Year 3 Computing Scheme of Work
Year 3 is the first year of Key Stage 2 and marks a significant step forward in computing. Pupils move from the concrete, unplugged activities of KS1 into a more systematic engagement with how computers work, how they communicate, and how software is designed and built. The six units across the year give pupils a balanced experience of all the strands identified in the KS2 National Curriculum: programming, data and information, networks, creating media, and online safety.
The programming strand continues in Scratch, but the focus shifts from simple sequences to more sophisticated structures — loops in the autumn term, and events and actions by summer. Pupils begin to understand that programs are not just lists of instructions but responsive systems that react to input. Alongside this, they encounter the physical infrastructure of computing for the first time as a structured area of study, and develop critical digital literacy skills that underpin research across the whole curriculum.
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Ability to create and debug simple programs using a block-based programming environment.
- ✓Understanding that algorithms are precise, step-by-step instructions that a computer follows.
- ✓Experience using technology to create and organise digital content.
- ✓Awareness of basic online safety rules: keeping personal information private, treating others respectfully online.
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 Computing programme of study.
Connecting Computers
- –Understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the World Wide Web.
- –Understand the opportunities networks offer for communication and collaboration.
- –Role-play as network devices using string to physically model a Local Area Network.
- –Label a network diagram identifying computers, servers, routers, and switches.
- –Trace the journey of data from a device to a web server and back.
- –Discuss how the internet is a global network of millions of smaller networks.
Sequences and Loops in Scratch
- –Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals.
- –Use sequence and repetition in programs.
- –Use logical reasoning to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs.
- –Compare a repeated sequence with a loop structure and identify the benefits of each.
- –Use count-controlled loops in Scratch to create animations and patterns.
- –Debug programs that use loops to identify and fix errors.
- –Design a program that combines sequences and loops to achieve a specific goal.
Branching Databases
- –Select, use and combine a variety of software to design and create programs, systems and content.
- –Collect, analyse, evaluate and present data and information.
- –Sort and classify a set of objects using yes/no questions on paper.
- –Create a branching database in software to identify animals or everyday objects.
- –Query the database to find a specific record.
- –Evaluate whether questions produce unambiguous results and refine them.
Searching and Evaluating Online Information
- –Use search technologies effectively.
- –Appreciate how results are selected and ranked.
- –Be discerning in evaluating digital content.
- –Explore how a search engine crawls, indexes, and ranks web pages.
- –Practise using precise search terms to find specific information.
- –Evaluate websites for reliability using Author, Date, Purpose, and Accuracy criteria.
- –Discuss copyright and find Creative Commons licensed images for school use.
Desktop Publishing
- –Select, use and combine a variety of software to design and create a range of content.
- –Accomplish given goals using appropriate digital tools.
- –Understand the purpose of desktop publishing and how it differs from word processing.
- –Use templates and layout tools to create a multi-page document.
- –Combine text, images, and shapes to communicate a message effectively.
- –Evaluate published work against original design intentions.
Events and Actions in Programs
- –Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals.
- –Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs.
- –Work with various forms of input and output.
- –Identify different types of events — key press, mouse click, broadcast — and give real-world examples.
- –Create Scratch programs where sprites respond to multiple different events.
- –Use broadcast and receive blocks to coordinate actions across two or more sprites.
- –Design and build a simple interactive game, completing a planning sheet before coding.
Progression into Year 4
In Year 4, pupils extend their programming to include selection (if/else) in Scratch, building on the events and loops introduced in Year 3. Networks are studied in greater depth, moving from the physical infrastructure of a LAN to how data is transferred reliably across networks. The data strand evolves from branching databases to larger datasets with spreadsheets and more complex data manipulation.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 3 Computing lesson plans →