This unit uses Stone Age Boy as a stimulus to develop pupils’ historical understanding while strengthening key reading and writing skills across the curriculum. Children explore the text through prediction, retrieval, inference and discussion, then apply these skills to a wide range of writing outcomes including narratives, diary entries, instructions, reports, descriptions, dialogue, and comparative pieces. Grammar teaching is woven throughout, focusing on accurate use of past-tense verb forms, expanded noun phrases, fronted adverbials, conjunctions for cohesion, and correctly punctuated direct speech. Pupils practise organising ideas into paragraphs, varying sentence structure for clarity and effect and selecting precise vocabulary to enhance detail. 

By the end of the unit, children will have developed greater confidence in crafting coherent, imaginative texts that demonstrate secure grammatical control and a clear understanding of life in the Stone Age.

Key Vocabulary: crept,whispered,dashed,shivered,carved,scraped,struckflint, spear, axe, mammoth, cave paintings, hunter-gatherer, tribe, torch, bone tools, prehistoric.

In this block, Year 3 will be focusing on Multiplication & Division and Length & Perimeter, two important maths areas taught through practical, engaging, and collaborative learning experiences.

In Multiplication and Division, students will build confidence using practical tools such as counters, number lines, arrays, and  multiplication squares. They will work with multiples of 10, use related facts, and practise multiplying and dividing 2-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers using visual models. Students will explore remainders with concrete resources and use partitioning to break numbers into tens and ones. Activities such as building arrays, matching problems, and scaling tasks help make learning meaningful and engaging. Many activities will be done in pairs or small groups to promote discussion, reasoning, and collaborative problem-solving.

In Length and Perimeter, children will explore measuring using metres, centimetres, and millimetres. They will take part in hands-on activities using rulers, metre sticks, tapes to measure objects around the classroom and outdoor spaces. Students will compare lengths, convert between units, and work together to solve measurement challenges. As they move on to the perimeter, children will build shapes using string, sticks and cubes to understand how the distance around a shape is calculated. Group tasks will encourage teamwork as they measure classroom items, create perimeter maps, and check each other’s calculations. These units aim to develop confidence, accuracy, and a deeper understanding of mathematical ideas through interactive and enjoyable learning experiences.

Key Vocabulary: multiply,  division, reminder, grouping, sharing, length, centimetre, metre, height, perimeter, measure, calculate, convert.

In this block, children will discover how historians divide the past into different periods, including Ancient Times, the Middle Ages, and Modern Times. They will explore prehistory, the time before written records, and learn about the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, which are named after the main materials used for tools.

Children will investigate daily life across these eras: how people lived, worked, traded, and formed communities. They will examine archaeological evidence, study artefacts and images, make inferences, and find out how settlements, invaders, and trade shaped society in Britain.

Through engaging hands-on activities, children will create timelines, reconstruct tools and settlements, and discuss which historical period they would most like to live in and why.

Key Vocabulary: AD, BC, age, barter, date, evidence, export, historian, import, prehistory, primary source, reconstruction, secondary source, settlement, trade

In this block, our focus is on Rocks and Fossils. Children will learn about different types of rocks and explore their properties, such as hardness, texture, and permeability. They will investigate how rocks are tested and grouped, how they break down to form soil, and how rocks are used in everyday life. Pupils will also discover what fossils are, how they form, and what they tell us about life on Earth in the past. Through hands-on activities, children will test and sort rocks, examine soils, and make fossil models. These activities will help pupils build their scientific vocabulary, observation skills, and understanding of the natural world. 

Key Vocabulary: rock, igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, hardness, texture, permeability, fossil, sediment, soil, mineral, crystal, grain, organic matter, weathering, fossilisation, investigation, observation.

In this block, our focus is on Dreams and Goals. This unit is one puzzle piece of the wider set of six PSHE themes the children explore across the year. Children will explore their hopes and ambitions and learn that achieving a dream often takes time, planning, and perseverance. They will reflect on their own goals, think about what motivates them, and recognise the feelings linked to challenge, effort, and success. Children will also learn that some dreams require money and begin to practise simple saving and budgeting skills.

Through hands-on, collaborative activities, pupils will break larger goals into small, achievable steps, work with others to solve problems, explore obstacles and discuss how to overcome them. They will celebrate their own progress, recognise the achievements of others, and learn that trying their best, even when something is difficult, is something to feel proud of. This block represents one puzzle piece of their personal growth, fitting together with the other PSHE themes to build a complete picture of their wellbeing and development.

Key Vocabulary: ambition, aspiration, challenge, confidence, dream, effort, goal, motivation, obstacle, perseverance, proud, resilience, save, steps, success, teamwork, puzzle piece.

In this block, children will be developing a rich and varied vocabulary to describe actions, feelings, movements and objects with greater precision. The descriptive words we will focus on include wander, stumble, relief, strike, chip, trim, wriggle, flicker, furious and pierce, which help pupils add depth and detail to their writing. Alongside these, pupils will explore more technical and subject-specific words linked to early history and craftsmanship: skinning, smoke, stew, flint, spear, spearhead, grindstone, leather, ornament and archaeologist. Through interactive activities such as sorting words into groups, matching them to images, acting out meanings and using them in short descriptive pieces, children will learn to apply this vocabulary confidently in their speaking, reading and writing.

Common exception words- word list Year 3 and 4

Adding the prefix un- :More prefixes: dis-

Adding the prefix un-, dis- :More prefixes: dis-, mis-, in-, re-

More prefixes dis-, mis-, in-, re- : More prefixes: sub-, inter-, super-

 The /s/ sound spelt c before e, i and y : More prefixes: anti-, auto-

The /ɔ:/ sound spelt a before l and ll : Use the forms a or an according to whether the next word begins with a consonant or a vowel.

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. In Mathematics, MyMaths task will be set every Tuesday. Students are encouraged to practise regularly on both My Maths and TTRockstars 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 Presenters. In this block, pupils create an informative presentation based on a topic they have studied in another curriculum area. They begin by researching their chosen subject and selecting suitable images online to support their explanation. Pupils then rehearse and record their presentations in front of relevant backgrounds. After filming, they edit their videos by combining static images and green screen footage to produce a polished final piece. The block concludes with pupils peer assessing each other’s presentations, offering constructive feedback.

Key Vocabulary: camera roll, Colour value, Creative Commons, Green screen, Pixel, Resolution, Search engine

Children study early art forms, creating textured surfaces, natural pigments, and expressive marks inspired by cave paintings. They explore how prehistoric people communicated through art, using drawing, painting, and mixed media to depict animals and symbols. The block encourages storytelling, observation, and appreciation of ancient creativity. 

Key Vocabulary: line, shape, colour, texture, form, space, pigment, mark-making, surface, cave, natural, symbol, story, layer, composition

In this block, children explore reggae music through Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. They learn to recognise reggae’s relaxed groove and offbeat rhythms while singing with a smooth, confident tone. Using percussion and tuned instruments, children play simple accompaniment patterns and short melodic ideas. Listening activities focus on identifying instruments, pulse, and structure. The block promotes ensemble skills, creativity, and enjoyment while reinforcing the song’s positive, reassuring message.

Key Vocabulary: reggae, groove, offbeat, pulse, rhythm, syncopation, melody, lyrics, verse, chorus, tempo, dynamics, accompaniment, improvise, perform

In this block, children bring the Stone Age to life through mime, tableaux, and ensemble role play. They explore daily life, hunting, fire-making, and simple rituals in a prehistoric settlement. Narration from a Stone Age “elder” develops storytelling voice, while drama techniques help children show emotion, relationships, and atmosphere. The block culminates in a digital photo-story or short presentation of their scenes.

Key Vocabulary: Stone Age, tableau, mime, settlement, ritual, hunter-gatherer, narration, freeze frame, atmosphere, gesture, expression, storytelling

This block, classes 3A and 3C will be taking part in dance lessons designed to build confidence, creativity and enjoyment through movement.

Children travel back to the Stone Age through expressive dance. They explore actions like spearing, hunting, cave painting, tool-making, and tending fire, using gesture and whole-body movement. Improvisation, freeze frames, and simple motif development help them build short phrases that show survival, community, and ritual. The unit culminates in a group performance that combines spatial patterns, rhythm, and characterisation to bring prehistoric life alive.

Key Vocabulary: stone age, spear, hunt, gather, cave painting, ritual, motif, freeze frame, gesture, pattern, rhythm, formation, sequence, ensemble, performance

Striking and fielding (Rounders and Cricket) 

In this unit, pupils will explore basic skills common to both cricket and rounders, including batting, bowling, and fielding. They will learn about the rules of both games and participate in modified matches to practice these skills. Pupils will also focus on teamwork, strategic thinking, and developing their understanding of game dynamics.

Key Vocabulary: batting, bowling, fielding, stumps, runs, overs, pitch, base, innings, catch.

In this block, classes 3B and 3D will participate in Swimming lessons. 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.