Poplars Year 3
Welcome to Poplars
2025-2026
Meet the Staff
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7th and 8th May, 2026
Year 3 Residential
On Thursday and Friday, Year 3 enjoyed an exciting residential adventure packed with exploration, teamwork and fun.
On Thursday morning, we began the day by getting dressed into our wetsuits before climbing into the minibuses and heading off to explore Dartmoor. When we arrived at Meldon, we had great fun scrambling up the gorge. Although the water was very chilly, everyone enjoyed the challenge and showed lots of determination. Along the way, we even had the chance to jump into some of the deeper pools, which was great fun!
We ate our lunch on the moor before setting off to discover where the river in Hatherleigh begins. Alastair taught us all about springs and bogs and explained how rivers start in these areas. We found the stream and worked in our House Teams to build mini dams across the water. Afterwards, we walked to see the real dam that holds back the water at Meldon Reservoir. We were fascinated to hear the echo of our voices when we shouted our names towards the huge dam wall.
Once we returned to school, we enjoyed a delicious tea prepared by Mrs Andrew. We then settled into our tents and, after such a long and busy day, everyone was ready to snuggle into their sleeping bags for a well-earned sleep.
The next morning greeted us with bright sunshine and, after filling up on Mrs Monger’s delicious breakfast, we headed off for our next adventure. Our destination was Northam Burrows, where we enjoyed a walk along the beach, stopping to build pebble towers and collect flotsam and jetsam along the shoreline. After lunch by the sea, it was time to return home.
We all had an amazing time and every child should feel incredibly proud of themselves and their personal achievements over the two days of adventure.
Science
Year 3's curiosity was evident when they took part in some interesting science experiments.
They investigated the fascinating effects of static electricity and discovered that you could, indeed, make a tissue paper man stand up on his own two feet!
Maths Day in Poplars
Last week, Poplars enjoyed discovering the fascinating properties of tessellating shapes during Maths Day.
Everyone looked amazing in their mathematical outfits. There were certainly more than 6 or 7!
Christmas in Poplars
Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas period and the final weeks of term, which were packed full of exciting activities. We explored chalk pastels to create some beautiful and effective Christmas cards, and enjoyed a trip to the Northcott Theatre to watch Jack and the Beanstalk, enthusiastically joining in with all the traditional actions and phrases.
We were also incredibly proud to perform our Christmas play alongside Year 4. The children worked hard to write the play themselves and performed it with great confidence and enthusiasm. We finished the term with a festive class Christmas party, enjoying lots of fun games including pass the parcel, musical statues and the chocolate challenge.
Wishing all our Year 3 families a very Happy New Year!
Design & Technology – Levers and Linkages
In Design & Technology lessons, Year 3 have been exploring how levers and linkages work. The children investigated different mechanisms and discussed how movement can be created and controlled.
They then applied their learning by designing and making their own working systems. They created mechanisms that used levers and linkages to produce a waving motion in their chosen image.
The children were proud of their moving models and enjoyed seeing their creations come to life.
Well done, Year 3!
Children in Need Day – Year 3
Year 3 had a wonderful time supporting Children in Need on Friday. The children were excited to take part in fundraising activities and worked together to fill Pudsey’s silhouette with coins.
Their generosity and enthusiasm helped raise money for a fantastic cause, and the classroom was full of smiles as they watched Pudsey’s outline gradually fill up.
Well done, Year 3, for showing such kindness and community spirit!
Maths – Multiplication and Division in Year 3
T his half term, Year 3 have been developing their understanding of multiplication and division. The children used concrete resources to build arrays, helping them visualise and explore the relationships between the two operations.
Through practical activities, they discovered how the same array can be used to represent both a multiplication and a division calculation. This hands-on approach supported their reasoning and deepened their confidence in working with number.
Well done to all our Year 3 mathematicians for their fantastic focus and enthusiasm!
Year 3 Maths Parent Workshop
This week, our Year 3 children were delighted to welcome parents and carers into school for a special Maths Workshop. Together, they explored key mathematical skills including place value, addition, and subtraction.
Families took part in a range of fun, hands-on activities and games designed to deepen understanding and build confidence. It was wonderful to see children and adults working side by side, sharing strategies, and celebrating their learning.
Thank you to all the parents and carers who joined us—your enthusiasm and support made the workshop a great success!
Stone Age Cave Art
This half term, we have been learning all about Stone Age cave art. We discovered that people in the Stone Age used to draw the animals they hunted on the walls of their cave homes. These pictures told stories about their lives and showed the animals that were important to them.
To experience this for ourselves, we created our own cave art using charcoal and chalk pastels. We thought carefully about the shapes, colours and textures that Stone Age artists might have used. Our finished artwork looks fantastic – just like real cave paintings!
It has been great fun exploring how people expressed themselves thousands of years ago, and we are very proud of our prehistoric masterpieces!
English
The Tear Thief
This half term, our writing has been inspired by a beautifully illustrated book called The Tear Thief by Carol Ann Duffy. The mysterious and invisible Tear Thief visited our classroom and left us a special letter – along with a jar filled with stolen tears!
In the letter, the Tear Thief asked for our help to identify the different coloured tears: emerald tears of envy, clear tears of peace, and yellow tears of happiness. We worked together to imagine which emotions might match each colour and discussed what each one might look and feel like.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue exploring the story through creative writing. We’ll be writing our own poems, letters, and stories inspired by The Tear Thief, using our imaginations to bring new ideas and feelings to life.
It’s been a magical and thought-provoking start to the term, and we can’t wait to share our wonderful writing with you soon!
Role Play Fun in English
This half term, Year 3 have been captivated by the magical world of Leon and the Place Between, a beautifully illustrated picture book that has sparked their imaginations and inspired some truly creative writing.
The story follows Leon and his siblings on a visit to a circus, where Leon is chosen to step into the mysterious world of Abdul Kazam. As Leon’s adventure unfolds, the children in Year 3 were invited to consider: Would you enter the mystical box?
To help them explore this big decision, pupils took part in a drama activity called Conscience Alley. Each child took a turn playing Leon, while their classmates became the voice of his conscience—some whispering words of encouragement to step into the box, others warning him of the unknown. As they walked slowly through the alley, they listened carefully to the conflicting advice and, at the end, had to make their own decision: to enter or not to enter?
What would you do—step into the box or walk away?
Whole School Walk
On Friday, Poplars class joined the rest of the school for our annual walk around Broomford Manor. We couldn’t have asked for better weather – the sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the autumn colours were at their very best.
As we strolled along the paths, the children enjoyed spotting the broadleaf trees, especially the magnificent oaks. Acorns crunched beneath our feet, and the golden leaves created a beautiful, seasonal backdrop. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to appreciate the natural environment together, while also sharing time as a whole school community.
The children behaved brilliantly and took great interest in their surroundings. The walk was both refreshing and inspiring – a perfect way to celebrate the season.
Harvest Festival
Poplars Class gave a brilliant performance at this year’s Harvest Festival! They shared Jackdaws by Robert Macfarlane, a lively rap-style poem that celebrates the clever birds often seen swooping across fields at harvest time.
The children worked hard to learn the rhythm and words, and their efforts really shone through. With clear voices, great expression, and plenty of enthusiasm, they brought the poem to life.
The whole class performed together with confidence, and they should all feel very proud of themselves. A big well done to Poplars Class for their fantastic contribution to our Harvest celebration!
Year 3 School Councillors
Our Year 3 School Councillors had their first meeting this week. They are taking their new duties very seriously and are looking forward to representing our class throughout the year. We look forward to hearing from them on a range of topics.
Art & Design
We are studying the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser who was famous for designing buildings without straight lines. He loved bright colours and asymmetric designs which have influenced our ideas. We have used our sketch books to explore interesting shapes and vibrant colours to produce our own building designs.
