On this page you can find the curriculum notes for Year 7, for the Autumn , Spring and Summer Terms.

English

Within the English curriculum there is constant graded development of the following which underpin all the English courses:

• Grammatical knowledge
• Handwriting
• Vocabulary development
• Phonic awareness
• Sentence building simple, complex and compound sentences, phrases and clauses
• Punctuation skills
• Essay planning, editing, presenting
• Reading skills
• Skills of listening and speaking
• Writing book reviews

Autumn Term

English

Ongoing spelling development and extending grammatical and syntactical skills.
Recognising Author’s Craft:  Predicting plot, how or why writer is using language, sentence types, punctuation.
Speaking and Listening:  Book reviews/preparation for reading competition.
Writing:  Imaginative, descriptive writing, diary writing, letter writing, writing to persuade

7MH

• Subject and theme in poetry and prose
• Discursive writing
• Descriptive writing
• Essay planning
• Developing comprehension skills
• Analysis of poetic techniques
• Rhythm and rhyme
• Connotation and denotation
• Writing to imagine
• Writing a personal response to a fictional text.

Maths

• Directed Numbers
• Equations & inequalities
• Factors, prime factors & squares, cubes etc.
• Decimal places & significant figures
• Estimation
• Averages
• Speed, distance & time
• Constructions
• Charts & graphs
• Four rules + decimals

Science

Biology

Cells & Reproduction

Use of microscope. Preparation of slides. Structure of typical plant & animal cells & functions of key parts. Simple work on DNA, inheritance etc. Different cells adapted to function. Gametes. Fertilization, development of foetus in humans.
Variation & Classification
The variety of different organisms and the need for classification. The animal kingdom; ertebrate/invertebrate, characteristics of vertebrate groups, differences between insects & spiders. Classification of plants, why fungi are not plants. Viruses, fungi and single-cells animals as separate kingdoms

Chemistry

Combustion and rusting
Products of combustion, test for carbon dioxide and water, introduction to carbon cycle, greenhouse gases and climate change. Conditions causing rusting, preventing rusting.

Particle model of Solids, Liquids & Gases
Arrangement of particle in solids, liquids & gases. Particle model of changes of state including sublimation. Particle explanation of simple chemical reactions. Conservation of mass in chemical reactions.

Physics

Space
Movement of the Earth causes apparent movement of other bodies, the role of gravity in keeping bodies in orbit the planets of the Solar System moons as satellites the phases of the Moon, the Universe, galaxies, history of manned space travel, artificial satellites & their uses.

French

Topics

• Going out
• Saying how often or not one goes out
• Places in town one goes to
• Talking about individual sports and team sports
• Describing other people’s leisure activities
• Saying what one and someone else do/are doing
• Asking others what they do
• Describing pets’ habits

Grammar and Syntax

• Conjugation of verbs faire, aller and sortir
• Use of prepositions au and à
• Practice of verbs with nous and vous
• Conjugation of more irregular verbs: courir, boire, dormir
• The use of prepositions: au, à la, aux and chez
• Introduction to conjunction parcequoi and parceque
• All possessive adjectives

7MH
Topics

• Going out
• Places in town one goes to
• Talking about individual sports and team sports
• Describing other people’s leisure activities
• Revision of time
• Ordering drinks in cafés
• Describing people and pets’ habits
• New vocabulary to talk about location,  nord, sud, etc
• New countries
• Nationalities and pen friends
• Describing towns and villages
• House and bedrooms

Grammar and Syntax

• Conjugation of verbs faire, aller and sortir and vouloir
• Use of expressions Il y a and c’est
• Verbs of the 2nd and 3rd conjugation
• Irregular adjectives and their agreement
• Conjugation of partir
• Comparatives: plus and moins
• Use of prepositions au, à, en, aux and chez
• Conjugation of more irregular verbs: courir, boire, dormir
• Introduction to conjunctions parceque and  car
• The past tense of regular verbs with auxiliary avoir
• Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

History

The Making of the United Kingdom 1500-1750. Part I.
The Tudor Era.

• Bosworth Field and the end of the War of the Roses
• Henry Tudor:  his problems at succession
• Henry VII:  solving these problems and establishing royal authority
• The rebellions of Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck
• Henry VIII:  the character of the young prince
• The Reformation:  the difference between Catholic and Protestant
• The Reformation:  was the Catholic Church in England still healthy in 1500?
• The Reformation:  why did Henry VIII make himself Head of the Church? -“The King’s Great Matter”
• The causes and consequences of the Dissolution of the Monasteries
• Rebellion:  The Pilgrimage of Grace
• Henry VIII:  Catholic or Protestant?
• Four men called Thomas:  Wolsey, More, Cranmer and Cromwell.  Their roles in Henry’s government.

Geography

• Topic:  Map Reading
  Aims: to help pupils interpret maps at a variety of levels and guide them towards a better understanding/appreciation of the information displayed on maps.
• Topic:  The Structure of the Earth/Earthquakes
  Aim:  To help pupils understand how the earth works.  To help them appreciate that there are links between what is happening beneath the crust and above the crust.
• Topic:  Basic Geology
  Aim:  for pupils to appreciate that there are many different types of rocks, they have different qualities and produce different landscapes.

R.S.

Common Entrance syllabus –

• Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
• Moses and the Ten Commandments.
• The Temptations of Jesus.
• The Creation stories.
• Revision for the World Religions Paper.
  

7MH

• Creation stories
  Science and Genesis
  The environment
• The story of The Fall
  The problem of evil and suffering
  Arguments for the existence of God
• War and pacifism
  Jesus’ teaching
  Jihad

Classics

• 4 lessons a week and 1 prep
• Course Books:  Minimus Secundus; Latin Prep Book 1.
• Main focus:  to enable pupils to handle longer and more complex pieces of Latin with confidence.
• Background topics to include the Roman army, slavery and selected stories from Greek mythology.
• Consolidation of all language points covered last year
  Pronouns
• The Infinitive
• More about cases
• The Imperfect tense

7MH Latin
As per Sets 1 & 2 in the Autumn Term but with greater emphasis on technical grammatical terms and sophistication in translation.

7MH Greek

• 1 lesson a week.  Course Books (from Spring Term):  Greek – A New Guide for Beginners, Kristian Waite; Greek for Beginners, LA Wilding
• Main Focus:  to learn the Greek Alphabet, to enable pupils to begin to read fluently in Greek and to introduce them to Greek culture.    
• Mastering the Greek alphabet
  Transliteration practice                                               
• Exploring links between Greek and English

Art

• Ceramic mobiles
• Line and wash Autumn still life arrangement
• Silk painting using South American folk art
• Water colour Christmas card.
• Christmas frieze for school dining room.

Music

• Revision of note values, rests, scales, keys and performance directions
• Composition with a given framework
• Preparation of material for the Choral Workshop held in the Spring Term

Design Technology

Mechanisms
Design and make an automaton with at least two moving parts.

Drama

• Drama from poetry
• Drama from images & art
• Drama from abstract sources ie obituaries and dreams

P.E.

Swimming – 2 weeks. Synchronized swimming skills condensed into small partner sequences. Basic water polo rules and competitive play.

Badminton – 2 weeks

Hockey – 2 weeks. Strategies and tactics in set plays. Rotational play of forwards. Competitive match play in mixed teams.

Health and Fitness – 7 weeks. Knowledge and understanding of the elements of fitness and how to test for endurance, agility, flexibility, power and strength. What effects fitness and how to improve it. Sports related injuries.

Boys' Games

• Rugby – 15-a-side game introduced
  Same as Colts but with 8 man scrum taught.  Fly hacking taught.  Hand off taught Basic skills practised by set plays and match situations.  Positional responsibilities.  8 man lineout.  ICT use videos/cameras
• Football / Hockey – pre-season training begins in December with skills and practice matches
• Cross Country - Increase distance and difficulty
  Senior Course run every week.
• Fixtures and competitions - Relays

Girls' Games

• Hockey
  Training on astro-turf once a week – Wednesday matches. Learn strategies to capitalise on strengths and exploit weaknesses in team structure. Develop different formations in 9 and 11-a-side games. Greater range of set players. Develop ability to ‘read the game’. Goal scoring manoeuvres in the D.
• Netball
  Develop confidence and consistency with passing and catching on the move. Recap on set pieces. Channelling. Positional play.
• Cross-Country
  Timed runs weekly on senior course.

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Spring Term

English

• Descriptive Writing
• Writing to discuss
• Presenting an argument
• Understanding narrative techniques
• Writing to instruct

7MH

• Writing for radio
• Review of themes from previous term
• Writing to persuade
• Discursive writing
• Presenting an argument
• Oral presentation
• Imaginative writing

Maths

• Factorising
• Bearings & Scale Drawings
• Fractions, decimals & percentages
• Substitution
• Ratio & proportion
• Sequences
• Metric & imperial units

Science

Biology

Ecological Relationships
Food chains linked to form food webs. Predator-prey relationships. The Hunting Game. Population estimates using quadrats & capture-recapture simulation. Further factors affecting population size.

Chemistry

Elements, Compounds & Mixtures
Definitions of ‘chemical element’ and ‘atom’. Variety of chemical elements. Physical properties of metals & non-metals. Periodic table. Difference between compounds & mixtures. Reactions between pairs of elements e.g. Fe/S, Al/I. Formation of oxides & difference between metal & non-metal oxides. Air, sea water, rocks etc as mixtures.

Physics

Forces & their Effects
Balanced & unbalanced forces. Friction, brakes & stopping distances. Timing moving objects & calculation of speed. Gravity & the difference between mass & weight. Springs & Hooke’s law.

French

Topics

• Making plans to go out
• Revision of time
• Going out to cafés
• Ordering drinks
• Describing people

7MH
Topics

• Numbers and money
• Talking about immediate future plans
• Talking about things one has done in the past including:
  Places one has gone to
  Giving commands
  Granting permission

Grammar and Syntax

• Past tense with auxiliary être
• Consolidation of past tense with auxiliary avoir
• The use of pour + infinitive
• Complex sentences
• The imperative in the positive and the negative
• Negative expressions

History

• The Royal Succession – Edward VI’s minority
• Edward VI and the advancement of Protestantism
• The Protector Somerset – The Prayer Book Rebellion and Kett’s Rebellion
• Kett’s Rebellion in detail
• Protector Northumberland – the royal succession and Lady Jane Grey
• The triumph of the Lady Mary – the accession of Mary I
  Mary I and the Spanish marriage – Wyatt’s rebellion and its consequences
• Mary I and the return to Rome.
• “Bloody Mary” – a reputation deserved?
• The Lady Elizabeth – her character and early life
• The Elizabethan Religious Settlement – Elizabeth’s middle way.
• Mary, Queen of Scots – an overview of her life
• Mary, Queen of Scots – the problems she caused the English crown – catholic plots, regicide and Spanish invasion

Geography

Topics: Coast Lines

• Aim: for pupils to understand why our coastline is irregular. The link with the previous topic of Geology. To be able to identify coastal features and explain their formation.

Topic: Industry

• Aim: to help pupils understand the criteria that we use to classify different sectors of Industry. To show pupils how the industrial process works and the factors that can affect where industries are located.

R.S.

• The Fall
• The crucifixion of Jesus
• The resurrection of Jesus

7MH

• Covenant Theology
• Abraham & Moses
• Law & punishment
• Human rights

Classics

• Completion of all six cases of 1st and 2nd declension nouns
• Introduction to the Perfect tense

7MH Greek

• Introduction to Greek culture
• The Present tense
• Improving fluency

Art

• Mono tone water colour landscapes.
• How to use pastels to create a still life.
• Textile project inspired by school grounds and buildings.

Music

• Composition within a given framework
• Recording, typing, printing and performance of  individual compositions
• Performance – Year 7 Choral Workshop (which also includes instrumental music)

Design Technology

Resistant Materials
Design and make a clock using Perspex as the main material.

Drama

• (Play Preparation)
• Drama from story; Poe
• Elements of comedy

P.E.

• Badminton
  Shot development. Serve and return of Serve. Positional play/ Tactics. Small Team Games. Tactics of Singles and Doubles.
• Volleyball
  Dig, Set and Smash. Over arm serve. Basic Tactics. Matches.
• Orienteering
  Intro to basic map reading. Problem solving. Co-operation. Games.

Boys' Games

• Football 11-a-side game
  Senior teams, 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI
  Skill development – passing long, back spin, one touch passing, into space. Shooting – both feet, accuracy and pace development. Heading – defensive heading and attacking headers. Set plays, tactics and strategies..
• Hockey: Tactics and strategies development
  Match play – 9-a-side Teamwork. Shape of play. How to defend and attack. Set plays. Skill work developed. Formations, defending attacking. Principles of play – gain and keep possession.

Girls' Games

• Netball
  Warm –up styles. Ball handling. Linking moves. Video analysis. Umpiring practice.
• Tennis
  Continue to develop individual skills. Match practice.

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Summer Term

English

• Development of comprehension skills to read substantial passages unaided and give independent written responses relating to language and structure.
• Study poetry to develop confidence in approaching ‘unseen poetry’ in timed conditions
• Develop knowledge of metaphor, simile, personification, alliteration, assonance, rhyme, rhythm, and nerve.

Writing

• Descriptive and personal writing demonstrating improved spelling, punctuation, grammar and syntax and own ability to ‘create clear pictures’ and to craft development of ideas.

• Preparation of exam technique – comprehension, composition in timed conditions.

7MH

• Writing a summary
• Oratory
• Play scripts
• Writing to advise
• Writing from experience
• Writing to analyse

Maths

• Mensuration
• Symmetry
• Transformation
• Angles
• Averages
• Probability

Science

Biology
Plants & Photosynthesis
Equation for photosynthesis. Role of the leaf & importance in food chains. Test for starch. Need for light. Oxygen production (in Elodea). Role of roots & root hairs. Mineral salts from the soil. Microscopic structure of the leaf.

Chemistry
Acids & Alkalis
Indicators, including plant extracts. The pH scale and pH values for strong/weak acids & alkalis & neutral substances. Neutralisation & salt formation. Common uses in medicine & agriculture. Reactions of acids with metals & carbonates. Chemical weathering.Plants and Photosynthesis

Physics
Electrical Circuits
Parallel circuits, factors affecting brightness, use of switches, etc. Use of ammeters. Resistance, fixed & variable resistors. Diodes & LEDs. AND & OR circuits & truth tables.

Density
Density defined as ‘heaviness for size’. Finding the density of regular solids, irregular solids and liquids.

French

Revision of all topics covered in Formule X 1 and introduction to Formule X 2

Topics

• Numbers up to 70
• Towns and villages
• How to describe them
• How to say where they are situated
• New countries
• Pen friends
• France, its regions, departments and main towns

Grammar and syntax

• Use of prepositions à, au, aux and en
• Using avoir and être in expressions like:  Il y a, C’est and Ce n’est pas
• The negative and the positive
• Using adverbs of quantity
• Use of pour + infinitive
• Adjectives describing towns and nationalities.

7MH

Topics

• Presents one buys
• Food one buys in supermarkets
• New places one goes to
• Inviting someone to go out
• Asking for and giving directions

Grammar and syntax

• Past tense with être auxiliary
• Interrogative pronouns
• Use of verb devoir
• Revision of au, à la , aux, en and aux
• Verb venir
• Partitive articles

In this first year of preparation for scholarship, pupils are encouraged to learn as many verbs as possible in their present, past and immediate future forms.

History

• The Armada – Why did Philip II plan to invade England?
• The Armada – A detailed examination of the campaign
• “God blew and they were scattered.” Why did the Armada fail? The consequences for both England and Spain
  Glorianna – the politics of the portraits of Elizabeth I
  Elizabethan England  - social history depth study
  Poverty – changing attitudes to the poor 1500-1600. The Elizabethan Poor Law
• Theme tracking – charting the changes to religion in England from 1500 to 1600
• European expansion into the New World 1450-160

Part of this summer term’s work will be dedicated to the revision of topics covered during the year prior to Common Entrance trials papers.

Geography

• Geography Coursework begins : Pupils will ask the question –  Does the width, depth and speed of the River Coln change at different points along its course?
• Topic: Settlement
  Aim: to help pupils understand how settlements become established, how they grow and how they can change.

R.S.

• Biblical studies for CE
• King David
• Solomon
• Revision of Hinduism

7MH

• Justice and Fair Trade  
• Amos. 
• Contemporary fighters for justice

Classics

• More work on the Perfect tense
• Ordinal numbers 1st - 20th
• Learning of Level 1 CE vocabulary
• Preparation for Summer examination

Latin
As per Sets 1 & 2 in the Autumn and Spring Terms but with greater emphasis on technical grammatical terms and sophistication in translation.  In the Summer Term 7MH begin Latin Prep Book 2 and cover the future tense and 3rd declension nouns.

Greek

• Introduction to Greek history
• 1st declension nouns
• Use of the negative

Art

• Aboriginal dream time paintings
• A printing project inspired by the work of William Morris
• Sketching outdoors

Music

• Digital recording using a live microphone directly onto CD-ROM
• Manipulation of recorded sound – to slow it down or to speed it up
• Introduction to “The Orchestra” educational software

Design Technology

Textiles
Design and make a pair of shorts.

Drama

• The Elements of Drama.
• Create and perform short play.
• Script formatting.

P.E.

• Swimming
  Revision of all strokes. Starts and turns. Tumble turns. Relay practices. Time trials.
• Tennis
  Develop Topspin on forehand and backhand. Improve serve and volley. Doubles Tactics.

Boys' Games

• Senior Cricket – Year 5 & 6.   1st, 2nd and 3rd XI
  Captaincy & responsibilities of team members. Fielding as a team, individual skills practiced.  Batting – building an innings. Bowling – practiced and how to set fields to different types.
• Athletics
  Full programme of events developed. Long distance and short distance. All throwing and jumping events (weights change through years).
• Tennis
  Skills furthered. Tactics and strategies developed. Team play and competitions explored. Devising and understanding types of tournaments.

Girls' Games

• Rounders – Knowledge behind strategies. Teamwork. Spin bowling. Rules.
• Tennis – Practice for school matches.
• Athletics – All Track and field safety and techniques.

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