What Should a 3rd Grader Know? Checklist by Subject

A parent-friendly checklist of the skills across every subject a 3rd grader is working on, with a two-minute check you can do together. Based on national curriculum standards.

A quick check, together

Twelve of the most load-bearing skills for this age, drawn from the prerequisite graph. Answer from what you’ve seen — there are no wrong answers, and every child’s pace is different.

  1. 1.Can your child explain that 10 groups of 10 ones make 100?

  2. 2.Can your child state the value of each digit in a three-digit number (e.g. in 362, the 3 represents 3 hundreds)?

  3. 3.Can your child demonstrate attentive listening by making eye contact and responding relevantly?

  4. 4.Can your child measure an object's motion (distance, speed, direction) under different conditions?

  5. 5.Can your child answer questions about a story or non-fiction text read aloud by the teacher?

  6. 6.Can your child point to and name the numerator and denominator in any given fraction and explain what each tells you?

  7. 7.Can your child count: one tenth, two tenths, three tenths … up to ten tenths (one whole)?

  8. 8.Can your child place 1/2, 1/4, 3/4 on a number line from 0 to 1?

  9. 9.Can your child given a shape divided into 5 equal parts, identify one shaded part as 1/5?

  10. 10.Can your child partition a circle into 3 equal parts and label each 'a third'?

  11. 11.Can your child use fraction strips to show 1/2 = 2/4 = 3/6?

  12. 12.Can your child given 1/3, generate 2/6 as equivalent and show with area model?

0 of 12 answered

The full checklist

Math · Measurement

Your child is learning to measure the world around them — calculating areas and perimeters, converting between different units like metres and kilometres, and solving time problems using both analogue and digital clocks.

  • Measuring length (age 7+)

    Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, metre sticks, and measuring tapes

    • Choose the most appropriate tool for measuring a given object
    • Align the zero mark of a ruler with the end of the object and read the measurement
    • Measure lengths in inches, feet, centimetres, and metres using the correct tool

  • Area (age 8+)

    Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft)

    • Count unit squares to find the area of an L-shaped figure
    • Measure the area of a book cover using square-centimetre tiles
    • Compare areas of two shapes by counting their unit squares

  • Understanding Area

    Understand that a unit square has one square unit of area and that the area of a plane figure is the number of unit squares that cover it without gaps or overlaps

    • Identify a unit square and state its area is 1 square unit
    • Explain why a figure covered by 12 unit squares has area 12 square units
    • Distinguish between area and perimeter as different measurements

  • Area by Tiling

    Find the area of a rectangle by tiling it with unit squares and show that the result equals the product of the side lengths

    • Tile a 4×6 rectangle and count 24 squares, then verify 4×6=24
    • Explain why the number of rows times the number in each row gives the area
    • Draw a rectangle on squared paper, tile it, and write the multiplication

  • Understanding angles (age 8+)

    Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas

    • Calculate the area of a 7 cm × 9 cm rectangle as 63 cm²
    • Draw a rectangle with area 36 square units and label its side lengths
    • Solve: A garden is 8 m by 5 m — what is its area?

  • Area and the distributive property

    Use tiling to demonstrate the distributive property: the area of a rectangle with sides a and (b+c) equals a×b + a×c; use area models to represent the distributive property

    • Tile a 3×(4+2) rectangle and show it decomposes into 3×4 and 3×2
    • Use an area model to compute 6×13 as 6×10 + 6×3
    • Draw an area model showing 5×(7+3) = 5×7 + 5×3

  • Calculating with measurements

    Measure, compare, add, and subtract lengths (m/cm/mm), mass (kg/g), and volume/capacity (l/ml) using standard units

    • Measure a length in centimetres and millimetres
    • Weigh an object using grams and kilograms
    • Add two measurements in the same unit (e.g. 250 ml + 400 ml = 650 ml)

  • Converting measurement units

    Convert between different units of measure (e.g. kilometre to metre, hour to minute, minute to second, year to month, week to day)

    • Convert 3 km to 3000 m
    • State 2 hours = 120 minutes
    • Convert 5 weeks to 35 days

  • Perimeters of polygons

    Solve problems involving perimeters of polygons: find perimeter from side lengths, find an unknown side length, and explore rectangles with same perimeter but different areas (or vice versa)

    • Calculate the perimeter of a rectangle with sides 8 cm and 5 cm
    • Find the missing side of a pentagon with perimeter 30 cm and four known sides
    • Draw two rectangles both with perimeter 24 cm but different areas

  • Measuring Perimeters

    Measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes

    • Measure each side of a rectangle and add the lengths to find the perimeter
    • Calculate the perimeter of a regular shape given the side length
    • Explain that perimeter is the total distance around a shape

  • Time Units and Calendar Facts

    Know the number of seconds in a minute and the number of days in each month, year, and leap year

    • State that there are 60 seconds in a minute
    • Name the months and state the number of days in each
    • Explain that a leap year has 366 days and occurs every 4 years

  • Numbers on a number line

    Solve word problems involving elapsed time by adding and subtracting time intervals in minutes, including using a number line

    • A film starts at 2:15 and lasts 47 minutes — when does it end?
    • Calculate how many minutes between 9:20 and 10:05
    • Use a number line to show the elapsed time between two events

  • Comparing Time Durations

    Compare durations of events and calculate the time taken by particular events or tasks

    • Calculate how long an activity lasted given start and end times
    • Compare the duration of two events and identify which was longer
    • Solve a problem such as 'The lesson starts at 10:15 and ends at 11:00. How long is it?'

  • Telling time to the minute (age 7+)

    Tell and write time from analogue and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m., p.m., and 12-hour and 24-hour notation

    • Read the time to five minutes on an analogue clock face
    • Write the time using digital notation (e.g. 3:25)
    • Distinguish between a.m. and p.m. and relate to daily events

  • Estimating answers (age 7+)

    Estimate and read time with increasing accuracy to the nearest minute; record and compare time in terms of seconds, minutes, and hours

    • Read an analogue clock to the nearest minute
    • Estimate how long an activity takes in minutes or seconds
    • Compare two durations and determine which is longer

  • Halves and quarters (age 8+)

    Generate measurement data by measuring lengths to the nearest half and quarter inch; display the data on a line plot with a scale marked in whole numbers, halves, and quarters

    • Measure five objects to the nearest 1/4 inch
    • Create a line plot showing the lengths of classmates' pencils in half-inches
    • Read a line plot and answer questions about the data

  • Telling time to the minute (age 8+)

    Tell and write time to the nearest minute using analogue and digital clocks

    • Read 7:43 from an analogue clock face
    • Write 11:06 on a digital display given a clock with hands
    • Match analogue and digital times to the nearest minute

  • Addition and subtraction word problems

    Solve word problems involving lengths within 100, using addition and subtraction with drawings and equations

    • Solve 'The rope is 45 cm long. I cut off 18 cm. How long is it now?'
    • Draw a diagram (e.g. a ruler drawing) to represent a length word problem
    • Write an equation with a symbol for the unknown to represent the problem

  • Measuring & Plotting Lengths

    Generate measurement data by measuring lengths to the nearest whole unit and display the data on a line plot

    • Measure the lengths of several objects and record the data
    • Create a line plot with a horizontal scale marked in whole-number units
    • Interpret a line plot to answer questions about the data

  • Estimating and comparing money

    Estimate, compare, and calculate different measures including money in pounds and pence

    • Estimate the length of the classroom in metres
    • Compare 1.5 kg and 1200 g and identify which is heavier
    • Calculate the total cost of 3 items at £2.45, £1.30, and £0.75

  • Measuring Liquids & Masses

    Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using grams, kilograms, and litres; solve one-step word problems involving mass or volume

    • Estimate the mass of a textbook in grams or kilograms
    • Read a scale to measure liquid volume in litres
    • Solve: 3 bags weigh 250 g each — what is the total mass?

  • Halves and quarters (age 7+)

    Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately

    • Determine the total value of a collection of coins
    • Solve a word problem about making change with US currency
    • Use $ and ¢ symbols correctly in answers

  • Comparing lengths by measuring

    Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit

    • Measure two objects and calculate the difference in length
    • Express the difference using the correct unit (e.g. '7 cm longer')
    • Solve a comparison problem: 'How much taller is the bookshelf than the desk?'

  • Area of compound shapes

    Recognise area as additive; find areas of rectilinear figures by decomposing into non-overlapping rectangles and summing their areas

    • Decompose an L-shape into two rectangles, find each area, and add them
    • Find the area of a floor plan shaped like a T by splitting into rectangles
    • Solve: A room is L-shaped (3m×5m plus 2m×4m) — what is the total area?

  • 12-hour and 24-hour time

    Read, write, and convert time between analogue and digital 12-hour and 24-hour clocks

    • Convert 3:45 pm to 15:45 in 24-hour time
    • Read 19:30 and state the 12-hour equivalent as 7:30 pm
    • Match a set of 12-hour and 24-hour times

  • Giving Change

    Add and subtract amounts of money to give change, using both £ and p in practical contexts

    • Calculate the total cost of two or three items priced in pounds and pence
    • Work out the change from £5 or £10
    • Record money calculations using £ and p notation correctly (e.g. £3.47)

  • Estimating Lengths

    Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimetres, and metres

    • Estimate the length of a classroom object before measuring it
    • Use a known reference (e.g. width of a finger ≈ 1 cm) to make reasonable estimates
    • Check estimates by measuring and evaluate how close they were

  • Measuring with different units

    Measure the length of an object using two different length units and describe how the measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen

    • Measure a desk in both centimetres and inches and compare the two numbers
    • Explain that measuring with a smaller unit gives a larger number
    • Predict whether a measurement in centimetres will be greater or less than in inches

Math · Fractions

Your child is developing a deeper understanding of fractions and decimals — learning to add and subtract fractions, convert between fractions and decimals, and use them to solve practical problems involving measurements and money.

  • Fraction Notation

    Read, write, and use fraction notation correctly — fraction, numerator, denominator, unit fraction, non-unit fraction, proper fraction, improper fraction, mixed number, equivalent fraction, simplest form — and understand what each term describes, including the roles of the numerator and denominator in expressing parts of a whole

    • Point to and name the numerator and denominator in any given fraction and explain what each tells you
    • Correctly classify fractions as unit, proper, improper, or mixed number with an example of each
    • Explain in own words why 2/4 and 1/2 are equivalent fractions

  • Tenths

    Count up and down in tenths; recognise that tenths arise from dividing an object into 10 equal parts and from dividing one-digit numbers or quantities by 10

    • Count: one tenth, two tenths, three tenths … up to ten tenths (one whole)
    • Show that dividing a shape into 10 equal parts gives tenths
    • Explain that 3 ÷ 10 = 3/10

  • Fractions on a number line

    Recognise and use fractions as numbers: place unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators on a number line

    • Place 1/2, 1/4, 3/4 on a number line from 0 to 1
    • Identify that 1/3 lies between 0 and 1/2 on the number line
    • Understand that a fraction is a single number, not just 'part of a shape'

  • Fractions of a whole

    Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a/b as a parts of size 1/b

    • Given a shape divided into 5 equal parts, identify one shaded part as 1/5
    • Explain that 3/4 means 3 parts each of size 1/4
    • Draw a model showing 2/6 as 2 pieces of a whole cut into 6

  • Splitting shapes into equal parts (age 7+)

    Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares; describe shares as halves, thirds, and fourths; recognise that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape

    • Partition a circle into 3 equal parts and label each 'a third'
    • Partition a rectangle into 4 equal shares in more than one way
    • Explain that two different-looking shares can still be equal in size

  • Equivalent fractions on a number line

    Understand two fractions as equivalent if they are the same size or the same point on a number line; recognise and show families of common equivalent fractions using diagrams

    • Use fraction strips to show 1/2 = 2/4 = 3/6
    • Verify on a number line that 2/3 and 4/6 land on the same point
    • Identify at least three fractions equivalent to 1/2 using diagrams

  • Equivalent fractions (age 8+)

    Generate simple equivalent fractions and explain why they are equivalent using visual fraction models

    • Given 1/3, generate 2/6 as equivalent and show with area model
    • Simplify 4/8 to 1/2 and justify with a fraction strip
    • Complete equivalence chains: 1/4 = ?/8 = ?/12

  • Equivalent fractions

    Recognise and show, using diagrams, equivalent fractions with small denominators

    • Show that 1/2 = 2/4 using a diagram of equal parts
    • Use a fraction wall or bar model to find equivalent fractions
    • Explain why two fractions are equivalent by comparing the shaded areas

  • Fractions on a number line (age 8+)

    Represent fractions on a number line: partition the interval 0 to 1 into b equal parts to locate 1/b, then mark off a lengths of 1/b from 0 to locate a/b

    • Partition a 0-to-1 number line into 4 equal parts and mark 1/4
    • Explain that each part on the line has size 1/b
    • Locate 1/3 and 1/6 on separate number lines

  • Decimal equivalents of tenths and hundredths

    Recognise and write decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths (e.g. 3/10 = 0.3, 27/100 = 0.27)

    • Write 7/10 as 0.7 and vice versa
    • Convert 45/100 to 0.45
    • Place 0.3 and 3/10 at the same point on a number line

  • Tenths (age 8+)

    Count up and down in hundredths; recognise that hundredths arise when dividing an object by 100 or dividing tenths by 10

    • Count from 3/100 to 12/100 in hundredths
    • Explain that 1/10 ÷ 10 = 1/100
    • Place several hundredths on a number line between 0 and 1/10

  • Decimal & Percent Notation

    Read, write, and use decimal and percentage notation correctly — decimal, decimal point, tenths, hundredths, thousandths, percentage, per cent, % symbol, convert, terminating decimal — and understand the relationships between fractions, decimals, and percentages as three ways of expressing the same value

    • Read and write decimal numbers correctly, identifying the value of each digit (ones, tenths, hundredths)
    • Use the % symbol correctly and explain that per cent means 'out of 100'
    • Convert between simple fractions, decimals, and percentages (e.g. 1/2 = 0.5 = 50%) and explain why they are equal

  • Fraction-Decimal Equivalents

    Recognise and write decimal equivalents of 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4

    • State that 1/2 = 0.5, 1/4 = 0.25, 3/4 = 0.75
    • Match fractions to decimals in a sorting activity
    • Explain why 1/4 = 25/100 = 0.25 using a hundredths grid

  • Decimal place value (age 8+)

    Compare numbers with the same number of decimal places up to two decimal places

    • Order 0.45, 0.54, 0.39 from smallest to largest
    • Compare 3.72 and 3.27 using place-value reasoning
    • Place three two-decimal-place numbers on a number line in order

  • Simple Fraction Sums

    Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole (e.g. 5/7 + 1/7 = 6/7)

    • Calculate 2/5 + 2/5 = 4/5
    • Calculate 6/8 − 3/8 = 3/8
    • Explain that when denominators are the same, you add/subtract the numerators

  • Dividing by 10 and 100

    Find the effect of dividing a one- or two-digit number by 10 and 100, identifying the value of the digits as ones, tenths, and hundredths

    • Calculate 37 ÷ 10 = 3.7 and identify 3 as ones and 7 as tenths
    • Calculate 4 ÷ 100 = 0.04 and identify 4 as hundredths
    • Explain that dividing by 10 shifts each digit one place to the right

  • Adding Fractions (Same Denominator)

    Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator, including results greater than one whole (e.g. 5/8 + 6/8 = 11/8)

    • Calculate 3/5 + 4/5 = 7/5 and explain it equals 1 2/5
    • Subtract 2/6 from 5/6
    • Solve addition problems where the sum exceeds the whole: 7/8 + 3/8

  • Comparing fractions

    Compare and order unit fractions, and fractions with the same denominator

    • Order 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5 from largest to smallest
    • Explain that a larger denominator means smaller unit fractions
    • Compare 2/5 and 4/5 and explain that 4/5 is larger because it has more fifths

  • Comparing fractions (age 8+)

    Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about size; record comparisons with >, =, or < symbols

    • Compare 3/8 and 3/4: same numerator, larger denominator means smaller pieces so 3/8 < 3/4
    • Compare 5/6 and 2/6: same denominator so 5/6 > 2/6
    • Justify a comparison using a visual model and explain why both fractions must refer to the same whole

  • Fractions of a whole (age 8+)

    Express whole numbers as fractions (e.g. 3 = 3/1) and recognise fractions equivalent to whole numbers (e.g. 4/4 = 1, 6/1 = 6)

    • Write 5 as 5/1 and explain why
    • Locate 4/4 and 1 at the same point on a number line
    • Identify which fractions from a list equal a whole number: 6/3, 8/4, 5/2

  • Unit fractions

    Recognise, find, and write fractions of a discrete set of objects: unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators

    • Find 1/4 of 12 objects by dividing into 4 equal groups
    • Find 3/4 of 12 objects
    • Write the fraction of a set that is shaded or selected

  • Fractions of amounts (harder)

    Solve problems involving increasingly harder fractions to calculate quantities, including non-unit fractions where the answer is a whole number

    • Find 3/5 of 20
    • Calculate 2/3 of 18 and explain the two-step process (divide then multiply)
    • Solve: A bag has 24 sweets, 3/8 are red — how many red sweets?

  • Decimals and fractions

    Solve simple measure and money problems involving fractions and decimals to two decimal places

    • Calculate 1/4 of £3.20
    • A rope is 2.5 m long; how much is left after cutting 0.75 m?
    • Find 3/10 of 1 kg and express the answer in grams and as a decimal of a kg

  • Comparing fractions (age 7+)

    Solve problems involving counting in tenths, fractions of quantities, equivalence, fraction addition/subtraction, and fraction comparison

    • Solve a word problem requiring finding a fraction of a quantity
    • Solve a problem that requires comparing or ordering fractions
    • Choose and apply appropriate fraction knowledge to a multi-step problem

  • Decimal place value

    Round decimals with one decimal place to the nearest whole number

    • Round 3.7 to 4 and 3.2 to 3
    • Place 6.5 on a number line between 6 and 7 and decide it rounds to 7
    • Round a set of one-decimal-place numbers and explain the rounding rule

  • Fractions as parts of shapes

    Partition shapes into parts with equal areas and express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole

    • Partition a rectangle into 6 equal-area parts and label each 1/6
    • Show two different ways to partition a square into 4 equal parts
    • Given a pre-partitioned shape, write the unit fraction for one part

Math · Multiplication & Division

Your child is building fluency with multiplication and division — memorizing times tables up to 12×12, understanding the relationship between multiplication and division, and solving word problems involving equal groups and arrays.

  • Times tables (age 7+)

    Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4, and 8 multiplication tables

    • Recall 3 × 1 through 3 × 12 and corresponding division facts
    • Recall 4 × 1 through 4 × 12 and corresponding division facts
    • Recall 8 × 1 through 8 × 12 and corresponding division facts

  • Arrays for multiplication (age 7+)

    Use addition to find the total number of objects arranged in rectangular arrays with up to 5 rows and 5 columns; write an equation to express the total as a sum of equal addends

    • Count objects in a 3×4 array and write 4 + 4 + 4 = 12
    • Explain that each row has the same number of objects so the total can be found by repeated addition
    • Draw a rectangular array to model a given repeated-addition equation

  • What Multiplication Means

    Interpret products of whole numbers (e.g. 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7)

    • Explain that 4 × 6 means 4 groups of 6 objects
    • Draw a picture or array to represent a multiplication expression
    • Match a multiplication expression to a word problem involving equal groups

  • All times tables to 12×12

    Recall multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 × 12

    • Recall any fact from the 1–12 times tables rapidly
    • Recall the corresponding division fact for any multiplication fact
    • Use known facts to check or derive answers in calculations

  • Written Multiplication

    Multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using formal written layout

    • Set out and solve 47 × 6 using short multiplication
    • Set out and solve 234 × 5 using short multiplication with carrying
    • Check the answer using estimation (e.g. 234 × 5 ≈ 200 × 5 = 1000)

  • Written Multiplication & Division

    Write and calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division using known tables, including two-digit × one-digit, using mental and progressing to formal written methods

    • Calculate 23 × 4 using partitioning (20 × 4 + 3 × 4)
    • Calculate 96 ÷ 8 using known table facts
    • Begin to use a formal written layout for short multiplication

  • Properties of Operations

    Apply properties of operations (commutative, associative, distributive) as strategies to multiply and divide

    • Use commutativity: if 6 × 4 = 24 then 4 × 6 = 24
    • Use the distributive property: 8 × 7 = 8 × 5 + 8 × 2 = 40 + 16 = 56
    • Use associativity to multiply three numbers: 2 × 3 × 5 = 6 × 5 = 30

  • Fluent multiplication and division facts

    Fluently multiply and divide within 100 using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division

    • Answer any single-digit multiplication fact within 3 seconds
    • Answer any related division fact within 3 seconds
    • Use known facts to derive unknown facts (e.g. 9 × 7 from 10 × 7 − 7)

  • Division as Unknown Factor

    Understand division as an unknown-factor problem (e.g. find 32 ÷ 8 by finding the number that makes 32 when multiplied by 8)

    • Explain that 32 ÷ 8 = ? is the same as 8 × ? = 32
    • Use a known multiplication fact to find a division answer
    • Describe the relationship between multiplication and division as inverse operations

  • What Division Means

    Interpret whole-number quotients (e.g. 56 ÷ 8 as the number of objects in each share or the number of equal groups)

    • Explain that 56 ÷ 8 can mean sharing 56 into 8 equal groups or making groups of 8
    • Draw a picture to represent a division expression
    • Match a division expression to a word problem involving equal sharing or grouping

  • Multiply & Add Problems

    Solve problems involving multiplying and adding, including using the distributive law, integer scaling problems, and harder correspondence problems

    • Use the distributive law to solve 14 × 6 as 10 × 6 + 4 × 6
    • Solve a scaling problem (e.g. 'A tower is 3 times as tall as a 15 m building')
    • Solve a correspondence problem (e.g. '3 types of bread, 4 types of filling — how many different sandwiches?')

  • Multi-Step Multiply & Divide

    Solve problems involving multiplication and division, including scaling problems and correspondence problems where n objects are connected to m objects

    • Solve a scaling problem (e.g. 'the ribbon is 3 times as long')
    • Solve a correspondence problem (e.g. '4 shirts and 3 trousers — how many outfits?')
    • Solve a missing-number multiplication or division problem

  • Factor Pairs & Commutativity

    Recognise and use factor pairs and commutativity in mental calculations

    • List all factor pairs of a given number (e.g. 24: 1×24, 2×12, 3×8, 4×6)
    • Use commutativity to reorder a multiplication for easier mental calculation
    • Explain what a factor pair is and how commutativity helps

  • Patterns in Times Tables

    Identify arithmetic patterns (including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table) and explain them using properties of operations

    • Notice that all products of 5 end in 0 or 5 and explain why
    • Observe that the sum of two even numbers is always even
    • Identify a pattern in the multiplication table and explain it using commutativity or the distributive property

  • Multiplying by Tens

    Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10–90 using strategies based on place value and properties of operations

    • Calculate 7 × 30 = 210 by reasoning 7 × 3 tens = 21 tens = 210
    • Explain why multiplying by a multiple of 10 adds a zero to the product
    • Use this skill to estimate products of larger numbers

  • Mental multiplication and division

    Use place value, known and derived facts to multiply and divide mentally, including multiplying by 0 and 1, dividing by 1, and multiplying together three numbers

    • Calculate 40 × 6 = 240 mentally using place value
    • Explain why any number × 0 = 0 and any number × 1 = the number itself
    • Multiply three numbers mentally by choosing a useful pair first (e.g. 2 × 7 × 5 = 2 × 5 × 7 = 70)

  • Multiplication and Division Word Problems

    Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities

    • Solve an equal-groups word problem using multiplication
    • Solve a measurement division problem (e.g. 'How many 4-cm pieces from a 28-cm ribbon?')
    • Solve an array/area word problem using multiplication

  • Unknown in Multiplication & Division

    Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers (e.g. 8 × ? = 48, ? × 6 = 42)

    • Find the missing factor in 7 × ? = 63
    • Find the missing dividend in ? ÷ 5 = 9
    • Explain the strategy used (e.g. using the related multiplication fact)

  • Rows & Columns in Rectangles

    Partition a rectangle into rows and columns of same-size squares and count to find the total number of them

    • Divide a rectangle into equal rows and columns of unit squares
    • Count the total number of squares using repeated addition or skip counting
    • Relate the rows-and-columns structure to a rectangular array

Math · Addition & Subtraction

Your child is mastering more complex addition and subtraction — working with larger numbers up to four digits, solving multi-step word problems, and using formal written methods alongside mental strategies.

  • Fluent adding and subtracting within 100

    Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction

    • Add two-digit numbers within 100 efficiently (e.g. 46 + 37 using place-value partitioning)
    • Subtract two-digit numbers within 100 fluently (e.g. 83 − 25)
    • Choose between strategies (decomposing, compensating, using known facts) based on the numbers involved

  • Fluent adding and subtracting within 20

    Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies; know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers

    • Answer any single-digit addition fact within 3 seconds
    • Recall subtraction facts within 20 from memory (e.g. 15 − 8 = 7)
    • Use known addition facts to derive related subtraction facts rapidly

  • Addition and subtraction within 1000

    Add and subtract within 1000 using concrete models, drawings, and strategies based on place value; understand composing and decomposing tens and hundreds

    • Add two three-digit numbers using base-ten blocks or drawings, composing a ten or hundred when necessary
    • Subtract three-digit numbers, decomposing a ten or hundred when necessary
    • Relate the concrete/drawn strategy to a written method and explain why it works

  • Adding and subtracting (age 7+)

    Add and subtract numbers with up to three digits using formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction

    • Set out a columnar addition correctly with digits aligned by place value
    • Carry out columnar subtraction with exchange (borrowing) when needed
    • Check the answer using the inverse operation or estimation

  • Estimating by rounding

    Estimate the answer to a calculation and use inverse operations to check answers; apply to increasingly large numbers using rounding and inverse reasoning

    • Round numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 to estimate a sum or difference before calculating
    • Use addition to check a subtraction answer, or vice versa
    • Identify when a calculated answer is unreasonable based on the estimate

  • Missing number problems (age 7+)

    Solve addition and subtraction problems including missing-number problems, using number facts, place value, and more complex methods

    • Solve a missing-number problem such as 245 + ? = 380
    • Choose an appropriate method (mental, written, or combination) based on the numbers
    • Solve multi-step problems combining addition and subtraction of three-digit numbers

  • Two-Step Word Problems

    Solve one- and two-step word problems within 100 using addition and subtraction, with unknowns in all positions

    • Solve a two-step word problem involving adding to and taking from
    • Represent a word problem with an equation using a symbol for the unknown
    • Solve comparison problems (how many more/fewer) within 100

  • Addition and subtraction strategies (age 7+)

    Explain why addition and subtraction strategies work, using place value and the properties of operations

    • Explain why adding tens and ones separately gives the correct total
    • Describe why a compensation strategy works (e.g. 'I added 1 too many, so I subtract 1')
    • Use place-value language to justify a written method step by step

  • Two-Step Equations

    Solve two-step word problems using the four operations; represent problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity

    • Solve a two-step problem that combines addition/subtraction with multiplication/division
    • Write an equation using a letter for the unknown (e.g. 3 × n + 5 = 26)
    • Assess the reasonableness of the answer using estimation and mental computation

  • Adding and subtracting (age 8+)

    Add and subtract numbers with up to four digits using formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction

    • Set out and solve a columnar addition with up to four-digit numbers
    • Set out and solve a columnar subtraction with exchange across multiple columns
    • Check the answer using estimation or inverse operations

  • Two-step addition and subtraction problems

    Solve addition and subtraction two-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why

    • Identify the two steps needed to solve a contextual problem
    • Choose between mental and written methods for each step based on the numbers
    • Explain why the chosen operations and methods are appropriate

  • Numbers on a number line

    Represent whole numbers as lengths on a number line and represent sums and differences within 100 on a number line diagram

    • Place whole numbers on a number line with equally spaced points
    • Show an addition as a jump forward on the number line (e.g. 38 + 27 shown as jumps)
    • Show a subtraction as a jump backward on the number line

  • Mental addition and subtraction (age 7+)

    Mentally add and subtract a three-digit number and ones

    • Calculate 345 + 7 mentally
    • Calculate 462 − 5 mentally
    • Explain that only the ones digit changes (unless bridging through a ten)

  • Fluent adding and subtracting within 1000

    Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction

    • Add two three-digit numbers fluently using an efficient method
    • Subtract three-digit numbers fluently, including with regrouping
    • Choose the most efficient strategy based on the numbers involved

  • Adding numbers

    Add up to four two-digit numbers using strategies based on place value and properties of operations

    • Add three or four two-digit numbers by grouping tens and ones
    • Look for pairs that make multiples of 10 to simplify addition
    • Explain the strategy used to combine multiple addends

  • Mentally adding hundreds to 3-digit numbers

    Mentally add and subtract a three-digit number and hundreds

    • Calculate 345 + 200 mentally
    • Calculate 762 − 400 mentally
    • Explain that only the hundreds digit changes

  • Mentally adding tens to 3-digit numbers

    Mentally add and subtract a three-digit number and tens

    • Calculate 345 + 40 mentally
    • Calculate 462 − 30 mentally
    • Explain that only the tens digit changes (unless bridging through a hundred)

Math · Number Representation & Place Value

Your child is working with larger numbers up to 10,000 — understanding place value in four-digit numbers, learning to round numbers, and exploring negative numbers and Roman numerals.

  • A Hundred Is Ten Tens

    Understand that 100 can be thought of as a bundle of ten tens — called a 'hundred'

    • Explain that 10 groups of 10 ones make 100
    • Bundle ten tens sticks into one hundred and describe what happened
    • Represent 100 using base-ten blocks showing 10 tens

  • The three digits of a three-digit number

    Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones

    • State the value of each digit in a three-digit number (e.g. in 362, the 3 represents 3 hundreds)
    • Partition a three-digit number into hundreds, tens, and ones (e.g. 485 = 400 + 80 + 5)
    • Explain why 706 has 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones

  • Place value of each digit

    Recognise the place value of each digit in a four-digit number (thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones)

    • State the value of each digit in a four-digit number (e.g. in 7,345 the 7 represents 7 thousands)
    • Partition a four-digit number into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones
    • Compose a four-digit number from given place-value parts (e.g. 3000 + 400 + 50 + 2 = 3,452)

  • Ordering Numbers to 1000

    Compare and order numbers up to 1000 using >, =, and < symbols, based on place-value understanding

    • Compare two three-digit numbers by examining hundreds first, then tens, then ones
    • Use >, =, and < correctly to record comparisons of three-digit numbers
    • Order a set of numbers up to 1000 from smallest to largest

  • Comparing Large Numbers

    Order and compare numbers beyond 1000

    • Compare two four-digit numbers using >, <, and = by examining digits from the highest place value
    • Order a set of numbers up to 10,000 from smallest to largest
    • Justify the ordering using place-value reasoning

  • Negative Numbers

    Count backwards through zero to include negative numbers

    • Count backwards from 5 through zero: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, −1, −2 …
    • Place negative numbers on a number line
    • Understand that negative numbers are less than zero and use them in context (e.g. temperature)

  • Representing Numbers

    Identify, represent, and estimate numbers using different representations including the number line

    • Place a two-digit number on a 0–100 number line in approximately the right position
    • Estimate 'about how many' objects are in a set of 30–50 without counting
    • Represent the same number using base-ten blocks, a number line, and a drawing

  • The multiples of 100

    Understand that the multiples of 100 (100–900) each represent a number of hundreds with 0 tens and 0 ones

    • Identify that 300 means 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 0 ones
    • Place multiples of 100 on a number line to 1000
    • Read and write multiples of 100 and explain their place-value structure

  • Rounding to 10, 100, 1000

    Round any number to the nearest 10, 100, or 1000

    • Round 4,367 to the nearest 10 (4,370), 100 (4,400), and 1000 (4,000)
    • Explain the rounding rule using a number line (which multiple is closer)
    • Apply rounding to estimate calculations

  • Numbers to 10,000

    Identify, represent, and estimate numbers up to 10,000 using different representations

    • Represent a four-digit number on a place-value chart or with base-ten materials
    • Estimate where a number falls on a 0–10,000 number line
    • Match different representations of the same number (e.g. expanded form, place-value counters, numeral)

  • Place Value Problem-Solving

    Solve number and practical problems involving place value with increasingly large positive numbers

    • Solve a problem requiring rounding, comparing, or ordering numbers beyond 1000
    • Apply place-value knowledge in a practical context (e.g. population figures, distances)
    • Explain the strategy used, referencing place-value understanding

  • Reading and writing numbers to 1000

    Read and write numbers to 1000 in numerals, number names, and expanded form

    • Read a three-digit numeral aloud correctly
    • Write a three-digit number in words (e.g. 'three hundred and forty-two')
    • Write a number in expanded form (e.g. 600 + 30 + 7)

  • 10 or 100 More or Less

    Find 10 or 100 more or less than a given number up to 1000

    • Given a three-digit number, state what is 10 more and 10 less
    • Given a three-digit number, state what is 100 more and 100 less
    • Explain the strategy using place-value understanding (e.g. only the tens/hundreds digit changes)

  • 1000 More or Less

    Find 1000 more or less than a given number

    • Given 4,562, state that 1000 more is 5,562 and 1000 less is 3,562
    • Explain using place value that only the thousands digit changes
    • Apply this skill to numbers beyond 10,000

  • Place Value to 1000

    Solve number problems and practical problems involving place value of numbers up to 1000

    • Solve a problem that requires identifying how many hundreds, tens, or ones are in a number
    • Apply place-value knowledge to a practical context (e.g. counting money in pounds)
    • Explain the strategy used to solve a place-value problem

  • Roman numerals to 100

    Read Roman numerals to 100 (I to C) and understand that the numeral system changed over time to include zero and place value

    • Read and write Roman numerals I, V, X, L, C and combinations up to 100
    • Convert between Roman numerals and Hindu-Arabic numerals (e.g. XLIV = 44)
    • Explain that Roman numerals have no zero and no place-value system

  • Odd or Even

    Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members

    • Pair objects and determine whether there is one left over (odd) or not (even)
    • Count a group by 2s to determine if the total is even
    • Write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends (e.g. 8 = 4 + 4)

Math · Mathematical Thinking

Your child is developing strong mathematical reasoning skills — learning to explain their thinking clearly, spot patterns and connections, and choose the best strategies for solving complex problems.

  • Mathematical Precision

    Communicate with mathematical precision: use correct fraction/decimal vocabulary, name angle types accurately, specify units in measurement and money, and use notation (=, <, >, ÷, ×) correctly

    • Distinguish between 'three fourths' and 'three quarters' and use both correctly
    • State an answer in the correct unit: '63 square centimetres' not just '63'
    • Write 15:45 in 24-hour notation and explain the distinction from 3:45 pm

  • Multi-Step Problem Solving

    Make sense of multi-step problems involving four operations, fractions, and area/volume by identifying sub-steps, choosing a strategy, and monitoring progress

    • Break a two-step word problem into parts and explain a plan before calculating
    • Choose between drawing a diagram or writing equations for a perimeter problem
    • Check a fraction-of-quantity answer by estimating: 3/5 of 20 must be more than half of 20

  • Justifying mathematical reasoning (age 8+)

    Construct and present multi-step mathematical arguments; critique the reasoning of others and explain clearly why a method works or fails

    • Explain why 1/3 > 1/5 using the idea that more parts means smaller pieces
    • Find and explain an error in a peer's column subtraction with exchanges
    • Present a chain of reasoning: since 6×8=48 and 6×2=12, then 6×10=60 so 6×8=60−12=48

  • Multi-Step Problem Solving

    With teacher support, make sense of multi-step problems involving larger numbers or mixed operations by breaking them into parts, choosing strategies, and checking answers for reasonableness — children at this stage are developing the habit with guidance; independent strategy evaluation comes later

    • Break a two-step word problem within 1000 into sub-problems and solve each part
    • Estimate an answer before calculating to set a reasonableness benchmark
    • Check an answer using a different method or inverse operation and revise if needed

  • Understanding fractions (age 7+)

    Communicate with mathematical precision: use correct place-value and fraction vocabulary, specify units in measurement answers, and use notation accurately

    • Consistently specify units in measurement answers (e.g. '35 cm' not '35')
    • Use fraction vocabulary precisely (numerator, denominator, equivalent)
    • Write equations with correct notation including £/p, >, <, = and fraction symbols

  • Choosing mathematical tools

    Select and use appropriate tools and representations strategically: choose between mental, written, and diagrammatic methods; use calculators for checking; select fraction models suited to the task

    • Decide to use mental multiplication for 25×4 but a written method for 167×3
    • Choose fraction strips rather than a number line to compare 3/8 and 1/4
    • Use a ruler and squared paper to verify area by counting squares after calculating l×w

  • Modelling with multiplication and fractions

    Model real-world problems involving multiplication, area, fractions, and unit conversion by choosing appropriate representations and interpreting mathematical results in context

    • Model a tiling/area problem with an array and write the corresponding multiplication
    • Represent a recipe-scaling problem as a fraction calculation and interpret the answer in grams
    • Use a bar model to set up a unit conversion problem (metres to centimetres)

  • Times tables (age 8+)

    Recognise and use repeated reasoning to generalise: extend patterns in times tables and equivalent fractions, derive unknown facts from known facts efficiently, describe general rules

    • Notice that all fractions equivalent to 1/2 have a numerator that is half the denominator
    • Use the pattern 3×4=12, 3×40=120, 3×400=1200 and explain the generalisation
    • Derive 8×7 from 8×5=40 plus 8×2=16 and describe the strategy as a general approach

  • Fractions on a number line

    Move fluently between real-world situations, diagrams, number lines, and symbolic equations involving multiplication, fractions, and decimals, explaining what each representation shows

    • Represent a sharing problem as both a fraction diagram and a division equation
    • Explain how a bar model for 4 × 23 connects to the area model and the written method
    • Translate a decimal on a number line into a fraction and explain the equivalence

  • Justifying mathematical reasoning

    Construct and follow multi-step mathematical arguments; identify errors in reasoning and explain why a method works or does not work

    • Explain step by step why a columnar addition method gives the correct answer
    • Find and explain an error in a worked example (e.g. incorrect regrouping)
    • Construct a simple argument for why a general statement is true (e.g. 'adding two even numbers always gives an even number')

  • Working with money

    Model real-world problems involving measurement, money, and time by choosing appropriate representations and interpreting results in context

    • Choose whether to use a bar model, number line, or equation for a measurement problem
    • Model a multi-step money problem with equations and interpret the final answer as change or total cost
    • Create a line plot from measurement data and use it to answer questions about the real-world situation

  • Using Mathematical Structure

    Look for and use mathematical structure: exploit place-value patterns for ×10/×100, use the distributive property to break apart multiplications, apply fraction equivalence to compare and compute, use shape properties to classify quadrilaterals

    • Decompose 7×13 into 7×10 + 7×3 using the distributive property
    • Explain why multiplying by 10 shifts digits one place left using place-value structure
    • Use the fact that a square is a special rectangle to reason about quadrilateral properties

  • Understanding fractions

    Move fluently between real-world situations, diagrams, and symbolic equations involving three-digit numbers and fractions, explaining what each part represents

    • Write an equation with three-digit numbers to match a measurement or money word problem
    • Draw a bar model to represent a fraction problem and use it to solve
    • Explain how a number line diagram relates to the quantities in a word problem

  • Choosing the right strategy

    Select and use appropriate tools and representations strategically, including choosing between mental methods, jottings, formal algorithms, and calculators for arithmetic with multi-digit numbers, decimals, and fractions

    • Choose a mental method for 345 + 200 but a written method for 345 + 278
    • Select a ruler vs a metre stick based on the object being measured
    • Decide when a number line is more useful than base-ten blocks for a given problem

  • Shape patterns (age 7+)

    Look for and use mathematical structure: apply place-value patterns to three-digit operations, use multiplication/division relationships, and exploit shape properties to classify

    • Use the structure of place value to explain why adding hundreds only changes the hundreds digit
    • Use commutativity and the relationship between multiplication and division to derive unknown facts
    • Classify shapes by their structural properties (number of sides, right angles, parallel lines)

  • Extending Table Patterns

    Recognise and use repeated reasoning to generalise: extend multiplication table patterns, derive unknown facts from known ones, and describe rules for sequences

    • Notice that all multiples of 4 are even and use this to check answers
    • Derive 8 × 7 from 8 × 5 + 8 × 2 by spotting the pattern
    • Describe a rule for a growing pattern (e.g. 'add 50 each time') and use it to predict the next terms

Math · Geometry

Your child is advancing their understanding of shapes and space — working with coordinates on grids, identifying different types of angles, exploring symmetry, and classifying shapes by their properties.

  • Right Angles & Turns

    Identify right angles; recognise that two right angles make a half-turn, three make three-quarters, and four make a complete turn

    • Use a right-angle checker to identify right angles in shapes and the environment
    • Classify angles as right angles, less than a right angle, or greater than a right angle
    • Explain that 4 right angles make a full turn (360°)

  • Understanding angles

    Recognise angles as a property of shape or a description of a turn

    • Identify angles at the corners of 2-D shapes
    • Describe a turn (e.g. quarter turn, half turn) in terms of the angle made
    • Explain that an angle measures the amount of turn between two lines meeting at a point

  • Types of angles

    Identify acute and obtuse angles; compare and order angles up to two right angles by size

    • Classify given angles as acute, right, or obtuse
    • Order four angles from smallest to largest by visual comparison
    • Identify all acute and obtuse angles in a given triangle or quadrilateral

  • Types of angles (age 8+)

    Use and interpret standard geometric diagram conventions: mark right angles with a small square, equal lengths with single or double tick marks, and equal angles with arc marks; label angles in three-letter notation (∠ABC) and individual angles with a single letter or number; draw diagrams showing angles at a point, angles on a straight line, and angles inside polygons with these conventions; read diagrams with these marks to identify given information and find unknown values

    • Mark a right angle with a small square symbol in a diagram and explain what it means
    • Use tick marks to show equal lengths in a shape and double tick marks for a second pair of equal sides
    • Read and interpret angle notation (e.g. angle ABC) and identify the angle being referred to in a diagram

  • Parallel and perpendicular lines

    Identify horizontal and vertical lines and pairs of perpendicular and parallel lines

    • Point out horizontal and vertical lines in shapes and real-world contexts
    • Identify a pair of parallel lines (lines that never meet and are always the same distance apart)
    • Identify perpendicular lines (lines that meet at a right angle)

  • Angles in triangles (age 7+)

    Recognise and draw shapes having specified attributes (e.g. a given number of angles or equal faces); identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes

    • Draw a shape with exactly 5 sides (pentagon)
    • Identify all quadrilaterals in a set of mixed shapes
    • Name and draw a hexagon, explaining it has 6 sides and 6 angles

  • Understanding angles (age 8+)

    Understand that shapes in different categories may share attributes defining a larger category; classify quadrilaterals (rhombuses, rectangles, squares) and draw examples of quadrilaterals not in those subcategories

    • Explain that a square is a special rectangle and also a special rhombus
    • Sort shapes into a Venn diagram: quadrilaterals vs rectangles vs squares
    • Draw a quadrilateral that is not a rectangle, rhombus, or square

  • First Quadrant Coordinates

    Describe positions on a 2-D grid as coordinates in the first quadrant

    • Read the coordinates of a point on a grid as (3, 5)
    • Explain that the first number is the horizontal distance and the second is the vertical distance
    • Identify the coordinates of all vertices of a shape plotted on a grid

  • Coordinates (age 8+)

    Plot specified points on a coordinate grid and draw sides to complete a given polygon

    • Plot points (1,1), (1,4), (5,4), (5,1) and join to make a rectangle
    • Given three vertices of a square, plot the fourth vertex
    • Complete a triangle by plotting the third vertex at given coordinates and drawing sides

  • 2-D shapes (age 7+)

    Draw 2-D shapes and make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different orientations and describe them

    • Draw a triangle, rectangle, pentagon, or hexagon accurately
    • Construct a cube or cuboid from modelling materials (e.g. straws and connectors)
    • Recognise a 3-D shape (e.g. a pyramid) when it is rotated or seen from a different angle

  • Transformations on a grid

    Represent and carry out geometric transformations on squared paper or a coordinate grid: reflections (in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal mirror lines, including the axes), translations (described as a vector or as left/right/up/down moves), and rotations (90° or 180° about a stated centre point); describe each transformation precisely using the correct language; identify which transformation maps one shape onto its image by comparing position, orientation, and size

    • Reflect a shape in a given mirror line on a grid and label the new coordinates
    • Translate a shape by a given number of squares horizontally and vertically and describe the movement
    • Rotate a shape 90° or 180° about a given centre on a grid and check the image is congruent to the original

  • Nets of 3-D Shapes

    Identify, draw, and interpret nets of common 3-D shapes — cubes, cuboids, triangular prisms, and square-based pyramids — by predicting which 3-D shape a given flat arrangement of faces will fold into, checking whether a net will close completely, and sketching a net from a description or 3-D model; understand the relationship between the number of faces and the structure of the net

    • Draw the net of a cube, cuboid, or triangular prism and fold it mentally to identify which faces connect
    • Build a 3-D shape from its net and check that all faces, edges, and vertices match
    • Identify which of several given nets will fold into a specific 3-D shape and explain why the others won't

  • Describing Movements

    Describe movements between positions as translations of a given unit to the left/right and up/down

    • Describe moving from (2,3) to (5,3) as 3 units to the right
    • Translate a shape 4 units right and 2 units up and state the new coordinates
    • Predict where a point will be after a given translation

  • 2-D shapes (age 8+)

    Identify lines of symmetry in 2-D shapes presented in different orientations; recognise line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry

    • Find all lines of symmetry in a rectangle, square, and equilateral triangle
    • Determine whether a given shape has a line of symmetry when rotated
    • Identify which shapes in a set have exactly one line of symmetry

  • Lines of symmetry

    Complete a simple symmetric figure with respect to a specific line of symmetry

    • Given half a butterfly shape and a mirror line, complete the other half on a grid
    • Complete a symmetric pattern on squared paper with a vertical line of symmetry
    • Check a completed figure by folding along the mirror line

Math · Data & Statistics

Your child is learning to collect information and present it visually using charts and graphs, then use these displays to solve problems and answer questions about the data.

  • Sorting Data into Categories

    Organise and represent data with up to three categories by counting objects in each category and sorting categories by quantity

    • Sort a set of objects into 2-3 given categories and count each group
    • Create a simple table or list showing category names and counts
    • Order categories from most to fewest or fewest to most

  • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+)

    Read, write, and use the vocabulary of data collection and display — data, tally, tally chart, frequency, frequency table, survey, pictogram, bar chart, axis/axes, scale, label, category, discrete data, continuous data, line graph, pie chart — and apply these terms when collecting, organising, and presenting data

    • Correctly label the axes of a bar chart including a title, axis labels, and scale
    • Distinguish between discrete data (counted) and continuous data (measured) with an example of each
    • Use 'tally', 'frequency', and 'pictogram' correctly when describing how to record and display data

  • Pictograms and tally charts

    Interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams, and simple tables

    • Read a pictogram where each symbol represents one item
    • Construct a tally chart from collected data
    • Draw a block diagram to represent data from a survey

  • Representing numbers with objects (age 8+)

    Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set; solve one- and two-step comparison, sum, and difference problems using bar charts, pictograms, and tables

    • Draw a bar graph where each square represents 5 pets
    • From a scaled pictogram, answer: how many more children chose football than tennis?
    • Solve a two-step problem: how many votes in total for the top two choices?

  • Picture & Bar Graphs

    Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories; solve put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph

    • Draw a picture graph with a symbol representing one unit for each data point
    • Draw a bar graph with labelled axes and a single-unit scale
    • Use a bar graph to answer comparison questions (e.g. 'How many more votes did cats get than dogs?')

  • Bar graphs

    Interpret and present discrete and continuous data using appropriate graphical methods, including bar charts and time graphs

    • Read a time graph showing temperature changes over a day
    • Present data about plant growth over weeks as a time graph
    • Explain the difference between a bar chart (discrete) and a time graph (continuous)

  • Sorting into categories (age 6+)

    Interpret categorical data by asking and answering questions about totals, how many in each category, and how many more or less one category has than another

    • Answer 'how many?' for each category in a data set
    • Calculate the total number of data points across all categories
    • Compare two categories using 'how many more/fewer' language

Math · Counting & Cardinality

Your child is practicing skip-counting in larger number patterns, building fluency with multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25, and 1000.

  • Skip Counting (4s, 8s, 50s, 100s)

    Count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50, and 100

    • Recite the multiples of 4 from 0 to at least 48
    • Recite the multiples of 8 from 0 to at least 96
    • Count in steps of 50 and 100 from 0 to 1000

  • Counting in 6s

    Count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25, and 1000

    • Recite the multiples of 6 from 0 to at least 72
    • Recite the multiples of 7 from 0 to at least 84
    • Count in steps of 25 from 0 to 1000 and in steps of 1000 up to 10,000

  • Counting Within 1,000

    Count within 1000, including skip-counting by 5s, 10s, and 100s

    • Count forwards and backwards within 1000 from any starting number
    • Skip-count by 5s from any multiple of 5 to 1000
    • Skip-count by 100s from any number (e.g. 150, 250, 350 …)

English · Reading Comprehension

Your child is learning to think deeply about texts — making connections between ideas, analysing characters' motivations, identifying central messages in stories, and distinguishing between their own viewpoint and that of authors or characters.

  • Listening to Texts Read Aloud

    Listen to and discuss poems, stories, and non-fiction at a level beyond independent reading; confirm understanding of texts read aloud by asking and answering questions about key details

    • Answer questions about a story or non-fiction text read aloud by the teacher
    • Discuss events, characters, or ideas from chapter books read to the class
    • Ask for clarification when something in a read-aloud is not understood

  • Characters, settings, and events

    Identify characters, settings, and major events in stories; become familiar with key stories, fairy tales, and traditional tales and retell them with key details in sequence

    • Name the main characters in a story
    • Describe where and when a story takes place
    • Retell a familiar story including beginning, middle, and end events

  • Reading between the lines

    Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do

    • Answer 'who', 'what', 'where' questions about a text using evidence
    • Infer a character's feelings from their actions (e.g. 'She's sad because she's crying')
    • Make logical guesses about unstated information using text clues

  • Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motives

    Draw inferences from independently-read texts, such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence from the text

    • Infer a character's feelings or motives from their actions and dialogue (e.g. 'She slammed the door — how is she feeling?')
    • Justify an inference by quoting or pointing to specific evidence in the text
    • Distinguish between what is explicitly stated and what must be inferred from clues in the text

  • Self-Correcting While Reading

    Check that text makes sense while reading and self-correct inaccurate reading by re-reading or using context

    • Notice when reading does not make sense and stop to re-read
    • Self-correct errors mid-sentence (e.g. 'Wait, that doesn't sound right')
    • Use meaning, sentence structure, and visual cues together to monitor reading

  • Story Sequence and Central Message

    Discuss the sequence of events in narrative texts and how items of information are related in non-fiction, retelling stories including key details and demonstrating understanding of central message or lesson

    • Retell a story in correct sequence with beginning, middle, and end
    • Identify the central message or lesson of a story
    • Explain how two pieces of information in a non-fiction text are connected

  • Book Features and Author's Reasons

    Identify front cover, back cover, and title page of a book; identify the reasons an author gives to support points in informational text

    • Point to and name parts of a book (front cover, back cover, title page)
    • Use the title page to find the title, author, and illustrator
    • Identify a reason the author gives for a claim in a simple non-fiction text

  • Character Traits and Motivation

    Analyse character traits, motivations, and feelings using text evidence, and distinguish one's own point of view from that of the narrator or characters

    • Identify two character traits from a story and cite the specific actions or dialogue that reveal each trait
    • Explain why a character made a particular decision by linking their motivation to events in the text
    • Describe where one's own opinion about a character differs from the narrator's portrayal and explain why

  • Non-Fiction Text Features

    Recognise different non-fiction text structures and features (headings, contents, glossary, index), understanding how texts are organised to present information

    • Use a contents page to find information on a specific topic in a non-fiction book
    • Identify the purpose of headings, glossary, and index in an information text
    • Recognise that non-fiction books can be structured as lists, time order, or question-and-answer

  • Main Ideas & Note-Taking

    Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise them; retrieve and record information from non-fiction texts using notes, tables or other methods

    • Read a multi-paragraph non-fiction text and state the main idea of each paragraph in one sentence
    • Summarise a text of 3+ paragraphs in 2-3 sentences capturing the key points
    • Retrieve specific information from a non-fiction text and record it using a simple table or notes (e.g., 'Name: hedgehog, Habitat: woodland, Diet: insects')

  • Predicting what happens next

    Predict what might happen next in a story based on what has been read so far; discuss the significance of titles and events

    • Make a prediction before turning the page and explain reasoning
    • Discuss why a title fits or hints at the story content
    • Revise predictions as new information is encountered in the text

  • Characters' Viewpoints and Responses

    Identify and compare characters' points of view, recognise who is narrating a story, describe how characters respond to events and challenges, and compare characters' experiences across different stories or versions of the same story

    • Identify who is telling a story and explain how you know (e.g. 'The wolf is telling the story because he says I')
    • Describe how a character responds to a problem or challenge using evidence from the text (e.g. 'When the bridge broke, she decided to swim across')
    • Compare how two characters from different stories react to a similar situation (e.g. how two heroes show bravery in different ways)

  • Forms of Poetry and Performance

    Recognise different forms of poetry (free verse, narrative poetry, haiku) and discuss their features; prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform with understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action

    • Name at least two different forms of poetry and describe a feature of each (e.g., 'narrative poetry tells a story', 'free verse does not have a regular rhyme or rhythm')
    • Recognise the form of a given poem and explain how you identified it (e.g., 'This is a narrative poem because it has characters and a plot')
    • Prepare and perform a poem or play script extract showing understanding through changes in intonation, volume, and expression

  • Retelling Stories with Structure

    Retell stories including key details in sequence, describe characters, settings, and major events using evidence from the text, and describe the overall structure of a story (beginning, middle, ending)

    • Retell a familiar story in order, including at least three key details from beginning, middle, and end
    • Describe a character's appearance, actions, or personality using details from the text
    • Explain how the beginning of a story introduces the characters and setting, and how the ending concludes the action

  • Expressive and Sensory Language

    Recognise recurring literary language in stories and poetry, identify words and phrases that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses, and discuss favourite words and phrases

    • Spot recurring story language such as 'Once upon a time' and 'happily ever after'
    • Identify sensory words and phrases in a poem: 'the icy wind howled'
    • Share a favourite word or phrase from a story and explain why it appeals

  • Themes and messages

    Identify recurring themes (good vs evil, friendship, bravery) and conventions (once upon a time, moral at the end, hero's journey) across a wide range of books including fairy stories, myths, legends and traditional tales

    • Identify a common theme across two different stories (e.g., 'Both "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" are about bravery overcoming a threat')
    • Name literary conventions found in fairy tales and myths (e.g., 'once upon a time', magical numbers like three, a quest or journey, good triumphing over evil)
    • Explain how the same theme can appear in different genres (e.g., friendship in a realistic story vs a myth)

  • Story Lessons and Morals

    Determine the central message, lesson, or moral of a story, fable, or folktale, explaining what the story teaches the reader and supporting the interpretation with key details from the text

    • State the lesson or moral of a fable in one sentence (e.g. 'The Tortoise and the Hare teaches that slow and steady wins the race')
    • Explain what a story's central message is using at least two details from the text as support
    • Distinguish the central message from a summary of events — explain what the story means, not just what happens

  • Comparing Characters Across Stories

    Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories; identify similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic

    • Identify what two stories have in common (e.g. 'Both have a bear character')
    • Compare information from two books about the same topic
    • Discuss how characters' experiences are similar or different across stories

  • Text Features & Presentation

    Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and effect of a text

    • Explain how an author's word choices create a particular effect (e.g., 'The author uses "crept" instead of "walked" to make it feel sneaky and tense')
    • Identify how a text's structure helps the reader (e.g., 'The headings help you find information quickly', 'The story builds suspense before the ending')
    • Explain how a presentational feature contributes to meaning (e.g., 'The bold words are important vocabulary', 'The diagram shows how the water cycle works')

  • Morals in Fables, Folktales and Myths

    Explain how the central message, lesson, or moral of a story is conveyed through key details across diverse text types including fables, folktales, and myths

    • Retell a fable and identify the moral, citing three key details that convey it
    • Compare how two myths from different cultures convey a similar central message through different events
    • Explain the difference between the topic of a story and its central message or lesson

  • Connecting Ideas in Texts

    Describe connections between events, ideas, or concepts in informational text using time, sequence, cause-and-effect, and comparison language, and identify logical connections between sentences and paragraphs

    • Read a science text and identify three cause-and-effect relationships using signal words like 'because', 'as a result'
    • Explain the sequence of steps in a technical procedure using time-order language ('first', 'next', 'finally')
    • Describe how two paragraphs in a text are connected (e.g. comparison, cause/effect, or sequence)

  • Why the author wrote it

    Distinguish one's own point of view from that of the author of an informational text and identify the author's purpose

    • Read an opinion article and state the author's point of view, then state one's own and explain how they differ
    • Identify whether an author's purpose is to inform, persuade, or entertain, citing evidence from the text
    • Explain how word choices in an informational text reveal the author's attitude toward the topic

  • Main Topic & Key Details

    Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text, determine the focus of specific paragraphs, and explain how key details support the main idea

    • Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text and state the focus of individual paragraphs
    • Describe how specific details and facts in the text support the main idea
    • Explain how events, ideas, or steps in a text are connected (e.g. cause-effect, sequence, comparison)

  • Structural terminology

    Use structural terminology (chapter, scene, stanza) to refer to parts of literary texts and describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections

    • Identify chapters, scenes, or stanzas in a given text and use the correct term for each
    • Explain how the second stanza of a poem builds on the mood established in the first
    • Describe how a specific chapter advances the plot by referring to events in earlier chapters

  • Discussing Texts as a Group

    Participate in discussions about what is read, taking turns and listening to others; explain understanding clearly; actively engage in group reading activities

    • Share ideas about a book in a group discussion
    • Listen to and respond to others' opinions about a text
    • Take turns speaking and build on what classmates have said about a book

  • Pictures and Text Working Together

    Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear; use pictures to support and extend comprehension

    • Use pictures to predict or confirm story events
    • Describe what is happening in an illustration and how it relates to the text
    • Explain how an illustration adds information not stated in words

English · Grammar & Punctuation

Your child is mastering more sophisticated grammar — learning to use different verb tenses correctly, understanding how adjectives and adverbs work, and using punctuation to make their writing clearer and more varied.

  • Past, Present and Progressive Tense

    Use verbs to convey past and present tense correctly and consistently, including the progressive form (e.g., she is drumming, he was shouting), understanding how tense indicates time

    • Write a passage consistently in past tense without switching to present
    • Use progressive forms correctly: 'was running', 'is jumping' to show ongoing actions
    • Identify verbs in a sentence and change them from past to present tense or vice versa

  • The Present Perfect Tense

    Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the simple past tense, understanding how the present perfect indicates an action completed at an unspecified time or with ongoing relevance (e.g., 'He has gone out' vs 'He went out')

    • Form the present perfect using 'has/have' + past participle (e.g., 'She has eaten', 'They have finished')
    • Choose between simple past and present perfect to match the intended meaning (e.g., 'I ate lunch' vs 'I have eaten lunch')
    • Identify the present perfect form in a text and explain why the author used it instead of simple past

  • Simple Past, Present and Future

    Form and use the simple past, present, and future verb tenses consistently in writing

    • Rewrite 'I walk to school' in past tense ('I walked') and future tense ('I will walk')
    • Identify and correct inconsistent tense in 'Yesterday she walks to the shop and bought milk'
    • Write a three-sentence paragraph maintaining consistent future tense throughout

  • Standard English Verbs

    Use Standard English verb inflections in place of non-standard local forms

    • Correct 'we was playing' to 'we were playing' and explain why the standard form is needed in writing
    • Choose the standard form in pairs such as 'I did / I done', 'she has / she have', 'they were / they was'
    • Rewrite a short passage replacing three non-standard verb forms with their Standard English equivalents

  • Starting and Ending Sentences

    Begin sentences with a capital letter and end them with the appropriate mark (full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark); recognise and name end punctuation

    • Write sentences beginning with a capital letter
    • Choose and use the correct end punctuation for statements, questions, and exclamations
    • Identify and name full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks when reading

  • Irregular past tense verbs

    Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs correctly (e.g., sat, hid, told, went, came, ran), recognising that these do not follow the regular -ed pattern

    • Supply the correct past tense of common irregular verbs: go→went, see→saw, run→ran, tell→told
    • Correct over-regularised forms in writing (e.g. change 'goed' to 'went', 'hided' to 'hid')
    • Write a short recount using at least five irregular past-tense verbs accurately

  • Commas in lists

    Use commas to separate items in a list within a sentence (e.g., 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges')

    • Write a sentence containing a list of 3+ items separated by commas: 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges'
    • Identify where commas should go in an unpunctuated list sentence
    • Explain that commas separate items in a list so the reader knows each item

  • Subordinate clauses

    Use subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but) to join clauses and create compound and complex sentences

    • Write 'I stayed inside because it was raining' using a subordinating conjunction
    • Use 'but' and 'or' to join ideas: 'I wanted to play but it was raining'
    • Use 'when' and 'if' clauses in writing: 'If it stops raining, we can go outside'

  • Grammar Terms: Clauses and Conjunctions

    Use and understand Year 3 grammatical terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: preposition, conjunction, word family, prefix, clause, subordinate clause, direct speech, consonant letter, vowel letter, inverted commas/speech marks

    • Use the terms 'clause' and 'subordinate clause' to identify parts of a multi-clause sentence (e.g., point to the subordinate clause in 'I stayed inside because it rained')
    • Use the terms 'conjunction', 'preposition', and 'prefix' correctly when explaining word/sentence choices in own writing
    • Distinguish between consonant letters and vowel letters and use the terms 'direct speech' and 'inverted commas' when discussing punctuation

  • Grammar Terms: Pronouns and Determiners

    Know and use Year 4 grammar terminology including determiner, pronoun, possessive pronoun, and adverbial

    • Label the determiner, pronoun, and adverbial in 'She quickly opened her present on the table'
    • Explain the difference between a possessive pronoun ('mine', 'theirs') and other pronouns ('I', 'they')
    • Use the terms 'determiner' and 'adverbial' accurately when discussing a classmate's writing

  • Expressing Time, Place and Cause

    Use conjunctions (when, before, after, while, so, because), adverbs (then, next, soon, therefore) and prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of) to express time, place and cause within and across sentences

    • Use time conjunctions to connect clauses (e.g., 'We went inside because it was raining', 'After the bell rang, we lined up')
    • Use adverbs of time and cause within sentences (e.g., 'First, she opened the door. Then, she stepped outside. Therefore, she got wet.')
    • Use prepositions of time and cause in phrases (e.g., 'during the lesson', 'before lunch', 'because of the rain')

  • Pronouns for clarity

    Choose pronouns for clarity and cohesion, avoiding ambiguity and repetition; use reflexive pronouns correctly (e.g., myself, ourselves, himself)

    • Replace repeated nouns with pronouns to improve cohesion: rewrite 'Sam picked up Sam's bag' as 'Sam picked up his bag'
    • Use reflexive pronouns correctly in sentences (e.g. 'I made it myself', 'They helped themselves')
    • Identify and fix ambiguous pronoun references (e.g. 'Tom told Jack he was late' — who was late?)

  • Fronted Adverbials and Commas

    Use fronted adverbials to vary sentence openings and punctuate them with commas

    • Write a sentence beginning with a time adverbial, e.g. 'Later that day, the children ran home'
    • Rewrite 'The fox crept through the garden at midnight' with the adverbial fronted and a comma placed correctly
    • Identify and correct a missing comma after a fronted adverbial in 'Before breakfast she packed her bag'

  • Plural vs Possessive in Nouns

    Distinguish between the plural -s suffix and the possessive -'s suffix in nouns

    • Sort words like 'dogs', 'dog's', and 'dogs'' into plural, singular possessive, and plural possessive categories
    • Explain why 'the cats bowl' is incorrect and supply the correct form ('the cat's bowl' or 'the cats' bowl') for a given meaning
    • Write two sentences using the same noun — one as a plural and one as a possessive

  • Punctuating Direct Speech

    Punctuate direct speech using inverted commas (speech marks), understanding that direct speech records the exact words spoken and must be enclosed in punctuation marks

    • Place inverted commas around the spoken words in a sentence (e.g., "Let's go!" shouted Tom.)
    • Write a sentence containing direct speech with correct punctuation including a reporting clause (e.g., Mum said, "Time for bed.")
    • Identify direct speech in a text and explain what the inverted commas show

  • Expanded noun phrases (age 8+)

    Expand noun phrases with modifying adjectives, nouns, and preposition phrases to add detail

    • Expand 'the teacher' to 'the strict maths teacher with curly hair' using adjective, noun, and preposition phrase
    • Write a sentence containing a noun phrase with at least three modifiers, e.g. 'the old stone bridge over the river'
    • Identify the head noun and its modifiers in 'the tiny grey kitten under the table'

  • Adjectives vs adverbs

    Use adjectives and adverbs correctly, choosing between them depending on whether a noun or verb/adjective is being modified (e.g., 'She ran quickly' vs 'She is quick')

    • Choose the correct form: 'The dog is (slow/slowly)' vs 'The dog walks (slow/slowly)'
    • Identify whether a word is modifying a noun (adjective) or a verb (adverb) in a given sentence
    • Expand sentences by adding both an adjective and an adverb: 'The tall boy ran quickly'

  • Comparatives & Superlatives

    Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, choosing correctly between them

    • Form comparatives and superlatives for 'big' (bigger/biggest), 'beautiful' (more/most beautiful), and 'good' (better/best)
    • Choose the correct form in 'She runs _____ (faster/more fast) than her brother' and explain the rule
    • Write sentences using both a comparative adverb ('more carefully') and a superlative adjective ('tallest') correctly

  • Agreement in sentences

    Ensure subject-verb agreement and pronoun-antecedent agreement within and across sentences

    • Correct 'The group of children were laughing' to 'The group of children was laughing' and explain the singular subject
    • Choose the correct pronoun in 'Each student must bring ____ (his or her / their) book' and explain the antecedent link
    • Identify and fix three agreement errors in a short paragraph, explaining each correction

  • Irregular Plural Nouns

    Form and use irregular plural nouns (e.g., children, teeth, mice, geese) in addition to regular plurals, recognising that some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow the -s/-es pattern

    • Form and use irregular plural nouns correctly (e.g. child→children, tooth→teeth, mouse→mice, goose→geese)
    • Identify collective nouns that name a group (e.g. 'a flock of birds', 'a group of children', 'a pack of wolves')
    • Correct over-regularised plurals in writing (e.g. change 'mouses' to 'mice', 'foots' to 'feet')

  • Choosing A or An

    Use the correct form of the indefinite article — 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)

    • Choose 'a' or 'an' correctly before nouns beginning with consonant or vowel sounds (e.g., 'a ball', 'an egg', 'an umbrella')
    • Apply the rule to tricky words where spelling and sound differ (e.g., 'an hour' because /h/ is silent, 'a uniform' because /juː/ starts with a consonant sound)
    • Correct errors in a/an usage in given sentences (e.g., change 'a orange' to 'an orange')

  • Abstract nouns

    Understand and use abstract nouns to name ideas, qualities, and states that cannot be perceived by the senses

    • Sort words like 'freedom', 'table', 'courage', 'pencil', 'childhood' into abstract and concrete noun categories
    • Complete sentences using appropriate abstract nouns: 'Her _____ (brave → bravery) inspired the whole team'
    • Write three sentences each containing a different abstract noun (e.g. 'honesty', 'friendship', 'happiness')

English · Writing Composition

Your child is developing more sophisticated writing skills — choosing precise and vivid words to create specific effects, and learning to research topics and organise information from various sources.

  • Writing Process Vocabulary

    Know and use the vocabulary of the writing process — compose, plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread, genre, audience, purpose, narrative, recount, instruction, paragraph, sequence, and detail — and understand that these words describe distinct steps and decisions that all writers make, not just tasks to tick off

    • Use 'compose', 'revise', and 'edit' correctly when describing the stages of writing
    • Explain who the 'audience' is for a piece of writing and how that changes what they write
    • Describe the purpose of a piece of writing (to persuade, inform, entertain, or instruct) and match their language to it

  • Revising and editing (age 7+)

    Evaluate and edit writing by assessing effectiveness, proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary for consistency, and proof-reading for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors at Y3-4 level

    • Read own or a peer's writing aloud and suggest specific improvements to vocabulary or sentence structure
    • Propose changes to grammar and word choice to improve clarity and consistency across a piece of writing
    • Proof-read writing at Y3-4 level for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors and correct them independently

  • Revising and editing (age 8+)

    Read back your own writing critically and independently — notice where meaning is unclear, where a word could be stronger, or where the reader might be confused; make revisions without needing teacher prompts, using your own judgment about what is and isn't working

    • Reread a paragraph silently and independently identify at least one place where meaning could be clearer or a word choice improved
    • Make a revision that goes beyond spelling/punctuation — changing a sentence for clarity or effect
    • Explain in their own words why they changed something ('I thought the reader wouldn't understand what I meant')

  • Short Research Projects

    Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic, gather information from print and digital sources, and take brief organised notes

    • Generate three research questions about an assigned topic and identify two sources for each
    • Take brief notes from a print source, sorting key facts into provided categories
    • Write a short summary paragraph synthesising information gathered from two different sources

  • Organising Writing into Paragraphs

    Organise writing into paragraphs, grouping related material around a theme, and use simple organisational devices such as headings and sub-headings in non-narrative writing

    • Divide a piece of writing into paragraphs, each focused on one main idea or aspect of the topic
    • Use headings and sub-headings to organise a non-fiction text (e.g., a report about animals with sections 'Habitat', 'Diet', 'Appearance')
    • Identify where a new paragraph should begin in a given text and explain why (e.g., 'A new paragraph starts here because the topic changes from appearance to diet')

  • Planning Ideas Before Writing

    Plan before writing by saying aloud or noting down what will be written, writing down ideas and key words, and encapsulating ideas sentence by sentence before composing

    • Verbally rehearse sentences before writing them down
    • Jot key words or ideas in a planning format (e.g., story map) before drafting
    • Write a simple plan with beginning, middle, and end for a story

  • Writing Craft Vocabulary

    Know and use the vocabulary of writing craft and effect — form, structure, register, tone, voice, coherence, cohesion, argument, evidence, perspective, rhetoric, technique, formal, informal, and style — and understand that these words describe choices writers make intentionally to achieve a particular effect on the reader

    • Explain the difference between 'formal register' and 'informal register' and give an example of when each is appropriate
    • Use terms like 'coherence', 'cohesion', and 'paragraph structure' accurately when discussing or improving their own writing
    • Identify the 'purpose', 'audience', and 'form' of a piece of writing and explain how these shape the language choices

  • Narrative Writing

    Write narratives with developed settings, characters and plot, using dialogue and description to develop experiences and show character responses to situations

    • Write a narrative that includes a described setting, at least one developed character, and a clear plot with a problem and resolution
    • Use dialogue to show what characters say and reveal their personality or feelings
    • Use descriptive details and temporal words to organise events into a clear sequence with a satisfying ending

  • Rehearsing and Varying Sentences

    Compose and rehearse sentences orally before writing, progressively building varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures including dialogue

    • Rehearse a sentence containing dialogue aloud before writing it (e.g. 'Let's go!' shouted Tom)
    • Orally compose sentences with varied openers (e.g. time adverbials, subordinate clauses) before writing
    • Try out two or three different ways to express the same idea orally and choose the most effective version to write

  • Vivid Word Choices

    Choose precise and vivid words and phrases to create specific effects in writing

    • Replace vague words in 'The nice man went to the big house' with more precise alternatives and explain the effect
    • Write two versions of the same scene — one with plain language and one with carefully chosen words for suspense or humour
    • Select from a word bank the most effective verb and adjective for a given sentence, justifying each choice

  • Basic Informational Writing

    Compose informative or explanatory texts that introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section

    • Write an informative text that introduces a topic clearly and groups related information together
    • Use facts, definitions, and concrete details to develop and explain points about the topic
    • Provide a concluding statement or section that wraps up the information presented

  • Shared Research Projects

    Participate in shared research and writing projects; recall information from experiences or gather information from sources to answer a question

    • Contribute ideas and information to a class writing project
    • Draw or write facts learned from personal experience about a topic
    • Help gather information from books or adults for a group research task

  • Structured Opinion Writing

    Compose opinion pieces that introduce a topic, state a clear point of view, provide organised reasons linked with connecting words, and include a concluding statement or section

    • Write an opinion piece that introduces the topic, states a clear opinion, and provides at least two reasons
    • Use linking words (because, and, also, for example) to connect the opinion to supporting reasons
    • End an opinion piece with a concluding statement that restates or reinforces the opinion

  • Sharing and Publishing Your Writing

    Read own writing aloud clearly enough to be heard by peers and the teacher; use digital tools to produce and publish writing

    • Read own sentences aloud with clear voice and appropriate expression
    • Share a piece of writing by reading it to the class
    • Type simple words or sentences using a computer or tablet

English · Spelling & Word Study

Your child is learning to spell words that come from other languages, understanding how Greek, French, and Latin origins affect the way English words are written.

  • Apostrophes for possession

    Use the possessive apostrophe with singular nouns to show ownership (e.g., the girl's book, the dog's bone)

    • Write 'the cat's tail' to show the tail belongs to the cat
    • Distinguish plural -s ('the cats ran') from possessive 's ('the cat's bed') in writing
    • Add a possessive apostrophe to a singular noun in a dictated sentence

  • Alternative Spellings for Sounds

    Spell words using alternative grapheme choices for known phonemes, learning new spellings for sounds already encountered (e.g., /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll, /ʌ/ as 'o', words ending -tion), including distinguishing common homophones

    • Spell 'ball', 'call', 'walk' using alternative grapheme /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll
    • Distinguish homophones in writing: 'there/their/they’re', 'here/hear', 'quite/quiet'
    • Spell words ending in -tion correctly: 'station', 'fiction', 'motion'

  • Suffixes (age 7+)

    Spell words using productive suffixes (-ation, -ly, -ous) and less common sound-spelling correspondences (/ɪ/ as y, /ʌ/ as ou, endings sounding like /ʒə/, /tʃə/, /ʒən/, /ʃən/) introduced in the Year 3-4 programme

    • Spell words with suffixes -ation (e.g., information, sensation), -ly (e.g., sadly, gently, happily), and -ous (e.g., famous, enormous, various)
    • Spell words with less common vowel patterns: /ɪ/ as y (e.g., myth, gym), /ʌ/ as ou (e.g., young, touch, double)
    • Spell words with endings /ʒə/ as -sure (e.g., measure, treasure), /tʃə/ as -ture (e.g., creature, furniture), /ʒən/ as -sion (e.g., division, television)

  • Spelling Word Lists (age 7+)

    Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 3 and 4, including commonly misspelt words that do not follow regular patterns

    • Spell at least 20 words from the Y3-4 statutory list correctly (e.g., accident, believe, different, favourite, imagine)
    • Identify tricky parts of statutory words and use a strategy to remember them (e.g., 'separate' has 'a rat' in the middle)
    • Use statutory list words accurately in own writing across subjects

  • Spellings from Greek, French and Latin

    Spell words with etymological letter patterns from Greek (ch = /k/), French (ch = /ʃ/, -gue, -que), and Latin (sc = /s/) origins

    • Spell words with Greek ch such as 'scheme', 'chorus', 'chemist', 'echo' and explain the /k/ sound pattern
    • Spell words with French ch such as 'chef', 'chalet', 'machine' and -gue/-que endings like 'league', 'unique'
    • Spell words with Latin sc such as 'science', 'scene', 'discipline' and identify the silent letter pattern

  • Apostrophes for possession (age 7+)

    Use the possessive apostrophe accurately with both regular and irregular plural nouns (e.g., the girls' bags, the children's toys), distinguishing singular from plural possession

    • Place the apostrophe correctly in plural possessives: 'the dogs' kennel' vs 'the dog's kennel'
    • Write possessive forms of irregular plurals correctly (e.g. 'children's', 'women's', 'mice's')
    • Distinguish singular possession (the boy's hat) from plural possession (the boys' hats) in dictated sentences

  • Homophones

    Distinguish and correctly spell common homophones and near-homophones encountered at Y3-4 level (e.g., accept/except, affect/effect, brake/break, grate/great), including using the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey

    • Spell pairs of homophones correctly in context (e.g., 'there/their/they're', 'brake/break', 'grate/great')
    • Choose the correct homophone to complete a sentence (e.g., 'The dog wagged its/it's tail')
    • Spell words with the /eɪ/ sound as ei, eigh, or ey (e.g., vein, eight, they, neighbour)

  • Prefixes (age 7+)

    Spell words with a range of prefixes (dis-, mis-, un-, re-, pre-, anti-, auto-, super-) understanding how each prefix modifies the root word's meaning without changing its spelling

    • Spell words with prefixes dis-, mis-, re- correctly without altering the root (e.g., disappoint, misspell, return)
    • Add prefixes un-, pre-, anti-, auto-, super- to root words and use the new word in a sentence (e.g., unhappy, preview, autograph)
    • Explain how a prefix changes the meaning of a root word (e.g., 'dis-' means 'not' or 'opposite of')

  • Tricky words

    Spell common exception words from memory that do not follow regular phonic patterns, including the days of the week

    • Correctly spell high-frequency irregular words (e.g. 'said', 'the', 'was')
    • Write all seven days of the week correctly
    • Recall and write exception words in dictated sentences

  • Spelling from Dictation

    Write simple sentences from memory when dictated by the teacher, applying taught GPCs, spelling rules, and common exception words

    • Write a dictated sentence using phonically plausible spellings
    • Include correct spelling of taught exception words in dictation
    • Apply sentence punctuation in dictated writing

  • Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings

    Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary; consult reference materials including beginning dictionaries to verify and correct spellings

    • Locate a word in a dictionary using its first two or three letters (e.g., find 'beautiful' by looking up 'be-')
    • Check and correct a misspelling by comparing with the dictionary entry (e.g., look up 'freind' → 'friend')
    • Use a glossary or beginning dictionary to confirm spelling of a word used in own writing

English · Vocabulary

Your child is learning to understand figurative language — recognising when words don't mean exactly what they say and interpreting common phrases and idioms in stories and conversation.

  • Discussing and Questioning New Words

    Ask and answer questions about unknown words in texts; discuss word meanings and link new vocabulary to words already known

    • Ask 'What does ___ mean?' when meeting unfamiliar words during reading
    • Use context and pictures to work out what a new word might mean
    • Explain a new word by connecting it to a known word (e.g. 'enormous means really really big')

  • Sorting & Categorising Words

    Sort common objects and words into categories to understand how concepts relate; demonstrate understanding of opposites (antonyms) for common verbs and adjectives

    • Group words or objects by category (e.g. animals, foods, colours)
    • Identify and produce opposite pairs (e.g. 'big/small', 'hot/cold', 'go/stop')
    • Explain why items belong together in a category

  • Defining Words

    Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., 'a duck is a bird that swims'), making real-life connections between words and their use

    • Define 'tiger' as 'a large cat with stripes' — naming category and key attribute
    • Connect the word 'cozy' to real-life examples: places at home that feel cozy
    • Sort words into categories and explain why each word belongs

  • Shades of Meaning

    Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing similar actions and among adjectives differing in intensity; make real-life connections between words and their use

    • Compare similar verbs by acting them out (e.g. 'walk', 'march', 'strut', 'prance')
    • Order adjectives by intensity (e.g. big, huge, gigantic)
    • Connect vocabulary to personal experiences (e.g. note things at school that are 'colourful')

  • Formal and Informal English

    Recognise and compare formal and informal uses of English, understanding that language choices vary based on audience, purpose and context

    • Identify whether a spoken or written example uses formal or informal language (e.g., 'Dear Sir' vs 'Hey mate')
    • Rewrite an informal sentence in a more formal way (e.g., change 'Can I have some?' to 'May I please have some?')
    • Explain why formal language might be used in one situation and informal in another (e.g., a letter to the headteacher vs a note to a friend)

  • Using New Vocabulary

    Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, being read to, and responding to texts in own speech and writing

    • Incorporate new vocabulary from read-alouds into conversations
    • Attempt to use interesting or topic-specific words in own writing
    • Use newly learned words appropriately in different contexts

  • Literal vs Figurative Language

    Distinguish literal from nonliteral (figurative) language in context and interpret common idioms and phrases

    • Identify whether 'It's raining cats and dogs' is literal or nonliteral and explain what it means
    • Read a passage and circle three phrases used nonliterally, restating each in literal terms
    • Explain the difference between 'She was on fire' (figurative — performing well) and 'The log was on fire' (literal)

  • Root Words & Inflections

    Identify frequently occurring root words and their inflectional forms (e.g., look/looks/looked/looking), using affixes as clues to word meaning and understanding how suffixes create nouns and adjectives

    • Identify 'play' as the root in 'played', 'playing', 'player'
    • Explain that '-ful' in 'careful' means 'full of care'
    • Use '-ness' and '-er' to form nouns from root words: 'sad → sadness', 'teach → teacher'

  • Word Families and Root Words

    Explore word families based on common root words, understanding how words are related in form and meaning through shared roots, prefixes and suffixes (e.g., solve → solution, solver, dissolve, insoluble)

    • Generate at least 4 words in a word family from a given root (e.g., from 'play': player, playful, replay, playground)
    • Explain how members of a word family are connected in meaning (e.g., 'solve, solution, dissolve all relate to finding answers or breaking apart')
    • Use knowledge of a word family to predict the meaning of an unfamiliar member (e.g., knowing 'act' helps understand 'actor', 'action', 'react')

  • Word Parts as Clues

    Use knowledge of common inflections and affixes (-ed, -s, un-, -er) as clues to the meaning of unknown words; understand how the prefix un- changes meaning

    • Recognise that -ed signals past tense (e.g. 'jumped' = already happened)
    • Explain how un- makes a word mean the opposite (e.g. 'unhappy' = not happy)
    • Use word parts to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word

English · Speaking & Listening

Your child is developing stronger discussion and presentation skills — learning to prepare for conversations, share ideas clearly, and present information in an organised way.

  • Listening and responding

    Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; follow agreed-upon rules for discussion such as listening to others and taking turns speaking

    • Demonstrate attentive listening by making eye contact and responding relevantly
    • Follow classroom discussion rules (e.g. raise hand, wait for turn)
    • Show understanding of what was said by paraphrasing or responding appropriately

  • Group discussions

    Participate actively in collaborative conversations staying on topic; continue a conversation through multiple exchanges; maintain attention in discussions

    • Stay on topic during a conversation for multiple turns
    • Build on what another speaker has said (e.g. 'I agree because...')
    • Maintain focus and contribute meaningfully in group discussions

  • Describing Aloud

    Describe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail; speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly; give well-structured descriptions and explanations

    • Describe a familiar person or place using several details
    • Speak clearly and loudly enough for the whole group to hear
    • Organise ideas logically when sharing information or telling about an event

  • Asking Questions

    Ask relevant questions to extend understanding; ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify something not understood

    • Ask a question when something is unclear or more information is needed
    • Answer questions with relevant and specific information
    • Request clarification politely (e.g. 'Can you explain that again?')

  • Engaging Listeners and Valuing Viewpoints

    Gain, maintain and monitor the interest of listeners when speaking; consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on others' contributions; begin to select appropriate language for different situations

    • Use strategies to engage listeners during a presentation (e.g., make eye contact, vary tone and pace, ask the audience a question)
    • Listen to a peer's viewpoint and respond by agreeing, disagreeing, or extending their idea with a reason (e.g., 'I agree with Priya because… but I also think…')
    • Choose more formal language for a class presentation and more informal language for a group discussion, explaining the difference

  • Reciting Poetry

    Learn poems by heart and recite with appropriate intonation, adding visual displays to descriptions when appropriate, and producing complete sentences in spoken presentations

    • Recite a poem from memory with expression and clear enunciation
    • Add a drawing or visual display to support an oral description or presentation
    • Present information to the class using complete sentences and audible voice

  • Preparing for and Explaining in Discussions

    Come to discussions prepared, draw on preparation and known information, and explain ideas in light of the discussion

    • Read assigned material and prepare three discussion points or questions before a group conversation
    • During discussion, refer explicitly to the text or preparation notes to support a point
    • After a group exchange, explain how one's own thinking changed or was confirmed by others' contributions

  • Reporting & Recounting

    Report on a topic or recount an experience with organised facts and descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace

    • Deliver a one-minute oral report on a chosen topic, including at least three organised facts
    • Recount a personal experience using descriptive details and a clear beginning, middle, and end
    • Self-assess a recorded presentation for pace, clarity, and inclusion of relevant details

English · Phonics & Word Reading

Your child is learning to read more complex words by understanding how prefixes, suffixes, and root words work together, helping them tackle unfamiliar words with confidence.

  • Alternative Spellings for Known Sounds

    Recognise alternative grapheme-phoneme correspondences for known phonemes (e.g., /dʒ/ as ge/dge/g, /s/ as c, /n/ as kn/gn, /r/ as wr, /ʒ/ as s), reading words with less common spellings for familiar sounds

    • Read words with less common spellings for familiar sounds: 'badge', 'giraffe', 'city', 'knock', 'gnaw', 'write', 'treasure'
    • Identify that the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes (e.g., /dʒ/ spelled g, ge, dge)
    • Select the correct alternative GPC to decode an unfamiliar word in context

  • Reading High-Frequency Words by Sight

    Read common high-frequency and exception words automatically by sight, including words with irregular spelling patterns

    • Read common exception words instantly without sounding out (e.g. 'the', 'said', 'was', 'you')
    • Note unusual correspondences between spelling and sound in exception words
    • Recognise at least 20-30 high-frequency words in connected text

  • Reading with Expression and Accuracy

    Read aloud with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression (prosody), re-reading familiar texts to build fluency and confidence, and using context to self-correct

    • Read a grade-level passage aloud with expression and appropriate pacing
    • Self-correct miscues during oral reading by re-reading or using context cues
    • Re-read a familiar book demonstrating increased fluency and confidence

  • Syllables (age 6+)

    Decode words of two or more syllables by breaking them into syllable chunks, applying knowledge that every syllable must contain a vowel sound, and blending the parts together

    • Read 'rabbit', 'thunder', 'fantastic' by breaking into syllable chunks and blending
    • Clap or tap syllables in a multi-syllable word, then read each chunk before blending
    • Identify that every syllable must contain a vowel sound

  • Compound Words

    Recognise and spell compound words by identifying the two component words that combine to form a single word

    • Identify the two words in a compound (e.g. 'sunshine' = 'sun' + 'shine')
    • Spell compound words by combining known words
    • Create compound words from given word pairs

  • Decoding unfamiliar words

    Read Y3-4 exception words with unusual spelling-sound correspondences, applying growing knowledge of morphology and etymology to decode unfamiliar exception words

    • Read exception words from the Y3-4 statutory word list accurately (e.g. 'business', 'caught', 'knowledge', 'different')
    • Identify unusual letter-sound correspondences in exception words and explain why the word does not follow common GPC rules
    • Use growing knowledge of morphology and etymology to attempt unfamiliar exception words (e.g. recognise the root 'know' in 'knowledge')

  • Prefixes and suffixes

    Read words containing common prefixes and suffixes from the Y3-4 programme, applying knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology) to read aloud and understand new words

    • Read words with common prefixes (dis-, mis-, re-, pre-) and suffixes (-ation, -ous, -ly) by identifying the root word first
    • Apply morphological knowledge to attempt unfamiliar words (e.g. recognise 'happy' inside 'unhappiness')
    • Explain how a prefix or suffix changes the meaning or word class of a root word (e.g. 'care' → 'careless' → 'carelessly')

English · English Thinking

  • Monitoring Comprehension

    Notice the difference between decoding words and actually understanding them — recognise when you've read the words but not grasped the meaning, and do something about it

    • comprehension monitoring research
    • Metacognitive Monitoring in Reading Comprehension (MDPI 2024)

  • Reviewing Own Writing

    Evaluate whether your own writing achieves the effect you intended on a reader — go beyond checking for correctness to asking whether it actually works

    • writing self-evaluation research grades 3-5
    • metacognitive awareness of writing (Frontiers 2025)

  • Author's word choices

    Recognise how an author's deliberate choices — of words, structure, tone, and perspective — create particular effects on you as a reader

    • authorial awareness research
    • Understanding Author's Purpose (Firkins)
    • collaborative multilayered text interpretation in 5-8 year olds

  • Knowing What You Don't Know

    Monitor your own vocabulary gaps — notice words you half-know, distinguish confident from uncertain knowledge, and develop strategies to resolve the uncertainty

    • Noticing Unfamiliar Words Assessment research (grade 2+)
    • word consciousness and vocabulary metacognition research
    • Building Word Knowledge e-Book (PMC 2019)

  • Inference vs Explicit Meaning

    Distinguish between what a text explicitly says and what you have inferred, assumed, or read in — knowing which is which is fundamental to honest comprehension

    • inference vs literal comprehension development research
    • online inference making and comprehension monitoring (PMC 2021)

English · Handwriting & Transcription

Your child is learning to join letters together when writing, developing smooth handwriting by connecting letters with diagonal and horizontal strokes while keeping letters the right size.

  • Joining Letters

    Begin to join letters using diagonal and horizontal strokes, understanding which letter pairs are best left unjoined, forming letters of correct size relative to one another

    • Join 'in', 'un', 'it' with a diagonal stroke connecting the letters
    • Leave letters like 'b' unjoined when followed by certain letters, explaining why
    • Write with consistent letter sizing on lined paper, ascenders and descenders in proportion

Science · Organisms & Life Processes

Your child is discovering how the human body works — learning about the digestive system and how different types of teeth help us eat and break down food.

  • How animals adapt to environments

    Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment and understand that adaptation may lead to evolution over time

    • Define adaptation as a feature that helps an organism survive in its environment
    • Give at least three examples of adaptations in different organisms and explain how each helps survival
    • Explain that over many generations, organisms with helpful adaptations survive and reproduce more, leading to evolution

  • Life Cycles of Organisms

    Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all share the common stages of birth, growth, reproduction, and death

    • Describe the life cycle of at least two different organisms (e.g. butterfly, frog, plant)
    • Identify the common stages all life cycles share: birth, growth, reproduction, death
    • Explain how life cycles can look very different (metamorphosis vs gradual growth) but follow the same pattern

  • Variation & Survival Advantage

    Use evidence to explain how variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing

    • Explain that variation within a species means some individuals have traits better suited to their environment
    • Give examples of advantageous variations (e.g. camouflage, speed, drought resistance in plants)
    • Connect variation to survival advantage: individuals with beneficial traits are more likely to survive and reproduce

  • How Plant Parts Work

    Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots absorb water and nutrients, stems transport materials, leaves make food, flowers enable reproduction

    • Describe the function of roots (absorb water and minerals from soil)
    • Explain that the stem transports water up and food around the plant
    • State that leaves use sunlight to make food and flowers produce seeds for new plants

  • Pollination & Seed Dispersal

    Understand the life cycle of flowering plants including pollination, seed formation, and seed dispersal

    • Describe the stages: pollination → fertilisation → seed formation → seed dispersal
    • Explain at least two methods of seed dispersal (wind, animal, water, explosion)
    • Describe pollination as the transfer of pollen from one flower to another, often by insects or wind

  • Animal Nutrition

    Understand that animals, including humans, need the right types and amounts of nutrition, and that animals cannot make their own food

    • Name the main food groups: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, water
    • Explain that animals get energy from food they eat, unlike plants which make their own
    • Describe what happens with too much or too little of a food group (e.g. weak bones without calcium)

  • Animal Classification Vocabulary

    Use vocabulary for classifying animals and describing life cycles — vertebrate, invertebrate, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, insect, arachnid, larva, pupa, metamorphosis, gestation, offspring, complete metamorphosis, incomplete metamorphosis — and apply these correctly when sorting and comparing organisms

    • Correctly classify a set of animals as vertebrates or invertebrates, then into more specific groups
    • Use 'metamorphosis' correctly to describe insect and amphibian life cycles and distinguish complete from incomplete metamorphosis
    • Compare a mammal's life cycle with an insect's using precise vocabulary

  • Drawing Life Cycle Diagrams

    Draw and interpret life cycle diagrams for flowering plants, insects (complete and incomplete metamorphosis), birds, and mammals — labelling stages, describing transitions, and comparing cycles across species

    • Draw a labelled life cycle diagram for a flowering plant including seed, seedling, mature plant, and flower/fruit
    • Compare a butterfly life cycle (complete metamorphosis) with a grasshopper life cycle (incomplete metamorphosis) using diagrams
    • Label a blank life cycle diagram for a given organism correctly, including transitions between stages

  • Inheritance Vocabulary

    Use vocabulary for variation and inheritance — inherited characteristic, acquired characteristic, variation, offspring, trait, species, breed, genetic, environment — and apply these when comparing organisms and explaining similarities and differences within and between species

    • Distinguish between inherited and acquired characteristics with a correct example of each
    • Use 'variation' correctly to describe differences within a species and explain what causes variation
    • Use 'offspring', 'species', and 'trait' correctly in written descriptions of living things

  • Inherited characteristics

    Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms

    • Define inherited traits as characteristics passed from parents to offspring
    • Collect or interpret data showing variation within a group (e.g. different heights, colours, sizes)
    • Explain that while traits are inherited, there is natural variation among individuals of the same species

  • The Digestive System

    Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the human digestive system: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine

    • Name the main organs in order: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine
    • Describe the function of each (mouth chews, stomach breaks down, small intestine absorbs nutrients)
    • Draw or label a simple diagram of the digestive system

  • Skeletons & Muscles

    Identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection, and movement

    • Name the three functions of the skeleton: support, protection, movement
    • Identify that muscles are attached to bones and pull to create movement
    • Give examples of bones protecting organs (skull protects brain, ribs protect heart and lungs)

  • What Plants Need to Grow

    Understand that plants need water, light, and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy

    • Name three things plants need to grow: water, light, suitable temperature
    • Predict what happens to a plant kept in the dark, with no water, or in freezing cold
    • Describe the results of a simple test comparing plants grown in different conditions

  • What Plants Need to Thrive

    Explore and compare the requirements of plants for life and growth: air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow

    • List five requirements for plant growth: air, light, water, nutrients, space
    • Explain how needs vary between plants (e.g. cacti need less water than ferns)
    • Predict what happens when one requirement is removed or limited

  • Types of Teeth

    Identify the different types of human teeth (incisors, canines, molars) and describe their functions in eating

    • Name three types of teeth: incisors, canines, molars
    • Describe the function of each: incisors cut, canines tear, molars grind
    • Relate tooth type to diet (e.g. herbivores have flat molars, carnivores have sharp canines)

  • Water Transport in Plants

    Investigate how water is transported within plants, using observations such as coloured water being drawn up through a stem

    • Describe an investigation using coloured water to track water movement in a plant
    • Explain that water travels from roots through the stem to the leaves and flowers
    • Draw or label a diagram showing the path of water through a plant

  • Offspring resemble parents

    Observe that young plants and animals resemble their parents but are not identical, recognising inherited similarities and individual differences

    • Describe at least three features that offspring inherit from parents (e.g. eye colour, petal colour, fur type)
    • Explain that offspring are similar to parents but not identical copies
    • Give examples from both plants and animals showing resemblance with variation

  • Traits: inherited and environmental

    Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment as well as inheritance

    • Explain that traits result from both inheritance and environmental factors
    • Give examples of environmental influence on traits (e.g. sunlight affects plant growth, diet affects animal size)
    • Distinguish between inherited traits (e.g. eye colour) and environmentally influenced traits (e.g. muscle strength from exercise)

Science · Scientific Inquiry

Your child is learning to think like an engineer — designing solutions to problems, planning fair tests, and improving their ideas based on what works best.

  • Using evidence to answer questions

    Identify differences, similarities, or changes related to scientific ideas and use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or support findings

    • Identify at least one pattern (similarity, difference, or trend) in a set of scientific data
    • Explain how the pattern relates to the scientific idea being investigated
    • Use specific data points as evidence when answering a scientific question

  • Drawing conclusions from evidence

    Report on findings from enquiries using oral and written explanations, draw simple conclusions, make predictions, and suggest improvements

    • Write or present a clear report of findings from an investigation
    • Draw a conclusion that answers the original question, supported by data
    • Make a prediction for a new situation based on the results, and suggest improvements to the method

  • Could there be another explanation?

    For any result, ask: is there another explanation? — the first explanation that fits isn't always the right one, and good scientists actively look for alternatives

    • prompts to consider alternative possible worlds research (6-7 year olds)
    • scientific thinking promotes critical thinking (MDPI 2025)

  • Asking scientific questions

    Ask simple scientific questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways including observation, testing, and research

    • Ask at least three 'how' or 'why' questions about the natural world
    • Suggest different ways to answer a question: observing, testing, asking an expert, reading a book
    • Choose an appropriate method to investigate a specific question

  • Classifying living things

    Gather, record, classify, and present data in a variety of ways including tables, bar charts, labelled diagrams, and keys

    • Organise data into a clear table with appropriate headings
    • Create a bar chart or pictogram from collected data
    • Use labelled diagrams and classification keys to present findings

  • Correlation vs Causation

    Two things happening together doesn't mean one caused the other — recognise the difference between correlation and causation before drawing conclusions

    • developmental changes in children's recognition of evidence relevance to causal explanations
    • causal learning research

  • Measuring accurately

    Make systematic and careful observations, take accurate measurements using standard units and equipment including thermometers and data loggers

    • Use at least three types of measuring equipment correctly (ruler, thermometer, measuring jug, scales)
    • Read measurements in standard units (cm, ml, °C, g) with reasonable accuracy
    • Make systematic observations by following a planned method consistently

  • Fair testing

    Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative tests, and fair tests, understanding the importance of changing only one variable at a time

    • Explain what makes a test 'fair' (only one variable changes, everything else stays the same)
    • Identify the variable to change, the variable to measure, and the variables to keep the same
    • Set up and carry out a comparative or fair test with support

  • Changing Your Mind with Evidence

    Be willing to change your mind when evidence doesn't support your prediction — a result that surprises you is more valuable than one that confirms what you already thought

    • belief revision in children research (PMC 2020)
    • hypothesis testing and argumentation from evidence in young children

  • Comparing Design Solutions

    Analyse data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of each design

    • Test two designs that address the same problem and collect data on their performance
    • Compare the results, identifying strengths and weaknesses of each design
    • Use data as evidence to recommend which design works better and suggest improvements

  • Comparing Possible Solutions

    Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints

    • Generate at least three possible solutions to a defined design problem
    • Compare solutions against the specified criteria and constraints
    • Select the most promising solution with reasoning for the choice

  • Fair testing (age 8+)

    Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved

    • Plan a fair test of a prototype with clearly identified variables to control
    • Carry out the test and identify failure points or weaknesses in the design
    • Propose specific improvements based on test results and retest

  • Simple Design Problems

    Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost

    • Define a design problem by describing the need or want it addresses
    • Specify at least two criteria for a successful solution (e.g. must hold X weight, must cost less than Y)
    • Identify constraints such as available materials, time limits, or cost

  • Modelling with Sketches

    Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem

    • Create a sketch, drawing, or physical model of a design solution
    • Explain how the shape or structure of the design helps solve the problem
    • Relate the model to the real-world problem it addresses

Science · Ecosystems & Habitats

Your child is exploring how living things interact with each other and their environments — understanding food chains, animal groupings, and how scientists classify and identify different species in nature.

  • Habitats & Basic Needs

    Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how habitats provide for basic needs and how organisms depend on each other

    • Define a habitat as a place where an organism lives that provides what it needs
    • Give examples of how specific habitats meet organisms' needs (e.g. pond provides water and food for frogs)
    • Describe at least one way organisms in a habitat depend on each other (e.g. bees pollinate flowers, flowers feed bees)

  • Habitat Vocabulary

    Name and use vocabulary for where living things are found — habitat, environment, microhabitat, conditions, woodland, ocean, desert, rainforest, pond — and use terms to describe what animals need to survive: food, water, shelter, space, and suitable conditions

    • Match animals to their habitats and explain the match using 'adapted to', 'conditions', or 'shelter'
    • Correctly use 'habitat' and 'microhabitat' to describe different scales of environment with examples
    • Name at least three contrasting habitats and describe what makes each distinctive

  • Changing Environments

    Recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers and challenges to living things

    • Give at least two examples of environmental changes (natural and human-caused)
    • Describe how a specific change affects the organisms in that environment
    • Explain why some organisms may not survive if their environment changes too quickly

  • Food Chains & Energy Transfer

    Construct and interpret food chains identifying producers, predators, and prey, and understand energy transfer between trophic levels

    • Construct a food chain with at least four organisms, labelling producer, primary consumer, predator
    • Define producer, predator, and prey with examples
    • Interpret a given food chain to predict what happens if one organism is removed

  • Grouping Living Things

    Recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways based on observable features

    • Group a set of organisms using at least two different criteria (e.g. by habitat, by body covering, by diet)
    • Explain the reasoning behind each grouping choice
    • Recognise that the same organism can belong to different groups depending on the criteria used

  • Classification Keys

    Explore and use classification keys to identify, group, and name living things in local and wider environments

    • Follow a branching classification key to identify an unknown organism
    • Create a simple yes/no classification key for a set of 6-8 organisms
    • Use a key to identify organisms in the local environment during a field activity

  • Local Plants & Animals

    Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats such as under a log or in a pond

    • Name at least three animals and plants found in a specific local habitat
    • Explain what a microhabitat is (a very small habitat within a larger one)
    • Describe conditions in a microhabitat (e.g. 'under a stone is damp and dark, woodlice like that')

  • Human impact on environments

    Use vocabulary for human impact on the environment — pollution, habitat destruction, deforestation, biodiversity, conservation, renewable energy, non-renewable energy, fossil fuel, carbon footprint, sustainability, endangered, extinct — and apply these when discussing environmental issues and human choices

    • Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable energy sources using the correct terms and give examples of each
    • Use 'biodiversity' and 'conservation' correctly in discussing why protecting habitats matters
    • Apply 'carbon footprint' and 'sustainability' correctly in a discussion about everyday human choices

  • Animal Groups & Survival

    Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive, such as herds, packs, or colonies

    • Give at least two examples of animals that live in groups (e.g. wolves, ants, fish schools)
    • Explain how group living provides survival advantages (protection, finding food, raising young)
    • Construct a simple argument with evidence for why a specific animal benefits from group behaviour

  • Ecology Vocabulary

    Use vocabulary for feeding relationships and ecological roles — producer, consumer, predator, prey, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, decomposer, food chain, food web, nutrient cycle — and describe how energy and matter flow through ecosystems using these terms

    • Construct a food chain correctly using producer, consumer, predator, and prey in the right positions
    • Distinguish between herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore with correct examples from a given ecosystem
    • Explain what a decomposer does and why it matters, using the correct vocabulary

  • Reading Food Web Diagrams

    Read and interpret food web diagrams — identify producers, primary and secondary consumers, and decomposers; trace energy flow along food chains within the web; predict the effect of removing or adding a species

    • Identify the producer, herbivore, and carnivore in a food web from a diagram
    • Trace two food chains through the same food web and identify shared species
    • Predict what would happen to fox numbers if rabbits were removed from a food web diagram

Science · Waves, Light & Sound

Your child is discovering how sound works — understanding that sounds are vibrations that travel through air, water, and solids, and exploring how pitch and volume relate to the strength of these vibrations.

  • Light & Seeing in the Dark

    Observe that objects in darkness can be seen only when illuminated by a light source

    • Explain that we need light to see objects — without any light source, it is completely dark
    • Describe an observation showing objects become visible only when light reaches them
    • Distinguish between light sources (sun, torch, lamp) and objects that just reflect light

  • Light & Sound Vocabulary

    Name and use vocabulary for how light and sound behave — light source, transparent, translucent, opaque, shadow, reflect, vibration, pitch, volume — and apply these terms correctly when describing observations about how light travels and how sounds are made and changed

    • Correctly classify a set of materials as transparent, translucent, or opaque and explain each term
    • Explain what causes a shadow using the words 'opaque' and 'light source' correctly
    • Describe what changes the pitch or volume of a sound using vibration vocabulary

  • Vibrations & Sound

    Understand that vibrating materials can make sound, and that sound can make materials vibrate

    • Describe that sounds are made when objects vibrate (move back and forth quickly)
    • Give at least three examples of vibrating objects making sound (drum skin, guitar string, voice box)
    • Demonstrate that sound can cause objects to vibrate (e.g. rice on a drum jumps when you shout near it)

  • How Shadows Form

    Recognise that shadows are formed when light from a source is blocked by an opaque object, and find patterns in how shadow size changes

    • Explain that a shadow forms because an opaque object blocks light from reaching a surface
    • Describe the pattern: shadow gets larger when object moves closer to the light source
    • Predict the shape and relative size of a shadow given the position of light and object

  • Sound Travels Through Materials

    Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to the ear

    • Explain that sound vibrations need a material (medium) to travel through — they can't travel in a vacuum
    • Give examples of sound travelling through different media: air, water, solid objects
    • Describe how a string telephone works: voice vibrates the cup, vibrations travel along the string to the other cup

  • Volume & Vibrations

    Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it

    • Describe the pattern: stronger vibrations (larger movements) produce louder sounds
    • Demonstrate volume changes by varying the force applied to a sound-making object
    • Explain volume as how loud or quiet a sound is, determined by the size of vibrations

  • Reflecting Light

    Notice that light is reflected from surfaces, and that shiny smooth surfaces reflect light best

    • Explain that light bounces off surfaces, which is called reflection
    • Identify that smooth, shiny surfaces (mirrors, still water) reflect light best
    • Give everyday examples of reflection: mirror, puddle, polished floor

  • Sound Fading with Distance

    Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases

    • State that sound gets quieter as distance from the source increases
    • Describe an observation or investigation demonstrating this pattern
    • Explain that vibrations spread out and get weaker as they travel further from the source

  • Pitch of Sounds

    Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it

    • Describe the pattern: shorter/thinner/tighter objects produce higher-pitched sounds
    • Demonstrate pitch changes using at least one instrument or everyday object
    • Explain pitch as how high or low a sound is, determined by how fast the object vibrates

  • Protecting Eyes from Sunlight

    Recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect eyes

    • State that looking directly at the sun can damage eyes permanently
    • Name at least two ways to protect eyes from bright sunlight (sunglasses, hat, shade)
    • Explain that the sun is an extremely bright light source unlike any artificial light

Science · Dinosaurs & Paleontology

Your child is becoming a young paleontologist — learning how fossils form, what they tell us about ancient life, and discovering fascinating facts about dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.

  • Fossils as Evidence

    Analyse and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of organisms and environments that existed long ago

    • Explain that fossils are preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived long ago
    • Use fossil evidence to make inferences about past organisms and their environments
    • Describe how comparing fossils with living organisms helps us understand how life has changed

  • Fossils Reveal Ancient Environments

    Understand that fossils tell us not only about ancient animals but also about ancient environments — for example, marine fossils found on a mountaintop show that area was once underwater

    • Give an example of a fossil that reveals a past environment different from today's
    • Explain that finding marine fossils inland means that area was once covered by sea
    • State that plant fossils can show whether an area was once a forest, desert, or swamp

  • How Fossils Form

    Explain in simple terms how fossils form: an organism dies and is quickly buried in sediment; over millions of years minerals replace the remains and the sediment turns to rock, preserving the shape

    • Describe the basic sequence: organism dies, buried in sediment, minerals replace remains over time
    • Explain why fossilisation is rare — most organisms decompose before being buried
    • Use the words 'sediment', 'minerals', and 'rock' correctly when explaining

  • Fossilised Dinosaur Dung

    Describe what coprolites are (fossilised dinosaur dung) and how palaeontologists analyse them to discover what dinosaurs ate, including plant fragments, bones, and seeds

    • Define a coprolite as fossilised dung (animal droppings preserved as rock)
    • Explain that scientists cut coprolites open to find plant seeds, bone fragments, or fish scales inside
    • State one example of what coprolite contents reveal about a dinosaur's diet

  • Types of Fossils

    Distinguish body fossils (preserved bones, teeth, shells) from trace fossils (footprints, trackways, eggs, burrows, coprolites) and explain what each type can tell scientists

    • Sort examples into body fossils (bones, teeth, shells) and trace fossils (footprints, eggs, dung)
    • Explain that body fossils show what an animal looked like physically
    • Explain that trace fossils show how an animal behaved — how it moved, what it ate, where it nested

  • Reading Dinosaur Trackways

    Use dinosaur trackways (fossilised footprints) to make inferences about a dinosaur's size, speed, and behaviour — widely spaced prints suggest running, closely spaced suggest walking

    • Explain that larger footprints generally mean a larger dinosaur
    • Compare spacing between prints to infer walking versus running
    • Suggest what a set of parallel trackways might mean (e.g. dinosaurs travelling in a group)

  • The Mesozoic Era

    Place the three periods of the Mesozoic Era — Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous — in order and understand that different dinosaurs lived in different periods, not all at the same time

    • List Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous in the correct chronological order
    • Assign at least one well-known dinosaur to the correct period
    • Explain that millions of years separated these periods and different species lived in each

  • Dinosaurs Around the World

    Understand that different dinosaurs lived on different continents and that fossil discoveries around the world show dinosaurs were a global phenomenon, with some species found only in certain regions

    • State that dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent including Antarctica
    • Name at least one dinosaur discovery location (e.g. T. rex in North America, Velociraptor in Mongolia)
    • Suggest a reason why the same type of dinosaur is sometimes found on continents now far apart

  • Mary Anning, Fossil Hunter

    Know who Mary Anning was — a pioneering fossil hunter from Lyme Regis, England, who discovered ichthyosaur and plesiosaur skeletons in the early 1800s and contributed to our understanding of prehistoric life

    • State that Mary Anning lived in England in the early 1800s and hunted for fossils along the coast
    • Name at least one of her major discoveries (ichthyosaur or plesiosaur)
    • Explain why her work was important — she helped scientists understand that extinct creatures once lived on Earth

Science · Earth's Systems

Your child is exploring weather and climate by collecting and displaying weather data, learning to distinguish between daily weather patterns and long-term climate conditions in different regions around the world.

  • Shapes of land and water

    Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land (mountains, valleys, plains) and bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans) in an area

    • Name and describe at least four types of landforms (mountain, valley, plain, hill, cliff)
    • Name and describe at least three types of water bodies (river, lake, ocean, pond)
    • Create or interpret a simple model or map showing land and water features of an area

  • Where water is found on Earth

    Identify where water is found on Earth and understand that water can exist as solid (ice) or liquid, recognising water in oceans, rivers, glaciers, and underground

    • List where water is found on Earth: oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers, underground, atmosphere
    • Explain that water exists as liquid (rivers, oceans) and solid (ice, glaciers, snow)
    • Recognise that most of Earth's water is in the oceans

  • Properties of materials

    Compare and group different kinds of rocks based on their appearance and simple physical properties such as hardness, texture, and colour

    • Describe at least three observable properties of rocks: hardness, texture, colour, grain size
    • Sort a collection of rocks into groups based on chosen properties
    • Compare two rocks and describe how their properties differ

  • How fossils form

    Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock over millions of years

    • Describe the basic process: organism dies, gets buried in mud/sand, layers build up, material turns to rock over millions of years
    • Explain that the organism's shape is preserved as a fossil within the rock
    • Give examples of common fossils (shells, bones, leaf imprints, footprints)

  • Weather vs climate

    Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world, distinguishing between weather and climate

    • Define weather as day-to-day conditions and climate as the long-term pattern of weather in an area
    • Describe at least three different climate types (tropical, temperate, polar, desert) with examples
    • Explain that climate varies by region due to factors like distance from the equator

  • Seasonal changes (age 8+)

    Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season

    • Collect and organise weather data in a table (temperature, precipitation, cloud cover)
    • Create a graphical display (bar chart, pictogram) showing weather patterns for a season
    • Use the data to describe typical weather conditions for that season and compare with other seasons

  • Preventing Erosion

    Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land

    • Describe how wind and water can change the shape of land (erosion)
    • Compare at least two design solutions for reducing erosion (e.g. retaining walls, plants, windbreaks)
    • Evaluate which solution works best based on evidence from tests or observations

  • Evaporation and condensation

    Name and use vocabulary for the water cycle — evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection, transpiration, water vapour, runoff, groundwater — and describe each stage of the cycle using these terms in the correct sequence

    • Describe the complete water cycle using at least four correct technical terms in the right order
    • Distinguish 'evaporation' from 'condensation' and explain where each occurs in the water cycle
    • Use 'water vapour' and 'precipitation' correctly in descriptions of weather and the water cycle

  • Rocks and soil

    Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter, and that different soils have different properties

    • State that soil is a mixture of broken-down rock particles and decomposed organic matter (humus)
    • Compare at least two types of soil (sandy, clay, loam) and describe their different properties
    • Explain that soil formation takes a very long time as rocks gradually break down

Science · Matter & Materials

Your child is exploring states of matter — learning to identify solids, liquids, and gases, and discovering how water changes form through evaporation and condensation.

  • Heating & Cooling Changes

    Observe and describe that some materials change state when heated or cooled, and measure the temperature at which changes occur in degrees Celsius

    • Describe melting (solid to liquid) and freezing (liquid to solid) with everyday examples
    • State that water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C
    • Explain that heating adds energy causing particles to move more, leading to state changes

  • Drawing Particle Diagrams

    Draw and interpret particle diagrams — dot representations showing the arrangement, spacing, and movement of particles in solids (close, regular, vibrating in place), liquids (close, random, flowing past each other), and gases (widely spaced, moving rapidly in all directions) — and use these diagrams to explain observable properties such as fixed shape, fixed volume, and compressibility

    • Draw labelled particle diagrams for solids, liquids, and gases showing the correct arrangement and spacing of particles
    • Use their particle diagram to explain why solids keep their shape but liquids flow
    • Sketch what happens to particles during a change of state (e.g. melting) and explain the energy changes involved

  • Solids, Liquids & Gases

    Compare and group materials as solids, liquids, or gases based on their observable properties and behaviour

    • Define solids (fixed shape, hard to compress), liquids (flow, take shape of container), gases (spread out, fill space)
    • Sort at least eight everyday materials into solid, liquid, or gas categories
    • Explain tricky cases like sand (solid particles) or steam (gas, not visible water droplets)

  • Evaporation & the Water Cycle

    Identify the role of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle, and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature

    • Describe evaporation as liquid turning to gas and condensation as gas turning to liquid
    • Explain the water cycle: evaporation from seas/lakes → condensation into clouds → precipitation
    • Explain why evaporation happens faster at higher temperatures (e.g. puddles dry faster on hot days)

  • Choosing the Right Material

    Identify and compare the suitability of everyday materials for particular uses, explaining why specific materials are chosen for specific purposes

    • Explain why a specific material is chosen for a purpose based on its properties (e.g. glass for windows because it's transparent)
    • Compare two materials and decide which is more suitable for a given use with reasoning
    • Suggest an alternative material for an object and explain why it would or wouldn't work

  • Changes & Separation Vocabulary

    Use process vocabulary for changes of state and material separation — dissolve, solution, soluble, insoluble, evaporate, condense, melt, freeze, filter, sieve, mixture, separate — and understand precisely what each term describes, including the important distinction between dissolving and melting

    • Distinguish 'dissolve' from 'melt' correctly in context and explain the difference
    • Use 'soluble' and 'insoluble' accurately when describing whether a material dissolves in water
    • Explain the difference between evaporation and condensation using the correct terms

  • Testing Materials for Uses

    Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials including metals, wood, and plastic

    • Design a fair test to compare a specific property of two or more materials
    • Present test results as evidence for why a material is suited to a particular use
    • Explain the link between a material's tested properties and its real-world application

  • Classifying Materials

    Plan and conduct an investigation to classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties

    • Design a simple test to compare one property across several materials
    • Record observations in a table or chart during the investigation
    • Classify the tested materials into groups based on the results

  • Taking Apart & Rebuilding

    Observe that an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object, understanding that the pieces still exist

    • Explain that taking apart an object and rebuilding it uses the same pieces in a new arrangement
    • Describe how the pieces themselves don't change even though the object looks different
    • Give an everyday example of reusing materials to make something new

Science · Weather & Climate

Your child is learning about weather science — how meteorologists forecast weather, what causes different weather patterns like wind and storms, and understanding the water cycle that brings us rain and snow.

  • Geography & Local Weather

    Know that different places around the world have very different typical weather — tropical places are hot and wet all year, deserts are very dry, polar regions are freezing cold — and that geography (distance from the equator, altitude, nearness to the sea) affects local weather

    • Describe typical weather in at least three different climate types
    • Explain that places near the equator tend to be hotter
    • Name at least one factor that affects a place's weather besides latitude

  • The Water Cycle

    Understand the water cycle: the Sun heats water in oceans and lakes causing it to evaporate into water vapour, the vapour rises and cools to form clouds (condensation), and water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail (precipitation) — then the cycle repeats

    • Name the three main stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation
    • Explain the Sun's role in driving the water cycle
    • Describe the water cycle as a continuous loop with no beginning or end

  • Weather vs Climate

    Distinguish between weather and climate: weather is what the atmosphere is doing right now or today (it can change hour to hour), while climate is the typical pattern of weather in a place over many years

    • Define weather as short-term atmospheric conditions
    • Define climate as the long-term pattern of weather in a place
    • Give an example showing the difference: a cold day doesn't change the overall climate

  • Cloud Types

    Identify the three main cloud types — cumulus (fluffy, fair weather), stratus (flat layers, overcast or drizzle), and cirrus (thin wisps, high up) — and understand that clouds form when water vapour in the air cools and condenses into tiny droplets

    • Name and describe the three main cloud types: cumulus, stratus, cirrus
    • Explain that clouds form when water vapour cools and condenses
    • Use cloud type to make a simple prediction about the weather

  • What Causes Wind

    Understand what causes wind: the Sun heats the Earth's surface unevenly, warm air rises because it is lighter, and cooler air rushes in to take its place — this movement of air is wind

    • Explain that the Sun heats Earth's surface unevenly
    • State that warm air rises and cooler air moves in to replace it
    • Define this air movement as wind

  • Designing for Weather Hazards

    Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard such as flooding, wind damage, or extreme temperatures

    • Identify a specific weather-related hazard and its impacts on people
    • Describe at least two design solutions intended to reduce those impacts
    • Make a claim supported by evidence about which solution is most effective and why

  • Weather Forecasting

    Know that meteorologists are scientists who study and forecast the weather using satellites, radar, weather balloons, and computer models, and that weather forecasts help people plan their activities and prepare for dangerous weather

    • Define a meteorologist as a scientist who studies and predicts weather
    • Name at least three tools meteorologists use
    • Explain why weather forecasting is useful for safety and daily planning

  • Using Weather Instruments

    Use weather instruments to measure and record weather data: thermometers for temperature in °C, rain gauges for rainfall, wind vanes for direction, and anemometers for wind speed — and keep a weather diary over time

    • Name at least three weather instruments and explain what each measures
    • Read a thermometer and record the temperature in degrees Celsius
    • Record weather data in a table or diary over several days

  • Thunder & Lightning

    Know that thunder and lightning happen during thunderstorms: lightning is a giant spark of electricity that forms in clouds, thunder is the sound the lightning makes, and we see lightning before hearing thunder because light travels faster than sound

    • Describe lightning as a large electrical discharge in clouds
    • Explain that thunder is the sound caused by lightning
    • State that we see lightning before hearing thunder because light travels faster than sound

Science · Animals of the World

Your child is exploring the amazing diversity of animals around the world, learning how different creatures communicate, migrate, hunt and survive in various habitats from rainforests to deserts to polar regions.

  • Polar Animals

    Explore animals of the Arctic and Antarctic — polar bears, Arctic foxes, and walruses in the north; penguins, seals, and albatrosses in the south — and understand how polar animals survive extreme cold through thick fur or blubber, huddling behaviour, and seasonal changes like white winter coats

    • Names at least 3 animals each from the Arctic and Antarctic
    • Explains at least two adaptations for surviving cold (blubber, thick fur, huddling, white camouflage)
    • Knows polar bears live only in the Arctic and penguins only in the Antarctic/Southern Hemisphere

  • Animal Migration

    Know that many animals make incredible journeys called migrations — Arctic terns fly from pole to pole, monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles across North America, wildebeest cross the Serengeti following rain, and humpback whales swim between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding waters — and that these journeys are linked to food, breeding, and seasons

    • Defines migration as a regular long journey animals make
    • Names at least 3 migratory animals with their routes or destinations
    • Explains that migration is driven by food availability, breeding, or seasonal changes

  • Predator Hunting Strategies

    Understand that predators have evolved hunting strategies — wolves hunt in packs, chameleons use their long tongues, spiders build webs, crocodiles ambush at water's edge — and prey animals have evolved defences — porcupine spines, skunk spray, poison dart frog toxins, zebra stripes confusing predators, playing dead

    • Describes at least 3 predator hunting strategies with examples
    • Describes at least 3 prey defence mechanisms with examples
    • Understands the concept of an 'arms race' between predators and prey

  • Savanna & Grassland Animals

    Explore animals of the grasslands and savanna — lions, zebras, wildebeest, elephants, cheetahs in African savanna; bison and prairie dogs in American grasslands — understanding why large herds form on open grasslands and how predators and prey interact in these wide-open spaces

    • Names at least 5 grassland/savanna animals
    • Explains that herding provides safety in numbers against predators
    • Describes the predator-prey relationship (e.g., lions hunt zebras)

  • Desert Animals

    Explore animals of the desert — camels, fennec foxes, scorpions, rattlesnakes, meerkats — and understand how desert animals survive extreme heat and lack of water through being active at night, storing water or fat, burrowing underground during the day, and having large ears to lose heat

    • Names at least 4 desert animals
    • Explains at least two desert survival adaptations (nocturnal behaviour, water storage, burrowing, large ears for cooling)
    • Knows deserts can be hot or cold but are always dry

  • The World of Minibeasts

    Know that insects and other minibeasts (spiders, worms, snails, centipedes) are the most numerous and diverse group of animals on Earth — there are more species of beetle than any other animal — and that they play vital roles as pollinators (bees, butterflies), decomposers (woodlice, worms), and food for other animals

    • Knows that insects/minibeasts are the most numerous animal group
    • Names at least 3 roles minibeasts play: pollinators, decomposers, food source
    • Distinguishes insects (6 legs) from spiders (8 legs) from other minibeasts

  • Rainforest Animals

    Explore animals of the tropical rainforest — the most species-rich habitat on Earth — learning that the forest has layers (canopy, understory, forest floor) with different animals at each level: toucans and monkeys in the canopy, jaguars and frogs on the floor, and that rainforests are found near the equator

    • Names at least 4 rainforest animals from different layers
    • Describes the rainforest as having layers (canopy, understory, forest floor)
    • Explains that rainforests are near the equator and are hot and wet

  • Animal Communication

    Understand that animals communicate in many different ways — birds sing to attract mates and defend territory, whales call across vast ocean distances, bees dance to show other bees where food is, wolves howl to keep the pack together, and fireflies flash light signals — and that communication is essential for survival

    • Describes at least 4 different methods of animal communication (sound, dance, light, scent, body language)
    • Gives a specific animal example for each method
    • Explains that animals communicate to find mates, warn of danger, or share food locations

Science · Forces & Motion

Your child is investigating how forces affect movement — observing patterns in how objects move and conducting experiments to understand how balanced and unbalanced forces change an object's motion.

  • Predicting Motion Patterns

    Make observations and measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion

    • Measure an object's motion (distance, speed, direction) under different conditions
    • Identify a pattern in the data (e.g. steeper ramp = further roll)
    • Use the pattern to make and test a prediction about future motion

  • Drawing Force Diagrams

    Draw and interpret force diagrams showing forces as labelled arrows — where the arrow's length represents the force's magnitude and its direction shows which way the force acts; show multiple forces on one object; identify from the diagram whether forces are balanced (equal arrows in opposite directions, no resultant) or unbalanced (arrows of different sizes, producing a resultant); represent the resultant with a single arrow

    • Draw a force diagram with labelled arrows showing direction and relative size for at least two forces acting on an object
    • Use their diagram to explain whether forces are balanced or unbalanced and what will happen to the object
    • Add a resultant force arrow to a diagram and explain how they calculated it

  • Friction & Surfaces

    Compare how things move on different surfaces, noticing that some surfaces create more friction than others

    • Observe and compare how the same object moves on at least three different surfaces
    • Describe that rough surfaces slow objects down more than smooth surfaces
    • Use the word 'friction' to explain why movement differs on different surfaces

  • Forces Vocabulary

    Name and describe forces using precise vocabulary — force, push, pull, twist, stretch, squash, contact force, non-contact force, gravity, weight, friction, air resistance, upthrust — and distinguish between forces that require physical contact and forces that act at a distance

    • Correctly name the force acting in at least five given scenarios (e.g. 'friction slows the sledge', 'gravity pulls the apple')
    • Distinguish between contact forces (friction, upthrust) and non-contact forces (gravity, magnetism) using the correct terms
    • Use 'weight' correctly as a force — distinct from 'mass' — in descriptions

  • Contact & Non-Contact Forces

    Notice that some forces need contact between two objects (contact forces) while magnetic forces can act at a distance (non-contact forces)

    • Define contact forces as those needing objects to touch (e.g. push, pull, friction)
    • Define non-contact forces as those acting at a distance (e.g. magnetism)
    • Sort examples of forces into contact and non-contact categories

  • Balanced & Unbalanced Forces

    Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object

    • Define balanced forces (equal in size, opposite in direction — no change in motion) and unbalanced forces (cause motion to change)
    • Plan a fair test investigating how different force sizes affect an object's motion
    • Use results as evidence to explain when forces are balanced versus unbalanced

  • Magnetic Materials

    Observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others

    • Demonstrate that magnets attract some materials (iron, steel, nickel) but not others (wood, plastic, copper)
    • Show that two magnets can either attract (pull together) or repel (push apart)
    • Test at least six objects and correctly predict which are magnetic

  • Magnetic Poles

    Describe magnets as having two poles (north and south) and predict whether two magnets will attract or repel based on which poles face each other

    • Identify and label the north and south poles of a magnet
    • State the rule: like poles repel, opposite poles attract
    • Predict the outcome of bringing two magnets together based on their pole orientation

Science · Insects & Minibeasts

  • The insect body plan

    The insect body plan: all insects share three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs attached to the thorax, and antennae on the head. Most have wings. They have an exoskeleton — a hard outer shell — instead of bones inside.

    • Label the three body parts of an insect — head, thorax, and abdomen — on a diagram or real specimen
    • State that all insects have exactly six legs and that the legs attach to the thorax
    • Explain that insects have an exoskeleton, a hard outer covering, instead of bones inside their body

  • Not all minibeasts are insects

    Not all minibeasts are insects: distinguishing insects from other minibeasts. Spiders have 8 legs and 2 body parts (arachnids), woodlice have 14 legs (crustaceans), worms have no legs, snails have a shell and one foot. The 'Is it an insect?' sorting game.

    • Sort a set of minibeasts into 'insect' and 'not insect' groups using the six-legs rule
    • Explain why a spider is not an insect by noting it has eight legs and two body parts
    • Name at least one difference between insects and another minibeast group such as worms having no legs or woodlice having fourteen

  • Sorting and Identifying Minibeasts

    Using classification keys to identify minibeasts. Branching yes/no questions: 'Does it have legs?' → 'How many legs?' → 'Does it have wings?' Dichotomous keys as a systematic tool for sorting and identifying creatures.

    • Follow a simple branching key to correctly identify at least four different minibeasts
    • Create a yes/no question that separates insects from spiders, such as 'Does it have six legs?'
    • Explain why asking questions in a set order helps identify a creature you have never seen before

  • Social insects: ants and bees

    Social insects: how ants and bees live and work together in colonies. Queens, workers, and drones. Division of labour — some gather food, some build, some guard. Ant tunnels and bee hives as organised homes. Parallels to human teamwork.

    • Describe at least two different roles within an ant colony or bee hive such as queen, worker, or guard
    • Explain that social insects live together in large groups and divide up the jobs needed to survive
    • Compare an ant colony or bee hive to a human team, describing how different members do different tasks

  • Bees and pollination

    Bees and pollination: how flowers and insects depend on each other. Bees visit flowers for nectar, pollen sticks to their bodies and transfers to the next flower. Without pollination many plants cannot make seeds or fruit. Why bees matter for the food we eat.

    • Describe how pollen moves from one flower to another when a bee visits to collect nectar
    • Explain that many fruits and vegetables depend on bees or other insects for pollination
    • State what would happen to a garden or farm if there were no pollinating insects

  • Camouflage, warning colours, and mimicry

    Camouflage, warning colours, and mimicry: how insects survive by hiding or sending visual signals. Stick insects look like twigs, leaf insects look like leaves. Wasps have warning stripes; hoverflies mimic wasps but are harmless. The 'can you spot it?' challenge.

    • Give at least two examples of insect camouflage such as stick insects resembling twigs or leaf insects resembling leaves
    • Explain why bright warning colours like a wasp's yellow and black stripes help the insect survive
    • Describe mimicry by explaining that a harmless insect like a hoverfly copies a dangerous one like a wasp to trick predators

  • Insect life cycles: complete metamorphosis

    Insect life cycles — complete metamorphosis in detail. Egg → larva → pupa → adult. The larva (caterpillar, grub, maggot) looks completely different from the adult. Inside the pupa the body is rebuilt. Butterflies, beetles, flies, and ladybirds all undergo complete metamorphosis.

    • Name the four stages of complete metamorphosis using the correct terms: egg, larva, pupa, adult
    • Explain that the larva stage is when the insect eats and grows, and the pupa stage is when its body transforms
    • Give at least two examples of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis such as butterflies and beetles

  • Incredible insects: record-breakers

    Incredible insects — record-breakers and superpowers. Dung beetles are the strongest animals relative to body weight. Dragonflies are among the fastest flying insects. Fleas can jump over 150 times their own body length. Bombardier beetles spray boiling chemicals. The 'wow factor' of the insect world.

    • Name at least three insect record-breakers and their extreme abilities such as dung beetle strength or flea jumping
    • Compare an insect's ability to a human scale, for example a flea's jump would be like a person leaping over a skyscraper
    • Explain why being very small helps insects achieve extreme feats of strength or speed relative to their size

Science · Ocean Life

Your child is diving deeper into ocean science — learning how sea creatures are classified, understanding complex ocean food webs, and exploring the different zones and features of our vast oceans.

  • Classifying Ocean Animals

    Classify ocean animals into major groups: fish (breathe through gills, have scales), marine mammals (breathe air, warm-blooded, feed milk), and invertebrates (no backbone — jellyfish, octopuses, crabs, starfish)

    • Sort ocean animals into fish, marine mammals, and invertebrates
    • Give defining features of each group (gills vs lungs, backbone vs none)
    • Correctly classify at least two animals in each group

  • Ocean Food Webs

    Understand ocean food webs: multiple interconnected food chains where energy flows from phytoplankton (producers) through zooplankton, small fish, and large predators, and that removing one species affects the whole web

    • Distinguish a food web from a simple food chain
    • Trace at least two paths of energy through an ocean food web
    • Explain what could happen if one species in the web were removed

  • Ocean Depth Zones

    Understand that the ocean has different zones depending on depth and light: the sunlight zone near the surface where most life lives, the twilight zone where light fades, and the midnight zone of total darkness

    • Name the three main ocean zones: sunlight, twilight, and midnight
    • Explain that light decreases with depth until it disappears completely
    • State that most ocean life is found in the sunlight zone because plants need light to grow

  • The Five Oceans

    Name and locate the five oceans — Pacific (largest), Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic (smallest and coldest) — on a world map, and understand that they are all connected as one global ocean

    • Name all five oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic
    • Locate at least three oceans on a world map
    • Explain that the five named oceans are all connected as one continuous body of water

  • Ocean Animal Adaptations

    Understand that ocean animals have special adaptations for their environment: streamlined bodies for fast swimming, camouflage to hide from predators, blubber to keep warm in cold seas, and tentacles or suckers to catch prey

    • Name at least three different ocean animal adaptations
    • Explain how each adaptation helps the animal survive in its environment
    • Connect an adaptation to the specific challenge it addresses (cold, predators, catching food)

  • Tides, Waves & Currents

    Know that the ocean has tides (water level rises and falls twice a day, caused mainly by the Moon's gravity), waves (caused by wind), and currents (rivers of water flowing through the ocean that carry warmth and nutrients around the world)

    • Describe tides as the regular rise and fall of water level, caused by the Moon's gravity
    • Explain that waves are caused by wind blowing across the water surface
    • Describe ocean currents as large flows of water that carry heat and nutrients around the globe

  • The Ocean Floor

    Know that the ocean floor is not flat — it has mountains, valleys, and the deepest trenches on Earth — and that the deepest point is the Mariana Trench, deeper than Mount Everest is tall

    • State that the ocean floor has varied terrain including mountains, ridges, and trenches
    • Name the Mariana Trench as the deepest point on Earth
    • Compare its depth to a familiar reference like Mount Everest's height

  • Coral Reefs

    Know that coral reefs are built by tiny living animals called coral polyps, that reefs are home to more species than almost any other ocean habitat, and that they are sometimes called the 'rainforests of the sea'

    • State that coral is built by tiny living animals called polyps, not made of rock
    • Describe coral reefs as one of the most biodiverse habitats in the ocean
    • Explain why reefs are compared to rainforests

Science · Polar Regions

  • Comparing Arctic & Antarctic

    Compare the Arctic and Antarctic in detail — the Arctic is an ocean covered by floating sea ice with surrounding land masses (Canada, Russia, Greenland, Scandinavia), while Antarctica is a continent larger than Europe buried under ice up to 4 km thick; polar bears, Arctic foxes, and walruses live only in the Arctic while penguins, leopard seals, and albatrosses are found only in the Antarctic

    • State that the Arctic is a frozen ocean surrounded by land (name at least two bordering countries), while Antarctica is a continent covered by ice sheet up to 4 km thick
    • Correctly assign at least three animals to the Arctic and three to the Antarctic
    • Name at least two differences in human presence: indigenous peoples in the Arctic vs research stations only in Antarctica

  • Polar Food Chains

    Understand polar food chains — in the Antarctic, phytoplankton are eaten by krill, krill are eaten by fish and penguins, and penguins are eaten by leopard seals and orcas; in the Arctic, algae under ice feeds zooplankton, which feeds fish, which feeds seals, which feeds polar bears — and that tiny organisms like krill and plankton are the foundation of all polar life

    • Construct an Antarctic food chain: phytoplankton → krill → penguin → leopard seal or orca
    • Construct an Arctic food chain: algae → zooplankton → fish → seal → polar bear
    • Explain why krill and plankton are critical — without them, the entire food chain collapses

  • The Race to the South Pole

    Know the story of the race to the South Pole in detail — Norwegian Roald Amundsen and British Robert Falcon Scott both set out in 1911, Amundsen arrived first on 14 December using dog sleds and careful planning, Scott arrived 34 days later using man-hauled sledges and tragically died with his team on the return journey; also know about Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Endurance expedition where the ship was trapped and crushed by ice, and Shackleton's extraordinary boat journey to South Georgia to rescue his crew

    • Describe the Scott vs Amundsen race: Amundsen arrived 14 December 1911 using dog sleds; Scott arrived 34 days later and died on the return
    • Explain at least two reasons Amundsen succeeded: better planning, dog sleds, polar experience, and lighter supplies
    • Narrate the key events of the Endurance expedition: ship crushed, camps on ice, boat journey to South Georgia, all crew rescued

  • Ice & States of Matter

    Understand ice in different forms and states of matter — sea ice forms when ocean water freezes (it's salty and relatively thin), glacial ice forms from compacted snow over centuries (fresh water, very thick), and icebergs break off from glaciers and float in the sea; know that water exists as solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapour), and that salt lowers the freezing point of water

    • Distinguish between sea ice (frozen ocean, salty, thin) and glacial ice (compacted snow, fresh water, thick)
    • Explain that icebergs break off from glaciers and float because ice is less dense than liquid water
    • Describe the three states of water (solid, liquid, gas) and explain that salt lowers the freezing point

  • The Arctic Tundra

    Know what the Arctic tundra is — a vast, treeless landscape with permafrost (permanently frozen ground) just below the surface, a very short growing season in summer when mosses, lichens, and tough grasses burst into life, and home to caribou/reindeer, musk oxen, lemmings, and snowy owls

    • Describe the tundra as a treeless landscape with permafrost (permanently frozen ground) beneath the surface
    • Explain that the tundra has a very short summer growing season when mosses, lichens, and grasses grow quickly
    • Name at least three tundra animals: caribou/reindeer, musk oxen, lemmings, or snowy owls

  • Inuit & Sami Peoples

    Know that indigenous peoples have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years — the Inuit across Canada, Alaska, and Greenland, and the Sami in northern Scandinavia — developing remarkable knowledge of the environment, using dog sleds and kayaks for transport, wearing animal-skin clothing for warmth, and building igloos as temporary shelters, with a deep respect for the animals and land they depend on

    • Name the Inuit (Canada, Alaska, Greenland) and Sami (northern Scandinavia) as Arctic indigenous peoples
    • Describe at least three aspects of traditional Arctic life: dog sleds, kayaks, animal-skin clothing, igloos, or hunting practices
    • Explain that indigenous Arctic peoples have deep knowledge of their environment developed over thousands of years

  • Cold-Weather Adaptations

    Understand how polar animals are adapted to survive extreme cold — blubber (thick fat layer) insulates seals and whales, hollow fur traps air for warmth in polar bears, counter-current heat exchange in penguin flippers prevents heat loss, Arctic foxes grow thick white winter coats for camouflage and warmth, and some animals migrate to avoid the harshest months

    • Describe at least three cold-weather adaptations: blubber, hollow fur, counter-current heat exchange, white winter coats, or migration
    • Explain the purpose of each adaptation (e.g. blubber insulates against cold water, white fur provides camouflage in snow)
    • Use the word adaptation correctly to mean a feature that helps an animal survive in its environment

  • Why Polar Seasons Are Extreme

    Understand why the poles have extreme seasons — Earth's axis is tilted at about 23.5°, so as it orbits the Sun, each pole spends half the year tilted toward the Sun (continuous daylight, warmer summer) and half tilted away (continuous darkness, bitter winter); this tilt also drives the annual cycle of sea ice expanding in winter and retreating in summer, and triggers animal behaviours like migration and breeding

    • Explain that Earth's axis is tilted at about 23.5° and this tilt causes the extreme polar seasons
    • Describe how the tilt means each pole faces toward the Sun for half the year (summer/daylight) and away for the other half (winter/darkness)
    • Connect the seasonal cycle to at least one animal behaviour, such as migration or sea ice retreat affecting hunting

Science · Rainforests

  • Rainforest Food Webs

    Understand how energy and nutrients flow through a rainforest food web — from plants (producers) to herbivores (primary consumers) to predators (secondary consumers) — and that decomposers like fungi and insects break down dead material on the forest floor, recycling nutrients back into the soil for plants to use again

    • Construct a simple rainforest food chain with at least three levels: producer → herbivore → predator
    • Explain the role of decomposers in breaking down dead material and returning nutrients to the soil
    • Use the terms producer, consumer, and decomposer correctly

  • Classifying Rainforest Organisms

    Classify rainforest organisms into major groups — mammals (jaguars, monkeys, bats), birds (toucans, macaws, hummingbirds), reptiles (snakes, lizards, caimans), amphibians (tree frogs, poison dart frogs), insects (butterflies, ants, beetles), and plants (trees, epiphytes, ferns) — using observable features to sort them

    • Sort at least eight rainforest organisms into correct groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, or plants
    • State the key feature that defines each group (e.g. mammals have fur and feed milk to their young)
    • Explain why classification helps scientists understand and study the huge variety of life in rainforests

  • Rainforest Water Cycle

    Understand how the water cycle works in a rainforest — trees absorb water through their roots and release it through their leaves (transpiration), this moisture forms clouds above the canopy, and the clouds produce rain that falls back into the forest — creating a self-sustaining cycle that generates much of the rainforest's own rainfall

    • Describe the sequence: trees absorb water → release it through leaves (transpiration) → moisture rises → clouds form → rain falls
    • Explain that rainforests generate much of their own rainfall through this cycle
    • Use the word transpiration correctly when describing how water leaves a plant through its leaves

  • Tropical Rainforest Climate

    Understand that rainforests have a tropical climate — consistently hot (25–30°C) with over 2000 mm of rainfall per year — and that this combination of heat and moisture creates ideal conditions for rapid plant growth and extraordinary biodiversity

    • State that tropical rainforests are hot (25–30°C) and wet (over 2000 mm rain per year) all year round
    • Explain that the constant heat and moisture create ideal growing conditions for plants
    • Compare tropical rainforest climate to the UK or local climate, noting key differences in temperature and rainfall

  • The Amazon Rainforest

    Know that the Amazon is Earth's greatest rainforest — spanning nine countries across South America, containing the world's largest river by water volume, and home to an estimated 10% of all species on Earth including 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, and 3,000 types of fish

    • Locate the Amazon rainforest on a map of South America and name at least two countries it spans
    • State that the Amazon contains the world's largest river by volume and is home to roughly 10% of all species on Earth
    • Give at least two specific numbers showing the Amazon's biodiversity, such as 40,000 plant species or 1,300 bird species

  • Indigenous Ecological Knowledge

    Understand that indigenous peoples of the rainforest have developed deep ecological knowledge over thousands of years — using plants for medicine, food, and building materials, practising sustainable farming methods like shifting cultivation, and understanding animal behaviour and forest ecology in ways that modern science is only beginning to appreciate

    • Give at least two examples of indigenous knowledge, such as using specific plants as medicine or practising sustainable farming
    • Explain what shifting cultivation is and why it is less harmful to the forest than permanent clearing
    • Describe how indigenous knowledge and modern science can work together to protect rainforests

  • Rainforest Plant Adaptations

    Know how rainforest plants are adapted to their environment — drip-tip leaves channel water off quickly to prevent rot, buttress roots spread wide to support tall trees in thin soil, epiphytes (like orchids and bromeliads) grow on tree branches to reach sunlight without needing soil, and lianas climb trunks to reach the canopy

    • Describe at least three plant adaptations: drip-tip leaves, buttress roots, and epiphytes
    • Explain the purpose of each adaptation (e.g. drip-tips shed water to prevent rot)
    • Use the word adaptation to mean a feature that helps an organism survive in its environment

  • Rainforest Animal Survival Tricks

    Know how rainforest animals are adapted to their environment — camouflage helps leaf insects and tree frogs hide, bright warning colours (aposematism) signal that poison dart frogs are toxic, prehensile tails let monkeys grip branches, toucans' large beaks help reach distant fruit, and many animals are nocturnal to avoid daytime heat

    • Describe at least three animal adaptations such as camouflage, warning colours, and prehensile tails
    • Explain how each adaptation helps the animal survive (e.g. camouflage hides prey from predators)
    • Give a specific example for each adaptation, linking the animal to its rainforest layer

Science · Space Exploration

Your child is discovering how our solar system works — learning about Earth's movements that create day and night, exploring the eight planets and their features, and understanding how we use robots and telescopes to study space.

  • The Sun is a star

    Know that the Sun is a star — the closest star to Earth — and that it is at the centre of our solar system, with all eight planets orbiting around it

    • State that the Sun is a star, not a unique type of object
    • Explain that the Sun appears bigger and brighter than other stars because it is much closer
    • Describe the solar system as the Sun at the centre with planets orbiting around it

  • Earth's Spin & Orbit

    Understand that Earth moves in two ways: it rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24 hours causing day and night, and it orbits (travels around) the Sun once every 365 days, which is one year

    • Demonstrate with a globe or ball that Earth's rotation causes day on the Sun-facing side and night on the opposite side
    • State that one full rotation takes about 24 hours (one day)
    • State that one full orbit around the Sun takes about 365 days (one year)

  • The Eight Planets

    Name the eight planets in order from the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune), know that Pluto is a dwarf planet, and distinguish rocky inner planets from gas giant outer planets

    • List all eight planets in order from the Sun
    • State that Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006
    • Explain that the four inner planets are small and rocky while the four outer planets are large gas giants

  • Space Robots & Rovers

    Describe how robots and rovers have explored places humans cannot easily go — Mars rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance drive across Mars taking photos, collecting rock samples, and searching for signs of past water

    • Name at least one Mars rover (Curiosity or Perseverance) and state it drives on Mars's surface
    • Explain that rovers take photos, analyse rocks, and look for evidence of water
    • State why we send robots instead of people: Mars is very far away and has no breathable air

  • Planet Features

    Describe a key feature of each planet: Mercury is smallest and closest, Venus is the hottest, Mars is red with rust, Jupiter is the largest with a Great Red Spot, Saturn has rings, Uranus tilts on its side, Neptune is the farthest and very cold

    • State one distinctive feature for at least six of the eight planets
    • Compare at least two planets (e.g. Jupiter is much bigger than Earth, Venus is hotter than Mercury)
    • Explain why Mars appears red (iron oxide/rust in its rocks)

  • The Moon's Orbit

    Know that the Moon orbits Earth approximately once a month, that it does not make its own light but reflects sunlight, and that its changing appearance (phases) is caused by how much of the sunlit side we can see from Earth

    • State that the Moon orbits Earth roughly once every 28-30 days
    • Explain that the Moon reflects sunlight rather than producing its own light
    • Describe how Moon phases happen: we see different amounts of the lit-up side as the Moon orbits Earth

  • Asteroids, Comets & Dwarf Planets

    Identify other objects in the solar system beyond planets: asteroids (rocky bodies mostly between Mars and Jupiter), comets (icy bodies with tails when near the Sun), and meteoroids/meteors/meteorites (space rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere)

    • Describe asteroids as rocky bodies mostly found in the belt between Mars and Jupiter
    • Describe comets as icy bodies that develop a glowing tail when they approach the Sun
    • Explain the difference between a meteoroid (in space), meteor (streak of light in atmosphere), and meteorite (lands on Earth)

  • How Telescopes Work

    Know that telescopes are instruments that help us see distant objects in space, and that space telescopes like Hubble and James Webb orbit above Earth’s atmosphere to get clearer views of the universe

    • Explain that a telescope magnifies distant objects so we can see them in more detail
    • State that Earth's atmosphere blurs the view, so space telescopes get clearer pictures
    • Name at least one space telescope (Hubble or James Webb) and describe what it does

Science · Volcanoes & Earthquakes

Your child is learning about what's inside volcanoes and earthquakes, how Earth has different layers, and exploring dramatic geological events like the story of Pompeii and tsunamis.

  • Ring of Fire

    Recognise that volcanoes and earthquakes tend to happen in certain places — especially around the edges of the Pacific Ocean (Ring of Fire) — not randomly across the Earth

    • Describe the pattern that volcanoes and earthquakes cluster in certain zones
    • Locate the Ring of Fire on a world map
    • Explain that the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes are not random

  • Earth's Layers

    Know that Earth has layers — a thin outer crust, a thick hot mantle, and a core at the centre — and that the inside of the Earth is extremely hot

    • Name Earth's three main layers: crust, mantle, and core
    • Explain that the crust is thin compared to the other layers
    • State that Earth's interior is extremely hot — hot enough to melt rock

  • Why Earthquakes Happen

    Understand that earthquakes happen when rocks underground suddenly move or break, releasing energy that shakes the ground

    • Explain that earthquakes are caused by rocks underground suddenly moving
    • Describe how this movement sends shaking through the surrounding ground
    • Distinguish between the underground cause and the surface effects of an earthquake

  • Types of Rock

    Know the three main types of rock — igneous (formed when lava or magma cools), sedimentary (formed from layers pressed together), and metamorphic — and that fossils are found in sedimentary rock

    • Name the three main rock types: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
    • Explain that igneous rock forms when lava or magma cools and hardens
    • State that fossils are preserved in sedimentary rock because it forms in layers

  • Inside a Volcano

    Understand the inside of a volcano: magma is hot melted rock underground, lava is the same material after it reaches the surface, and volcanoes have a magma chamber, vent, and crater

    • Explain that magma is melted rock underground and lava is the same material above ground
    • Label a magma chamber, vent, and crater on a volcano cross-section
    • Describe the path magma takes from underground to the surface during an eruption

  • Active, Dormant & Extinct

    Classify volcanoes as active (could erupt any time), dormant (sleeping but could wake up), or extinct (will not erupt again)

    • Define active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes
    • Explain that a dormant volcano is not safe just because it has not erupted recently
    • Classify a given volcano based on its eruption history

  • Pompeii & Vesuvius

    Know the story of Pompeii: a Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserved under volcanic ash, and rediscovered by archaeologists centuries later

    • Retell the key events: Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii was buried under ash
    • Explain that the ash preserved the city, its buildings, and even people's shapes
    • Describe how archaeologists uncovered the city and what we can learn from it

  • Tsunamis

    Know what a tsunami is: a very large, fast ocean wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption under the sea, which can cause great damage when it reaches land

    • Explain that a tsunami is caused by an earthquake or eruption under the sea
    • State that tsunamis travel very fast across the ocean
    • Describe the damage a tsunami can cause when it reaches the coast

Science · The Human Body

Your child is discovering how their body works — learning about different types of teeth, how food travels through the digestive system, how bones and muscles work together, and understanding the importance of a balanced diet.

  • Cells, Tissues & Organs

    Understand that the body is organised in a hierarchy: tiny cells are the building blocks, groups of similar cells form tissues, tissues combine into organs (like the heart or stomach), and organs work together in organ systems (like the circulatory system)

    • State that cells are the smallest building blocks of the body, too small to see without a microscope
    • Describe the hierarchy: cells → tissues → organs → organ systems
    • Give an example: muscle cells form muscle tissue, which forms the heart organ, which is part of the circulatory system

  • Balanced Diet & Food Groups

    Know the main food groups (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, water) and understand that a balanced diet includes the right amounts from each group to keep the body healthy and provide energy, growth materials, and protection from illness

    • Name at least five food groups and give an example food for each (e.g. carbohydrates = bread, protein = chicken)
    • Explain what carbohydrates (energy), proteins (growth and repair), and fats (energy and warmth) do for the body
    • State that vitamins and minerals protect against illness and help the body work properly

  • The Digestive Journey

    Trace the journey of food through the digestive system: food enters the mouth where teeth break it down and saliva begins digestion, travels down the oesophagus to the stomach, passes through the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed, and waste moves through the large intestine

    • List the organs in order: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine
    • Describe what happens at each stage (teeth chew, stomach churns with acid, small intestine absorbs nutrients)
    • State that the small intestine is where most nutrients pass into the blood, and the large intestine removes water from waste

  • How the Eye Works

    Describe how the eye works: light enters through the pupil, the lens focuses it onto the retina at the back of the eye, and the retina sends signals along the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets the image

    • Name the main parts: pupil (lets light in), lens (focuses light), retina (detects light), optic nerve (sends signals to brain)
    • Describe the sequence: light enters → lens focuses → retina detects → nerve signals brain → brain interprets image
    • Explain that the pupil gets bigger in dim light and smaller in bright light to control how much light enters

  • Types of Teeth

    Identify the four types of human teeth (incisors for cutting, canines for tearing, premolars and molars for grinding) and understand that tooth shape is linked to function, just as in other animals — herbivores have flat teeth, carnivores have sharp teeth

    • Name the four tooth types and describe each one's job: incisors cut, canines tear, premolars/molars grind
    • Compare human teeth to herbivore teeth (flat, for grinding plants) and carnivore teeth (sharp, for tearing meat)
    • Explain that humans have all types because we are omnivores — we eat both plants and meat

  • How Muscles Move Bones

    Understand that muscles work in pairs to move bones: when one muscle contracts (gets shorter and pulls), the opposite muscle relaxes, and that some muscles are voluntary (we choose to use them) while others like the heart are involuntary (they work automatically)

    • Demonstrate or describe how biceps and triceps work as a pair to bend and straighten the arm
    • Explain the difference between voluntary muscles (we control them) and involuntary muscles (they work automatically)
    • Name the heart and muscles of the digestive system as examples of involuntary muscles

  • Naming Major Bones

    Identify major bones of the human skeleton by name (skull, spine/vertebrae, ribcage, pelvis, femur, humerus) and explain the skeleton’s three jobs: supporting the body’s shape, protecting organs, and enabling movement with muscles

    • Name and locate at least six major bones or bone groups on a diagram or their own body
    • Explain the three functions: support (holds us upright), protection (skull protects brain, ribs protect heart/lungs), movement (bones work with muscles)
    • State that not all animals have internal skeletons — some have shells or exoskeletons

Science · Energy

Your child is discovering how electricity works — building simple circuits with batteries and bulbs, understanding how switches control electrical flow, and learning which materials conduct electricity and which don't.

  • Building a simple circuit

    Construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts: cells, wires, bulbs, switches, and buzzers

    • Build a complete series circuit that lights a bulb or sounds a buzzer
    • Name each component: cell (battery), wire, bulb, switch, buzzer
    • Explain the role of each component in making the circuit work

  • What uses electricity at home

    Identify common appliances that run on electricity and understand that electricity is a form of energy that powers devices in everyday life

    • Name at least ten common appliances that run on electricity
    • Distinguish between mains-powered and battery-powered appliances
    • Explain that electricity provides the energy that makes these devices work

  • Naming types of energy

    Name and use vocabulary for types of energy and energy transfer — kinetic energy, potential energy, heat energy, light energy, sound energy, electrical energy, chemical energy, stored energy, energy transfer, energy transformation — and describe energy changes in familiar situations using these terms

    • Name the type of energy stored in a battery, a stretched spring, and a moving ball
    • Use 'energy transfer' or 'energy transformation' to describe what happens in a simple device such as a torch or a toaster
    • Distinguish between 'stored energy' and 'transferred energy' with a correct example of each

  • How switches work

    Recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit, controlling whether a lamp lights or a buzzer sounds

    • Explain that a closed switch completes the circuit (current flows) and an open switch breaks it (current stops)
    • Demonstrate adding a switch to a circuit and using it to control a bulb or buzzer
    • Relate the switch concept to everyday switches in the home

  • Will the bulb light up?

    Identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series circuit, based on whether the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery

    • Predict whether a lamp will light by tracing the circuit for a complete loop
    • Explain that a gap anywhere in the circuit breaks the loop and the bulb won't light
    • Identify the fault in a non-working circuit (e.g. loose wire, missing connection)

  • Conductors and insulators

    Recognise some common conductors and insulators, and associate metals with being good conductors of electricity

    • Define conductors (allow electricity to flow through) and insulators (block electricity)
    • Test at least six materials and correctly classify them as conductors or insulators
    • State that metals are generally good conductors and explain why wires are made of metal with plastic coating

Science · Space Systems & Earth's History

Your child is learning that Earth changes over time — some changes happen quickly like earthquakes and volcanoes, while others like erosion and mountain building take millions of years.

  • Naming the Planets

    Name the planets in our solar system in order from the Sun and use vocabulary for space — planet, star, sun, moon, satellite, orbit, solar system, galaxy, universe, asteroid, comet — applying these correctly when describing the structure of the solar system and objects we see in the sky

    • Name the eight planets in order from the Sun without prompting
    • Use 'orbit' correctly to describe the movement of planets around the Sun and moons around planets
    • Distinguish between a planet, a moon, a star, and an asteroid using the correct vocabulary

  • Rapid earth changes

    Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) or slowly (erosion, mountain building)

    • Give at least two examples of rapid Earth events (earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, flood)
    • Give at least two examples of slow Earth processes (erosion, mountain formation, canyon carving)
    • Use evidence from text, images, or video to support the distinction between fast and slow changes

  • Earth & Space Vocabulary

    Use technical vocabulary for Earth's motion and the wider universe — rotation, revolution, axis, tilt, orbit, light year, gravitational force, atmosphere, lunar phases, waxing, waning, solstice, equinox, eclipse — and apply these when explaining day and night, the seasons, and the Moon's phases

    • Use 'rotation' and 'revolution' correctly to describe Earth's two distinct types of movement and explain what each causes
    • Use 'waxing' and 'waning' to describe the Moon's phases and explain what causes them
    • Apply 'solstice' and 'equinox' correctly when explaining why seasons exist and why day length varies

History · Ancient Greece & Rome

  • Roman Army and Conquest of Britain

    Describe how the Roman army was organised into legions of highly trained soldiers, how Julius Caesar first raided Britain in 55 BC and Emperor Claudius later conquered it in AD 43, and explain why the Romans wanted to expand their empire — for land, resources, taxes, and glory

    • Describe a Roman legion as a large unit of highly trained, disciplined soldiers
    • Explain that Julius Caesar raided Britain first and Claudius conquered it later
    • Give at least one reason why the Romans invaded Britain

  • Daily Life in a Roman Town

    Describe daily life in a Roman town — the forum (marketplace and meeting place), public baths, amphitheatre, and villas — and explain that the Romans were brilliant engineers who built straight roads, aqueducts to carry water, underfloor heating (hypocaust), and Hadrian's Wall to mark the empire's northern frontier in Britain

    • Describe at least three features of a Roman town such as forum, baths, or amphitheatre
    • Explain what an aqueduct was and why the Romans built them
    • Describe Hadrian's Wall and say why it was built

  • Athens Versus Sparta

    Compare Athens and Sparta as two very different Greek city-states: Athens focused on learning, arts, debate, and democracy, while Sparta focused on military training, discipline, and obedience — and understand that a city-state was a city that ruled itself like a small country

    • Name at least two differences between life in Athens and life in Sparta
    • Explain what a city-state was and why Greek city-states were independent from each other
    • Describe what was valued most in Athens (learning, arts) versus Sparta (military strength)

  • Gods & the Parthenon

    Name the major Greek gods and their roles — Zeus (king, thunder), Hera (queen, marriage), Athena (wisdom, warfare), Poseidon (sea), Apollo (sun, music), Artemis (hunting, moon), Ares (war), Aphrodite (love), Hermes (messengers), Hephaestus (fire, crafts), Hades (underworld) — and know that the Parthenon in Athens was a grand temple built to honour Athena

    • Name at least five Greek gods and say what each was responsible for
    • Describe the Parthenon as a temple to Athena built on the acropolis in Athens
    • Explain that Greeks built temples to honour their gods and held festivals and sacrifices

  • Athenian Democracy

    Understand that Athens invented democracy — a system where free male citizens gathered in an Assembly to debate and vote on important decisions for the city — but that women, enslaved people, and foreigners were not allowed to vote

    • Explain what democracy meant in Athens: citizens voted on decisions together
    • Identify who could vote in Athenian democracy (free men born in Athens) and who could not
    • Say that the idea of people voting on decisions started in Athens and still influences us today

  • Greek Gods with Roman Names

    Understand that the Romans adopted the Greek gods but gave them new names — Zeus became Jupiter, Hera became Juno, Ares became Mars, Athena became Minerva, Poseidon became Neptune, Aphrodite became Venus — and that this shows how deeply Rome was influenced by Greek culture

    • Match at least four Greek gods to their Roman names
    • Explain that the Romans took Greek gods and gave them Latin names
    • Say that this borrowing shows Rome was strongly influenced by Greek culture

  • Greek theatre

    Know that the ancient Greeks invented theatre, performing tragedies and comedies in large open-air amphitheatres with actors wearing masks — and that plays were performed as part of religious festivals honouring the god Dionysus, with audiences of thousands

    • Explain that the Greeks invented theatre with two types of plays: tragedies and comedies
    • Describe how Greek actors wore masks and performed in open-air amphitheatres
    • Say that plays were part of festivals honouring the god Dionysus

  • Gladiators & Pompeii

    Know that Romans watched gladiators fight in huge arenas like the Colosseum in Rome, that gladiators were usually enslaved people or prisoners trained to fight, and that the city of Pompeii was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, preserving an extraordinary snapshot of Roman daily life

    • Describe what gladiators were and where they fought
    • Explain that the Colosseum in Rome was a giant arena for public entertainment
    • Retell what happened to Pompeii and why it is important for understanding Roman life

  • Marathon and Thermopylae

    Describe the battles of Marathon and Thermopylae as moments when Greek city-states united against the invading Persian Empire — the runner Pheidippides bringing news of victory at Marathon (origin of the marathon race), and the heroic stand of 300 Spartans at Thermopylae — and understand these wars were fought to defend Greek independence

    • Retell the story of the Battle of Marathon and the runner Pheidippides
    • Describe the Spartan stand at Thermopylae against a much larger Persian army
    • Explain that the Persian Wars were about Greek city-states defending their freedom

  • Boudicca's Revolt Against Rome

    Tell the story of Boudicca, queen of the Iceni tribe, who led a fierce revolt against Roman rule in Britain — burning Colchester, London, and St Albans — before her army was defeated, and understand her significance as a symbol of resistance against a powerful empire

    • Retell the story of Boudicca: who she was, why she revolted, what happened
    • Name at least one town Boudicca's army destroyed during the revolt
    • Explain why Boudicca is remembered as a symbol of resistance against the Romans

History · Ancient Egypt

Your child is discovering the fascinating world of ancient Egypt — learning about pharaohs and pyramids, gods and mummification, hieroglyphs and daily life along the Nile River over 3,000 years of history.

  • Building the Pyramids

    Understand how the pyramids were built: thousands of workers moved enormous stone blocks using ramps, rollers, and sledges, the work was organised by the pharaoh's officials, and the design evolved from flat-topped mastabas to step pyramids (like Djoser's) to the smooth-sided Great Pyramid — and know that later pharaohs were buried in hidden rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings

    • Describe at least two methods used to move and raise heavy stone blocks
    • Explain that pyramid design changed over time from simple tombs to the Great Pyramid
    • Explain why later pharaohs chose hidden tombs in the Valley of the Kings instead of pyramids

  • Ancient Egypt on the Timeline

    Place ancient Egypt on a timeline spanning over 3,000 years — from around 3100 BCE (unification under the first pharaoh) to 30 BCE (Roman conquest) — understanding that this civilisation lasted longer than the time between the Romans and today, and was divided into major periods: the Old Kingdom (pyramid age), Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom (empire age)

    • Place ancient Egypt on a timeline showing it lasted over 3,000 years
    • Name the three main periods (Old, Middle, New Kingdom) and associate one fact with each
    • Compare the length of ancient Egyptian civilisation with another time period the child knows

  • Vocabulary: ancient egypt

    Know and use the key vocabulary of ancient Egypt — pharaoh, pyramid, tomb, mummy/mummification, hieroglyphs, papyrus, sarcophagus, canopic jar, natron, archaeologist, artefact, Nile, delta, irrigation, shaduf, scribe, vizier, obelisk, sphinx, cartouche — and apply these terms accurately when describing Egyptian society, religion, and material culture

    • Use 'pharaoh', 'pyramid', and 'hieroglyphs' correctly and naturally in a spoken or written account of ancient Egypt
    • Explain what mummification is and why the Egyptians did it, using 'sarcophagus', 'canopic jar', and 'natron'
    • Use 'archaeologist' and 'artefact' correctly when discussing how we know about ancient Egypt

  • Upper and Lower Egypt

    Understand that ancient Egypt was divided into Upper Egypt (the narrow river valley in the south) and Lower Egypt (the wide delta in the north), that the two lands were united under one pharaoh, and that Egyptians managed the Nile's water through irrigation canals and shadufs to grow crops year-round

    • Identify Upper and Lower Egypt on a map and explain why they had different landscapes
    • Describe how irrigation tools like shadufs and canals helped farmers water their fields
    • Explain that uniting the two lands was an important achievement of the early pharaohs

  • Egyptian Tomb Paintings and Artefacts

    Use tomb paintings, artefacts, and objects from ancient Egypt as evidence to find out about daily life: Nebamun's tomb paintings show hunting and feasting, jewellery and furniture reveal craftsmanship, and everyday objects like pots and tools tell us what ordinary people used — understanding that these sources are how we piece together information about a civilisation that ended thousands of years ago

    • Describe what can be learned about Egyptian life by studying a tomb painting or artefact
    • Explain that objects found in tombs and ruins are evidence that helps archaeologists understand the past
    • Give an example of something specific a painting or object reveals (e.g., what food they ate, what games they played)

  • Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

    Name and describe key Egyptian gods and goddesses: Ra the sun god who sailed across the sky each day, Osiris the ruler of the afterlife, Isis the goddess of magic and motherhood, Anubis the jackal-headed god of mummification, Horus the falcon-headed sky god, Thoth the ibis-headed god of writing, and Bastet the cat goddess of protection

    • Name at least four Egyptian gods/goddesses and describe their roles
    • Explain why many gods were shown with animal heads and what the animals represented
    • Understand that Egyptians built temples as homes for the gods and performed daily rituals there

  • Scribes and the Rosetta Stone

    Know that scribes were specially trained people who could read and write hieroglyphs, that the Rosetta Stone — a slab with the same text in three scripts — was the key to cracking the hieroglyphic code, and that Jean-François Champollion used it to decipher hieroglyphs in 1822 after centuries of mystery

    • Explain the importance of scribes as the only people who could read and write
    • Describe the Rosetta Stone as having the same message in three different scripts
    • Name Champollion as the person who decoded hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone

  • Egyptian Social Hierarchy

    Describe the social structure of ancient Egypt as a pyramid-shaped hierarchy: the pharaoh at the top, then priests and nobles, followed by scribes and soldiers, then craftworkers and merchants, and farmers and labourers at the base — understanding that a person's position was usually inherited and determined their whole way of life

    • Draw or describe the social pyramid with at least four levels correctly ordered
    • Explain that most people were farmers and had very different lives from the pharaoh
    • Give an example of how social position affected someone's daily life (e.g., only scribes could read)

  • Mummification Step by Step

    Describe the step-by-step process of mummification: the body was washed, internal organs were removed and placed in canopic jars, the body was dried with natron salt for 40 days, then wrapped in linen bandages with amulets tucked between the layers, and finally placed in a decorated coffin (sarcophagus)

    • List the main steps of mummification in the correct order
    • Explain the purpose of canopic jars and what was stored in them
    • Describe why mummification was performed (to preserve the body for the afterlife)

History · Medieval Times

  • Battle of Hastings and 1066

    The events of 1066: the death of Edward the Confessor, three claimants to the throne, the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror, and the Bayeux Tapestry as a historical source

    • Explain why there was a crisis when Edward the Confessor died in 1066
    • Describe the Battle of Hastings and its outcome
    • Explain what the Bayeux Tapestry is and why it is important as a historical source

  • Medieval Pyramid of Power

    How medieval society was organised: king at the top, then lords, then knights, then peasants/serfs; who owed what to whom; the pyramid of power and mutual obligations

    • Draw or describe the feudal pyramid showing king, lords, knights, and peasants
    • Explain what each level owed to the level above (loyalty, military service, labour)
    • Describe what a serf's life was like and why they couldn't easily leave

  • The Medieval Church

    The enormous power of the medieval Church: monasteries and the daily life of monks and nuns; building great cathedrals; pilgrimage as a religious journey; the Church's influence over everyday life

    • Explain why the Church was so powerful in medieval times (owned land, controlled education, people feared God's punishment)
    • Describe what daily life was like for a monk or nun
    • Explain what a pilgrimage was and give one reason people went on them

  • The Crusades

    A simplified account of the Crusades: why Europeans travelled to the Holy Land, what they found there, the cultural exchange between Christian Europe and the Islamic world

    • Explain in simple terms why European armies travelled to the Holy Land
    • Describe at least one thing Europeans learned from the Islamic world during the Crusades
    • Acknowledge that the Crusades involved violence and suffering on both sides

  • Castle Design Through the Ages

    How castles were built and evolved: from wooden motte-and-bailey to stone keeps to concentric castles; rooms and their uses; how castle design responded to new attack methods

    • Describe the difference between an early motte-and-bailey castle and a later stone castle
    • Name at least three rooms or areas in a medieval castle and their purpose
    • Explain one way castle design changed to resist new attack methods

  • Anglo-Saxon Britain

    Who the Anglo-Saxons were: Germanic peoples who settled in Britain after the Romans left; their kingdoms, villages, place names, art, and eventual conversion to Christianity

    • Explain who the Anglo-Saxons were and when they came to Britain (after the Romans left)
    • Name at least two Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (e.g. Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria)
    • Give an example of Anglo-Saxon influence still visible today (place names ending in -ton, -ham, -bury)

  • Siege Warfare

    How castles were attacked and defended: siege weapons (trebuchets, battering rams, siege towers), boiling liquids, arrow slits, murder holes; the drama of a medieval siege

    • Name at least three siege weapons or attack methods
    • Describe at least two ways a castle was designed to resist attack
    • Explain what a siege was and why it could last weeks or months

  • The Black Death

    The Black Death of 1348-49: what the plague was, how it spread, its devastating death toll; how it changed society by giving surviving workers more power and higher wages

    • Describe what the Black Death was and at least two symptoms
    • Explain how the plague spread (fleas on rats, person to person)
    • Describe one major way the Black Death changed society (fewer workers led to higher wages, peasants gained power)

  • Vikings vs Anglo-Saxons

    The conflict between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons for control of England: Viking raids, Alfred the Great's resistance, the Danelaw, Athelstan as first king of all England, Edward the Confessor

    • Describe the Viking raids on Anglo-Saxon England and their impact
    • Explain who Alfred the Great was and why he was important
    • Describe what the Danelaw was (the area of England under Viking control)

History · Historical Thinking

  • Checking Sources Against Each Other

    Corroborate: check whether multiple sources agree on the same facts — and investigate why they might not

    • Wineburg corroboration heuristic
    • Historical Thinking in the Elementary Years (ERIC)

  • Questioning Historical Sources

    Before trusting a historical source, ask: who made this, when, and why? — the answers shape how much weight the source should carry

    • Wineburg sourcing heuristic
    • Teaching Historical Thinking Using Primary Sources (Library of Congress)

  • Vocabulary: historical thinking

    Know and use the vocabulary of historical thinking — source, evidence, primary source, secondary source, artefact, chronology, chronological order, BC/BCE, AD/CE, century, decade, era, period, timeline, excavation, archaeologist, interpretation, corroborate, bias, perspective — and apply these terms when discussing how we know about the past and how reliable our knowledge is

    • Correctly use BC/BCE and AD/CE to place events in time and explain what the letters stand for
    • Distinguish between a primary source and a secondary source with an example of each
    • Use 'evidence', 'interpretation', and 'bias' correctly in a sentence about a historical source

  • Different Accounts of the Same Event

    Recognise that different people can give different accounts of the same event — and that both can be genuine while still disagreeing

    • Wineburg corroboration heuristic
    • Initiating Historical Thinking in Elementary Schools

  • Understanding People in Their Own Time

    Understand that people in the past saw the world very differently from us — judge their actions by the context they lived in, not only by today's values

    • Historical Empathy: A Cognitive-Affective Theory (ERIC)
    • Year 4-6 historical empathy research

Personal & Social Development · Friendship & Cooperation

Your child is learning that friendships naturally change over time and developing skills to work well in groups, resolve disagreements peacefully, and understand different roles people play in teamwork.

  • Resolving Disagreements with Friends

    Resolve simple disagreements with peers by talking it through — explaining how they feel, listening to the other person's side, and finding a compromise or solution that both can accept

    • Explain their own point of view calmly during a disagreement
    • Listen to the other person's perspective without interrupting
    • Suggest a compromise or solution that addresses both sides

  • Vocabulary: working with others

    Know and use the vocabulary of working with others — cooperate, share, take turns, team, listen, agree, disagree respectfully, and include — and understand that these words describe habits that friendships and group work depend on

    • Use 'cooperate' and 'compromise' correctly — e.g. 'We cooperated by taking turns choosing the game'
    • Explain what 'active listening' means and demonstrate it: facing the speaker, not interrupting, responding to what was said
    • Use 'share', 'take turns', and 'include' to describe how they work with others in a group activity

  • Friendships change over time

    Understand that friendships change over time — that it's normal for friends to drift apart or for new friendships to form — and develop strategies for making new friends and handling friendship changes without feeling like something is wrong with them

    • Explain that friendships changing is normal and doesn't mean something is wrong
    • Describe a strategy for making new friends, such as joining a club or inviting someone to play
    • Talk about a friendship that changed and how they handled it

  • Working Well in a Group

    Work effectively as part of a small group — contributing their own ideas, listening to others' ideas, taking on a fair share of the work, and supporting the group to reach a shared goal

    • Contribute at least one idea during a group discussion
    • Listen to and build on another group member's idea
    • Complete their assigned part of a group task on time

  • Communication Vocabulary

    Know and use the vocabulary of healthy communication and conflict — assertive, passive, aggressive, compromise, conflict, resolution, mediate, bystander, upstander, and peer pressure — and understand the difference between these contrasting approaches

    • Use 'assertive' correctly and distinguish it from 'aggressive' — e.g. 'Being assertive means saying what I need calmly'
    • Explain what 'conflict resolution' means and describe one strategy such as using 'I feel...' statements
    • Use words like 'negotiate', 'boundary', and 'respect' accurately in a discussion about friendships

  • Roles in a Group

    Understand different roles people play in groups — leader, supporter, mediator, idea-generator — and recognise that effective groups need a mix of roles, not everyone trying to be the leader

    • Name at least three different roles people can play in a group
    • Identify their own preferred role and describe its strengths
    • Explain why groups work better when different people take different roles

Personal & Social Development · Responsible Decision-Making

Your child is learning to make thoughtful choices and stand up for what's right — understanding bullying and digital citizenship, developing the courage to be an upstander, and using a thinking process before making decisions.

  • Stop, Think, Then Choose

    Use a simple decision-making process when faced with a choice — stopping to think, identifying the options, considering the consequences of each option, and then choosing — rather than acting impulsively

    • Describe at least two options when facing a decision
    • Predict a likely consequence for each option
    • Explain which option they chose and why, showing they considered the consequences

  • Vocabulary: making decisions and keeping safe

    Know and use the vocabulary of making decisions and keeping safe — choice, consequence, rule, safe, fair, honest, trusted adult, and right and wrong — and understand that naming these ideas clearly helps make better choices

    • Explain what 'consequence' means and give an example of a positive and a negative consequence of a choice
    • Use 'responsible' and 'safe' correctly when talking about everyday decisions — e.g. 'The responsible choice is to tell an adult'
    • Define 'rule' and 'fairness' and explain why rules exist using their own examples from school or home

  • Vocabulary: ethics and citizenship

    Know and use the vocabulary of ethics and citizenship — bullying, cyberbullying, bystander, upstander, peer pressure, digital citizenship, rights, responsibility, and ethical — and understand the distinctions between these closely related terms

    • Explain what 'ethics' means in their own words and give an example of an ethical dilemma
    • Use 'citizen', 'rights', and 'responsibilities' correctly — e.g. 'A citizen has the right to vote and the responsibility to follow laws'
    • Define 'consent' and 'integrity' and explain why they matter in relationships and online behaviour

  • Bystanders and Upstanders

    Understand the bystander role — that when someone witnesses unkind or unfair behaviour, they have a choice: they can be a passive bystander (doing nothing), join in, or be an upstander (speaking up or getting help) — and develop the confidence to be an upstander

    • Explain the difference between a bystander and an upstander
    • Describe at least two safe actions an upstander can take
    • Give an example of a time they or someone they know stood up for someone else

  • Understanding Bullying

    Understand what bullying is — repeated behaviour intended to hurt someone, including physical, verbal, social (exclusion, spreading rumours), and cyberbullying — and know that it is always wrong and what to do if they experience or witness it

    • Define bullying and distinguish it from a one-off conflict
    • Name at least three forms of bullying including cyberbullying
    • Describe the steps they should take if they experience or witness bullying

  • Basic digital citizenship

    Understand basic digital citizenship — being kind online, protecting personal information, recognising that people behind screens are real people with real feelings, and knowing what to do if something online makes them uncomfortable

    • State at least three rules for staying safe and being kind online
    • Explain why hurtful messages online are just as harmful as saying them in person
    • Describe what they should do if someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or asks for personal information

Personal & Social Development · Self-Regulation & Resilience

Your child is learning that they can get better at things through practice and effort, while developing strategies to stay positive and break big challenges into smaller, manageable steps.

  • Words for Big Feelings

    Know and use the key words for managing big feelings — calm, strategy, cope, settle, patience, overwhelmed, and breathe — and understand that having words for these ideas is the first step to using them

    • Use words like 'frustrated', 'anxious', 'overwhelmed', and 'disappointed' accurately to describe how they feel in difficult moments
    • Explain what 'calm down' strategies are in their own words and name at least two they have tried (e.g. deep breaths, counting, walking away)
    • Distinguish between similar feelings — e.g. explain the difference between being angry and being disappointed

  • Breaking Tasks into Steps

    Break a challenging task into smaller, manageable steps rather than feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing — and celebrate progress along the way

    • Take a challenging task and list at least three smaller steps to complete it
    • Start with the first step rather than procrastinating on the whole task
    • Acknowledge progress after completing each step

  • Growth Mindset

    Understand the concept of a growth mindset — that abilities and intelligence can grow with effort, practice, and good strategies — as opposed to a fixed mindset where you believe you're either good at something or you're not

    • Explain the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset in their own words
    • Use 'yet' language when describing something they find difficult
    • Give an example of something they got better at through practice and effort

  • Vocabulary: resilience and self

    Know and use the vocabulary of resilience and self-management — including regulate, resilience, growth mindset, fixed mindset, self-talk, trigger, setback, persevere, and distress — and understand what each word means in practice

    • Explain what 'resilience' means in their own words and give an example of a time they kept going when something was hard
    • Use 'growth mindset' correctly — e.g. 'I can't do it yet, but I can improve with practice'
    • Define 'self-regulation' and describe a strategy they use to manage frustration or setbacks

  • Positive Self-Talk

    Use positive self-talk to manage difficult situations — replacing unhelpful thoughts like 'I'm stupid' or 'I'll never be able to do this' with encouraging ones like 'This is hard but I can keep trying' or 'I've done hard things before'

    • Give an example of an unhelpful thought and rephrase it as a helpful one
    • Use positive self-talk aloud or in writing when facing a challenge
    • Explain how the words we say to ourselves affect how we feel and perform

  • Choosing the Right Coping Strategy

    Understand that different situations require different coping strategies — what works for anger might not work for sadness, and what helps at school might be different from what helps at home

    • Name at least two different coping strategies and explain when each one is most useful
    • Choose an appropriate strategy based on the specific situation and emotion
    • Reflect on a time a strategy didn't work and explain what they might try instead

Personal & Social Development · Empathy & Social Awareness

Your child is developing empathy and understanding of fairness — learning to see situations from others' perspectives, recognising that everyone has different experiences and challenges, and understanding that being fair sometimes means giving people what they need rather than everyone getting the same thing.

  • Seeing Someone Else's Point of View

    Practise perspective-taking by imagining how someone else might feel in a given situation — using prompts like 'How would you feel if that happened to you?' and applying this when reading stories or during real interactions

    • Describe how a character in a story feels and give reasons based on the plot
    • Predict how another child would feel in a described scenario
    • Use perspective-taking during a real disagreement to understand the other person's view

  • Vocabulary: understanding others

    Know and use the key vocabulary for understanding others — empathy, perspective, kind, fair, community, similar, different, and care — and understand that these words describe real habits of thinking and feeling

    • Use the word 'empathy' correctly and distinguish it from 'sympathy' — e.g. 'Empathy means I try to feel what they feel'
    • Explain what 'perspective' and 'point of view' mean and demonstrate by describing how two people might see the same event differently
    • Use words like 'community', 'belonging', and 'inclusion' accurately when talking about their school or neighbourhood

  • Vocabulary: social awareness

    Know and use the vocabulary of social awareness — including stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, equality, equity, bias, compassion, and fairness — and understand what distinguishes these closely related concepts

    • Explain what 'stereotype' and 'prejudice' mean and give an example of each from everyday life
    • Use words like 'equality', 'equity', and 'bias' correctly when discussing a scenario — e.g. 'That's not equity because not everyone got what they needed'
    • Identify an example of discrimination in a story or news article and explain why it is unfair using the correct vocabulary

  • Different Lives and Experiences

    Understand that people's lives and experiences can be very different from their own — that some children face challenges like disability, poverty, family difficulties, or being new to a country — and develop compassion rather than judgement

    • Describe at least two ways another child's life experience might differ significantly from their own
    • Explain why it's important not to judge someone based on their circumstances
    • Suggest a kind action they could take to help someone facing a difficult situation

  • Fairness, Equality and Equity

    Understand what fairness means and why it matters — recognising that fair doesn't always mean equal (everyone getting the same) but can mean equitable (everyone getting what they need), and applying this understanding in group situations

    • Explain the difference between treating everyone the same and treating everyone fairly
    • Give an example of a situation where equal treatment wouldn't be fair
    • Apply fairness thinking when sharing resources or making group decisions

Personal & Social Development · Emotional Literacy

Your child is developing a deeper understanding of emotions — learning more specific emotion words, recognising how feelings vary in intensity, and understanding the connection between emotions and physical sensations in their body.

  • Emotion Vocabulary

    Use a wider vocabulary of emotion words beyond the basics — including frustrated, worried, anxious, embarrassed, jealous, proud, disappointed, grateful, and lonely — and distinguish between similar emotions

    • Use at least five emotion words beyond the basic six in everyday conversation
    • Explain the difference between two similar emotions such as angry and frustrated
    • Choose a precise emotion word that fits a described scenario

  • How Emotions Feel in Your Body

    Understand the connection between emotions and the body — recognising physical signals like butterflies in the stomach (nervous), clenched fists (angry), racing heart (scared or excited), and tight shoulders (stressed)

    • Name at least three body sensations and match them to the emotions they signal
    • Notice a physical feeling in their own body and identify the emotion behind it
    • Explain why the body reacts physically when we have strong emotions

  • Mild to Strong Emotions

    Understand that emotions come in different intensities — from mild to strong — and that the same emotion can feel very different depending on how intense it is (e.g., annoyed → angry → furious, or nervous → anxious → panicked)

    • Place three related emotion words in order from mild to strong
    • Rate their own emotion on a simple scale (e.g., 1-5) in a real situation
    • Explain why recognising intensity matters for choosing how to respond

  • Hidden and Masked Feelings

    Recognise that people sometimes hide or mask their true feelings — smiling when they're actually sad, or saying 'I'm fine' when they're not — and understand why someone might do this

    • Give an example of a time someone might hide their feelings and explain why
    • Identify mismatches between someone's words and their body language
    • Explain that hiding feelings is common but that it's usually better to share with someone trusted

Personal & Social Development · Self-Awareness

  • Your Impact on Others

    Reflect on how your behaviour lands on others — consider not just what you intended but what the actual impact was on the other person

    • Describe how something they said or did affected someone else — e.g. 'When I didn't include them, they looked upset'
    • Predict what might happen before acting — e.g. 'If I take the last one without asking, they'll feel it's unfair'
    • After a conflict, explain what they could have done differently and what effect that would have had

  • Patterns in Your Own Reactions

    Notice patterns in your own reactions — 'I tend to respond like this when I'm tired, left out, or put on the spot'

    • middle childhood self-reliance in emotion regulation
    • 7-year developmental shift in self-understanding research

  • Feelings Versus Actions

    Understand that feelings and actions are separate — you can feel something strongly without having to act on it straight away

    • emotion regulation development research
    • Effects of Age and Gender in Emotion Regulation (PMC 2020)
    • expressive control to emotion regulation (PMC)

  • Vocabulary: self

    Know and use the vocabulary of self-reflection — self-awareness, reflect, pattern, trigger, assumption, impact, perspective, and notice — and understand that having precise words for these inner experiences makes them easier to understand and talk about

    • Use words like 'reflect', 'pattern', and 'trigger' accurately when describing their own behaviour — e.g. 'I notice a pattern: I get frustrated when I rush'
    • Explain what 'self-awareness' means in their own words and give a personal example
    • Use the word 'perspective' correctly — e.g. 'From my perspective it felt unfair, but I can see theirs too'

Life Skills · Entrepreneurship

  • Costs & Revenue

    It costs money to make things (costs/expenses); you earn money by selling them (revenue); if revenue is more than costs, that's profit; if costs are more, that's a loss

    • Explain what costs, revenue, and profit mean using a simple example
    • Calculate profit from a given scenario (e.g. spent £3 on ingredients, sold cakes for £8, profit = £5)
    • Explain what happens if costs are higher than revenue (you make a loss)

  • Making a Simple Plan

    Before starting a business, making a simple plan: what will I make or do, who will buy it, what do I need, how much will it cost, and what price will I charge?

    • Write or draw a simple business plan covering: product, customer, materials needed, and price
    • Identify at least three things they would need before they could start selling
    • Explain why planning ahead is better than just starting without thinking

  • Learning from Failure

    Not every business idea works; entrepreneurs try, fail, learn, and try again; iteration and resilience as core entrepreneurial skills; famous failure-to-success stories

    • Give an example of a famous entrepreneur who failed before succeeding
    • Explain what they would do differently if a business idea didn't work the first time
    • Describe why failing and trying again is better than giving up

  • Teamwork in Business

    Most businesses need more than one person; working together, dividing tasks, and using different people's strengths; the value of teamwork in business

    • Describe how they would divide tasks in a team business project (one person makes, one sells, one designs)
    • Explain why using people's different strengths makes a business better
    • Give an example of a problem that could happen if a team doesn't work well together

  • Having a Business Idea

    Where business ideas come from; spotting everyday problems and thinking of solutions; the difference between inventing something new and improving something that exists

    • Identify a simple everyday problem and suggest a product or service that could solve it
    • Explain the difference between an invention (something new) and an innovation (making something better)
    • Describe where one real entrepreneur got their business idea from

  • Being a Good Seller

    Customer service, fairness, and honesty in business; keeping promises to customers; why being trustworthy matters for repeat business and reputation

    • Explain why being honest about what you're selling matters
    • Describe what good customer service looks like (being polite, helpful, keeping promises)
    • Give an example of how being unfair or dishonest could hurt a business

  • Marketing Basics

    How people find out about what you're selling; signs, posters, social media, word of mouth; being persuasive; the basics of advertising and promotion

    • Design a simple poster or advert for a product or service
    • Name at least three ways to let people know about something you're selling
    • Explain why a catchy name or eye-catching design helps sell more

Life Skills · Money & Finance

  • Budgeting Pocket Money

    What a budget is; planning how to spend a fixed amount of pocket money or allowance; making trade-offs between different things you want to buy

    • Create a simple spending plan for £10 showing what they would buy and how much is left
    • Explain what a budget is and why it helps to plan spending
    • Identify a trade-off (choosing one thing means not having enough for another)

  • Making Change

    Calculating change from a purchase; working confidently with pounds and pence together; solving practical money problems involving addition and subtraction

    • Calculate the change from £5 when buying items costing pounds and pence
    • Add two or three prices together to find a total cost
    • Check whether they have been given the correct change in a role-play scenario

  • Advertising & Spending

    How advertising tries to influence what we buy; being a critical consumer; understanding 'value for money'; the difference between emotional and rational spending

    • Spot at least two persuasion techniques in a real advert (bright colours, celebrity, special offer)
    • Explain what 'value for money' means and compare two similar products at different prices
    • Describe a time when advertising made them want something they didn't really need

  • Banks & Saving

    What banks do and why people use them; bank accounts as safe places for money; that savings in a bank can earn interest; children's savings accounts

    • Explain what a bank does in simple terms (keeps money safe, lets you save)
    • Describe what interest means (the bank pays you a little extra for keeping money there)
    • Name one reason a bank account is safer than keeping all your money at home

  • Fair Trade & Ethics

    Where products come from and who makes them; that people around the world produce what we buy; fair pay for workers; making ethical choices as consumers

    • Explain that the things we buy are made by real people, sometimes in other countries
    • Describe what 'fair trade' means in simple terms (workers get paid fairly)
    • Give an example of a kind choice a shopper could make (buying fair trade chocolate, choosing less packaging)

  • Ways to Pay

    Different ways to pay: cash, debit cards, contactless, online payments, mobile payments; that digital payments still use real money; keeping payment details safe

    • Name at least four different ways people can pay for things
    • Explain that tapping a card or phone still spends real money from a bank account
    • Give one reason why you should keep card numbers and passwords private

  • Earning Money

    Ways that children and adults earn money; the connection between work, skills and pay; that harder or more skilled work often pays more

    • Name at least three different ways people can earn money
    • Explain why a doctor might earn more than a shop assistant (training, skills, responsibility)
    • Describe a way a child could earn money (chores, car wash, selling crafts)

Computing · Artificial Intelligence

  • Data and Information for Computers

    What data is: information that computers use — numbers, words, pictures, sounds; everything a computer knows comes from data that people give it

    • Define data as information stored in a computer (numbers, text, images, sounds)
    • Give at least three examples of data they create every day (photos, messages, search queries)
    • Explain that a computer only knows what it has been given — it has no knowledge of its own

  • Patterns and Classification

    Humans are great at spotting patterns; computers can learn to spot patterns too, but they need lots of examples; sorting and classification activities as the basis of machine learning

    • Sort a set of items into categories and explain the rules they used
    • Explain that computers learn patterns by looking at many examples
    • Describe why a computer needs more examples than a human to learn the same pattern

  • Machine Learning Basics

    How machine learning works at a conceptual level: show the computer many examples, it finds patterns, then it makes predictions about new things; hands-on experience with Teachable Machine or similar tool

    • Describe the three steps of machine learning in simple terms (give examples, find patterns, make predictions)
    • Train a simple model using a tool like Teachable Machine and describe what happened
    • Explain why showing more and better examples makes the model more accurate

  • AI Mistakes and Limitations

    Machines make mistakes; they only know what they've been shown; bad training data leads to bad results; AI is not magic — just maths on data; showing edge cases and failures

    • Give an example of AI making a mistake (voice assistant mishearing, auto-correct error, wrong recommendation)
    • Explain that AI mistakes happen because of gaps or errors in training data
    • Describe why AI is not magic — it follows mathematical rules applied to data

  • Humans Versus Machines

    Comparing human and machine capabilities: creativity, empathy, common sense vs speed, memory, repetition; the Turing Test (simplified); what makes humans unique

    • Name at least three things humans are better at than computers (creativity, empathy, common sense)
    • Name at least three things computers are better at than humans (speed, memory, repetitive tasks)
    • Describe the Turing Test in simple terms (can a computer fool a person into thinking it's human?)

  • Recommendation Systems and Filter Bubbles

    How recommendation systems work: YouTube, Netflix, and shop websites track what you click and find patterns; filter bubbles; the difference between helpful suggestions and manipulation

    • Explain how YouTube or Netflix decides what to suggest next
    • Describe what a 'filter bubble' is (only seeing things similar to what you already like)
    • Give one benefit and one risk of recommendation systems

  • AI in Computer Games

    How computer game characters 'decide' what to do; simple rule-based AI vs learning AI; NPCs, difficulty adjustment; AI as the opponent in chess or board games

    • Explain how a computer opponent in a game decides its moves
    • Describe the difference between a game character that follows fixed rules and one that learns from the player
    • Give an example of AI making a game more fun (adjusting difficulty, generating levels)

Learning to Learn · Learning to Learn

  • Teaching It Back

    After learning something new, explain it in your own words — to yourself, a family member, or even a toy

    • Explain a concept they've learned to someone else in their own words, not just repeating what the teacher said
    • After teaching something to a friend or sibling, identify a gap in their own understanding that they only noticed through explaining
    • Summarise a lesson by pretending to teach it back, using examples they made up themselves

  • Connecting New & Old Ideas

    Look for connections between new ideas and things you already know — how does this fit with what I've learned before?

    • elaborative encoding
    • schema theory (Bartlett, Rumelhart)

  • Understanding Why

    Go beyond knowing *that* something is true — ask *why* it is true and *how* it works

    • Ask 'why?' or 'how does that work?' about something they've been told, rather than just accepting it
    • Explain the reason behind a rule or method — e.g. 'We carry the ten because 13 ones is the same as 1 ten and 3 ones'
    • Show deeper understanding by connecting a new idea to something they already know — e.g. 'Oh, that's like when we...'

  • Trying a New Approach

    When your first approach isn't working, try a different one — being flexible about strategies is part of being a good learner

    • When stuck on a problem, try a completely different approach rather than repeating the same method — e.g. drawing a picture instead of writing equations
    • Describe a time they changed strategy mid-task and explain why the new approach worked better
    • Accept that their first idea might not work and show willingness to start over with a fresh plan

  • Learning from Mistakes

    When you get something wrong, investigate why — what did you misunderstand or overlook? Analysing errors is one of the most powerful ways to learn

    • error analysis research
    • Hattie feedback effect size

  • Spotting Patterns

    Spot patterns and recurring structures — in numbers, words, nature, sounds, or events — and use them to make sense of new information

    • Spot a pattern in a set of numbers, shapes, or facts without being told to look for one
    • Use a pattern they noticed to make a prediction — e.g. 'The next one should be 16 because it's doubling each time'
    • Explain the pattern they found and why they think it works

  • Describing Rules & Patterns

    When you notice a pattern repeating, describe it as a rule that works every time — then test whether the rule holds in new cases

    • Describe a pattern or rule they've noticed in their own words — e.g. 'Every time you add 0 to a number, it stays the same'
    • Test whether a rule they've described holds for new examples they haven't seen before
    • Explain the difference between noticing a pattern and proving it always works

  • Transferring Skills

    Recognise when a skill or strategy learned in one subject or situation can be applied in a completely different one

    • transfer of learning research
    • Perkins & Salomon transfer taxonomy

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Learning data: Marble Skill Taxonomy (v1) © Generative Spark, Inc. (Marble) · withmarble.com · licensed under ODbL 1.0 (database) and CC BY-SA 4.0 (content).