Year 7

The Year 7 curriculum for 2024-25 will be as follows, delivered across a two week timetable in three 100 minute lessons per day:

English 6 lessons	Maths 6 lessons	Science 5 lessons
PE 2 lessons	French 1 lesson	Spanish 1 lesson
History 1 lesson	Geography 1 lesson	Religious Studies 1 lesson
Computing 1 lesson	Technology 2 lessons covering food, textiles and resistant materials
Art 1 lesson	Music 1 lesson	Drama 1 lesson

The Year 7 curriculum was praised by Ofsted for being broad, ambitious and demanding. It is designed to ensure that all students gain the necessary knowledge, character and skills to be successful in life. 

More detail about what students will learn in each subject can be found below. All teachers, in particular English and maths teachers, will ensure that they address any gaps in essential knowledge and skills from the KS2 curriculum that were caused due to periods of school closures in primary school. 

What will all students learn in Year 7?

English

Unit 1: Modern short stories (taken from AQA’s Telling Tales anthology)

Unit 2: Shakespeare (Othello or King Lear)

Unit 3: Novel (Sweep, The Bone Sparrow or Revolver)

Unit 4: War poetry

Unit 5: Myths and legends and murder mystery

Fortnightly lessons of P4C (Philosophy for Children)

Maths

Autumn term: analysing and displaying data; number skills and calculation methods; expressions, functions and formulae; fractions; decimals and measures

Spring term: angles and shapes; probability; equations; ratio and proportion

Summer term: multiplicative reasoning; perimeter, area and volume; lines and angles; sequences and graphs; transformations

Science

Alongside these topics, students will also learn practical science skills including lab safety skills:

Unit 1: What makes up our universe?

Unit 2: What are cells and organs?

Unit 3: How does energy transfer between materials?

Unit 4 How do we inherit our features like eye and hair colour?

Unit 5: What is everything made of? (atoms, elements, compounds and mixtures)

Unit 6: How do animals and plants rely on each other through ecosystems, food chains and food webs?

Unit 7: What is electricity and how does it work?

Unit 8: How do we know chemical reactions are happening?

Unit 9: Which forces keep us on the ground and make objects change speed?

PE

• Table tennis
• Hockey
• Netball 
• Badminton 
• Volleyball
• Tag rugby
• Basketball 
• Handball 
• Fitness suite 
• Gymnastics 
• Netball 
• Athletics
• Summer games
• Team-building

French

Updates coming September 2024

Spanish

Updates coming September 2024

History

In all units, students will learn how to make chronological and thematic links, assess change and continuity, evaluate significance, and analyse and evaluate primary and secondary evidence, including different interpretations:

Unit 1: Industrial revolution (local study)

Unit 2: The Norman Conquest

Unit 3: Mediaeval Britain

Unit 4: World empires: Mongolian, Persian and African kingdoms

Unit 5: Medicine through time

Unit 6: The wars of the roses

Geography

In all units, students will learn map skills (including OS maps and compass directions) numerical skills including data analysis, how to analyse graphs and how to use case studies and carry out investigations.

Unit 1: Exploring the UK

Unit 2: Rivers

Unit 3: Tectonic Hazards

Unit 4: Energy

Unit 5: Weather

Unit 6: Enquiry into the school’s microclimate

Religious Studies

Across these units, students will learn the key beliefs and practices of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhi, Buddhism and Hinduism as well as considering their responses to philosophical and ethical dilemmas.

Unit 1: What is God?

Unit 2: Who makes the rules?

Unit 3: How do we know what’s true?

Unit 4: Who owns the world?

Unit 5: How does religion give people a sense of belonging?

Computing

Unit 1: Staying safe online and the basics of the G-suite (Logging on; password security; writing a letter; creating a presentation; social media and cyberbullying)

Unit 2: Programming with Scratch (Sequencing; iteration; variables; making a project; Lego Spike)

Unit 3: Data modelling (Quick calculations; data modelling and filtering; formulae and functions; conditional formatting; averages, IF statements and VLookups; using charts and graphs)

Technology

Resistant materials

• MDF and its impact on the environment. The use of MDF to create a peg creature using specialist hand tools (coping saw, mental files, vice) Understanding of the design process from design brief to product analysis and creation of a final product.
• The use of plastic and its environmental impact with a focus on single use plastics, reducing, re-using and recycling. A final product made from a reusable plastic where isometric drawing is used to create the design ideas and then developed to a final piece (acrylic stand of choice: headphones, phones, makeup) 
• The aesthetics of the design is using inspiration from architect Norman Foster

Textiles

• An introduction to basic sewing skills, including a range of hand-sewing techniques and the use of the sewing machine. Sewing skills are used to create a final piece inspired by textiles artist Rachel Parker.
• An art/textiles collaboration using inspiration from designer Alexander McQueen and textiles artist Elizabeth Powel. The inspiration gained is used to develop a piece of fabric artwork that has its pattern cut by hand and embellished using a range of decorative hand embroidery stitches, applique shapes and decorative components.

Food technology

• Basic food safety and hygiene with links to science
• Healthy Eating
• Basic knife skills (fruit salad, coleslaw, couscous salad, soup, high fibre apple crumble) linking to seasonal fruits
• Sensory evaluative skills
• Basic cake-making methods (scones, flapjacks, melting moments and cupcakes)
• Food science investigation – fats
• Health conditions related to an unhealthy diet

Art

Unit 1: Graphics. A visual graphics page of technical drawing skills with a growth mindset focus.

Unit 2: Art history portrait. The study of past and present artists to use as inspiration for new, collage-based artworks.

Unit 3: Colour theory. Colour mixing, technical terms and how to create tonal value in different media.

Unit 4: Drawing skills. Focusing on local heritage, students will learn how to apply shadow in tonal pencil and mark making in biro.

Unit 5: Crafts. Students explore wire manipulation and tissue moulding to create poppies for Remembrance day.

Unit 6: Artist pages. A study of Dean Russo, Minty Sainsbury, Erica Dal Maso and Alfred Basha. Analytical skills and zentangle portraits. An imaginative final piece where students produce their own creative art inspired by the four artists.

Unit 7: 3D Surrealism creature. Taking inspiration from various art movements and cultures, students will use a range of art techniques to create parts of a creature. This will then be assembled using 3D methods.

Unit 8: Collaborative design. Students will experience the world of the design industry by working collaboratively on motivational artworks. Students will plan, pitch and and learn the theory of logo evolution to apply to their works.

Music

Over the course of the year, students will develop their skills in musical theory through listening to music, performing and composing. 

• Describing elements of music and appraise music through listening
• Composing simple musical ideas using keyboards and computer software
• Perform simple pieces and patterns using keyboards, ukuleles and djembe drums in an ensemble and as a solo 
  • Unit 1: Building bricks of music and keyboard skills
  • Unit 2: Rhythm of the world
  • Unit 3: Careers – Composer (music technology), performer (ukulele), music promoter  
  • Unit 4: Programme music 
  • Unit 5: Folk music around the world

Drama

• Creating a character and script-writing
• Devising based on a theme (Christmas)
• Characterisation through rehearsal: monologues
• Character development 
• Performing arts careers and interviews
• Using a script
• Treasure Island
• Rehearsing in role
• Roald Dahl adapted to stage
• Acting styles: Naturalistic, comedic and dramatic