Welcome to Year 3
Year 3 Curriculum Overview
Year 3 is a year of curiosity, exploration, and growing independence. Children build on their knowledge from Key Stage 1 while developing deeper understanding, practical skills, and creativity across all subjects.
English
Year 3 pupils enjoy a rich variety of texts that spark imagination and reflection. They begin the year with stories like Gorilla and Gregory Cool, before moving on to Krindlekrax, Oliver and the Seawigs, The Green Ship, and The List Happy Endings. Later, they explore The Wild Robot, The Iron Man, and King of the Skies. Through these texts, children develop reading fluency, comprehension, storytelling, and writing skills, including crafting narratives, character descriptions, and explanations.
Mathematics
Maths in Year 3 focuses on building number sense and confidence with place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Pupils explore fractions, time, length, perimeter, angles, shapes, and measures, while developing strategies for calculations and multiplicative thinking. Data handling and problem-solving are embedded across lessons to help children apply maths in real-life contexts.
Science
Science encourages observation, investigation, and inquiry. Topics include movement and nutrition (biology), forces and magnets (physics), rocks and soil (chemistry), light and shadows (physics), and plant reproduction (biology). Children also make connections across scientific ideas, fostering curiosity about the natural world and how things work.
Computing
Children develop digital skills through online safety, understanding networks and the internet, programming with Scratch, and creating media like video trailers. Touch typing and exploring computer systems are integrated to build confidence and computational thinking.
History & Geography
History lessons explore British history (Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages), European history (Roman settlement in Britain), and African history (Ancient Egyptian beliefs). Geography focuses on physical and human features, from mountains and volcanoes to polar regions and settlement patterns, helping children understand why people live where they do and how environments vary.
PE
Physical education develops coordination, strength, and teamwork. Children take part in dance, gymnastics, golf, dodgeball, football, basketball, tennis, and athletics, combining skill development with fun, active challenges.
Art, Design & Technology
Art activities include drawing, sculpture, abstract 3D shapes, and Ancient Egyptian craft. Design and technology lessons cover cooking and nutrition, mechanical systems with pneumatic toys, and digital projects like electronic charms, encouraging creativity and practical problem-solving.
Religion & World Views
Children explore big questions about humanity, morality, and the role of religion. They consider why scriptures are central to some faiths, the symbolism of water and fire, and the consequences of actions, fostering empathy and ethical thinking.
French
French lessons focus on greetings, colours, size and shape, numbers, age, classroom language, transport, and the concept of life cycles, with interactive games and practical activities to develop confidence and communication.
Music
Music develops rhythm, pitch, tempo, pulse, and timbre. Children enjoy whole-class violin and recorder lessons, explore orchestral sounds, and perform songs linked to topics like animals, Romans, and seasonal events, building both skill and enjoyment in music.
PSHE
PSHE supports personal, social, and emotional growth. Topics include family and relationships, health and wellbeing, safety, citizenship, and economic awareness. Children are encouraged to develop resilience, responsibility, and self-confidence.
Year 3 is about building curiosity, independence, and confidence. Children explore a wide range of subjects, developing key skills in reading, writing, maths, and science, while gaining practical, creative, and social skills that prepare them for the next stage of learning.
Here are our wonderful Year 3 classrooms!
