Year 3 Curriculum

The National Curriculum for English in Year 3

Spoken Language

(The objectives for Spoken Language are common across Key Stages 1 and 2 (Years 1-6))

  • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
  • ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
  • use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
  • articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
  • give well-structured descriptions, explanations & and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings.
  • maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
  • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
  • speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
  • participate in discussions, presentations, performances, roleplay/improvisations and debates
  • gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
  • consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
  • select and use appropriate registers for effective communication

Reading

(The objectives for Reading are common across Years 3 and 4)

Word Reading

Our children will be taught to:

  • apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (etymology and morphology) as listed in Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet
  • read further exception words, noting the unusual correspondences between spelling and sound, and where these occur in the word.

Comprehension

Our children will be taught to:

  • develop positive attitudes to reading, and an understanding of what they read, by:
    • listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
    • reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
    • using dictionaries to check the meaning of words that they have read
    • increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including fairy stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these orally
    • identifying themes and conventions in a wide range of books
    • preparing poems and play scripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action
    • discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
    • recognising some different forms of poetry [for example, free verse, narrative
      poetry]
  • understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by
    • checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context
    • asking questions to improve their understanding of a text
    • drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
    • predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
    • identifying main ideas drawn from more than 1 paragraph and summarising these
    • identifying how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning
  • retrieve and record information from non-fiction
  • participate in discussion about both books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say.

Writing

(The objectives for Reading are common across Years 3 and 4)

Spelling

Our children will be taught to:

  • use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (English Appendix 1)
  • spell further homophones
  • spell words that are often misspelt (English Appendix 1)
  • place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with regular plurals [for
    example, girls’, boys’] and in words with irregular plurals [for example, children’s]
  • use the first 2 or 3 letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary
  • write from memory simple sentences, dictated by the teacher, that include words and punctuation taught so far.

Handwriting and Presentation

Our children will be taught to:

  • use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
  • increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting [for example, by
    ensuring that the downstrokes of letters are parallel and equidistant; that lines of
    writing are spaced sufficiently so that the ascenders and descenders of letters do not
    touch].

Composition

Our children will be taught to:

  • Plan their writing by:
    • discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar
    • discussing and recording ideas
  • Draft and write by:
    • composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures (See English Appendix 2)
    • organising paragraphs around a theme
    • in narratives, creating settings, characters and plot
    • in non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices [for example,
      headings and sub-headings]
  • Evaluate and edit by:
    • assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements
    • proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of pronouns in sentences
  • proofread for spelling and punctuation errors
  • read their own writing aloud, to a group or the whole class, using appropriate intonation and controlling the tone and volume so that the meaning is clear.

Vocabulary, grammar & punctuation

Our children will be taught to:

  • develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:
    • extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
    • using the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense
    • choosing nouns or pronouns appropriately for clarity and cohesion and to avoid repetition
    • using conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause
    • using fronted adverbials
    • learning the grammar for years 3 and 4 in English Appendix 2
  • indicate grammatical and other features by:
    • using commas after fronted adverbials
    • indicating possession by using the possessive apostrophe with singular and plural nouns
    • using and punctuating direct speech
  • use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 accurately and appropriately in discussing their writing and reading.
[/toggle][toggle title_open="Mathematics" title_closed="Mathematics" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Mathematics in Year 3.

Number & Place Value

Our children will be taught to:

  • count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100; find 10 or 100 more or less than a given number
  • recognise the place value of each digit in a 3-digit number (100s, 10s, 1s)
  • compare and order numbers up to 1,000
  • identify, represent and estimate numbers using different representations
  • read and write numbers up to 1,000 in numerals and in words
  • solve number problems and practical problems involving these ideas.

Addition & Subtraction

Our children will be taught to:

    • add and subtract numbers mentally, including:
        • a three-digit number and 1s
        • a three-digit number and 10s
        • a three-digit number and 100s
          • add and subtract numbers with up to 3 digits, using formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction
          • estimate the answer to a calculation and use inverse operations to check answers
          • solve problems, including missing number problems, using number facts, place value, and more complex addition and subtraction.

      Multiplication & Division

      Our children will be taught to:

          • recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables
          • write and calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division using the multiplication tables that they know, including for two-digit numbers times one-digit numbers, using mental and progressing to formal written methods
          • solve problems, including missing number problems, involving multiplication and division, including positive integer scaling problems and correspondence problems in which n objects are connected to m objects.

      Fractions

          • count up and down in tenths; recognise that tenths arise from dividing an object into 10 equal parts and in dividing one-digit numbers or quantities by 10
          • recognise, find and write fractions of a discrete set of objects: unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators
          • recognise and use fractions as numbers: unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators
          • recognise and show, using diagrams, equivalent fractions with small denominators
          • add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole  [for example,
            5/7 + 1/7 = 6/7 ]
          • compare and order unit fractions, and fractions with the same denominators
          • solve problems that involve all of the above.

      Measurement

      Our children will be taught to:

          • measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm); mass (kg/g); volume/capacity (l/ml)
          • measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes
          • add and subtract amounts of money to give change, using both £ and p in practical contexts
          • tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman numerals from I to XII, and 12-hour and 24-hour clocks
          • estimate and read time with increasing accuracy to the nearest minute; record and compare time in terms of seconds, minutes and hours; use vocabulary such as o’clock, am/pm, morning, afternoon, noon and midnight
          • know the number of seconds in a minute and the number of days in each month, year and leap year
          • compare durations of events

      Properties of Shapes

      Our children will be taught to:

          • draw 2-D shapes and make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different orientations and describe them
          • recognise angles as a property of shape or a description of a turn
          • identify right angles, recognise that 2 right angles make a half-turn, 3 make three quarters of a turn and 4 a complete turn; identify whether angles are greater than or less than a right angle
          • identify horizontal and vertical lines and pairs of perpendicular and parallel lines.

      Statistics

      Our children will be taught to:

          • interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables
          • solve one-step and two-step questions [for example, ‘How many more?’ and ‘How
            many fewer?’] using information presented in scaled bar charts and pictograms and tables.
      [/toggle][toggle title_open="Science" title_closed="Science" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Science in Year 3.

      Working Scientifically

      During years 3 and 4, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

          • asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
          • setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
          • making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers
          • gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
          • recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables
          • reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions
          • using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions
          • identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
          • using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

      Plants

          • identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers
          • explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
          • investigate the way in which water is transported within plants
          • explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.

      Animals including humans

          • identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat
          • identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.

      Rocks

          • compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
          • describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
          • recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.

      Light

          • recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
          • notice that light is reflected from surfaces
          • recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes
          • recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by a solid object
          • find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.

      Forces and Magnets

          • compare how things move on different surfaces
          • notice that some forces need contact between 2 objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance
          • observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
          • compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials
          • describe magnets as having 2 poles
          • predict whether 2 magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.[/toggle][toggle title_open="Design&Technology" title_closed="Design&Technology" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Design & Technology in Years 3 to 6.

       

      Design

      Our children will be taught to:

          • use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
          • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

      Make

      Our children will be taught to:

          • select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks accurately
          • select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities

      Evaluate

      Our children will be taught to:

          • investigate and analyse a range of existing products
          • evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
          • understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world

      Technological Knowledge

      Our children will be taught to:

          • apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
          • understand and use mechanical systems [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages] in their products
          • understand and use electrical systems [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors] in their products
          • apply their understanding of computing to programme, monitor and control their products.

      Cooking & Nutrition

      Our children will be taught to:

          • understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
          • cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet
          • become competent in a range of cooking techniques [for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes]
          • understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients[/toggle] [toggle title_open="Geography" title_closed="Geography" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Geography in Years 3 to 6.

      Locational Knowledge

      Our children will be taught to:

          • locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
          • name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
          • identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

      Place Knowledge

      Our children will be taught to:

          • understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region in North or South America

      Human and Physical Geography

      Our children will be taught to:

          • describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
          • describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water

      Geographical Skills and Fieldwork

      Our children will be taught to:

          • use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
          • use the 8 points of a compass, 4 and 6-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
          • use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.[/toggle][toggle title_open="History" title_closed="History" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for History in Years 3 to 6.

      Examples in italics are not statutory.

      Pre-Roman Britain

      Our children will be taught about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

      This could include:

      late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, for example, Skara Brae
      Bronze Age religion, technology and travel, for example, Stonehenge
      Iron Age hill forts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture

      Roman Britain

      Our children will be taught about the Roman empire and its impact on Britain

      This could include:

      Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion in 55-54 BC
      the Roman Empire by AD 42 and the power of its army
      successful invasion by Claudius and conquest, including Hadrian’s Wall
      British resistance, for example, Boudica
      “Romanisation” of Britain: sites such as Caerwent and the impact of technology, culture and beliefs, including early Christianity

      Anglo-Saxons & Scots

      Our children will be taught about Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots

      This could include:

      Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire
      Scots invasions from Ireland to north Britain (now Scotland)
      Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and village life
      Anglo-Saxon art and culture
      Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne

      Anglo-Saxons & Vikings

      Our children will be taught about the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor

      This could include:

      Viking raids and invasion
      resistance by Alfred the Great and Athelstan, first king of England
      further Viking invasions and Danegeld
      Anglo-Saxon laws and justice
      Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066

      Local History

      Our children will be taught about an aspect of local history

      For example:

      a depth study linked to one of the British areas of study listed above
      a study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality (this can go beyond 1066)
      a study of an aspect of history or a site dating from a period beyond 1066 that is significant in the locality.

      Extended chronological study

      Our children will be taught a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066

      For example:

          • the changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John, Anne and Victoria
          • changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment from the Anglo-Saxons to the present or leisure and entertainment in the 20th Century
          • the legacy of Greek or Roman culture (art, architecture or literature) on later periods in British history, including the present day
          • a significant turning point in British history, for example, the first railways or the Battle of Britain

      Ancient Civilizations

      Our children will be taught about the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following:

          • Ancient Sumer;
          • The Indus Valley;
          • Ancient Egypt; or
          • The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China

      Ancient Greece

      Our children will be taught a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.

      Non-European Study

      Our children will be taught about a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from:

          • early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900;
          • Mayan civilization c. AD 900; or
          • Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300[/toggle] [toggle title_open="Modern Languages" title_closed="Modern Languages" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Foreign Languages in Years 3 to 6.

      Note that the curriculum aims state that: Teaching may be of any modern or ancient foreign language and should focus on enabling pupils to make substantial progress in one language.

      Listening & Comprehension

      Our children will be taught to:

          • listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
          • explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words

      Speaking

      Our children will be taught to:

          • engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help*
          • speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
          • develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases*
          • present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences*

      Reading & Comprehension

      Our children will be taught to:

          • read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
          • appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
          • broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary

      Writing

      Our children will be taught to:

          • write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
          • describe people, places, things and actions orally* and in writing
          • understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.

      (*Not ancient languages)
      [/toggle] [toggle title_open="Music" title_closed="Music" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Music in Years 3 to 6.

      Our children will be taught to:

          • play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
          • improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
          • listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
          • use and understand staff and other musical notations
          • appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
          • develop an understanding of the history of music.[/toggle] [toggle title_open="Physical Education" title_closed="Physical Education" hide="yes" border="yes" style="default" excerpt_length="0" read_more_text="Read More" read_less_text="Read Less" include_excerpt_html="no"]The National Curriculum for Physical Education in Years 3 to 6.

      Sport & Games

      Our children will be taught to:

          • use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
          • play competitive games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], modified where appropriate, and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
          • develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example through athletics and gymnastics]
          • perform dances using a range of movement patterns
          • take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
          • compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

      Swimming and water safety

      Our children will be taught to:

        • All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2.
        • In particular, pupils should be taught to:
        • swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
        • use a range of strokes [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke] effectively
        • perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.[/toggle]