What Grade 3 schemes of work cover
Grade 3 schemes of work turn each KICD Grade 3 curriculum design into a term-by-term, week-by-week teaching plan for the last year of Lower Primary. For every week they set out what to teach, the specific learning outcomes, the suggested learning experiences, the key inquiry question, the learning resources and how learners will be assessed.
Grade 3 is a turning point. It is the final year in which learning is organised into integrated "Activities" learning areas, and the year after it, Grade 4, splits into separate subjects with more written work. A good Grade 3 scheme therefore does two things at once: it finishes the Lower Primary curriculum, and it builds the reading, writing and number confidence a learner will lean on from the first week of Grade 4.
Our Grade 3 schemes come in editable Word format, so you can adjust weeks, dates and activities to your school's calendar and your class.
The Grade 3 learning areas and lessons per week
Grade 3 has eight learning areas and a 31-lesson week, set by the KICD lesson allocation for Lower Primary.
| Learning area | Lessons per week |
|---|---|
| Indigenous Language Activities | 2 |
| Kiswahili Language Activities (or Kenya Sign Language Activities) | 4 |
| English Language Activities | 5 |
| Mathematical Activities | 5 |
| Religious Education Activities | 3 |
| Environmental Activities | 4 |
| Creative Activities | 7 |
| Pastoral / Religious Instruction Programme | 1 |
| Total | 31 |
Creative Activities carries the most lessons of any area at this level, which surprises people who expect English or Mathematics to lead. It reflects how much of Lower Primary learning still happens through art, music and movement.
Grade 3 schemes of work by learning area
English Language Activities: listening and speaking, reading, language use and writing, across 150 lessons in the year. Our detailed hub explains the four strands and what each term covers. Grade 3 English schemes of work hub
Mathematical Activities: number work, measurement and shape, built through hands-on activity. Our detailed hub sets out the strands and how they run across the year. Grade 3 Mathematics schemes of work hub
Kiswahili Language Activities: kusikiliza na kuzungumza, kusoma na kuandika (schools using Kenya Sign Language follow the KSL activities). Grade 3 Kiswahili schemes of work
Indigenous Language Activities: listening, speaking and early reading in the language of the learner's community. Grade 3 Indigenous Language schemes of work
Environmental Activities: the learner's social and natural surroundings, health and hygiene, in the current merged learning area. Grade 3 Environmental Activities schemes of work
Creative Activities: art and craft, music and movement, in the current merged learning area. Grade 3 Creative Activities schemes of work
Religious Education Activities: Christian Religious Education or Islamic Religious Education, following the school's programme. Grade 3 CRE schemes of work · Grade 3 IRE schemes of work
The catalogue still holds some older Grade 3 sets made before KICD merged several learning areas in 2024 (for example separate Music, Art and Design, and Hygiene and Nutrition). The links above go to the current merged areas, which are the ones to plan from.
How the year runs in 2027
Term 1 2027 opens on 4 January and is the longest term of the year in Lower Primary, at 14 weeks; Term 2 runs for 13 weeks and Term 3 for 10. A Grade 3 scheme spreads each learning area's strands across those three terms, with assessment and revision built in. Because Term 3 is short, the last strands of the year have less room, so it pays to keep Term 1 and Term 2 on schedule. Check the week numbers in your scheme against the calendar before the term begins; our Kenya School Calendar 2027 guide has every date.
Where a scheme of work fits
A scheme of work sits between the curriculum design and the lesson plan. KICD's curriculum design sets out what a Grade 3 learner should know and be able to do in each learning area. The scheme of work spreads that across the term, week by week. A lesson plan opens up one week of the scheme into a full lesson, and the record of work, written afterwards, logs what was actually taught. For a trainee teacher, that order (design, scheme, lesson plan, record) is the one to remember.
Who this hub is for
- Grade 3 teachers: a ready-to-adapt scheme for every learning area, developed from the current KICD designs, in editable Word.
- Trainee teachers and education students: the Grade 3 allocation in one table, and a clear picture of how a scheme relates to the design and the lesson plan.
- Head teachers and curriculum leads: the full 31-lesson week, useful for timetabling and for checking that every learning area has a scheme.
- Anyone downloading on a teacher's behalf (for example at a cyber café or school office): confirm the grade, the learning area and the term before you download. A Grade 3 Kiswahili Term 2 scheme is a different file from Term 1, and from Grade 2.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many learning areas are there in Grade 3? Eight: Indigenous Language, Kiswahili (or Kenya Sign Language), English, Mathematical, Religious Education, Environmental and Creative Activities, plus the Pastoral or Religious Instruction Programme. Together they make a 31-lesson week.
How many lessons a week does each Grade 3 learning area get? Creative Activities 7, English 5, Mathematics 5, Kiswahili or KSL 4, Environmental Activities 4, Religious Education 3, Indigenous Language 2 and the pastoral programme 1.
Are the Grade 3 schemes aligned to the latest KICD designs? Yes. Each scheme is developed from the current KICD curriculum design for its learning area and kept in line with the school calendar.
Do the schemes follow a particular textbook? Some do. Alongside the general CBC-aligned schemes, the catalogue includes versions developed against specific KICD-approved coursebooks. Open the learning area's set and check the file titles to find one that matches your school's book.
How long is each term for Grade 3 in 2027? Term 1 is 14 weeks (4 January to 9 April), Term 2 is 13 weeks (3 May to 30 July) and Term 3 is 10 weeks (30 August to 5 November).
Schemes of work for other grades
This page covers Grade 3. For every other grade from PP1 to Form 4, together with the 2027 term dates, start from our Schemes of Work by Grade & Term page.
Download the Grade 3 schemes of work (Editable Word)
The full Grade 3 schemes of work, for every learning area, are in our catalogue as editable Word files, developed from the current KICD designs and kept in line with the school calendar. Use the button below for the complete Grade 3 set, or the learning-area links above to go straight to the one you need.