In Block 3, children will explore The Dragon Machine through the Writing Pathways approach, using the text to develop their composition, vocabulary, and sentence-level skills. They will take part in drama, role-play, and discussion to understand the characters and themes and will plan, draft, and edit descriptive writing and a short narrative inspired by the story. This unit will help children deepen their understanding of story structure while expanding their descriptive language.

Key vocabulary:  dragon, machine, invisible, mysterious, adventure, discover, creature, roar, wings, tail, scales, mischievous, problem, solution 

Children will continue their learning on Shape, further developing their understanding of 2D and 3D shapes, their properties, and how to sort and compare them. They will then move on to learning about Money, recognising coins and notes, counting combinations, and solving simple addition and subtraction problems involving money. The block will conclude with an introduction to Multiplication, where children will explore equal groups, repeated addition, and early times-table patterns using practical and visual methods. Across the block, children will build confidence in explaining their reasoning and applying their skills to real-life mathematical problems.

Key Vocabulary: 

Money: coin, note, pence (p), pounds (£), value, cost, total, change, amount, spend, Multiplication: multiply, times, groups, equal groups, repeated addition, array, row, column, lots of, double

In Humanities, children will explore the concept of mapmaking, learning how maps represent places and how they help us understand and navigate the world around us. Pupils will examine different types of maps, identify landmarks, and use simple symbols and keys. They will also practise giving and following directions, using positional and directional language to describe routes and locations. Children will then create their own maps from an aerial view, strengthening their geographical understanding and ability to interpret and design simple maps.

Key Vocabulary

map, atlas, globe, landmark, symbol, key, route, location, north, south, east, west, left, right, near, far, direction, positional language, aerial view, plan, local area, journey, scale

Children will explore the natural world through topics on plants and light and dark. Children will investigate how plants grow, the basic needs of plants, and how to care for them. They will also explore the concept of light and dark, discovering how light helps us see and the role of shadows. Through these lessons, children will build their scientific understanding and enjoy hands-on activities and observations.

Key Vocabulary

Plants topic: seed, root, stem, leaf, flower, shoot, water, soil, sunlight, growth

Light and Dark topic: light, dark, sunlight, shade, shadow, source, reflection

In PSHE, children will explore the topic 'Dreams and Goals'. Children will think about their own aspirations and the steps needed to achieve them, learning the value of perseverance, teamwork, and celebrating achievements. They will reflect on challenges, develop a growth mindset, and support each other in reaching their personal and shared goals. Through discussion, activities, and roleplay, children will build confidence, resilience, and a positive attitude towards learning and future ambitions.

Key Vocabulary:

dream, goal, achievement, perseverance, challenge, teamwork, effort, success, ambition, motivation

In Block 3, we will continue to build on our focus on vocabulary, supporting children to expand their everyday language and further develop subject-specific vocabulary across English, maths, science, humanities, and PSHE. This will help them communicate their ideas more clearly and confidently while deepening their understanding across the curriculum.

Children will begin by consolidating common exception words such as because and beautiful, ensuring automatic recall of tricky spellings. As the weeks progress, pupils will explore how words are formed and modified, including compound words like football, contractions such as can't and I'm, and the prefix un- in words like unhappy. Children will also learn to add suffixes confidently, transforming root words—for example, quick becomes quickly with the suffix -ly, and hope becomes hopeful with -ful. Towards the end of the block, they will tackle more complex patterns, including words ending in '-tion' like 'station' and 'invention', while continuing to strengthen their phonological awareness by segmenting words into sounds and dividing longer words into syllables. 

Home learning will continue to support and extend classroom learning. Children are encouraged to write about something that they have learnt in school in their writing journal to encourage retrieval practice. 

In maths, a weekly activity will be set on MyMaths every Tuesday, linked to the topics taught in class.

Reading remains a key priority, and children are expected to read daily at home with an adult, talking about the story and recording comments in their reading record.

Home learning helps children practise key skills, build confidence, and develop independence. However, students are encouraged but not required to complete these tasks.

In Computing, our topic for this block is We Are Photographers. In this unit, pupils explore how to take high-quality digital photographs by understanding both the technical and artistic elements of photography. They begin by looking at professional photo collections to identify what makes an effective image, before learning how to use the iPad camera to capture their own photos. Throughout the unit, pupils practise taking a range of shots, review their work, and select their best images for improvement. They then learn how to edit and enhance their photos using a variety of digital tools, including selective editing features. By the end of the unit, pupils will be able to capture, evaluate, and refine digital photographs with confidence.

Keywords: Adjustment, Camera roll, Colour value, Crop, Filter

Children combine drawing and collage to make imaginative maps showing journeys, routes, and places. They use lines, symbols, and colours to represent direction and features, developing spatial understanding and creative expression. Collage adds layers and texture, encouraging experimentation and storytelling through visual mapping.

Key Vocabulary: line, shape, colour, texture, space, map, route, symbol, direction, scale, collage, layer, journey, place, pattern

This block introduces children to rock music and playing together in a band through I Wanna Play in a Band. They learn about band roles, song structure, and rock style while singing with energy and clear diction. Using tuned or untuned instruments, children play simple riffs and chord patterns, rehearsing to keep in time and start and stop together. The block develops ensemble skills, confidence, and performance awareness.

Key vocabulary: rock, band, ensemble, pulse, rhythm, riff, chord, verse, chorus, bridge, tempo, dynamics, rehearse, perform, listen

In this block, children explore The Dragon Machine through role play, freeze frames, mime, soundscapes, and simple dialogue as they follow George’s journey with the dragons. They create sequences showing city life, the dragon machine, and the final homecoming, developing confidence, cooperation, storytelling, and expressive use of voice, body language, and imagination, culminating in a short class performance.

Key Vocabulary: character, narrator, freeze frame, mime, soundscape, sequence, dialogue, expression, body language, voice, setting, journey, machine, performance, imagination

This lively block invites children to become dragons, knights, and castle characters through imaginative dance. They explore castles, flight, roaring, and rescues using galloping, stretching, swooping, and “fire-blowing” actions. Games, improvisations, and musical statues build agility, balance, and coordination. Each week adds new movement ideas linked to Zog’s adventures, leading to a playful group dance that shows character, rhythm, and clear storytelling through movement.

Key vocabulary: dragon, knight, castle, gallop, swoop, stretch, roar, travel, balance, coordination, statue, improvisation, motif, sequence, performance

Gymnastics 

In this unit, pupils will build on their basic gymnastic movements by performing simple sequences that include balancing, rolling, and jumping. They will start to develop strength and flexibility.

Key Vocabulary: Balancing, rolling, jumping, sequence, strength, flexibility, control.

Swimming lessons will be for classes B and D this block and are designed to build both confidence and enjoyment in the water. Our programme follows a structured level system that ensures steady progression, tailored to each child’s ability. Alongside stroke development, children also learn important water safety and personal survival skills. We aim for every child to leave Junior School as a competent, confident swimmer with the skills to participate safely in a range of aquatic environments.