinating trip because we learnt really cool facts. For example, Boudicca burnt down the temple but the Romans made all the Celts that survived rebuild the whole entire temple.”
May 2026
In Year 3, we have been spending the month of May reflecting on the importance of Mary and deepening our understanding of prayer and devotion. Our Worship Team worked incredibly hard to prepare and lead five different class worship sessions, each focusing on one of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Through drama, discussion and prayer, the children helped one another to learn more about these special moments in Mary’s life and their significance within our faith. The class have especially enjoyed gathering together each week to pray the Rosary, with the prayers confidently and thoughtfully led by their classmates. As part of our May reflections, we also created a beautiful class prayer chain. Each child wrote their own special prayer, thinking carefully about hopes, thanks and intentions they wished to share. In the centre of the chain, we added a blue link to represent Mary and to remind us of her love, guidance and intercession. It has been wonderful to see the children show such reverence, teamwork and enthusiasm throughout these prayerful activities, helping us all to grow together in faith during this special month dedicated to Mary.
Year 3 enjoyed also an exciting trip to Maldon Library, where they were given a guided tour of the children’s area and introduced to the wide range of books available. The children had the opportunity to explore and read a variety of books, sparking lots of interest and enthusiasm. They also took part in a fun game of Dingbats, where they worked out book titles from picture clues, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Throughout the visit, the children were exceptionally polite, well-mannered, and highly engaged. They asked the librarian many thoughtful questions, showing great curiosity and enthusiasm for
Please visit their webite: https://libraries.essex.gov.uk/digital-content/our-library-locations-and-opening-times/maldon-library
March 2026
Students Enjoy Exciting Learning Adventure at Hyde Hall
Pupils from our school recently had an exciting and educational trip to Hyde Hall, where they explored the wonderful world of plants and nature. The children were highly engaged throughout the day as they took part in a variety of hands-on activities and discovered how plants grow and survive.
One of the key topics the pupils learned about was seed dispersal. They discovered how seeds travel from one place to another using wind, animals, or water. To bring this idea to life, the children even made their own “seed helicopters”, which demonstrated how some seeds spin through the air to reach new places to grow.
Another fascinating part of the day was learning about bee pollination. The students found out how bees move pollen between flowers, helping plants to grow fruits and seeds. This helped them understand just how important bees are for our environment.
The class also explored different types of plants, observing their shapes, leaves, and flowers while walking through the beautiful gardens. The outdoor setting made it easy for the children to see these ideas in real life.
During a fun nature treasure hunt, the children searched for natural objects around the gardens. Afterwards, they used their discoveries to create colourful nature bookmarks, which they proudly took home as a reminder of the day.
One of the most exciting activities was planting seeds. Each child planted their own seeds in small pots to take home, where they will be able to watch them grow over time.
The trip to Hyde Hall was a fantastic opportunity for our children to learn outside the classroom. Through creative activities, exploration, and teamwork, the children developed a deeper understanding of plants, pollination, and the importance of nature.
Everyone returned to school inspired, with new knowledge and a greater appreciation for the natural world.
February 2026
Year 3 took part in an exciting and memorable cross-curricular lesson where they mummified tomatoes as part of their science and history learning. The activity helped the children explore the Ancient Egyptian belief in preservation and the afterlife, while also giving them the opportunity to observe and discuss changes over time. Pupils carefully prepared their tomatoes and used salt to replicate the mummification process. We can't reveal the results yet as we have to leave the tomatoes for 40 days to allow the mummification process to take place.
In English, the children built on this experience by writing clear, step-by-step instructions explaining how to mummify a tomato. They focused on using imperative verbs, time connectives and precise vocabulary to ensure their instructions were easy to follow. The lesson allowed pupils to deepen their understanding through hands-on learning while making meaningful links across subjects.
December 2025
Year 3 have being doing lots of work about the features of a church. To start the topic off, we spent some time learning the names of special items such as the tabernacle, altar, votive candles and lectern. To help with this learning, they made models of the Sanctuary area of the church complete with miniature versions of the things they had been finding out about.
Next, we had a really interesting visit to The Assumption of Our Lady Church in
Maldon. When we arrived, the children went on a ‘treasure hunt’ to find all the
objects we had found out about during our lessons. Seeing the items in real life really helped them to put meaning to their learning. We looked closely at the stained glass windows in the church, noticing the colours used, how they are different from normal windows and the images they depicted. We were really grateful to the parents who helped us on our walk to and from the church!
Finally, we used our observations of the stained glass windows to design and create our own. We were so impressed with the creativity shown by the children during this activity. They had full choice over the shape and images shown in their windows and the finished artwork is beautiful. The stained glass windows are now being proudly displayed in our classroom.
October 2025
As part of our celebrations for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, our school community came together to create a vibrant and meaningful collaborative mural, inspired by the messages of Laudato Si’. Using a wide range of art resources and techniques, all pupils from year 3 contributed to the design and creation of this beautiful piece, which now proudly adorns one of our school walls.
The mural captures key themes from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, including care for our common home, gratitude for creation, and our shared responsibility to protect the Earth. Children expressed these values through imagery of nature, wildlife, water, and people working together in harmony with the environment. The collaborative nature of the project itself mirrored the message of unity and stewardship that St. Francis so passionately embodied.
We then wrote our own class pledge which all children signed, agreeing to follow the promises to care for all of God's creations.
Throughout the creative process, pupils were deeply engaged and excited to share their ideas. From painting and drawing to using recycled materials in imaginative ways, the mural became a joyful expression of faith, care, and creativity. Staff also noted how the project helped deepen students’ understanding of both St. Francis’ legacy and the ongoing importance of environmental action.
We are incredibly proud of the mural and all those who contributed. It stands not only as a beautiful artwork, but also as a reminder of the call to live simply, love generously, and protect the world around us.
