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On this page you can find the curriculum notes for Year 8, for the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms.

 

English

Within the Year 8 English curriculum there is constant graded development of the following which underpin all the English courses:

• Grammatical knowledge
• Handwriting
• Vocabulary development
• Sentence building
• Punctuation skills
• Essay planning, editing, presenting
• Reading skills
• Skills of listening and speaking
• Developing comprehension skills

Autumn Term

English

• Reading on the theme of relationships
• Approaching poetry
• Structure and language features of non-fiction (information/travel writing)
• Sructure and language features of fiction (class text;drama)
• Writing
  
  Discursive
  Information
  Review
  Letters
  Diaries

Sigma

• Tone
• Irony
• Humorous writing
• Satire
• Writing to explore
• Poetry – Hughes, Heaney
• Creative writing – setting the scene
• Play scripts
• Using your imagination
• The short story
• Vocabulary development
• Planning skills
• Punctuation

 

Maths

• Mensuration
• Symmetry transformations
• Fractions
• Averages, speed, distance & time
• Squares, cubes etc.
• Directed numbers & indices
• Equations & inequalities
• Angles
• Substitution
• Constructions
• Four rules

Sigma

• Revision of algebra
• Advanced algebra
• Percentage, profit & loss
• Transformations
• Probability
• Trigonometry
• Matrices
• + any further revision required and exam technique/practice

 

Science

Physics

Pressure & Moments
Revision opportunities: Forces in Action; Forces & their Effects

Effect of changing the area over which a force acts, derivation of the equation for calculating pressure, examples of increasing/decreasing pressure (e.g. skis, snowboards, studs, sharp knives etc). Spouting cylinder and crushing can to demonstrate pressure effects in liquids & gases. How levers work, lever kits to investigate turning forces, derivation of equation for moments, practical applications (e.g. crowbars, pliers, scissors), awareness of similar effects in body movements, safe lifting technique for heavy loads.

Magnets & Electromagnets
Revision opportunities: Magnetic poles, attraction/repulsion, magnetic/non-magnetic materials, comparing strengths of magnets, magnetic field shown with iron filings; circuits (6 & 7)

Use of plotting compasses to show magnetic field around bar magnet. Fe, Ni & Co as magnetic materials. Effect of a wire carrying an electric current on plotting compass/iron filings. Creation of an electromagnet & investigation of the effect of changing current/number of coils. Domestic/industrial uses of electromagnets. Reed switches & reed relays.

Chemistry

Patterns of Reactivity
Revision opportunities: Elements, Mixtures& Compounds; Signs of a Chemical Reaction; Rusting & methods of prevention; Reactions of metals with acids.

Reactions between metallic elements (Mg, Ca, Na) and water [Na as demonstration] and acids (if not already done in Y7); Laboratory preparation of hydrogen and test for hydrogen. Displacement reactions between metals and metal sulphates to derive reactivity series; Reduction of CuO with C; Reaction between Mg and CO₂. Extraction of metals from their ores. Blast furnace.

Biology

Fit & Healthy
Revision opportunities: Skeleton ; Position & role of major organs; Need for exercise & effect on heart rate; Effects of smoking & alcohol; Nutrition; Microbes & their role in causing disease, role of hygiene and inoculation in disease prevention.

Antagonistic muscle pairs, role of exercise in building stamina and strength, aerobic respiration – structure and role of lungs and heart, anaerobic respiration, role of diet in maintenance of health, further work on the effects of smoking, alcohol and drugs.

 

French

 

• Preparation of 1st oral topic for Common Entrance exam: Moi et ma famille:
• Myself
• My family
• Description of people
• Sports
• New leisure activities
• Jobs
• Pets
• Preparation of 2^nd oral topic: Mon Collège
• My school
• My daily routine
• My leisure activities

 

Grammar

• Regular and irregular verbs
• Expressions with faire
• Use of infinitive
• Revision of regular and irregular adjectives and their agreement
• Position of adjectives
• Passé composé with avoir/être (set one)

 

Sigma

Consolidation of Passé composé with exercises on:

• Holiday activities
• School trip to Normandy
• Myself, my family and friends
• My school
• Clothes
• My daily routine
• Leisure activities
• Holidays.
• My house and household chores
• Description of a town/region

 

Grammar

• Revision of ‘passé composé’
• Introduction and practice of the imperfect
• Use of past participle with expressions après avoir and après être
• Direct object pronouns
• Possessive adjectives
• Prepositions and conjunctions
• Comparatives and superlatives

 

 

History

The Making of the United Kingdom 1500-1750. Part II. The Stuart Era.

• James I – two kingdoms, one king
• James’ views on government
• James and Parliament
• The Gunpowder Plot
• The Pilgrim Fathers – an introduction to the Puritans
• The road to civil war – a background to simmering religious, political and economic problems
• The road to civil war – an analysis of events
• The English Civil War – a research project
• Why did the English execute their king?

 

Geography

• Topic: Settlement Aim: to study patterns of land use in MEDCs + LEDCs. Look for differences/similarities. Shanty towns etc. Counter urbanisation/rural depopulation.
• Topic: Weather and Climate
  Aim: for pupils to understand the factors that influence our weather/climate. To build a vocabulary and be able to interpret weather maps.

 

R.S.

Biblical Theology

• The story of Elijah – unit 9
• The Temptations of Jesus – unit 11
• The Person of Jesus – unit 15
• The Parable of the Good Samaritan – unit 16
  

Contemporary Issues

• The cult of celebrity
• Moral awareness
• Social responsibility
  

World Religions

• Buddhism
• Three Universal Truths
• Four Noble Truths
• The Eightfold Path
• Dukkha
  

Sigma

• Miracles
• Science and Faith
• The person of Jesus
• Jesus and Outcasts
• Outcasts in contemporary society
• Work o the Salvation Army
• Work of Jackie Pullinger
  

• Jesus’ Teaching – the Sermon on the Plain
• Just war
• Euthanasia
• Morality
  

 

Classics

4 lessons a week and 1 prep
Main focus: preparation to sit Common Entrance
Course Books: Set 1 Latin Prep Books 1 & 2
Background: the CE mythology topic

Set 1

• Reinforcement of all Year 7 work
• Revision of Present and Imperfect
• Full declension of nouns
• The Perfect tense
• Revision of adjectives
• 3^rd declension nouns
• Level 1 vocabulary learning Background topic

Set 2

 

• Reinforcement of all Year 7 work
• Revision of Present and Imperfect
• Full declension of nouns
• The Perfect tense
• Revision of adjectives
• Level 1 vocabulary learning
• Background topic
  

ΣLatin

5 lessons a week and 1 prep
Main focus: preparation for individual scholarship examinations.
Course Books: Latin Prep Books 2 & 3

• Consolidation of work covered in 7MH
• 3rd declension nouns
• The future tense
• Various pronouns
• Comparison of adjectives
• The Pluperfect tense
• 3rd declension adjectives
• Introduction to the passive mood
• Participles
• Vocabulary learning

ΣGreek

3 lessons a week, 1 prep a fortnight
Course Books: Greek – A New Guide for Beginners, Kristian Waite; Greek for Beginners, L A Wilding
Main focus: to enable pupils to tackle their scholarships with confidence.

• 1^st & 2^nd declension nouns
• The definite article
• The Future tense
• The Imperfect tense
• The verb to be
• Vocabulary learning
  
  

 

Art

• An introduction to abstract artists.
• Exercises aimed at providing a variety of techniques to use in own abstract painting. This will include looking at harmony, contrast, rhythm and repetition in paintings. Also natural forms, landscapes and emotional responses.
• ‘Faces’ – understanding facial proportions. Attempting a portrait using charcoal and pastels.
• Introduction to the painting styles of another culture e.g.Chinese brush paiting.
• Designing Christmas cards.

 

Music

• Composition with a given framework
• Extended Choral Work: Alexander the Great
• Using orchestral instruments to accompany Alexander the Great

 

Design Technology

ICT in DT
In small groups make a short animated film using stop-motion and i-movie.

Sigma – Structures
Design and make a lamp using polypropylene to make the shade.

 

Drama

• (Play preparation)
• Space, place & atmosphere
• Dramatic styles

 

P.E.

• Swimming – 2 weeks. Synchronized swimming skills combine into small partner sequences. Basic water polo rules and competitive play.
• Badminton – 2 weeks
• Hockey – 2 weeks. Strategies and tactics in set plays. 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 developed
  8 man scrum. 8 man lineout. Development from Year 7 set of skills
  Overall analysis of performances and self evaluationRefereeing/laws/coaching.
• Football / Hockey – pre-season training begins in December with skills and practice matches
• Cross Country - Increase distance and difficulty
  Increased distance and difficulty Senior Course run every week – times recorded
• Fixtures and competitions - Relays

 

Girls' Games

• Hockey
  Training on astro-turf once a week – Wednesday matches. Refine and adapt existing skills. Respond to changing situations in the game. Set play development. Develop basic skills of defending to close down space, forcing errors and making decisions difficult for the attack. Positional play development.
• Netball
  Agility and co-ordination practices. Passing and catching drills. Intercepting. Circle work. Set passes. Competitive match play.
  Space and pace.
• Cross-Country
  Timed runs weekly on senior course.

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Spring Term

 

English

• Higher level reading skills - inference and analysis
  
  Poetry
  Non-fiction
• Wider reading across a range of authors for inspiration
• Exam technique and time management
• Discursive essay writing
  
  Planning
  Structure
  Content
  
• Integrating evidence
• Developing evaluation skills
• Book review
• Persuasive writing
• Writing descriptively
  
  Planning - starting points
  Structure/language features

Sigma

• The Sonnet
• Autobiography – writing from your experience
• Summary writing
• Imaginative writing
• Writing to persuade
• Writing to analyse
• The language of advertising

 

Maths

• Sequences
• Lines of Equations
• Probability
• Significant Figures & Decimal Places
• Calculator work & Estimation
• Percentages
• Factors & Factorising
• Bearings
• Charts & Graphs
• Ratio & Proportion
• + for Papers II & IV
• Simultaneous equation
• Pythagorus
• Trial & improvement

 

Science

Physics
Energy & Electricity

Revision opportunities: Environmental effects of electricity generation, fossil fuel formation, alternative energy sources

Forms of energy ( kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, strain (spring) potential energy, chemical potential energy, light energy, heat energy, electrical energy). Energy conversions represented by flow diagrams. Work as a process involving energy transfer. Joule as unit of energy. Sun as the ultimate source of energy & its role in the water cycle & formation of wind & waves. Reinforcement of the difference between force and energy.

 

Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry

Revision opportunities: Air as a mixture of gases, CO₂ as a product of burning hydrocarbons; Oxides of metals & non-metals; Chemical weathering

Determination of the percentage of oxygen in the air by the oxidation of Cu using gas syringes. Further understanding of the products of combustion of hydrocarbons (e.g. production of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide as a product of incomplete combustion). Acid rain. Limestone investigation.

Biology
Cycles in Nature

Revision opportunities: Water cycle, environmental effects of burning fossil fuels – climate change & acid rain, photosynthesis, role of nitrates in plant health, food chains/ecological relationships

Carbon cycle (to link with Environmental chemistry topic), nitrogen cycle

French

Topic

• Revision of 1st and 2nd oral topics: Moi et ma famille and Mon Collège
• Preparation of 3rd oral topic: Mes passetemps et mes vacances
• Media
• Sport
• Leisure acitivities
• Countries
• Holiday activities
• Preparation of 4th oral topic: Ma maison, ma chambre et ma routine
• House and bedroom
• Revision of daily routine
• Household chores

Grammar

• Revision of regular and irregular verbs
• Revision of adjectives
• Prepositions
• Past tense

Sigma

Topics

• Revision of Leisure activities
• Holidays (2)
• Pocket Money and chores
• Problems
• The environment
• Intensive practice of reading, writing and listening skills using past papers
• More practice of speaking skills in weekly Sigma French Club

Grammar

• Revision of verb tenses
• Direct and indirect object pronouns
• Depuis and pendant
• Negative expressions
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

History

• Oliver Cromwell. A case study. A reputation deserved?
• The Commonwealth and Protectorate: changes in government and religion
• The world turned upside down- radical religious and political thought in the English Republic.
• Why did the English restore the monarchy?
• Social history study: The Plague, Fire and the growth of London.
• Britain: a trading nation.

Sigma

Will broadly follow the course content as outlined above, but as Scholarship examinations occur earlier than Common Entrance, there will be times during the early Spring Term where we will examine the differing requirements of various scholarship papers as preparation. Also, there will be sessions where we will address past scholarship essay questions directly. It is also my hope to enter as many individuals from Sigma as possible to the Townsend Warner History Competition in January, as I believe the demands of this competition will also help prepare this group for possible scholarship examinations.

 

Geography

Exam technique. Preparation for the mock exam. Looking for key works in questions.
Aim: to prepare pupils for the mock exam to give them exam practice in class and equip them with the skills to tackle the mock paper.
A review of the practice paper in class.
Topic: Managing the Environment
Aims: for pupils to understand what we mean by our environment, the effect that man has on the environment and what can be done to protect it. Focus on National Parks.

 

R.S.

Biblical Theology

• Revision programme
• Miracles
  

Contemporary Issues

• Revision programme
• Do miracles happen to day?
• Reconciliation

World Religions

• Buddhism
• Karma
• Beliefs and ceremonies
• Sangha
• Monks, Nuns and Lay Buddhists
  

Sigma

 

•  Religious Worship in 4 different religions
•  Rites of Passage in 4 different religions
•  Festivals in 4 different religions
•  Jesus’ teaching on wealth and poverty
•  Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation
• Case study – Rwanda
  

Classics

Set 1

• Trial Examination
• The Pluperfect tense
• Demonstrative pronouns
• possum
• is, ea, id
• Possessive adjectives
• 3rd declension adjectives
• Analysis of parts of speech
• Comprehension & translation practice
• Level 2 vocabulary learning
• Background topic

Set 2

• Trial Examination
• Revision of adjectives
• The Perfect tense
• Analysis of parts of speech
• Comprehension & translation practice
• Level 1 vocabulary learning
• Background topic
  
  

ΣLatin

• More about participles
• More passive tenses
• Purpose clauses
• Indirect commands
• Indirect statements
• Deponent verbs
• Vocabulary learning
  
  

ΣGreek

• The Aorist
• 1st & 2nd declension adjectives
• The Perfect tense
• The Pluperfect tense
• The Infinitive
• The Imperative
• αυτος
• 3rd declension nouns
• Syllabic and temporal augments
• Numerals
• Expressions of time
• Vocabulary learning
  

 

Art

• Themed still life.
• The study of Impressionism, especially pointillism.
• Clay work using texture

 

Music

• Digital recording using a live microphone directly onto CD-ROM.
• Manipulation of recorded sound – to slow it down or to speed it up.
• Recording, typing, printing and performance of individual compositions.
• Typing and recording of individual compositions.

 

Design Technology

Structures
Design and make a unit of storage that incorporates at least one halving joint.

Sigma
Free Choice

 

Drama

Forum Theatre

• Script formatting and creation for ‘Play-in-a-Week’

 

P.E.

• Squash- All basic shots covered. Tactics. Scoring and match play.
• Basketball – Passing, catching, dribbling, shooting, tactics and match play.
• Badminton – Singles and doubles matches.

 

Boys' Games

• Football – 11 – a – side game (cont with Yr 7)
  Skill developed – turns, step-overs, Developed team tactics and strategies. Attacking and defending as a team. Possession work and closing down. Self analysis, reciprocal teaching, ICT use. Refereeing and coaching
• Hockey
  Self analysis of performances and development of skills as individuals, team members and as observers. Coaching and refereeing.

 

Girls' Games

• Netball
  Decision making. Design own passes. Video analysis. Set moves.
• Tennis
  Doubles and singles tactics. Ladder match play

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Summer Term

 

English

Review, as judged appropriate, of CE syllabus requirements
Practice papers

Sigma

• Selecting your material
• Planning review

Post Exam

• Poetry workshop Selection of material and production of Scripta Legenda

 

Maths

• CE Revision
• Exam practiceLeavers Programme

 

Science

Revision through revisitng, reinforcing and extending topics covered previously.

 

French

Topics

 

• Revise Holidays and holiday activities
• Shopping and Money
• Food and clothes vocabulary
• Visiting a tourist office
• Using public transport in France
• Introduction to the past tense
• Work on past papers.

 

Grammar and Syntax

 

• The past tense
• Sentence construction
• Revision of all grammar and vocabulary learnt during the course
• Preparation for oral and written exams

 

 

Sigma

• Intensive practice with past papers
• Grammar exercises
• Essay writing
• Comprehension
• Practice with oral and listening exercises

 

History

• James II, the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobites.
• Government. An overview of changes 1500-1689.
• Preparation and revision for Common Entrance Examination

Sigma will broadly follow the course content as outlined above, but as Scholarship examinations occur earlier than Common Entrance, there will be imes during the early Spring Term where we will examine the differing requirements of various scholarship papers as preparation. Also, there will be sessions where we will address past scholarship essay questions directly. It is also my hope to enter as many individuals from Sigma as possible to the Townsend Warner History Competition in January 2007 as I believe the demands of this competition will also help prepare this group for possible scholarship examinations.

 

Geography

Aim: to review the syllabus and fill in any gaps that pupils may have. This is also a good opportunity to consolidate what has been covered.

 

R.S.

Revision programme

Please note that some topics may change if they come up in the January CE paper.

Sigma

• The Crucifixion of Jesus
• Martyrdom
• Sacrifice
• Case study of a contemporary martyr

• The Resurrection of Jesus

 

Classics

Set 1

• Final completion of Level 2 syllabus
• Revision and practice papers
  
  

Set 2

• Final completion of Level 1 syllabus
• Revision and practice papers

Σ LATIN

• Final round of scholarship preparation
• Individual and group post-scholarship projects
  

Σ GREEK

• Final round of scholarship preparation
• Individual and group post-scholarship projects
  

Art

• Looking at work of a significant living artist
• Still life techniques in different media
• Further clay techniques looking at slipware and glazes

 

Music

• Introduction to "The Orchestra” educational software
• Preparation of material for the Leavers’ Concert
• Performance – Leavers’ Concert

 

Design Technology

Free choice

Sigma

ICT in DT - Design and make a short animated film using stop-motion and i-movie

 

Drama

• Completion of scripts for ‘Play-in-a-week’

 

P.E.

• Swimming
  Time Trials. Fitness. Relay Practice. Water Polo.
• Tennis
  Development of Spin. Serve and Volley. Matches.
• Athletics
  Revision of Track and Field Events. Recording of Results.

 

Boys' Games

• Cricket continued with Year 7
  Bowling – attack and defence
  Fielding – wicket keeping – standing up and how to move in a game
  Overs matches/declaration games/competitions/ tournaments/tours (where possible) Self-analysis and evaluationUmpiring and coaching
• Athletics
  Full programme of events developed. Long distance and short distance. All throwing and jumping events (weights change through years). Competitions and events.
• Tennis
  Developing all aspects of the game and to use knowledge and skills to coach, evaluate and improve own and others performances

 

Girls' Games

• Rounders – Plan and implement strategies. Batting and Bowling Technique. Skill circuit.
• Tennis – Practice for school matches.
• Athletics – All Track and field safety and techniques.

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