In this block, we are exploring Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman. Children will develop their skills in recount writing through letters, focusing on how to describe settings, events and feelings. They will also practise writing in the first person and maintaining a consistent tense. Later, we will build towards writing a letter from the boy in the story to his grandfather recounting the events he has experienced.

We will focus on the use of paragraphs to group related ideas, prepositions to show time, place and cause and the correct use of inverted commas for speech. Students will also work on expanding their vocabulary to capture the reader’s interest and imagination.

Key Vocabulary: recount, paragraph, prepositions, tense, apostrophe, first person, dialogue, inverted commas. 

In this block, students will continue to build their understanding of place value by working with larger numbers, progressing from two-digit to three-digit numbers. They will focus on understanding the value of the hundreds place and how it relates to the tens and ones places. Throughout the unit, students will practice breaking numbers apart (partitioning), comparing numbers, and making estimates.  

To support their learning, they will engage in a variety of activities using hands-on materials, pictorial models and written numbers. These tasks are designed to help students feel confident and accurate as they apply their knowledge to increasingly challenging problems involving larger numbers.

Key Vocabulary: represent, partition , place value, count, pictorial, numeral, tens, hundreds. 

In this block, students will be exploring the topic “Under the Sea.” Students will learn how to use maps to identify and locate the world’s major oceans and seas, building their geographical skills. They will also investigate the key characteristics of oceans such as their size, depth, special features and discover the important roles oceans and seas play in our daily lives. Children will take part in activities such as map challenges, creating ocean fact posters, role-play discussions about how people use the seas and simple research projects to share their findings with the class. 

Through this unit, children will develop an understanding of how oceans shape our planet and why they are essential for people, animals and the environment.

Key Vocabulary: oceans, habitat, temperature, pollution, conservation, climate, depth, resources.

In this block, children will be learning all about skeletons. Children will begin by identifying and naming some of the main bones in the human body, before exploring the functions of the skeleton, including support, protection, and movement. They will also compare human bones with those of different animals, asking the question “Are all skeletons the same?”

Through hands-on activities, pupils will build simple skeleton models, label diagrams, sort animal skeleton pictures, and investigate how joints help us move. These activities will develop their scientific vocabulary, observational skills, and understanding of why skeletons are so important for living things.

Key Vocabulary: skeleton, skull, spine, femur, pelvis, ribcage, spine, mammal, exoskeleton, endoskeleton, amphibian.

In Block 1, students focus on exploring their identity, emotions and place within the school community. This unit sets the tone for a safe and respectful learning environment by building self-awareness and encouraging empathy and collaboration. Children reflect on their responsibilities, rights and the impact of their choices on others. 

Key Vocabulary: belonging, responsibility, rights, consequences, goal, community, inclusion, rules, choice, identity. 

We are exploring a rich collection of vocabulary to help children expand their language and use words more effectively in reading and writing. Students will learn action words such as smudge, nuzzle, burst, fade, brim, haul, wrench, gather, heave and buffet to describe movements and feelings with greater detail. They will also explore descriptive and topic-related words like boulder, churn, dissolve, gale, harbour, horizon, quay, moult, somersault and corkscrew. Through reading, discussion, role-play and creative writing children will develop their understanding of these words and practise using them in context to make their writing more powerful and imaginative.

Common exception words- word list Year 3 and 4

Adding the endings -ing, -ed to words of one syllable ending where no change is needed to the root word.

The suffixes -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly.

The suffixes -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly (to root words ending in -y).

The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt -al and -il at the end of words.

The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt -el and -le at the end of words

In Year 3, home learning is designed to support and reinforce key skills, while helping children develop independence and positive learning habits. 

Reading is our top priority. We encourage children to read at least five times a week and to record their reading in their Reading Log each time. This regular reading practice builds confidence and fluency. Children are also asked to complete one weekly entry in their Writing Log. These logs will be reviewed at the end of each learning block to monitor progress and celebrate their efforts. In Mathematics, a MyMaths task will be set every Tuesday. Students are encouraged to practise regularly on both MyMaths and TT Rockstars to build fluency and strengthen their understanding. 

While home learning is encouraged to support your child’s development, it is not compulsory. We celebrate effort and commitment through our Reading Star and Writing Star awards at the end of the year.

In Computing, our topic for this block is We are Programmers. In this unit, children develop their programming skills by creating their own animation in Scratch. They start by being introduced to Scratch and exploring its tools. Then identify the key features of a good animation and designing a storyboard for their own project. Children then plan and program characters and dialogue, followed by animating movement and incorporating switching costumes and backdrops to bring their story to life. Finally, they add sound effects to enhance their animation, before reviewing, debugging, and improving their finished work.

Key Vocabulary: abstraction, algorithm, bug, code, debug, decomposition, event, iterative development, parallel processing, output, program, repetition, scratch, sequence, sprite, storyboard.

In this block, children explore artists who combine painting and sewing to create mixed-media works inspired by landscapes. They begin with fluid, intuitive underpaintings on cloth, then layer textural stitched marks to build depth and expression. Sewing is explored as an alternative to traditional drawing, encouraging creativity rather than precision. Sketchbooks support experimentation with mark making, colour, and composition, helping pupils develop a personal response to landscape as artistic stimulus.

Key Vocabulary: painting, sewing, mixed-media, landscape, underpainting, texture, stitch, mark making, colour, composition, sketchbook, creativity, expression, response, stimulus.

In this block, children are introduced to R’n’B through Joanna Mangona’s Let Your Spirit Fly. They explore style, structure, and instruments while developing listening and appraisal skills. Singing activities build pitch accuracy, rhythm, and expressive performance. Pupils play tuned and untuned percussion, improvise short patterns, and create ensemble parts. The block encourages confidence, teamwork, and creativity, culminating in a class performance that celebrates musical understanding, cooperation, and appreciation of R’n’B music.

Key Vocabulary: R’n’B, style, structure, instruments, listening, appraisal, singing, pitch, rhythm, percussion, improvisation, ensemble, confidence, teamwork, performance.

In this block, children dive into the world of the ocean through role play, ensemble movement, and creative storytelling. They explore marine life and environmental issues, using drama techniques such as soundscapes, freeze frames, and improvisation to bring underwater worlds to life. Pupils collaborate to express ideas, characters, and themes, developing confidence, communication, and empathy. The block culminates in a short performance, highlighting imaginative storytelling and raising awareness of ocean conservation.

Key Vocabulary: ocean, marine, conservation, role play, ensemble, storytelling, soundscape, freeze frame, improvisation, character, theme, confidence, communication, empathy, performance.

This block develops creativity and performance skills through the theme All at Sea. Using the sea as stimulus, children explore travelling actions, flowing movements, and dynamic contrasts to represent waves, storms, and calm waters. Working individually, in pairs, and groups, they build sequences from improvisation into choreography. Pathways, levels, and rhythm help depict sailing, floating, and currents. The block culminates in a performance where pupils share expressive dances capturing the sea’s movement and atmosphere.

Key Vocabulary: sea, stimulus, travelling, flowing, dynamics, waves, storms, calm, improvisation, choreography, pathways, levels, rhythm, sailing, performance.

Badminton

In this unit, pupils will be introduced to the basic skills of badminton including serving, forehand and backhand strokes, and the rules of the game. They will participate in simple rallies and matches to apply these skills. Pupils will also work on improving their hand-eye coordination and reaction time.

Key Vocabulary: Serve, forehand, backhand, rally, shuttlecock, court, net, grip.

Short Tennis

In this unit, pupils will learn the fundamental skills of short tennis such as grip, forehand and backhand strokes, serving, and basic footwork. They will engage in activities that promote hand-eye coordination and simple match play. Pupils will be encouraged to develop their accuracy and control through various fun drills.

Key Vocabulary: Grip, forehand, backhand, serving, rally, court, net, footwork.

All students will take part in a fortnightly swimming lesson 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.