Year 3

Welcome to Y3

Year 3 is for children 7–8 years old, and this stage marks the end of Key Stage 1 as your child enters Key Stage 2 .

Most children will have finished their phonics courses and will be focussing on learning specific spellings and spelling patterns. They will read a greater range of genres – both fiction and non-fiction. They will be learning more complicated grammar and punctuation and will be putting it all together as they write a range of text types.

The children will start to develop their knowledge of History, Geography, Science and other subjects, only covered in KS2, like learning a new language. Furthermore, there will be greater emphasis on understanding and learning spelling rules and importantly, in maths, your child will be using more formal methods of calculation than in previous years.

Curriculum Overview

Core Curriculum Areas (Year 3)

• Mathematics: Focuses on place value up to 1000, formal column addition and subtraction, multiplication/division (2, 4, 8 times tables), unit/non-unit fractions, and time.
• English: Develops writing stamina, using conjunctions, adverbs, and fronted adverbials. Reading shifts towards comprehension, with a strong focus on spelling rules, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Science: Explores topics such as plants, animals (including humans), rocks, light, and forces.
• Foundation Subjects: Covers History (often ancient civilizations), Geography (local area/mapping), Computing, Art & Design, Music, Physical Education, and often a foreign language.
• PSHE & Wellbeing: Covers relationships, health, and personal development.

Key Changes from Key Stage 1

• Increased Independence: Greater emphasis on independent work and, in some cases, longer, more complex projects.
• Reduced Phonics Focus: Less focus on early phonics, with more emphasis on spelling rules, vocabulary, and grammar.
• Structured Learning: Introduction of more formal, structured academic, and subject-specific

Typical Year 3 Skills

• Writing: Paragraphing, using conjunctions, and developing consistent handwriting.
• Reading: Comprehension of fiction/non-fiction, making inferences, and checking for understanding.
• Maths: Confident with 3-digit numbers, column methods, and 2, 4, 8 times tables.