Harting Church of England School

Rowan Class (Y3/4) 26-27

RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS

After our walk around the village we played in the park

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Off on our walk we go.....

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We drew what we could see around us

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Engrossed in the activity

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Welcome to Rowan Class

2026 - 2027

A vibrant Rowan tree laden with red berries stands prominently against a backdrop of rolling green hills under a clear sky.

Welcome Back To School Sign Flyer (US Letter) template

I am very pleased to welcome year 3 and year 4 pupils back to school as Rowan Class. I am really excited about the year ahead and I am very much looking forward to getting to know everyone. There is a lot to look forward to, with many interesting areas of learning planned for this academic year.

The adults working in Rowan class 2026 to 2027 are myself, Mrs Fielder and our wonderful teaching assistant Miss Taylor. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons, my leadership and planning time will be covered by Mrs Parkin. Mr Gardner will also have the class for an hour of PE on Wednesday afternoon.

AUTUMN TERM ONE 2026

Welcome Back. I hope everyone had a really good summer with lots of family fun.

Our topic area of learning this half term has a geographical focus where we will be learning about The United Kingdom. In Science the unit of work for both years 3 and 4 will be Forces and Magnets. Please refer to the Knowledge Organisers below for more detail on both these subjects as well as the Curriculum Map which outlines the units of work for the remaining subjects.

Meet the teacher 2026.pdf

WEEKLY NEWS

Week ending: Friday 16th October

We had a fabulous walk around the village this week for our geography trip. The children were a credit to our school, displaying excellent behaviour and knowledge as they were on the lookout for human and physical features. We had a quick stop to draw the view and ended with a play in the park! Back in the classroom, the children enjoyed looking at Google maps and plotting the journey we took. Some were also interested to find home on the map! In other areas of the curriculum, we have looked at the ten commandments in RE and thought about the meaning behind them. In Music, we completed our unit of work 'The Clap Rap' where the children learnt, rehearsed and performed a song and in PSHE we practised working collaboratively.

Week ending: Friday 9th October

We had fun this week re-enacting 'The Fall' from the creation story. The children got into groups and chose to be either Adam, Eve, God's voice, the sneaky snake or the forbidden tree. The children understood the story well, which really showed in their drama and there were lots of giggles and smiles throughout. The children were not only wonderful actors, but a wonderfully supportive audience for each other too! In Geography, we looked at mountain ranges in the UK and different types of land use. The children were amazed at the minimum height of a mountain - around 600m! In PE we continued our work on shape jumps and used the apparatus to form a sequence. The children really impressed me with their balances - something they had to work hard to do with control! In computing we discussed adding content to websites and had a go at doing this ourselves in a fun and safe way, using a website called 'Chrome Music Lab'.

We are really looking forward to our trip next Thursday 15th for our walk around the village. Please remember to bring a coat and wear comfortable footwear, although we are keeping our fingers crossed for kind weather!

Week ending: Friday 2nd October

In Geography this week, we used the laptops to research all about our county of West Sussex. We found out what foods are associated with West Sussex, what day county day is each year, what the county motto is and if any famous people were from our county. The children did a great job of finding out some really interesting facts. In RE, we looked again at Genesis and the story of Creation. We thought about the meanings behind the language and had some interesting discussions. In PE, the children worked on shape jumps. We worked on straight, star and tuck jumps and put them together in a sequence with our previous learning about balances. In PSHE, we discussed rights, responsibilities, rewards and consequences. We discussed how we all have a responsibility to respect the rights of others. The children were very reflective on this and understood this concept well. In computing, we discussed data centres and looked at where these were located on the map. We learnt there was just one in the whole of the UK!

On Monday we had a day focussing on nature. Thank you to everyone who brought in something for the day. We learned the names of trees, which seed comes from which tree and how seeds are dispersed. We sorted, we discussed, we drew, we counted and we measured. We put all the conkers in one line in the playground. The children estimated then counted. We had over 300 conkers that measured over 10 meters!

We started our new core text this week, Leon and the Place Between. We always start a new text with making predictions. In order to do this, the children were presented with a box containing objects linked to the story; a white rabbit, a deck of cards, a cape, fake flowers, paper doves and a blanket. Having discussed these objects, they made their predictions. Then, to help create an atmosphere of magical excitement, a large colourful parachute was hung from the ceiling. Under they went and here they sat to listen to the story. The buzz was palpable as they made connections between the objects and the illustrations. But were their initial story predictions correct? In maths we compared and ordered numbers using a variety of representations and equipment. In science the children made a cardboard and straw maze. Once completed the children used magnets to 'steer' a small metal ball around the maze. Why and how did this work?

Week ending: Friday 25th September

It's been another busy week with lots of learning through discussion and practical activities. In maths we have continued our work on place value, focussing particularly on number lines. On Tuesday the children worked with a partner; each partner had to write a number line on the playground using chalk, using a rule that they had thought of. The partner's job then was to work out what the rule was. Everyone worked really well and enjoyed the challenge of working out their friend's rule. In English the children wrote their own story for the wordless book 'The Whale.' Many tried to include expanded noun phrases, similes and personification in their writing. I was very impressed with everyone's effort. Well done. Science, this week, involved using magnets. The children really enjoyed exploring which materials are magnetic and which are not. Many were fascinated by the fact that a paper clip laying on a table can be moved by a strong magnet placed under a table. Some discovered that a magnet can hold at least 3 paper clips, one after the other. The children discovered a lot about magnets and materials, which was great to see. In art, we focussed on proportion, detail and colour. The children chose a picture from the story Arnie the Doughnut, which they copied carefully in their sketch books, then added colour using pastels. It is obvious from their perseverance and concentration that they enjoy art and I like how they offer words of encouragement to each other.

In RE, the children looked at what it means to be a 'steward' and how and why Christians believe it is important to look after God's creation. They thought carefully about things they have created themselves and how they took care of it. In Gymnastics, the children worked on point and patch balances, using the apparatus - they were very excited to get the larger pieces out and worked safely and sensibly to create their balances. In Geography, the children continued to use atlases and maps to locate cities and counties. Some children had fun finding certain attractions on the map and others drew out the UK on the playground to get a sense of where things are in comparison to one another. Thank you to those children who completed their homework last week - we look forward to seeing what you complete next week!

Week ending: Friday 18th September

The children are continuing to settle well into Rowan Class and are starting to work together as a team. This week, the children enjoyed a bit of role play in computing, where they played the part of a device, a switch or a router. We also looked at submarine internet cables across the world, and some sensible and important questions were raised. In RE we looked at the poem 'The Creation' by James Weldon Johnson. The children all did a wonderful job of illustrating a verse of the poem to put into pictures the language used. In gymnastics, the children worked together to choreograph a mini-sequence involving patch and point balances. They enjoyed sharing their work with each other. In music, we have started learning a 'Clap Rap'. The children did a brilliant job of joining in and lots of fun was had!

In English we have continued using 'The Whale' as a stimulus for our writing. This week we have written two incidental pieces, one a description of a seaside setting and the other a paragraph where tension is created. The children have worked hard this week trying to remember to include prior learning, such as expanded noun phrases, similes, personification and rich vocabulary. Well done everyone. In maths, we have spent the week partitioning 3-digit and 4-digit numbers using a variety of resources and representations. Knowing what each digit represents and what it is worth is something everyone is very confident with now, which is great to see. In science we explored pushing and pulling, discussing how these forces are present in everyday life without us necessarily realising. We finished the lesson outside so the children could practise pushing and pulling. In art we learned about making visual notes then practised it while listening to an artist talk about how she prepares to illustrate children's books. Please look at the photograph above as it shows some of the children's amazing visual notes.

Week ending: Friday 11th September

This week marks our first full week as the new Rowan class and what a busy week we have had. It seems to have just whizzed by! I have really enjoyed getting to know you and your children. Thank you for your patience at the end of the day as I send your children out to you, while I get to know you a little better.

This week the children have worked hard on their listening skills, with many really impressing me in PE with a game of Traffics Lights. There was a lot of concentration, careful listening, smiles and laughter as they tried to be the first one to win without getting caught out! Their resilience during the game was fantastic too. In Geography, we have started learning about the UK. This week we looked at where the cities and counties were on the map. In RE, we have started looking at the Creation and Fall and the children will be collecting natural materials and listening to signs of nature that they find in our wonderful world. In computing, we have started talking about what the internet is and how devices send messages to each other.

Yes it has been a busy first week, getting to know our new year 3 children, establishing new routines as well as starting the learning journey. It has been a real pleasure seeing the children come into school in the mornings with confidence and smiles. In English we have started our core text, 'The Whale' by Ethan and Vita Murrow. It is a story about two children who go looking for whales. What makes it special is that the story is told through pictures - it is a wordless book. The children have become familiar with the story as well as revisited expanded noun phrases and similes. In maths we have begun our unit on place value using a variety of resources to ensure we can correctly represent the value of each digit in either a 3 or 4 digit number. In science we started the unit of 'forces and magnets' off, by investigating friction. The children had to roll or slide a penny across different surfaces and from their results prove that a rougher surface causes more friction and a smoother surface causes less friction. In art we finished drawing and colouring our faces, then painted a picture showing an activity from the summer holiday.

Week ending: Friday 4th September

Mrs Parkin and I just want to say a huge well done for the way the children have settled into Rowan class already. There have been a few nerves understandably, but lots of smiling faces already. We have played getting to know you games, one involving a ball of string, as well as discussing the classroom expectations which will go on display shortly. The children have also written about their holiday, started the Geography and PSHE units as well as used the computers.

LEARNING CONVERSATIONS (Homework)