TheSchoolRun.com closure date
As we informed you a few months ago, TheSchoolRun has had to make the difficult decision to close due to financial pressures and the company has now ceased trading. We had hoped to keep our content available through a partnership with another educational provider, but this provider has since withdrawn from the agreement.
As a result, we now have to permanently close TheSchoolRun.com. However, to give subscribers time to download any content they’d like to keep, we will keep the website open until 31st July 2025. After this date, the site will be taken down and there will be no further access to any resources. We strongly encourage you to download and save any resources you think you may want to use in the future.
In particular, we suggest downloading:
- Learning packs
- All the worksheets from the 11+ programme, if you are following this with your child
- Complete Learning Journey programmes (the packs below include all 40 worksheets for each programme)
You should already have received 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep. If you haven’t received these, please contact us at [email protected] before 31st July 2025, and we will send them to you.
We are very sorry that there is no way to continue offering access to resources and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.
What are the names of 2D and 3D shapes?
What are 2D and 3D shapes?
Throughout their time at primary school, children will be taught about various 2D (two-dimensional) and 3D (three-dimensional) shapes.
The first thing they need to learn is the difference between 2D and 3D shapes. Teachers will often talk about the fact that 2D shapes are 'flat' and 3D shapes are not. Children are expected to be able to name these shapes, and also discuss the properties of these shapes.
2D shapes
| Circle |  | Square |  |
| Triangle |  | Rectangle |  |
| Pentagon |  | Hexagon |  |
| Octagon |  | Nonagon |  |
3D shapes
| Cube |  | Cuboid |  |
| Sphere |  | Square-based pyramid |  |
| Cylinder |  | Triangular prism |  |
| Pentagonal pyramid |  | Hexagonal prism |  |
2D and 3D shapes in KS1
In Year 1, children need to be able to recognise and name:
- 2D shapes including rectangles, squares, circle and triangles
- 3D shapes including cubes, cuboids, pyramids and spheres
- sort, make and describe common 2D and 3D shapes
In Year 2 chidren need to be able to:
- identify and describe the properties of 2D shapes, including the symmetry and line symmetry
- identify and describe 3D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces
- identify 2D shapes on the surface of 3D shapes
- compare and sort common 2D and 3D shapes
- understand that a right angle is a quarter turn and know whether the turn is clockwise or anti-clockwise
2D and 3D shapes in KS2
In Year 3, children need to:
- draw 2D shapes and make 3D shapes
- identify right angles and know that two make a half-turn, three make a three-quarter turn and four a complete turn
- identify horizontal and vertical lines and pairs of perpendicular and parallel lines
In Year 4, children need to:
- compare quadrilaterals and triangles, based on their properties and sizes
- identify acute and obtuse angles and compare and order angles
- identify lines of symmetry in 2D shapes
In Year 5, children need to:
- identify 3D shapes from 2D representations
- estimate and compare acute, obtuse and reflex angles
- draw given angles
- find missing lengths and angles of rectangles
- distinguish between regular and irregular polygons
Children who are in Year 6 need to:
- classify 2D and 3D shapes by talking about parallel and perpendicular edges and faces
- draw 2D shapes using given dimensions and angles
- recognise, describe and build simple 3D shapes, including making nets
- find unknown angles in triangles, quadrilaterals and regular polygons
- illustrate and name parts of circles, including radius, diameter and circumference, and know that diameter is twice the radius
Other 2D and 3D shape terms used in KS2
 | Equilateral triangle: A triangle with 3 equal sides and 3 equal angles. |  | Isosceles triangle: A triangle with 2 equal sides. |
| Scalene triangle: A triangle with 3 sides that are all unequal. |  | Right-angled triangle: A triangle that has a right angle. |
| Quadrilateral: A four-sided shape. |  | Rhombus: A quadrilateral with both pairs or opposite sides parallel and all sides equal length. (Differs from a square in that angles are NOT 90˚). |
 | Trapezium: A quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides. |  | Parallelogram: A quadrilateral with both pairs of opposite sides parallel and both pairs an equal length. |
 | Kite: A quadrilateral with two pairs of sides that are same length. One pair of diagonally opposite sides is equal. | | Polygon: A polygon is a 2D shape with straight sides. |
