What Your Child Will Be Learning In

What your child will be learning in

Year 7

Parental Guide to the KS3 Curriculum 2012-2013

Dear Parents

The purpose of this booklet is to inform you of what your child will be learning this year. We hope you will find it useful.

In addition to the timetabled curriculum, your child will have many opportunities to get involved in extra-curricular activities, which we believe will enrich and broaden their overall learning experience.

If you have any questions about the overall curriculum, or anything contained in this booklet, please contact: Andrew Mead, Deputy Headteacher (phone: 01258 451121 ext. 213, or e-mail: ). For questions regarding individual subject content, please contact the staff listed below:

Subject / KS3 Co-ordinator / E-mail address
English / Miss F. Biggs /
Maths / Mr J. Payne /
Science / Rev. T. Meachin /
Art / Mrs G. Amey /
Dance / Miss C. Kelly /
Design & Technology / Mr N. Pinch /
Drama / Mrs B. Mutimer /
French / Ms. D. Tregaskis /
Geography / Mrs J. Allan /
History / Mr S Bailey /
ICT / Mrs K. Tylor /
Music / Mrs N. Fulker /
PE / Miss S. Gay /
PSRE / Mr S Harrow /

Head of Year: Ms E Davidson ()

Deputy Headteacher: Mr A Mead ()

The Blandford School

Key Stage 3 Curriculum2012-2013

Year 7

What your child will be learning in:

English

Autumn Term:

• Interviews
• Autobiographical writing
• Developing writing skills
• Novel - 'Holes'or 'Two Weeks with the Queen'

Spring Term:

• Poetry - Words and Images
• Novel - 'Holes' or 'Two Weeks with the Queen'

Summer Term

• Introduction to Shakespeare - 'Twelfth Night'
• Media: The Language of Advertising

Maths

Autumn Term

• Sequences
• Integers and Decimals
• Area , Volume and Nets
• Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
• Handling Data & Probability
• Equations, Expressions + Formula

Spring Term

• Lines, Angles, Shape & Coordinates
• Collect, Represent + Analyse data
• Integers and Decimals
• Linear Functions & Graphs
• Constructions
• Ratio & Proportion
• Solving Equations

Summer Term

• Transformations
• Averages, Charts & Comparing Data
• Number Review
• Algebra Review
• Shape Review

For further support in Maths, students can use Maths Watch. Links to this are given at the bottom of the maths page in Frog on the school’s website. This contains video clips explaining how to do mathematics as well as worksheets. Students beyond KS3 level 5 should use the clips and worksheets for the lower GCSE levels.

Science

(Rotation of these topics)

• Tissues and transplants
• Sex and Science
• Ecology matters
• Classified
• Acids and Alkalis
• Bubbles, bangs and burning
• What a waste!
• Materials from the Earth
• Energy and sustainable living
• Electrical Circuits
• Forces and their Effects
• Solar System and Beyond

Art

First Steps – Dry Media

• Observational drawings of footwear
• Exploring markmaking
• Exploring a variety of media like; pencil crayon, charcoal, felt pens, pencil
• Investigating how other artists create marks on their works. This includes; Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Georges Seurat.
• Student evaluation of their learning.

Medieval Art – 3D Clay

• Questioning our cultural heritage.
• Why is it so important?
• Investigating Church architecture
• Portraiture and how to create form in a drawing
• Developing an idea for a gargoyle
• Students will then make a gargoyle in clay looking at texture, modelling, forming, impressing and other clay techniques.
• Student evaluation of their learning

Personal Learning Task – TOYS

• This is a project that the students will investigate and develop themselves following a given recipe;
• Students will find an artist who has worked with their chosen subject matter. Gathering information about that artist and making copies of their work. This helps the students understand how the artist has used texture, detail, colour, form, tones in their work, so that the students can use this in their own final piece of work. During this exploration students will also try a variety of media in developing their knowledge of what will work together.
• Students will then gather visual information from drawings, photographs and secondary images exploring and understanding their chosen subject matter.
• Developing two ideas the students will then choose one to develop into their final piece. Students will reflect on and use their artist research so that it informs them in their final piece of work.
• Final piece of work based on their chosen subject matter.
• Student evaluation of their learning

Pop Art

• Five minutes of fame; becoming an icon.
• Turning an image of themselves into an Andy Warhol or Julian Opie portrait

Design and Technology

(Carousel of topics)

Electronic Products / Food Technology / Product Design / Textiles technology
Heat sensor / Healthy Eating / Mechanical Monster / Green Shopping bag
Investigation of basic electronics and making of a heat sensing device / Research into and designing and making healthy meals / Investigations into motions and making of a cam and follower / Environmentally friendly shopping bag

French

Autumn Term

• Personal identification information
• Talking about family and pets
• Talking about where you live
• Telling the time
• Christmas traditions in France

Spring Term

• Talking about places in town
• Buying things in a café
• Discussing your daily routine
• Talking about school
• Easter traditions in France

Summer Term

• Freetime activities
• Use of key verbs
• Work on topical sporting events

Geography

Autumn Term

Introduction to Geography

What are Settlements?

• Mapskills start to be introduced

Spring Term

• Understanding weather and climate

Ecosystems

• Looking After Special Places

Summer Term

• Rivers and Flooding
• A Development Issue- Ghana an LEDC

History

Autumn Term

• What is History?
• Mystery of the Skeletons
• A quick history of Britain before 1066

• The Roman Empire
• Was Hannibal a good leader?
• Why did the Romans want an Empire?
• Roman Army Enquiry
• The Norman conquest 1066

• Claims to the English throne
• Strengths of Norman and Saxon armies
• Battle of Hastings

Spring Term

• How did William gain control of England?
• Battle of Hastings
• Castles
• Feudal system
• What was life like in a Medieval village?
• Ordinary Life- Group ICT/ research task:

Fun/Homes/Farming/Towns/Travel/Keeping clean/Sickness/Punishments/Freedom/Religion

• Who Rules?
• Crown Versus Church- Thomas Beckett
• Crown versus State- King John and the Barons

Summer Term

• Rats or Rebels? Which was more significant?
• How did the Black Death change Allton?
• Were the rebels heroes or villains
• How religious were people in the Middle Ages?
• Who and What were pilgrims?
• Why did Henry break away from Rome?
• Why did Henry close down the monasteries?
• A quick history of weapons and armour

ICT

Autumn Term

• Presentations and use of the internet
• E-safety

Spring Term

• Desktop publishing and podcasting
• Financial modelling

Summer Term

• Databases
• Sequencing instructions and computer games

Music

Autumn Term

• Exploring Music & Listening

Formal / Composing
Listening
Informal / Performing
Singing
Improvising
Understanding

• Voices In Layers

Formal / Performing
Informal / Composing
Singing
Improvising
Understanding

Spring Term

• Beat It! Percussion Mix

Formal / Composing
Informal / Performing
Singing
Improvising
Understanding

Summer Term

• Ragtime

Formal / Composing
Informal / Performing
Singing
Improvising
Understanding

• Solo Performance

Formal / Performing Solo
Informal / Understanding
Listening

Students are encouraged to use instruments that they learn inside and outside of school in their lessons

Performing Arts

The emphasis in Performing Arts at key stage three is on fun and creativity. Designed to improve skill level and self-esteem; the curriculum leads pupils in creating works that develop their performance and evaluation skills.

Autumn Term:

• Drama skillsLaying Foundations: Students are given a toolbox to create their own devised performance.
• Movement, tension and production values ‘Thriller’: A practical study of the performance and production elements of Michael Jackson’s classic music video.

Spring Term:

• Performance in different times and cultures: A history of theatrical performance in Britain.
• Practice and technique ‘Street Culture’: A practical experience in street dance and pop culture.

Summer Term:

• Improvisation from text: A series of improvisation workshops
• Performance in different times and cultures: Noh Theatre and Japanese performance culture.

PE

• Rugby (Boys) / Netball (Girls)
• Problem Solving
• Net/Wall games (e.g. badminton/volleyball)
• Gymnastics
• Invasion games (e.g. basketball/football)
• Fitness
• Athletics
• Striking/Fielding games (e.g. cricket/rounders)

Assessment in PE:

In each year, students are assessed across 6 abilities. Their final assessment level is an average attainment across each of these. The 6 abilities are:

1)Physical – skills associated with individual sports and ability to transfer skills between sports

2)Health – Knowledge of health and fitness components

3)Cognitive – ability to think tactically and identify strengths and weaknesses in performance

4)Personal – how students persevere with challenging tasks and their ability to recognise the level at which they are working

5)Social – their ability to work effectively as part of a team and to develop leadership skills

6)Creative – pupils ability to create and choreograph performances and to think imaginatively

Across the key stage, pupils will be assessed in a different activity area for each ability e.g.Personal: Y7 Basketball. We would expect most students in Y7 to achieve at level 4b by the end of the academic year.

PSRE

We follow the Dorset Agreed Syllabus for KS3 in Year 7 and Year 8.

The following is an outline of the topics we study; as you will notice, we cover Christianity, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism in Year 7 and 8, then in Year 9 we focus on Christianity and Buddhism.

Autumn Term

• What is RE
• Religious Environment (Christianity and Hinduism)
• Sex and Relationship Education
• Buddhism and Suffering

Spring Term

• Life of Guru Nanak
• Life of Jesus

Summer Term

• Life after Death (Christian, Hindu and Humanist)
• Drugs Education

Year 7 Religious Education topics:

1. What does justice mean for Christians?:

• What is “Justice” and how did Jesus show justice?
• Jesus’ teachings which show how justice should be put into action
• Putting belief about justice into practice: Desmond Tutu
• An example of injustice: El Salvadore and Archbishop Oscar Romero
• Changing injustice to justice: Maria

1. The Environment:

• Ways we damage or protect the environment
• Why religions value the environment
• Putting belief into practice: What religions do to value the environment
• Creation Stories: Comparing Christian and Hindu Creation accounts
• Analysis belief and practice: Use of animals in farming and experimentation

1. Buddhism and Suffering

• Life of the Buddha
• The Four Sights of the Buddha
• What is the purpose and effect of suffering?
• Different types and causes of suffering: Natural/Human, Emotional, Physical, Psychological
• Buddhist responses to suffering: The Four Noble Truths
• Christian responses to suffering: Job, test of faith, punishment, trust in God

1. The Stories of Guru Nanak

• Who was Guru Nanak: Introduction to Sikhism
• What is spirituality? Guru Nanak Lost in the River
• Role Play Stories of Guru Nanak
• How stories of Guru Nanak show meaning
• How stories of Guru Nanak influence Sikh practice

1. Life After Death

• What does it mean to die
• What do Christians believe about death?
• How does Christian belief affect practice? Looking at Funeral customs
• What do Humanists believe about death and how does this affect their funeral customs?
• Is it ok to create a “LifeGem” from human ashes?

1. Narrative Theology

• How Christians use stories in the bible
• Story of turning water into wine:
• Story of the nativity
• Story of David and Goliath

Year 7 Homework Timetable 2012-2013

Students at The Blandford School are encouraged to become independent learners. We believe homework supports this. If, for any reason, homework is not set, students are encouraged to spend their ‘homework time’ reading or undertaking activities on our VLE (FROG) or other excellent subject-specific websites (to which your teachers will direct you).

Week A / L1 / L2 / L3 / R1 / R2 / R3
Monday / Maths
French/Ls
English / Maths
French/Ls
Music / Maths
French/Ls / Maths
Science / Maths
Art
Science / Maths
Tuesday / Science
Geography / Science
Geography / English History / Design / Design
History / Design
Science
Wednesday / Design / Design
English
Performing Arts / Design / Science
Performing Arts
English / Performing Arts / History
ICT
English
Thursday / History / History / Science / History
RE / English
Geography / Geography Performing Arts
Friday / Maths
English / Maths
Science / Maths
English
Geography / Maths
Fr/Ls / Maths
Fr/Ls
Science / Maths
Fr/Ls
RE
Week B / L1 / L2 / L3 / R1 / R2 / R3
Monday / Maths
French/Ls
Science / Maths
French/Ls
English / Maths
French/Ls
Performing Arts / History
English / ICT / Art
Science
English
Tuesday / RE
Music / Science / History
RE
Music / Maths
Art / Maths
History / Maths
Wednesday / Performing Arts
ICT / Geography / English
Science / Design
Geography
ICT / Design
Music
English / Design History
English
Thursday / English
Geography
History / English
History
RE / Geography
ICT / Science
Music / Science
RE / Music
Science
Geography
Friday / Maths
Design
Science / Maths
Design
ICT / Maths
Design
Science / Maths
Fr/Ls
English / Maths
Fr/Ls
English
Geography / Maths
Fr/Ls