A warm welcome to all parents and carers,

I am delighted to welcome you and your child to what will be an inspiring year at Mab’s Cross Primary School. My name is Mr Ben Topping, and I will be your child’s ‘Year 3’ teacher. During most sessions, your child will also be supported by Mrs Rudd, a very experienced teaching assistant.

Although this is my first year as an Early Career Teacher, I have been fortunate enough to have taught in both KS1 and KS2 during my training year, so I have a good understanding of child development and the expectations of contrasting year groups across school. My goal is to create a classroom environment where children can develop into independent learners, where they feel valued and are encouraged to reach their full potential whilst having fun along the way.

In Year 3, your child will explore three engaging topics:

• ‘Through the Ages’ – an in-depth study of the Stone Age, the Iron Age and the Bronze Age.
• ‘Rocks, Relics and Rumbles’ – developing a greater understanding of our world by studying rocks, fossils, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
• ‘Groundbreaking Greeks’ – to consider the Ancient Greek legacy for life today by looking at themes such as great military leaders, ancient mathematicians, philosophers, architecture and religious beliefs.

Wherever possible, your child’s learning will be enhanced through field trips, group projects, practical activities and specialist visitors.

I firmly believe that a strong partnership between parents and teachers is essential to your child’s success. I will be sharing updates through newsletters, Class Dojo and Edulink and I encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year. If you prefer a face-to-face meeting, that can be arranged either by phoning the school office or via Edulink.

There are many ways to support your child’s learning. As a school, we ask that you read with your child at least three times a week and record your comments in their ‘Reading Record Book.’ In addition to this, they will receive maths and literacy homework which will help to keep you informed of topics currently covered in class.

I am extremely excited to get to know both you and your child this year. As a team, we can continue to develop your child’s individual learning journey.

Kind regards,

Mr Ben Topping