Year 8
The Year 8 curriculum for 2021-22 will be as follows, delivered across a two week timetable in three 100 minute lessons per day:
| English | Maths | Science | PE | MFL | Humanities | Computing | Technology | Art | Performing
Arts |
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
The Year 8 curriculum was praised by Ofsted for being broad, ambitious and demanding. It is designed to ensure that all students gain the necessary knowledge, experiences and skills to become curious, reflective and resilient learners who are ready to reach their potential in a complex, rapidly changing world. Through our curriculum we take pride in all that we do, respect the thoughts, beliefs and personal qualities of others and seek to be the best we can be both personally and academically.
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 and KS3 curriculum that were caused due to periods of school closures in Year 6 and Year 7.
What will all students learn in Year 8?
| English
Unit 1: Comparing political speeches (Martin Luther King and Barack Obama or Colonel Tim Collins and Winston Churchill) Unit 2: Love poetry (seen and unseen poems) Unit 3: Narrative writing (novel openings including pre 20th century literature) Unit 4: Play (Philip Pullman’s stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) Unit 5: Novel (race and prejudice) |
Maths
Half-term 1: Sets 1&2: Factors and powers; Working with Powers. Sets 3&4: Number; Area and Volume Half-term 2: Sets 1&2: 2D shapes and 3D solids; Real life graphs. Sets 3&4: Expressions and Equations; Real life graphs Half-term 3: Sets 1 & 2: Transformations; Fractions, Decimals and Percentages. Sets 3&4: Decimals and Ratio; Lines and Angles. Half-term 4: Sets 1&2: Constructions and Loci. Sets 3&4: Calculating with fractions Half-term 5: Sets 1&2: Probability; Scale Drawings and Measure. Sets 3&4: Straight line graphs; Percentages, decimals and fractions Half-term 6: Sets 1&2: Graphs. Sets 3&4: Statistics, graphs and charts |
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| Science
Unit 1: Which forces make objects float, sink or cause damage? Unit 2: How do cells get energy and how do plants grow? Unit 3: What happens when substances warm up and cool down? Unit 4: What are light and sound and how are they different? Unit 5: What are the different types of chemical reactions? Unit 6: How do organ systems work ? Unit 7: How do magnets work and what can they be used for? Unit 8: How can using the earth’s resources affect our atmosphere and cause pollution? Unit 9: How do we arrange the elements in the periodic table? Unit 10: How did life evolve from single cells? |
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: The making of the UK (Tudors and Stuarts) Unit 2: Mysteries of the new world Unit 3: Sugar, empire and slavery Unit 4: The Holocaust Unit 5: Crime and punishment in Whitechapel Unit 6: Women’s rights |
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: Climate Change Unit 2: The Equator Unit 3: Antarctica Unit 4: Challenges facing the UK Unit 5: India Unit 6: Enquiry into the community of Wallsend |
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| Religious Studies
Across these units, students will learn the key beliefs and practices of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism as well as considering their responses to philosophical and ethical dilemmas
Unit 1: How do religious people express themselves? Unit 2: Why is there evil in the world? Unit 3: Why is life so special? Unit 4: Do animals have rights? Unit 5: How do religious people celebrate? Unit 6: What has religion got to do with gender and sexuality? |
Modern Foreign Languages
Spanish
French
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Computing
Unit 1: Computing systems: hardware and software Unit 2: Data science Unit 3: Databases (data handling) Unit 4: Programming: Microbit and Python Unit 5: Graphic products / Photoshop Unit 6: Introduction to networks |
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| Art
Topic 1: Pop Art: designing, repeat patterns, watercolour, oil pastels and related artists Topic 2: Insects: observation drawings, peer critique, collage, wire modelling and watercolour Topic 3: Traditional drawing skills and graphic communication Topic 4: Portraiture: human features with a focus on proportion and scale Topic 5: Formal elements: exploring the formal elements of art visually in a range of media. Topic 6: 3D relief: cardboard heads and artist study |
Technology
Resistant Materials
Art: Textiles
Food Technology
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PE
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Performing Arts: Music
Over the course of the year, students will develop their skills in musical theory, performance and composition
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Performing Arts: Drama
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