Summer 1
Using an atlas to locate places connected to Betty Campbell. We identified Cardiff, Jamaica and Barbados
We are learning about Betty Campbell because she helped make Cardiff a better place for the people who lived there. She worked hard to help children, schools and communities feel welcoming, fair and inclusive for everyone.
This links to our class theme, “What makes a place beautiful?” because beauty is not just about buildings or nature. People can make places beautiful too through kindness, respect, helping others and making people feel proud of where they live.
By learning about Betty Campbell, we can think about how we can help improve our own school and community and make it a positive place for everyone.
Role Reversal Day!
We have had a fantastic day in school, with a very special twist — the teachers and children swapped roles!
The teachers enjoyed the opportunity to step back and take part in lessons, while the children took on the challenge of leading the classroom and many of the school’s important responsibilities. They taught Monster Phonics, delivered a class assembly, led a maths lesson, and even made sure everyone stayed on track throughout the day.
In addition to classroom teaching, the children also stepped into a range of vital school roles, including playground monitors, gate monitors, lunchtime supervisors, and even supporting in the school office. Each role helped them understand the many responsibilities that keep a school running smoothly.
It quickly became clear that the role of a teacher — and indeed other school staff — involves far more than it first appears, and the children rose to the challenge with enthusiasm and determination. It was a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved, and certainly not as easy as it may have looked at first!
We had a brilliant time celebrating careers and thinking about the future!
We started by learning from the school nurses, who told us about their important role in helping people stay healthy. We found out about the checks they carry out, such as height and weight measurements and flu vaccinations, and how important it is to talk to a nurse if we are ever worried. We were also reminded about the importance of good handwashing to stop the spread of germs.
We then met Fliss, the flying doctor, who works with the air ambulance. She explained how she travels by helicopter to help people who are very poorly or injured and need urgent care. We learned about the long training journey needed to become an air ambulance doctor and how rewarding her job is. It really inspired us to think about our own futures.
We also welcomed Lisa, an audiologist, who taught us how our ears work and how we hear sounds. She shared how she became interested in audiology because of her own hearing difficulties when she was younger. It was very funny watching Mrs Davies have an ear mould made, which we all found fascinating!
Finally, we listened to Beth, who is in her second year at university training to become a pharmacist. We couldn’t believe she used to be a pupil at our school! She told us about how medicines are developed, and we were amazed to learn that snake venom can even be used in some medicines.
It was a really inspiring day that helped us learn about lots of different careers and think about what we might like to do in the future.
Pa liw ydy hwn? Pa siap ydy hwn? Sawl ochr? Sawl wyneb?
We took to the streets and made a difference! Armed with bags and litter pickers, we helped clean up our local community and protect our environment. Every piece of litter picked up was a step towards a brighter, cleaner place for everyone.
Slot drilio - practicing the sentence pattern ‘Ble est ti?’
The children took part in a creative and engaging activity inspired by The Promise by Nicola Davies. They imagined themselves as a character from the story and had to persuade the thief to plant the acorns. They focused on using strong persuasive techniques, including giving clear and thoughtful reasons, choosing powerful and emotive language, and asking rhetorical questions to influence the thief’s thinking. To bring their ideas to life, the children then used Adobe Express to animate their characters. This allowed them to present their persuasive messages in a dynamic and creative way, combining literacy skills with digital creativity.
This week, our class assembly was inspired by the story of Chris Hoy from the Little People, Big Dreams series.
We explored how Chris Hoy followed his dream of becoming a cyclist, showing incredible determination, resilience, and a strong belief in himself. The children learned that success does not happen straight away—it takes practice, hard work, and the courage to keep going even when things feel challenging.
Through discussion and reflection, we focused on key messages from the story:
- The importance of never giving up
- Understanding that mistakes help us learn
- Building confidence and self-belief
- Developing a positive attitude towards challenges
To support our values work, we shared a simple class prayer, encouraging the children to be brave, work hard, and believe in themselves.
This learning links closely to our wider focus on growth mindset and resilience, helping the children to develop confidence and perseverance across all areas of the curriculum.
In this lesson, the children explored money through a range of practical activities. They worked in groups to recognise and sort coins, count different amounts, and use coins to pay for items in a classroom shop. They also discussed money statements and decided whether they were true or false, explaining their thinking. This helped the children show what they already know about money while developing confidence, vocabulary, and reasoning skills.
Welsh playground games and planting seeds in outdoor learning
Our curiosity cube is a collection of carefully chosen objects and images designed to spark interest, questions, and discussion around our topic. Inside it we have items such as rubbish, money, a bird, flowers, a globe, and images showing both urban and rural environments, as well as scenes from The Promise and questions linked to your big enquiry question. Each item has been selected to prompt thinking from different angles—environmental, human, and emotional. As a stimulus, the cube is important because it doesn’t give answers straight away; instead, it encourages children to observe, wonder, and ask questions. For example, rubbish can lead to thinking about pollution and responsibility, while the globe encourages a wider view of the world. The story images and questions help connect learning to narrative and deeper themes. Overall, it acts as a hook into learning, helping children become curious, make connections, and engage more deeply with the big ideas we want them to explore.
Our Topic This Term: What Makes a Place Beautiful?
This term, our Year 3 class will be exploring the question: “What makes a place beautiful?” through our Human Geography topic.
We will be learning about different places around the world, including rural and urban areas, and comparing richer and poorer communities. The children will explore how people live in different parts of the world and how access to things like education, healthcare, transport, and jobs can vary.
A key part of our learning will focus on how humans can change places, both positively and negatively. Using the story The Promise, we will think about how people can improve environments and make places more beautiful for everyone.
We will also be linking our learning to our local area by exploring the new playground at Parc Gwernfadog and the positive impact it has had on the community. Children will consider how this improvement has made the area more enjoyable, welcoming, and “beautiful” for the people who use it.
✏️ Literacy
In Literacy, we will be focusing on persuasive writing.
The children will learn how to write a persuasive letter, using strong reasons and language to convince others. As part of this, they will write to Swansea Council to suggest further improvements to the Parc Gwernfadog area, explaining how these changes could make the space even better for the community.
➗ Mathematics
In Maths, we will be learning about money and applying it to real-life situations.
Children will practise recognising coins and notes, solving problems involving spending and saving, and thinking about how money can affect improvements in places and people’s lives.
🌱 Our Big Ideas
Through this topic, children will:
- Understand that places around the world are different
- Explore how people’s lives and opportunities vary
- Learn how humans can improve places
- Recognise that beauty can be found in many different ways