Year 3/4 Autumn 2025

• In English, the text, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is taught, which is about a young boy and his grandad who win tickets to tour Willy Wonka’s amazing chocolate factory, and is by the renowned author Roald Dahl. Pupils will write a retell of the story, but will use substitution techniques to put their own spin on the plot. They will also write a setting description of the factory, developing their descriptive techniques using adjectives, adverbs, senses and similes. A video-based story called ‘Gerry’s Game’ is then studied through the Literacy Shed. It is a silent short film, and enables pupils to add speech to a narrative, focusing on how to punctuate the dialogue. Pupils then revisit setting descriptions. In Miss Reeves’ class, a series of texts are studied to secure narrative writing techniques through our talk for writing programme. The texts are: ‘Tuesday’ (David Wiesner), ‘Don’t Look in This Book’ (Samuel Langley-Swain), ‘Gerry’s Game’ (Literacy Shed), ‘The Polar Express’ (Chris Van Allsberg). We link our reading lessons to the texts, where we use our DERRIC model to decode, explain word meaning, retrieve information to answer questions, interpret characters’ feelings and thoughts, review sections of the text and discuss why authors have used certain techniques in our choice lessons. Following joined handwriting being introduced during Year 2, Year 3 and 4 pupils spend time developing their penmanship, focusing on legible, cursive writing using letters that are correctly formed and sized. Finally, SPaG is a key focus within English lessons, focusing on adding detailed descriptions, using past and present tenses consistently and writing multi-clausal sentences by including fronted adverbials and conjunctions in their writing. They study a progressing programme of punctuation, including inverted commas for speech, commas and apostrophes.     
   

• For Numeracy lessons, we split into year groups. In Year 4 Maths, we explore place value as well as addition and subtraction to 1,000 initially before progressing and applying this to 10,000 using thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. Estimation on a number line, comparing numbers and ordering numbers to 10,000 are revisited as well as the introduction of rounding numbers to the nearest multiple of 10. Roman numerals are also introduced. Addition and subtraction moves to two 4-digit numbers, initially with no exchange but progressing to one and then more than one exchange using efficient, formal methods, encouraging estimation and checking strategies for pupils’ accuracy. Finally, multiples of 3 support the development onto multiples of 6 then 9 before pupils learn the final multiplication tables of 7, 11 and 12, all of which are required by the end of Year 4.
   

• In Year 3 Maths, we explore place value as well as addition and subtraction to 100 initially before progressing and applying this to 1,000 using hundreds, tens and ones. Estimation on a number line as well as comparing/ordering develop pupils’ understanding of number. Number bonds to 10 are used and applied as well as place value addition and subtraction of 1s, 10s, 100s within and across multiples of 10, supporting pupils to make connections. Methods to add and subtract to 100 are also explored as well as inverse operations introduced. Multiples of 2, 5, 10 and 3 are developed through sharing and grouping with the introduction of the 4 and 8 times table as well.
   

• In Science, the topics of nutrition and diet, rocks and skeletons are studied in Autumn 1 and grouping/classifying materials and states of matter in Autumn 2. Furthermore, pupils explore through practical investigations, making predictions, selecting materials, recording results and drawing conclusions for themselves based on these enquiries.
   

• Through the topic of “Brilliant Blighty”, Year 3 and 4 undertake historical and geographical learning. In history, pupils will find out about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. In geography, we study modern-day UK with a focus on the Black Country.
   

• In PE this term, pupils will receive lessons on hockey and football from Miss Walker and netball and tag rugby from Soccer 2000 coaches.
   

• In Art, we will be looking at prehistoric cave art using charcoal, chalk and paint and sculpture using wire and clay.

• In Computing, pupils learn about computer systems and networks, focusing on input, process, and output in digital systems. They then use capturing and editing within digital still images to produce stop-frame animation based around their topic, ‘Brilliant Blighty’.
   

• In Jigsaw, we are covering the topic “Being Me in My World” where pupils have the opportunity to develop their understanding of what it means to be a citizen of the class and the school, exploring the ideals of democracy, decision making and having a voice in a community. We then move on to “Celebrating Differences” where pupils learn how to challenge assumptions based on appearance, and consider how influences can lead to bullying, how to deal with it, and recognize how special and unique we all are. We use Project Evolve to deliver linked lessons on online safety based around the themes of self-image, self-identity and online bullying.
   

• DT this term has a focus on mechanical systems, where pupils make pneumatic toys including thumbnail sketches and exploded diagrams that can go into London’s largest toy store, Hamley’s. DT explores the design, plan, make and evaluate model. 
   

• In Music, Year 3’s learning focuses around a unit called ‘Let Your Spirit Fly’ in the first half term. pupils will have the opportunity to listen to and appraise the songs, considering their own likes and preferences as well as compare to other, similar songs with a focus on not only the music and instruments but also the lyrics. Pupils will learn to sing the song and play instruments. The instrumental focus continues in the second half term, with a module on learning how to play the glockenspiel. Year 4 are having lessons delivered by Wolverhampton Music School teachers. They are teaching pupils to begin to learn how to play the djembe drums, focusing on develop timing and rhythmic techniques. 
   

• Language lessons begin in Year 3 and 4 and at Dovecotes we study Spanish. There is a focus this term on basic Spanish phonics, vocabulary and sayings, such as numbers and greetings. We also complete a unit based around the seasons.
   

• In RE, we will be exploring a Christian unit based around the question, “What do people believe about God?”
   

• Our Dovecotes oracy curriculum is based around speaking and listening and we are integrating discussion opportunities and talk tactics into all other curricular areas, as well as into homework opportunities across this academic year. Reading at home is the main tool for learning development at home in Year 3/4 alongside the “thunk” discussions and IL topic “big questions” that get delivered to you via text. Furthermore, all pupils have access to a Times Tables Rock Stars account, which they can access from home to help them learn and recall their times tables.