Welcome to Year 3

Year 3 marks the beginning of Key Stage 2, an exciting new chapter in your child’s learning journey. As they move into more independent learning, our curriculum encourages critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity across subjects like English, maths, science and the arts. Our dedicated teachers provide a supportive environment that promotes confidence and curiosity, helping children embrace new challenges and develop their unique strengths.

The smiling teacher points out a subject whilst the children look on animatedly

Upcoming events for Year 3

Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to over the next few weeks.

First day of Autumn Term
Thu 3rd Sep

Year 3 Curriculum

Art and Design / DT / Food and Nutrition

At KS1 and KS2 we follow a two year sequence:

2025/2026 and 2027/2028

Autumn 1 – Printing

Autumn 2 – 3D: Metal

Spring 1 – Electrical Systems

Spring 2 – Mechanica | Systems (axles and wheels)

Summer 1 – Portraits, including mixed media

Summer 2 – Structures

 

2026/2027 and 2028/2029

Autumn 1 – Textiles – batik

Autumn 2 – Painting

Spring 1 – Mechanical Systems: Pneumatics

Spring 2 – Collage

Summer 1 – Portraits, including mixed media

Summer 2 – Food Technology

Computing

Each year through KS1-2 we cycle through the following units at increasing depth:

  1. Productivity
  2. Programming
  3. Computational Thinking
  4. Creativity
  5. Networks
  6. Communication/collaboration
English

Reading to Learn

Once children have been carefully assessed as having met the requirements of the phonics program, they should be able to decode any age appropriate text. At this point, children move onto our ‘Paradigm Literacy and Language’ program.

The program allocates 3 weeks to ‘fiction writing’ such as: stories, poetry, one week to ‘journalistic writing’ such as biographies and non chronological reports and two weeks to a ‘non fiction writing’ program in which specialist teachers across the Trust have worked together to create and provide high quality texts in The Humanities and The Sciences.

Click here to see which books we read in Year Three.

Geography

Children in Year 3 learn about the following subjects:

The living world

  • Biomes
  • Hot and cold climates
  • Rainforests

The economic world

  • Food, water and energy
  • The changing economic world
  • Tourism and ecotourism
  • Case study: Cambridge
History

We cover two topics a year for History in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Year 3 we look at Ancient Greece, then Romans (not British).

Mathematics

Our school uses Maths Mastery to teach the subject.

In Year 3 we cover:

  • Number sense and exploring
  • Calculation strategies
  • Place value | Graphs
  • Addition and subtraction
  • Length and perimeter
Modern Foreign Languages

We introduce Spanish at Key Stage 2, through a system called Early Start Spanish Programme.

Music

Autumn 1 – Hip Hop

Autumn 2 – Introduction to the Orchestra

Spring 1 – Reggae

Spring 2 – Vocal Techniques: Scat/beatboxing

Summer 1 – Ensemble Skills

Summer 2 – Reflect, Rewind and Replay

PE
  • Striking / fielding (e.g. rounders, cricket)
  • Gymnastics
  • Invasion Games (e.g. hockey, netball, football)
  • Athletics
  • Swimming
  • Dance
Religious and Non-religious Worldviews (RE)

We follow a three-year cycle (see below) covering the major world religions as well as  worldviews.

The programme is designed so that each previously taught religion is reviewed and comparisons are drawn between the content. Over six years, each child will have studied each identified religion/non-religion twice, studying in greater depth and making connections between religions.

Pupils are taught key substantive knowledge for each religion and worldview and each lesson is broken down into one of 3 disciplines: Theology, philosophy and Human/Social Science.

2024-2025: Christianity and Islam
2025-2026: Judaism and Humanism
2026-2027: Hinduism and Sikhism
RSHE and PSHE

The Paradigm primary schools follow the Jigsaw programme.

From September 2019 we have allocated 45 minutes per week to PSHE at KS1 and KS2.

  • Being Me in My World
  • Celebrating Difference
  • Dreams and Goals
  • Healthy Me
  • Relationships
  • Changing Me

 

Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE – please contact the principal if you wish to explore this as an option.

Science

We teach Science on a two year cycle.

25/26 and 27/28

Autumn 1 – States of Matter

Autumn 2 – Animals including Humans

Spring 1 – Electricity and Energy

Spring 2 – Plants

Summer 1 – Environmental Issues

Summer 2 – Living Things and Their Habitats

 

26/27 and 28/29

Autumn 1 – Living Things, their Habitats and Classification

Autumn 2 – Earth and Space

Spring 1 – Forces and Magnets

Spring 2 – Rocks

Summer 1 – Light and Sound

Summer 2 – Properties of Materials

Children colour with an activity at the desk
Ukeleles in red, blue and pink adorn the walls of the music room

INSET Days for this term are:

  • Tuesday 1st September
  • Wednesday 2nd September

Pupils should not attend school on these days.

 

The first day back after the summer holidays for pupils is Thursday 3rd September 2026.

The first day back after the October half term for pupils is Monday 2nd November 2026.

 

Bank Holidays

Christmas Day: Friday 25th December 2026

Boxing Day: Saturday 26th December 2026

New Year’s Day: 1st January 2027

Term Dates
Start Thursday, 3rd September
End Friday, 18th December
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 26th October
End Friday, 30th October
End of Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 21st December
End Friday, 1st January

INSET Day for this term is:

  • Monday 4th January

Pupils should not attend school on this day.

Tower Hamlets has advised the provisional dates below:

Eid Ul-Fir: Tuesday 9th March 2027

 

The first day back after the Christmas holidays for pupils is Tuesday 5th January 2027.

The first day back after the February half term for pupils is Monday 22nd February 2027.

 

Bank Holidays

Good Friday: Friday 26th March 2027

Easter Monday: Monday 29th March 2027

Term Dates
Start Tuesday, 5th January
End Thursday, 25th March
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 15th February
End Friday, 19th February
End of Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 29th March

INSET Days for this term are:

  • Monday 12th April

Pupils should not attend school on this day.

 

The first day back for pupils after the Easter holidays is Tuesday 13th April 2027.

The first day back after May half term for pupils is Monday 7th June 2027.

 

Tower Hamlets has advised the provisional date of Monday 17th May 2027 for school closures for the celebration of Eid Ul-Adha.

 

Bank Holidays

May Bank Holiday: Monday 3rd May 2027

Spring Bank Holiday: Monday 31st May 2027

Summer Bank Holiday: Monday 30th August 2027

Term Dates
Start Tuesday, 13th April
End Friday, 23rd July
Half Term Holiday Dates
Start Monday, 31st May
End Friday, 4th June

Frequently Asked Questions

 

On PE days, does my child come to school wearing their PE kit?

What do I need to know about homework?

The view from the playground to the school building

See you soon!

We are now closed for the holidays! We hope you enjoy your break and we look forward to seeing you back at school on  Thursday 3rd September.