2026-27 Class 3 (Years 4, 5 and 6) – Upper School

Class 3 at Marwood School is a mixed-age class comprising Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Building upon the strong foundations established in Lower School and Middle School, our curriculum helps children deepen their knowledge, develop increasing independence and apply their learning with confidence across a wide range of subjects.

Nestled in the beautiful rural setting of North Devon, our curriculum is rooted in our core values of Learning to Learn, Respectful Consideration and Ambitious Progress.

As the only class in the school containing three year groups, our curriculum is organised over a carefully planned three-year cycle. This ensures that pupils experience a broad, balanced and progressive curriculum during their time in Upper School. Topics in subjects such as History, Geography, Religious Education, Art, Science and English change across the cycle, enabling pupils to encounter new themes and experiences each year whilst avoiding unnecessary repetition of learning. 

Children entering Year 4 join the Upper School curriculum for the first time, whilst Year 5 and Year 6 pupils continue building upon learning from previous years. Throughout Upper School, important knowledge, vocabulary and skills are revisited and strengthened, helping pupils develop increasing depth of understanding and confidence as learners.

In many subjects, children study the same themes and topics together. Learning is carefully adapted so that all pupils can access the curriculum whilst being challenged appropriately. As pupils move through Years 4, 5 and 6, they deepen their understanding, work with increasing independence and produce increasingly sophisticated outcomes.

Whilst many aspects of learning are taught through shared themes and experiences, Mathematics, spelling and some aspects of English are taught as UKS2 or LKS2 where appropriate to ensure learning remains closely matched to year-group expectations.

Learning to Learn

As children move through Upper School, they become increasingly independent, reflective and resilient learners. Our curriculum encourages pupils to think deeply, challenge themselves and take increasing ownership of their learning.

Throughout Upper School, we encourage children to:

• Ask thoughtful questions and investigate complex ideas.
• Explain and justify their thinking using evidence.
• Apply previously learned knowledge in new contexts.
• Reflect on feedback and improve their work.
• Persevere when learning becomes challenging.
• Work collaboratively and learn from others.
• Develop independence and responsibility.
• Make meaningful connections across subjects and experiences.

These habits help prepare pupils not only for success at Marwood School but also for the challenges and opportunities of secondary education and beyond.

Respectful Consideration

Relationships remain central to life in Class 3.

Children learn to work collaboratively, listen respectfully to others and appreciate different viewpoints, cultures and experiences. Through learning alongside pupils of different ages, children benefit from a supportive environment where they can learn from one another whilst contributing positively to the wider school community.

Year 4 pupils benefit from the support and example of older peers as they settle into Upper School. Year 5 pupils take increasing responsibility within the classroom and wider school. Year 6 pupils become role models and leaders, helping to shape the culture of the school whilst preparing for their transition to secondary education.

Ambitious Progress

In Upper School, ambitious progress is built upon secure foundations.

As pupils move through Years 4, 5 and 6, they revisit and deepen prior learning whilst applying knowledge with increasing sophistication and independence.

We believe ambitious progress is not simply about moving on to harder work. It is about developing secure understanding, challenging thinking and ensuring children can apply what they know in a wide range of contexts.

By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the academic, social and personal challenges of secondary school.

 

Curriculum Documents

To find out more about learning in Class 3, please view the documents below:

📄 Class 3 Curriculum Map (2026-27)

class 3 26 27.pdf

 📘 Curriculum and Assessment Document

parent booklet curriculum and assessment.pdf

 

The Curriculum Map provides an overview of the themes, subjects and learning experiences taught throughout the year, whilst the Curriculum and Assessment Document explains the important knowledge, vocabulary and skills children develop at Marwood Primary School.

 

Foundational Knowledge and Future Learning

A key feature of our curriculum is the continued development of the foundational knowledge, skills and learning behaviours required for future success.

Throughout Upper School, pupils build upon the foundations established earlier in their education whilst developing increasing independence, critical thinking and subject-specific expertise.

Reading and Communication

Children continue to develop fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and spoken language through a rich range of high-quality texts and meaningful discussion.

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on developing fluency and confidence whilst explaining their understanding of increasingly challenging texts.

Year 5 pupils will typically deepen comprehension, compare ideas across texts and begin to evaluate authors’ choices.

Year 6 pupils will typically discuss and evaluate texts critically, infer meaning independently and communicate ideas with increasing sophistication.

These foundations prepare pupils for the demands of reading and communication across the secondary curriculum.

Writing

Children write for an increasingly wide range of audiences and purposes.

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on applying grammar, punctuation and paragraphing accurately across different genres.

Year 5 pupils will typically develop greater control over language, structure and vocabulary whilst adapting writing for different purposes.

Year 6 pupils will typically write with increasing precision, cohesion and independence whilst editing and improving their work effectively.

Mathematical Understanding

Children deepen their understanding of number, calculation, reasoning and problem-solving through the White Rose curriculum.

Year 4 pupils will typically develop fluency in multiplication and division, place value, fractions, shape and measurement, building the strong foundations needed for future mathematical learning.

Subject Knowledge

Children continue to build increasingly sophisticated knowledge across science, humanities, computing, technology, languages and the arts.

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on securing key concepts and vocabulary.

Year 5 pupils will typically make connections between ideas and apply learning in unfamiliar contexts.

Year 6 pupils will typically analyse, evaluate and justify their thinking using evidence from across the curriculum.

Personal Development

Children develop resilience, leadership, responsibility, emotional awareness and independence.

By Year 6, pupils are increasingly confident young people who are prepared to contribute positively to their communities and embrace the opportunities and responsibilities of secondary school.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is organised into four broad areas of learning which help children make connections across subjects whilst ensuring each subject retains its own distinct knowledge, skills and vocabulary.

The Arts

(English, Art, Music and French)

English

Reading, writing and spoken language sit at the heart of our curriculum. Through carefully chosen texts including Rooftoppers, The Shark Caller and The Boy at the Back of the Class, pupils develop fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and a love of reading. Children write for a range of purposes including narratives, persuasive writing, information texts, explanation texts, formal letters, reports and poetry. 

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on developing fluency, paragraph structure and increasingly varied sentence construction.

Year 5 pupils will typically deepen comprehension, compare texts and develop greater precision in vocabulary and organisation.

Year 6 pupils will typically write with increasing sophistication, cohesion and independence whilst preparing for SATs and transition to Key Stage 3.

Art and Design

Children explore a wide range of artistic approaches through themes including fashion design, identity and activism. They develop creativity, observation, technical skill and confidence in expressing ideas through visual media. 

As pupils move through Upper School, they develop increasing control, make more thoughtful artistic choices and evaluate their work with growing confidence.

Music

Children develop singing, listening, composing and performing skills through the Charanga curriculum, including themes such as My Best Friend, Exploring Identity, Heal the Earth and Hip Hop Project. 

As pupils move through Upper School, they perform with increasing confidence, develop a greater understanding of musical structure and begin composing with increasing independence.

French

Children study topics including Getting to Know You, All About Ourselves, That's Tasty, Family and Friends, School Life and Time Travelling. 

As pupils move through Upper School, they develop increasing confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing French whilst building a secure foundation for future language learning.

STEM

(Mathematics, Science, Computing and Design Technology)

Mathematics

Mathematics is taught separately so that each year group follows the appropriate White Rose curriculum pathway. 

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on securing arithmetic fluency, multiplication facts and place value understanding.

Year 5 pupils will typically deepen their understanding of fractions, decimals, percentages, measurement and reasoning.

Year 6 pupils will typically apply mathematical understanding to increasingly complex concepts including ratio, algebra, geometry and statistics.

Science

This year's science themes include Properties of Materials, Space, Reversible and Irreversible Changes, The Circulatory System, Adaptations and Diet, Drugs and Lifestyle. 

All pupils study the same scientific themes, with learning adapted appropriately for age and stage.

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on developing secure scientific knowledge through observation, questioning and explaining ideas using scientific vocabulary.

Year 5 pupils will typically identify patterns, draw conclusions and apply scientific understanding across different contexts.

Year 6 pupils will typically evaluate evidence critically, justify conclusions and explain increasingly complex scientific concepts with confidence. 

Computing

Children develop digital literacy, computational thinking and problem-solving through units including concept maps, game creation, spreadsheets, blogging, AI, effective searching and programming. 

Year 4 pupils will typically develop confidence with coding, online safety and understanding how digital systems work.

Year 5 pupils will typically create increasingly sophisticated digital projects whilst applying data handling and computational thinking skills.

Year 6 pupils will typically design, evaluate and refine complex digital solutions whilst demonstrating increasing independence and understanding of technology's wider role in society. 

Design Technology

Children design, create, test and evaluate products linked to wider curriculum themes. This year, projects include frame structures, mechanisms, CAD (Computer Aided Design) and textiles. 

All pupils work on the same projects, but outcomes become increasingly sophisticated as pupils move through Upper School.

Year 4 pupils will typically develop confidence in designing, making and evaluating products whilst learning key technical skills.

Year 5 pupils will typically make increasingly informed design choices and apply technical knowledge with greater accuracy.

Year 6 pupils will typically create high-quality outcomes, justify design decisions and refine products independently to meet specific design criteria. 

Humanities

(History, Geography and Religious Education)

History and Geography

Children develop a deeper understanding of the world through themes including The Changing Role of Women, Exploring Paris, Indigenous People of Papua New Guinea, Tectonic Plates, The Bristol Bus Boycott and Rebuilding Britain. 

All pupils study the same themes, with expectations appropriately adapted.

Year 4 pupils will typically focus on securing key knowledge, vocabulary and enquiry skills.

Year 5 pupils will typically explore causes, consequences and connections between people, places and events.

Year 6 pupils will typically evaluate evidence, consider different viewpoints and draw increasingly sophisticated conclusions.

Religious Education

Following the Devon Agreed Syllabus, children explore Christianity, Judaism, Humanism and wider questions about belief, identity, morality and social justice. 

As pupils move through Upper School, they develop increasing understanding of different worldviews, make connections between beliefs and actions and consider complex ethical questions with growing maturity.

Physical and Social Development

(PE, PSHE and RSE)

Physical Education

Children participate in a broad range of sporting activities including invasion games, gymnastics, dance, striking and fielding and athletics. 

Year 4 pupils will typically develop coordination, confidence and teamwork.

Year 5 pupils will typically apply skills with increasing accuracy, resilience and tactical awareness.

Year 6 pupils will typically perform with greater fluency, apply tactics effectively and take increasing leadership within activities.

PSHE and RSE

Using the SCARF curriculum, pupils learn about relationships, safety, rights and responsibilities, health and wellbeing and growing and changing. 

Year 4 pupils will typically develop emotional awareness, positive relationships and safe decision-making.

Year 5 pupils will typically explore responsibility, risk and their role within the wider community.

Year 6 pupils will typically prepare for transition to secondary school whilst developing confidence, resilience and independence.

 

Preparing Children for Future Learning

One of the strengths of our Upper School curriculum is the way learning is carefully sequenced across three years.

Whilst themes and topics change across the curriculum cycle, important knowledge, concepts and disciplinary skills are revisited and strengthened over time. This allows pupils to deepen their understanding, make connections across subjects and apply learning with increasing sophistication.

For example:

• Reading fluency develops into critical analysis and evaluation.
• Writing develops into increasingly independent and purposeful communication.
• Mathematical fluency develops into sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving.
• Scientific enquiry develops into evidence-based investigation and evaluation.
• Historical and geographical understanding develops into critical thinking and interpretation.
• Children become increasingly independent, reflective and responsible learners.

By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the academic, social and personal challenges of secondary education.

 

Enrichment Opportunities

Learning in Class 3 is enriched through a range of educational visits, residential experiences, sporting competitions, performances, visitors and community projects.

These opportunities help deepen understanding, develop independence and bring learning to life beyond the classroom.

As a small rural school, we place great value on learning beyond the classroom and making the most of our local environment, community and partnerships.

Working Together

Our small school community ensures that every child is known, valued and supported to achieve their potential.

If you would like to know more about the curriculum in Class 3, please speak to:

Mrs Rachel Smales
Class 3 Teacher

Mrs Allie Barnett
SENDCO

Dr Stuart Boon
Headteacher

We look forward to working in partnership with you to help your child develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to flourish both now and in the future.