Cambridge Early Years

Example long-term plan – EY3

This is an example long-term plan that you might use as a basis for your own planning. Each themed block relates to
approximately five weeks of teaching and learning.
Theme Communication, Creative Mathematics Personal, Social Physical Understanding the
Language and Expression and Emotional Development World
Literacy Development
Block 1 Discuss texts (e.g. ‘The Make art and design in Count on and back in Participate in activities Use balance skills, Identify living things
Bugs Very Hungry response to their own 1s in the range 0 to 20 that require focus and (e.g. moving along a and things that have
Caterpillar’ by Eric experiences and Count up to 20 items: independent thought line pretending it is a never been alive
Carle) images (e.g. bug recognising that (e.g. searching for thread of a spider’s (including insects and
Possible trips artwork based on real- bugs on a bug hunt) web) other small animals)
Use non-fiction texts to changing the
and visitors: life observations, or on
find information (e.g. arrangement does Adapt behaviour to Explore creative Recognise that animals
Bug hunt about a particular bug) an artist’s affect how many different situations (e.g. movements and need air, water and
representation) sequences (e.g. food to survive (e.g.
Apply new language in Estimate numbers of following rules on a
their own speech (e.g. Comment on own and items bug hunt) moving like a particular when putting bugs into
bug names) others’ art to inform bug; developing a containers for closer
Add by counting on
next steps sequence of observation)
Participate in Subtract by counting
Describe and move to movements to Use digital devices for
discussions (e.g. about on and finding the
music (e.g. moving like represent the life-cycle a purpose (e.g. to
where they might find
a bee to ‘Flight of the difference of a butterfly) identify or find out
bugs on a bug hunt)
Bumblebee’ by more about bugs)
Read and talk about
Rimsky-Korsakov) Use geographical
what they have written
(e.g. a description, or Represent feelings terms for environments
fact file, of a bug) through verbal and (e.g. when talking
Develop phonics, non-verbal about places to find
reading and communication (e.g. bugs)
handwriting skills using when role-playing a
systematic schemes bug hunt)

Block 2 Listen and respond to Discover, explore and Compare two or more Participate in activities Share physical Talk about people’s

Example long-term plan – EY3 © UCLES March 2021 1

Theme Communication, Creative Mathematics Personal, Social Physical Understanding the
Language and Expression and Emotional Development World
Literacy Development
My country peers and less familiar respond to art and lengths, masses, that require activities that they similarities and
and adults (e.g. peers design from their own capacities appreciation and often do at home differences (e.g. during
traditions talking about their and different cultures Measure lengths: non- respect for others (e.g. Practise movement a traditional costume
traditions; a visiting (e.g. making a standard units talking about cultural skills (e.g. by playing and food day)
craftsperson) collaborative collage of activities, traditions and outdoor traditional Show a sense of
Possible trips Make a measuring
Respond to questions fabric designs from beliefs) games) belonging to more than
and visitors: scale (length)
about their family, different cultures; Participate in activities one community
Craftsperson Read and write Manipulate tools and
friends and community exploring the materials, that involve applying
from a numerals 0 to 20 small objects (e.g. Explore materials (e.g.
tools and techniques skills, strategies and
different Discuss texts, including when trying traditional those used in
used by a visiting Compare and order ideas to new tasks
culture linking to their own crafts or crafts from traditional crafts) and
craftsperson) numbers in the range 0 (e.g. applying learning
experiences (e.g. different cultures) recognise the
Parent and Develop creative ideas to 20 from visiting
traditional poems and Take part in individual, difference between an
carers for stories; non-fiction through talk (e.g. when Recognise coins and craftsperson) object and a material
traditional creating a collaborative cooperative and
texts about traditions) notes (e.g. when Talk about their Explore sound sources
food and cultural fabric collage) competitive activities
Clarify understanding buying traditional choices and decisions and volume (including.
costume day, (e.g. choosing to play
(e.g. about traditions Talk about and move foods in a role-play (e.g. when creating a
traditional games) through traditional
where they are unfamiliar to songs and music shop) collaborative cultural
musical instruments)
everyone with) from their own and fabric collage)
dresses in different cultures Talk about themselves,
Write sentences (e.g.
their captions for Recognise sounds including their cultural
traditional photographs of them made by different activities and beliefs
costume and celebrating traditional instruments (including
brings in festivals) traditional
traditional Develop phonics, instruments).
food reading and
handwriting skills
using systematic
schemes
Block 3 Follow a sequence of Choose and use Recognise number Follow a sequence of Participate in Explore and talk about
Space and instructions (e.g. to media, tools and pairs to 10 instructions, and movement activities how objects move,
planet Earth create papier mâché) techniques to create Regroup, compose and conditional instructions that require spatial including forces (e.g.
Discuss texts (e.g. art and design, (e.g. decompose numbers (e.g. to create papier awareness, control and when moving large
non-fiction texts about making a papier 10 to 20 mâché) coordination (e.g. cardboard boxes to
Possible trips mâché globe; creating pretending to walk on make a space station)
space; ‘Whatever next!’ Work towards a shared

Example long-term plan – EY3 © UCLES March 2021 2

Theme Communication, Creative Mathematics Personal, Social Physical Understanding the
Language and Expression and Emotional Development World
Literacy Development
and visitors: by Jill Murphy) artwork inspired by Add and subtract with goal (e.g. making a the moon; representing Explore the effect of
Parents and Make predictions and space) answers 0 to 20 child-sized role-play a rocket zooming into magnets on materials
carers for inferences (e.g. what Perform movements space station) space) (e.g. make a rocket
‘Whatever next!’ might that consider time, Participate in activities Describe movements that will be ‘pulled’ by a
Space
be about from the space and energy (e.g. that require planning (e.g. those used in magnet)
performance
cover; why the bear moving to music and independent their space dances) Talk about the Sun as
might want to go to the inspired by space) thought (e.g. a source of heat and
moon) Sing songs maintaining performance to parents light, and as a star
Use prior knowledge to melody and pulse (e.g. and carers) Recognise that Earth is
inform understanding ‘Five Little Men in a Participate in activities our planet and is
(e.g. linking EY2 Flying Saucer’) that require problem- covered in water and
learning about the Use instruments to solving strategies and land (e.g. through
moon to discussion create musical ideas resilience (e.g. painting papier mâché
about space travel) (e.g. music inspired by accessing space books globe)
Use language and space) independently; making Use some
features to match a a papier mâché globe) geographical terms for
Make props for group
writing purpose (e.g. role-play (e.g. a child- environments, and use
creating a list of space sized space station) and draw simple plans
facts) (e.g. supported by
Reflect and feed back
Develop phonics, zooming into the globe
to inform using satellite images)
reading and improvements (e.g.
handwriting skills developing art, music,
using systematic dance and drama for a
schemes performance)
Block 4 Use the conventions of Record types and Talk about rotation Participate in group Participate in Recognise what
Caring for conversations, quantity of litter Describe and record a discussions and movement activities animals need to
our planet discussions and observed in the route (e.g. to show the debates (e.g. about that require spatial survive (e.g. linking to
debates (e.g. about locality, and create a route of the litter hunt) reasons to care for the awareness, control and the need to care for the
reasons to care for the collaborative collage to planet and how to do coordination (e.g. planet)
Possible trips Draw a plan
planet and how to do represent it this) delivering individual Explore plants and
and visitors: this) Identify, describe and pieces of recycling to
Sing, accompany and Talk about and apply parts of plants,
Litter hunt sort 2D and 3D shapes appropriate ‘bins’ as
Discuss new words create songs (e.g. healthy habits (e.g. including what makes a
around read (e.g. different recycling songs) Sort objects, including linking healthy habits to quickly as possible) difference to how well
locality using Venn and Carroll

Example long-term plan – EY3 © UCLES March 2021 3

Theme Communication, Creative Mathematics Personal, Social Physical Understanding the
Language and Expression and Emotional Development World
Literacy Development
words for ‘trash’) Role-play the work of diagrams the need to care for the Show awareness of they grow
Join in with rhymes, people in the Talk about repeating planet, such as where how to keep safe Recognise that actions
poems and write their community (e.g. waste patterns water comes from and before, during and after can cause change (e.g.
own (e.g. related to collectors, gardeners, the need for clean physical activities that recycling can help
Recognise and apply
recycling) street cleaners) water) Negotiate steps the planet)
counting patterns in
Develop phonics, Show a sense of global independently (e.g. Describe ways to look
the range 0 to 20
reading and identity (e.g. how they during a litter hunt after the planet (e.g.
can play a part in around the locality) making posters to
handwriting skills
caring for the planet) display around your
using systematic
schemes Manage some risks centre)
(e.g. knowing not to Use digital devices for
pick up litter that is not a purpose (e.g.
your own without adult recording their
permission) recycling songs for
reflection; searching
for pictures to include
on environmental
posters)
Block 5 Listen and respond to Discover and respond Measure masses and Participate in activities Follow rules and Talk about the past
Then and less familiar adults to art and design from capacities using non- that require applying sequences of and present
now (e.g. a visitor talking different times (e.g. standard units skills, strategies ideas movement instructions Sequence key events
about their childhood) objects from the past) Make a measuring to new situations (e.g. (e.g. rules of a across their life
Ask questions to Listen to and talk about scale (capacity) making comparisons childhood game from
Possible trips Talk about how the
further understanding music from different between what they the past; moves for a
and visitors: Use and interpret data, childhoods of their
(e.g. about things from times (e.g. saying why hear about the past dance from the past)
including practical parents and
Elderly the past) they prefer a modern and their own lives) Participate in activities
resources and grandparents compare
relative(s) to piece to an old piece, Talk to unfamiliar with equipment that
Apply new language to drawings, lists and to their own (e.g. toys
talk about or vice versa) people (e.g. a visitor require increased
their own speech (e.g. tables, block graphs and games,
their talking about their
names of objects from Learn songs from the and pictograms control and communication,
childhood childhood)
the past) past and accompany coordination, and transport)
Express thoughts, them with instruments Talk about the impact begin to use basic Talk about technology,
ideas, feelings and Show care for of their behaviour on tactics (e.g. playing including online
events (e.g. describing instruments and voice others, and use past childhood games from content and why

Example long-term plan – EY3 © UCLES March 2021 4

Theme Communication, Creative Mathematics Personal, Social Physical Understanding the
Language and Expression and Emotional Development World
Literacy Development
something in a parent’s Develop group dance experiences to inform the past) passwords are
childhood that is ideas (e.g. for a piece self-regulation important (e.g. in the
different from theirs) of music from the past; context of comparing
Use captions, labels learning a dance from past and modern
and lists in their own the past) communication)
writing (e.g. to create a Open, type and save
‘Then and Now’ book documents (e.g. to
based on childhood create picture labels for
photographs) their ‘Then and Now’
Develop phonics, book)
reading and
handwriting skills
using systematic
schemes
Block 6 Discuss fantasy Review and refine Recall doubles up to Participate in activities Explore movement in Open, type and save
Fantasy and stories, making individual and double 10 that require creative contexts (e.g. documents (e.g. writing
the future inferences and collaborative work (e.g. Find halves of even concentrating for a climbing a tree a story on-screen)
predictions and offering when creating a numbers up to 20 relatively long period of pretending they are Talk about the future
explanations for them fantasy land role-play time (e.g. writing their climbing a castle tower (e.g. their hopes for
Note: This Visualise halves of
Recognise and area) own fantasy story) to rescue a princess; their new setting)
theme moves shapes and collections
respond to sounds in Create sounds for Celebrate each other’s negotiating an obstacle
from thinking Use language of time course to escape a
stories stories or play (e.g. achievements across
about units, including months dragon)
Talk about characters roaring each time the early years
imaginary of the year
and situations in dragon appears in a Try something new that Use simple success
worlds in Read o’clock and half
stories story) requires optimism and criteria to evaluate
stories to past times
imagining the Read stories aloud, re- Create visual confidence (e.g. a visit their own and others’
future in reading for representations of to their new setting) movement activities
preparation to understanding, music (e.g. music from Say what they find
transition to accuracy and an animated version of easy or challenging
the next stage expression a fantasy story) (e.g. in discussions
of education Write longer texts, Role-play and dance about strategies for
applying appropriate story scenes, including overcoming the
vocabulary and using props and challenges of moving
Possible trips
grammar (e.g. a on from early years)

Example long-term plan – EY3 © UCLES March 2021 5

Theme Communication, Creative Mathematics Personal, Social Physical Understanding the
Language and Expression and Emotional Development World
Literacy Development
and visitors: fantasy story) costumes (e.g. in the
Visit to setting Talk about themselves fantasy land role-play
for next stage and their feelings (e.g. area)
of education their expectations and
concerns for moving on
from early years)
Develop phonics,
reading and
handwriting skills
using systematic
schemes

Example long-term plan – EY3 © UCLES March 2021 6

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