Welcome to Maple 3!

2025 - 2026

Miss Houghton - Class Teacher

Mrs Oldham, Miss Gregory, Mrs Sullivan - Teaching Assistants

Spring 1

Forces, Magnets and Metals

In science, we are learning about forces. Today we discussed the difference between contact and non-contact forces. We explored contact forces first, like pushing in a chair and switching on a torch. We then tried to move a bee on a plate without touching it - we eventually realised if we drag a magnet beneath the plate the bee (with a paper clip attached) would move! After that, we tried to get a Pom Pom into a cup without physical contact. We decided to blow it into the cup. This is still a contact force as the air from our mouths touches the Pom Pom.

Maple enjoyed working with a partner to perform a range of balances. We needed to be steady and controlled in order to be as still as we could!

What a fun-filled afternoon Maple have had at Forest School this week!  Mrs Smith and Miss Houghton were so impressed with their hard work, teamwork, resilience and determination.  In teams of three, the children collected sticks to build their own fire. They then used a flint and steel to get the fire going - although we were unsuccessful, the children didn't give up and eventually sparks were created! 

In Year 3, we have been learning about measurement. Today, we measured large objects around the classroom using metres and centimetres. We worked together to use rulers and metre sticks accurately, making sure we lined them up carefully. We also practised converting measurements from metres and centimetres into just centimetres.

We had lots of fun in PE playing different games!

With the items we found abandoned in our book corner, we decided on criteria for how to sort these items into a Venn diagram. We used our Year 2 learning to support this. 

Year 3 returned to school to see the classroom book corner looking like a 'crash site'! Metal pieces of all different kinds and beach debris was scattered all over the floor, along with two huge metal footprints! Together we discussed what this could mean and who could have caused this - was it the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz? The rhino from last half term's book? Or could it be a ginormous man made of metal? 

Why the beach objects though? Had they been collecting things along a beach? Had they been on holiday? Who knows? But then ... we found some pictures! The Iron Man had been to Maple class! 

Once we knew who these metal pieces belonged to, we tried to piece them together. Maple children thought the bolt could be a part of the body, used to stabilise the giant. They thought the chain could be part of the neck, to support the head moving directions. We thought the spring could be the mouth as a spring is stretchy and the mouth would need to move. Maple had some fabulous ideas and used their inference skills well to try and come to a conclusion.