Year 3Ages 7-8KS2

UK Year 3 Study Plan

The start of Key Stage 2. Year 3 builds fluency in number, introduces richer fractions and data, and adds exciting Science topics like plants, light, rocks and magnets.

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Subject Study Plans

Maths

Fluency with 3-digit numbers, tables, fractions, measures, geometry and data

Key Topics in National Curriculum

Number and place value to 1000 (read, write, compare, estimate)

Count in multiples of 4, 8, 50, 100; find 10 or 100 more or less

Mental addition and subtraction with 3-digit numbers

Column addition and subtraction (up to 3 digits)

Estimate answers and check using inverse operations

Tables and facts: 3, 4 and 8; links via doubling (2, 4, 8)

Multiply 2-digit by 1-digit (mental progressing to written methods)

Scaling and correspondence problems (real-world multiplication and division)

Fractions including tenths, equivalence, ordering, add and subtract same denominator

Measures: length, mass, volume; perimeter; money and change (£ and p)

Time: analogue, Roman numerals I to XII, nearest minute, 12-hour and 24-hour

Geometry: 2D and 3D shapes, angles, right angles and turns, parallel and perpendicular lines

Statistics: bar charts, pictograms and tables; one-step and two-step questions

Weekly Schedule

MondayNumber and place value to 1000

TuesdayAddition and subtraction (mental and column methods)

WednesdayMultiplication and division (3, 4, 8 tables; problems)

ThursdayFractions and measures (including time and money)

FridayGeometry and statistics, then a short mixed check

Practice Maths

English

Independent reading and writing, stronger spelling and grammar control

Key Topics in National Curriculum

Reading fluency and stamina

Comprehension (retrieval, inference, explaining)

Prefixes and suffixes; word families

Homophones and commonly confused words

Paragraphing and structure

Punctuation choices and sentence variety

Story settings, characters and viewpoints

Handwriting joins and presentation

Weekly Schedule

MondayReading and vocabulary

TuesdayGrammar focus

WednesdaySpelling patterns

ThursdayWriting skills

FridayCreative writing and editing

Practice English

Science

Hands-on enquiry: plants, animals, rocks, light, forces and magnets

Key Topics in National Curriculum

Plants: parts and functions (roots, stem/trunk, leaves, flowers)

Plants: needs for growth (air, light, water, nutrients, space)

Plants: water transport within plants

Plants: flowers in life cycle (pollination, seed formation, seed dispersal)

Animals including humans: nutrition (they cannot make their own food)

Animals including humans: skeletons and muscles (support, protection, movement)

Rocks: compare and group rocks by appearance and simple properties

Rocks: how fossils are formed; soils made from rocks and organic matter

Light: reflection, seeing and darkness, shadows, and sun safety

Forces and magnets: movement on surfaces, contact forces vs magnetism at a distance

Magnets: poles, attract or repel, magnetic materials, predictions

Weekly Schedule

MondayPlants and simple investigations

TuesdayAnimals including humans (food and movement)

WednesdayRocks, fossils and soils

ThursdayLight and shadows (patterns and measurement)

FridayForces and magnets (fair tests and patterns)

Explore Science

Year 3 Curriculum Coverage

Maths: Number and Place Value

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100; find 10 or 100 more or less than a given number.
Recognise the place value of each digit in a 3-digit number (hundreds, tens, ones).
Compare and order numbers up to 1000; represent and estimate using different representations.
Read and write numbers up to 1000 in numerals and in words; solve practical problems.

Maths: Addition and Subtraction

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Add and subtract mentally: 3-digit number and ones, tens, hundreds.
Add and subtract up to 3 digits using columnar methods.
Estimate answers and check using inverse operations.
Solve problems including missing number problems using number facts and place value.

Maths: Multiplication and Division

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Recall and use multiplication and division facts for 3, 4 and 8 times tables.
Write and calculate multiplication and division statements, including 2-digit by 1-digit (mental progressing to written methods).
Solve problems including missing numbers, scaling, and correspondence problems.

Maths: Fractions

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Count up and down in tenths; connect tenths to dividing by 10 and 10 equal parts.
Recognise, find and write unit and non-unit fractions of discrete sets with small denominators.
Use fractions as numbers on a number line; show equivalent fractions with small denominators.
Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole; compare and order unit fractions and same-denominator fractions.

Maths: Measurement

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Measure, compare, add and subtract: length (m/cm/mm), mass (kg/g), volume or capacity (l/ml).
Measure perimeter of simple 2D shapes.
Add and subtract money and give change using £ and p.
Tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including Roman numerals I to XII; use 12-hour and 24-hour clocks.
Estimate and read time to the nearest minute; record and compare time in seconds, minutes and hours; use a.m./p.m., noon and midnight.
Know seconds in a minute and days in each month, year and leap year; compare durations of events.

Maths: Geometry and Statistics

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Draw 2D shapes; make 3D shapes; recognise 3D shapes in different orientations and describe them.
Recognise angles as a property of shape or a description of a turn; identify right angles and relate to turns.
Identify horizontal and vertical lines; identify perpendicular and parallel lines.
Interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables; solve one-step and two-step questions.

Science: Year 3 Strands

Curriculum coverage for Year 3.

Plants: parts and functions; requirements for growth; water transport; flowers in life cycle (pollination, seed formation, dispersal).
Animals including humans: nutrition; skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.
Rocks: compare and group by appearance and simple properties; fossils; soils made from rocks and organic matter.
Light: seeing and darkness; reflection; shadows; sun safety and patterns of shadow size.
Forces and magnets: movement on different surfaces; contact forces vs magnetic forces; poles; magnetic materials; predict attract or repel.

What’s next (Year 4 Science preview)

The attached Science document also includes Year 4 strands. Here is a quick preview to help you plan ahead.

Living things and their habitats (classification and environmental change)

Animals including humans (digestive system, teeth, food chains)

States of matter (solids, liquids, gases, evaporation and condensation)

Sound (vibrations, pitch, volume, distance)

Electricity (circuits, cells, bulbs, switches, conductors and insulators)

Practice Tests

Maths Assessment 1

25 questions

Number and place value, addition and subtraction

20 minutes

Maths Assessment 2

25 questions

Multiplication, division, fractions and measures

20 minutes

Maths Assessment 3

25 questions

Geometry and statistics

20 minutes

Reading Comprehension

20 questions

Longer texts with inference and explanation

25 minutes

Grammar and Spelling

30 questions

Word families, patterns, punctuation and editing

15 minutes

Science Check

25 questions

Plants, animals, rocks, light, forces and magnets

20 minutes

View All Year 3 Tests

Planning ahead for Year 6 SATs papers?

When you're ready, try interactive KS2 past papers for English and maths.

KS2 past papers English KS2 maths past papers

Practice Quizzes

Master Year 3 topics with interactive quizzes. Fresh questions every time.

Number

Place Value

Count, compare and order numbers up to 1000. Find 10 or 100 more or less.

Start quiz

Time

Time and Duration

Tell time to the nearest minute, use Roman numerals, and solve duration problems.

Start quiz

Fractions

Tenths and Fractions

Tenths on a number line, equivalence, and add or subtract same-denominator fractions.

Start quiz

Statistics

Bar Charts and Tables

Read and create simple charts, then answer one-step and two-step questions.

Start quiz

Light

Light and Shadows

Reflection, shadows, and patterns in shadow size when distance changes.

Start quiz

Magnets

Forces and Magnets

Contact forces vs magnetic forces, poles, magnetic materials, and predictions.

Start quiz

Plants

Functions of plant parts, needs for growth, water transport, and seed dispersal.

Start quiz

View All Year 3 Quizzes

Year 3 Learning Tips

Build number fluency to 1000 using partitioning, comparing and counting in multiples.
Practise 3, 4 and 8 times tables little and often, then apply them in word problems.
Use real-life time and money tasks, like planning journeys and giving change in £ and p.
In Science, keep it practical: observe patterns, do fair tests, and record results clearly.

← Year 2 Next: Year 4

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