Year 3 Autumn 1 2026 - Curriculum Overview
Religious Education – Branch 1: Covenant and Creation
The children will explore the Christian belief that God created the world. They will study the first account of Creation in Genesis 1:1–2:3, alongside Psalm 8 and Psalm 19, considering the beauty of the world and the importance of caring for God’s creation.
English: There's No Place like Home
The children will explore narrative writing inspired by The Tin Forest, developing their descriptive language, vocabulary and storytelling skills. They will also learn about biographies, identifying key features and writing about the lives and achievements of significant individuals.
Maths
The children will develop their number sense, exploring a range of calculation strategies to solve mathematical problems. They will also strengthen their understanding of place value and learn to interpret and represent information using graphs.
Science: Rocks
The children will investigate different types of rocks and explore their properties. They will learn how rocks are formed, compare and group rock samples, and investigate how fossils are formed and how soils develop.
PSHE: Online Safety
The children will learn how to stay safe when using the internet and digital devices. They will explore how to recognise potential risks, protect personal information and make responsible choices when communicating and interacting online.
RHSE: Growing in Love
The children will explore how we grow in love and develop caring, happy and respectful friendships. They will consider what makes relationships healthy, how to show kindness and respect, and how to recognise when relationships help us feel safe, secure and valued.
Equality and Diversity
Using Oliver by Birgitta Sif, the children will explore themes of friendship, belonging, similarities and differences. They will consider the importance of inclusion, empathy and celebrating diversity, recognising that everyone deserves to feel accepted and valued.
PE: Invasion Games
The children will develop their skills through a range of invasion games. They will practise passing, receiving, moving into space and working as part of a team, while learning to follow rules, make decisions and demonstrate good sportsmanship.
Computing: Connecting Computers
The children will explore how computers connect and communicate with one another. They will learn about connections, servers and networks, developing an understanding of how devices share information and how networks help us access and exchange data.
Geography: Rivers
The children will learn about rivers and their importance to people and the natural environment. They will explore the features and stages of a river, develop their geographical vocabulary and use maps to locate rivers and investigate the landscapes surrounding them.
History: Ancient Egypt
The children will travel back to Ancient Egypt to explore its fascinating history and civilisation. They will learn about the River Nile, the Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun and Howard Carter, using historical sources to investigate the past and understand why Ancient Egypt remains significant today.
Art and Design: Gestural Drawing with Charcoal
The children will experiment with charcoal to create loose, expressive and gestural drawings. They will explore line, tone, texture and movement, developing confidence in their mark-making while using drama and performance to inspire and inform their artwork.
Design and Technology: Mechanical Systems: Pneumatic Toys
The children will design and create their own toys incorporating a pneumatic system. They will investigate how trapped air can be used to produce movement, explore how pneumatic mechanisms work and develop their ideas through thumbnail sketches and exploded diagrams before making and evaluating their finished products.
Music: Let Your Spirit Fly
The children will explore the musical unit Let Your Spirit Fly, developing their singing, listening and performance skills. They will investigate rhythm, pulse, pitch and musical structure while learning to appreciate different musical styles and perform confidently together.
Handwriting in Year 3
In Year 3, we practise handwriting every day. We spend time learning how to form letters correctly, join our writing neatly and present our work with pride.
All children are encouraged to take their time, use the correct letter formation and always try their best. Regular practice helps develop a fluent, neat handwriting style that will support them throughout their learning.
Handwriting year 3
We read The First Account of the Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and explored the belief that God created the world and everything in it. We spent time reflecting on what it means that God made us in His image and discussed how every person is unique, special, and worthy of love and respect.
The children shared some thoughtful ideas about their own gifts and talents and considered how they can show kindness and care to others as part of God's family. We were very impressed with their mature discussions and reflections.
Year 3 re creation
Year 3 are Scientists!
Year 3 scientists used magnifying glasses to carefully investigate a variety of rocks. They looked closely at the rocks' appearance, observing features such as colour, texture, size and patterns.
The children then sorted and classified the rocks into groups based on their observations, explaining their reasons using scientific vocabulary. They showed great curiosity, teamwork and observation skills throughout the lesson.
Science - investigating rocks
Year 3 Stay and Pray
We welcomed our grown-ups into class to join us for our Stay and Pray session. It was wonderful to welcome eveyone into our classroom for an end-of-day prayer and liturgy.
As we continue to celebrate the Month of the Rosary, we sang Ave Maria together and listened to a Scripture reading from the Gospel of Luke. We spent time reflecting on the many blessings of this Autumn season and thinking about all that we are thankful for.
The children shared their thoughts beautifully and wrote their own prayers, giving thanks for their families, friends, God's creation and the many gifts they enjoy each day.
Stay and Pray
