Year 3 Maths Scheme of Work
In Year 3, pupils make the important transition into lower KS2 mathematics. Place value extends to three-digit numbers and pupils are introduced to formal written methods for addition and subtraction, building on the informal methods used in KS1. Problem solving and reasoning are given increasing prominence, with pupils expected to explain their thinking and justify their answers.
The multiplication curriculum introduces the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, and pupils begin to understand the relationship between multiplication and division more formally. Fractions are developed to include unit fractions and adding fractions with the same denominator. Measurement, geometry and statistics provide rich contexts for applying number skills.
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Secure understanding of place value to 100
- ✓Fluency with 2, 5 and 10 times tables
- ✓Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers using informal methods
- ✓Understanding of halves and quarters as fractions of shapes and quantities
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 Maths programme of study.
Column Addition and Subtraction
- –Add and subtract numbers with up to three digits, using formal written methods of column addition and subtraction
- –Estimate the answer to a calculation and use inverse operations to check
- –Using Dienes and place value charts to model column addition with and without regrouping
- –Practising column subtraction with exchange using concrete apparatus
- –Estimating answers by rounding to the nearest 10 or 100 before calculating
- –Solving multi-step word problems using column methods
Times Tables: 3, 4 and 8
- –Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables
- –Write and calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division
- –Deriving the 4 times table by doubling the 2 times table
- –Deriving the 8 times table by doubling the 4 times table, exploring patterns
- –Practising rapid recall using games, songs and visual arrays
- –Solving division problems using known multiplication facts
Unit Fractions
- –Count up and down in tenths; recognise that tenths arise from dividing an object into ten equal parts
- –Recognise, find and write fractions of a discrete set of objects: unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators
- –Placing unit fractions on a number line to develop conceptual understanding
- –Comparing unit fractions using fraction walls and reasoning about denominator size
- –Finding unit fractions of quantities using sharing and grouping
- –Adding fractions with the same denominator within one whole
Measuring Length and Perimeter
- –Measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm)
- –Measure the perimeter of simple 2D shapes
- –Measuring classroom objects in centimetres and millimetres accurately
- –Converting between metres, centimetres and millimetres
- –Calculating the perimeter of rectangles and irregular rectilinear shapes
- –Solving measurement word problems involving addition and subtraction of lengths
Angles: An Introduction
- –Recognise angles as a property of shape or a description of a turn
- –Identify right angles, recognise that two right angles make a half-turn and that four right angles make a complete turn
- –Exploring angles through physical turns: quarter, half, three-quarter and full turns
- –Identifying right angles in shapes and the environment using a right angle tester
- –Comparing angles to determine whether they are smaller or larger than a right angle
- –Classifying shapes by whether their angles are right angles, acute or obtuse
Statistics: Bar Charts and Tables
- –Interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables
- –Solve one-step and two-step questions using information presented in scaled bar charts and pictograms and tables
- –Reading and interpreting scaled bar charts with scales in multiples of 2, 5 and 10
- –Drawing bar charts from data, choosing an appropriate scale
- –Answering two-step questions about data including finding the difference between categories
- –Collecting, organising and presenting data from a class survey
Progression into Year 4
In Year 4, pupils will extend multiplication to the complete set of tables to 12, develop their understanding of decimals and fractions, and encounter area and perimeter alongside more formal approaches to statistics.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 3 Maths lesson plans →