KS3 Foundation Curriculum- Years 7/8

In the Lower School we provide all students with a broad education through a wide range of subjects. As well as a programme in Personal and Social Development (PSD), students study the following subjects: Art & Design, Computing, Dance, Drama, English, Food & Nutrition, French, Geography, History, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education, Science and Spanish. In all years they receive information and advice on which to base their choice of courses for the future.

Year 7

Art & Design

Year 7 – Skills

Term 1 & 2: Foundation course that leads to controlled application and understanding of the formal elements.

Carefully designed & guided practice, with an emphasis on: –Challenging perceptions about the world/what art is etc.

Developing confidence, key skills, experimentation and expression.
Using & understanding the formal Art & Design elements.

Line
Tone
Colour
Texture
Pattern
Shape
Form
Composition

Developing & utilising the skill of critical self-reflection & motivation to nurture self-reliance & resilience

Terms 3 to 6 Exploring the theme

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Experiential/object/subject/concept/theme-based learning: Encourage learners to use all their senses – especially touch, sight and smell.

Computing

Year 7 – Skills

Operation of technology
Identifying risks
Reporting
Staying safe
Organisation skills
Printing
Saving
Storing
Searching
Recall
Independence
Making links
Analysis
Abstraction
Evaluation

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Risks
Safety measures
How to report
How computers work
Hardware and processing
How to use computers
Data & Data Representation
Communication & Networks
Binary
Use of binary in coms and images
Web page creation > HTML, CSS, Javascript
3d design
Concept of programming

Dance

Year 7 – Skills

Performance:

Physical – Balance, Control, Coordination, Extension, Flexibility, Isolation, Mobility, Posture and Stamina.
Technical – Rhythm and Timing.
Expressive – Facial expression, Focus, Musicality, Projection, Sensitivity and Spatial awareness.

Choreography:

Action
Space
Dynamics
Relationships
Transitions
Tableaux
Contrast
Unity

Appreciation:

Describe
Analyse

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Physical skills
Technical skills
Expressive skills
Choreography skills
Nutcracker – subject matter
Guernica – bombing and impacts
ZooNation – set up of Hip-Hop dance company
Dance styles – history and their place in society

Drama

Year 7 – Skills

Line learning, Interpreting a Script, Interpreting stimuli, Terminology, Research, Social/ group work.
Performance skills/conventions, commitment, projection, clarity, intonation, emotional commitment, Sustaining role, analysis & evaluate, Negotiate and work in a team.
Think of an individual – what makes them successful?

Term 1 Basic Acting

Basic Acting
Girl & the Snake
Conventions
All schemes
Storytelling

A 7S/7M student looks like:
Projects voice clearly
Experiments (not always sustains) pitch, pace, etc
Experiments (not always sustains physical skills)
Use basic conventions (still image, thought track, split stage, narration, mark the moment, mime)
Understanding of genre
Does not turn their back to the audience
Spatially aware (uses the stage)
Sustains a character
Basic knowledge key terminology
Shares thoughts/ verbal feedback (WWW/ EBI)
Basic understanding of the IDEAstructure

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Darkwood Manor – create an atmosphere
Use of terminology
Performance skills
Conventions
Considers African culture in the Girl & the Snake

English

Year 7 – Skills

Identify and select
Summary
Analysis
Creativity

Synthesis
Comparison
Evaluation
Planning
Structuring an argument / essay

Year 7 – Knowledge & Understanding

Literary and linguistic terminology for analysis
Reading strategies
Sentence variety and effect
Correct use of commas
Media terminology
Register
Poetic terminology
Forms of poetry: ballads, narrative poems, sonnets

Term 1: Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales
Term 2: Journeys
Term 3: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Term 4: Great writers: poetry
Term 5: Detective fiction
Term 6: ‘Skellig’

Food & Cookery

Year 7 – Skills

Back to Basics – Healthy Living

Health and Safety
Be able to work safely in the kitchen and follow appropriate food safety rules.
Follow set routines.
Nutrition & Health
Recognise the different sections of the Eatwell Guide and how it affects your health. To develop knowledge of nutrients found in food products.
Food Science
Introduction into food science with a mini experiment on the effects of enzymic browning. To be able to analyse the results of the investigation to prove or disprove a hypothesis.
Making and Technical Skills
Plan, prepare and cook a variety of dishes developing practical skills, independent working and using a variety of equipment and to be able to use the hob, grill and oven safely.
Analyse and Evaluate Food Products
Analyse the sensory properties of food products to suggest specific improvements. Evaluate the nutritional content of food products.

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Health, safety, and hygiene
Know how to work safely in the kitchen in terms of personal, kitchen and food safety.
Nutrition
Know the 5 nutrients.
Know the functions of the 3 main macro-nutrient groups.
Know and understand the Eatwell Guide.
Food Science
Introduction into the science behind the cooking of food.
Making and Technical Skills
To develop all skills to enable students to cook dishes that can be enjoyed by the whole family and to develop a love of food.

Geography

Year 7 – Skills

Interpretation of images
Atlas skills – Oceans, Continents, UK
Locating places & Longitude and latitude
OS Map Skills (1:25000) Grid references (6 & 4), symbols, scales and contours
Use of satellite images
Constructing and analysing graphs eg. Population pyramids/bi polar
Statistical analysis – mode, median, mean & range
Interpreting models, transects and photographs
Fieldwork skills – drawing/sketching and annotations.
Planning geographical enquiries, recording primary data and secondary data etc.
Use of quantitative and qualitative data
Interpretation of physical landscapes and cityscapes
Literacy and numeracy skills

Assessment Opportunities:
Every test will be modelled on the AQA GCSE format – i.e. short answer, multi choice, use of diagrams, extended answers and a long answer that includes multiple tasks.

Most topics will be assessed with a written test, some will be assessed through presentations (continents and sustainable shopping centres). Fieldwork write up will also follow the general format, just not as detailed as KS4/5.

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Geographical enquiry processes
Understanding of human and physical geographical
UK – human and physical landscape
Understanding in more detail the continents, students will work in groups focusing on a particular continent and present to the class.
Out of town shopping centres – factors influencing location, impact of developments, changing in shopping over time.
Sustainable shopping centres – shopping centres of the future based on the principals of sustainability.
Climate change (new topic, that will link with sustainability). Students will understand the causes of the problems our planet faces and how we can adapt to a changing world.
Environmental issues – focus on an issue that is relevant currently (oceans/over-fishing and impacts).
Topical lessons – Geography in the news – when relevant during each topic.

Graphics

Year 7 – Skills

Term 1 & 2: Foundation course that leads to controlled application and understanding of the formal elements.

Carefully designed & guided practice, with an emphasis on: –Challenging perceptions about the world/what art is etc.

Developing confidence, key skills, experimentation and expression.
Using & understanding the formal Art & Design elements.

Line
Tone
Colour
Texture
Pattern
Shape
Form
Composition

Developing & utilising the skill of critical self-reflection & motivation to nurture self-reliance & resilience

Terms 3 to 6 Exploring the theme

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Experiential/object/subject/concept/theme-based learning: Encourage learners to use all their senses – especially touch, sight and smell.

History

Year 7 – Skills

Understanding Chronology
Factual retention and retrieval
Source evaluation
Investigation and research
Extended writing
Developing a subject specific literacy bank
Reading and using contemporary material
Understanding cause and consequence
Explaining significance
Analysing source material
Understanding change and continuity

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Topic 1 – Pre-1066
Topic 2 – 1066 BoH and Consolidation of Power
Topic 3 – Medieval Life – Religion – case study Becket Begin with timeline activity. Black Death link MTT
Topic 4 – Migration

Languages

Year 7 – Skills

At KS3, we are using the approach developed by Dr Gianfranco Conti: Extensive Processing Instruction (E.P.I). It prioritises the teaching of chunks from communicative functions over the teaching of single words and traditional grammar. This pedagogical cycle allows students to achieve fluency and spontaneity by going through the MARS EARS sequence:

Modelling & Awareness: present the target language chunks and patterns
Receptive processing phase: comprehensible input, thorough processing and input flooding – lots of repetition.
Structured Production: intensive retrieval practice phase. Highly structured forced-controlled – output tasks which recycle chunks just seen and previous ones.
Expansion*
Autonomy*
Routinisation*
Spontaneity*

*Planned communicative tasks – less controlled
*Explicit grammar teaching

The EPI approach allows teaching to develop fluency in all 4 skills through engaging and enjoyable tasks.

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Personal information
School

Maths

Year 7 – Skills

Answers in correct magnitude (money, time weight etc)
Reasoning questions

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Analysing and displaying data
Number skills
Expressions, functions and formulae
Decimals and measures
Fractions and percentages
Probability
Ratio and proportion
Lines and angles
Sequences and graphs
Transformations

Music

Year 7 – Skills

Performing

Pitch, tuning and rhythm are mostly accurate.
The Performance shows evidence of expression and use of stylistic features.
There is an awareness of the tempo and pulse throughout.
Gives a confident performance.
Good breath control and posture encouraging good phrasing.
Performs an appropriately challenging part.
Gives a strong musical performance.
Demonstrates good ensemble skills.

Composing

Pupils arrange existing materials to produce pieces that:

Have elements of a chosen style.
Show some development of ideas.
Show evidence of the brief.
Are imaginative.
Use some melodic, harmonic and rhythmic devices appropriately.
Demonstrate some consideration of the musical elements.

Listening and Appraising

The musical elements are at the core of the musical skills. Students explore these through listening and analysis of all musical styles and genre thereby developing an awareness and understanding so that they can apply them, with increasing skill across the key stages, in practice with composition and performance.

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Refines own music after suitable reflection.
Discusses and critiques the music of others appropriately.
Communicates effectively with an audience.

Personal Development Learning (PDL)

Year 7 – Skills

Participation
Teamwork
Empathy
Reflection
Time management
Literacy

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Managing money
Charity
Values/British values
Relationships (friendships, bullying)
Healthy living (puberty, diet, exercise, smoking, hygiene, sleep, mental health)
Diversity & refugees/migration
Global awareness: Children’s Rights

Physical Education

Year 7 – Skills

FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICAL LITERACY.

Becoming literate in the success criteria for skills and rules in:

Netball
Trampolining
Gymnastics
Football
Hockey
Rounders
Athletics
Summer games
OAA

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Rules
To know the major rules of each sport and the consequences of breaking the rules.

Skills
To understand success in each sport and identify areas for self-development that would increase success rate.

Healthy Lifestyles
To be able to perform a safe warm-up and explain why warm-ups are so important.

Holistic
To understand that self-determination is to be celebrated with pride.

Religious Studies

Year 7 – Skills

Resilience
Self-evaluation
Target setting
Retrieval practice
Ordering information – Chronology
Linking beliefs – Similarities
Professional presentation of self and work

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Introduction to Worldviews

Insights into Dharmic religions

Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism

How are moral decisions made within a Dharmic framework?

Science

Year 7 – Skills

Knowledge recall (topic by topic).
Application basic principles
Concluding and evaluating, simple ideas
Mathematical, basic graphing, use of formula, means, fractions.
Practical, following instructions, using equipment safely, devising short experiments.

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

10 Big Ideas 1:
Earth
Ecosystems
Electromagnets
Energy
Forces
Genes
Matter
Organisms
Reactions
Waves

Textiles

Year 7 – Skills

2 Term Carousel: A range of Textile techniques and processes developing the skills and knowledge required to explore a theme.

Carefully designed & guided practice, with an emphasis on: –Challenging perceptions about the world/what Textiles is and how it is used in everyday life.

Developing confidence, key skills, experimentation and expression.
Using & understanding the formal Art & Design elements.

Line
Tone
Colour
Texture
Pattern
Shape
Form
Composition

Developing & utilising the skill of critical self-reflection & motivation to nurture self-reliance & resilience

Year 7 – Knowledge and Understanding

Experiential/object/subject/concept/theme-based learning: Encourage learners to use all their senses – especially touch, sight and smell.

Year 8

Art & Design

Year 8 – Skills

Term 1 & 2: Foundation course that relates to developing the skills required to explore a theme.

Extend guided practice, with an emphasis on further developing confidence, key skills, experimentation and expression. Using & understanding the formal Art & Design elements to at a higher level communicate visually.

Line
Tone
Colour
Texture
Pattern
Shape
Form
Composition

Developing the skills of research, exploration, experimentation, critical self-reflection & motivation to nurture resilience

Terms 3 to 6 Exploring the theme

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Refine/Expressive and Experiential approach/object/subject/concept/theme-based learning: Encourage learners to use all their senses – especially touch, sight and smell.

Further understanding of subject specific language.

Computing

Year 8 – Skills

Developing computational thinking
Software applications confidence
Self evaluation to criteria
Recall
Independence
Making links
Abstraction
Evaluation
Recommendation

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Computational thinking
Networks
Communication & Networks
Programming & Development
Images
Animation
Web dev
Gaming and entertainment uses
Client requirements
Systems for a specific purpose
Testing methods
Project management
Use of CAD for a client brief
Information Technology

Dance

Year 8 – Skills

Performance:

Physical – Alignment, Coordination, Extension, Flexibility, Isolation, Posture and Stamina.
Technical – Sense of Style and Timing.
Expressive – Communication of intent, Facial expression, Focus, Projection and Spatial awareness.

Choreography:

Action
Space
Dynamics
Relationships
Motif development (through action, space, dynamics and relationships)
Transitions
Structure
Choreographic intent

Appreciation:

Describe
Analyse
Interpret
Link to choreographic intent

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Physical skills
Technical skills
Expressive skills
Choreography skills
Dance in the movies – 6 x movies spanning 6 decades (1960 – present)
Street dance – history and stylistic features
Musical theatre – 6 x musicals spanning several decades
Contemporary – history and stylistic features
Choreographic intent

Drama

Year 8 – Skills

Our Day Out
Evacuees & Titanic & Protest
All schemes
Protest / Myths & Legends

A 8S/8M student looks like:
Projects clearly and confidently
Maintains their character
Experiments and sustains use of voice and physicality
Uses stage space more effectively (performs DS)
Uses conventions (Freeze frame, thought, split stage, narration, mark the moment, mime, cross cutting, monologue, forum theatre)
Understanding of style/ genre
Effectively uses basic key terminology
Give clear examples in both written and verbal feedback (how it can be improved/ effect on the audience)
Uses the IDEA structure

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Melodrama style
Titanic – social economic class
Use of terminology
Performance skills
Conventions
Our Day Out – considers class divide
Protests– considers prejudice and racism, social divide and women’s rights
Myths & Legends

English

Year 8 – Skills

Identify and select
Summary
Synthesis
Comparison
Creativity

Analysis
Structuring an argument / essay
Evaluation
Planning

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Wider range of comparatives and connectives
Full range of sentence types/structures
Comparative/superlative adjectives, concrete and abstract nouns, degrees of formality/informality, idiom
Passive and active voice
Rhetorical devices
Perspective and bias

Term 1: Malala
Term 2: Gothic fiction
Term 3: Other Cultures poetry
Term 4: Conflict
Term 5: Narrative writing
Term 6: ‘Animal Farm’

Food & Cookery

Year 8 – Skills

International Cuisine

Health and Safety
Food safety and the risks of food poisoning and how this links with the health and safety rules introduced in year 7. Cross Contamination and how to prevent.
Nutrition
Understand what constitutes a healthy breakfast and use the 8 government guidelines to produce a healthy breakfast with justifications.
Food provenance & Environmental Issues
To be able to explain why importing food from other parts of the world can impact the environment and to understand the origins of food and the use of seasonal produce
Food Science
Practical investigation into the functional and chemical properties of ingredients in cakes. Be able to state the function of ingredients in bread and pizza making.
Food choice
To be able to understand how healthy eating can affect our reasoning for food choices and its importance
Making and Technical Skills
Plan, prepare and cook and dish originating from international cuisine. Independent, research planning and skills. To present dishes to a good standard and develop presentation skills
Analyse and Evaluate Food Products
To further develop analysis and evaluating skills linked to the sensory properties of food with use of technical language.

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Health, safety, and hygiene
Introduce food safety rules and key temperatures and the prevention of food poisoning
Nutrition
To understand and be able to put into practice the eight government guidelines for healthy living by producing a healthy breakfast as a homework task
Food provenance
Understand how eating seasonal and local has a positive impact on the environment.
Know where food comes from and be able to make informed choices about food quality.
Food Science
To develop food science knowledge through investigating the ingredients in cakes and pizza dough.

Geography

Year 8 – Skills

Further development of atlas and map skills – specifically linked to designing your own country as they decide where it is located in the world.
Use of development data sets – using top trump cards to help them understand development indicators and evaluate how effective they are
Use of tectonic hazard data
Interpretation and creation of a wide range of graphs and maps, including choropleth graphs and climate graphs
Interpretation and annotation of photographs and cartoons
Construction of annotated landform diagrams – coasts
Decision making linked to tectonic hazards
Graph skills and describing changes of temp/CO2 regarding climate change
Fieldwork skills – drawing/sketching and annotations.
Planning geographical enquiries, recording primary data and secondary data etc..

Assessment Opportunities:

Every test will be modelled on the AQA GCSE format – i.e. short answer, multi choice, use of diagrams, extended answers and a long answer that includes multiple tasks. Each test will be completed after each topic.

Fieldwork write up will also follow the general format, just not as detailed as KS4/5.

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Tectonic hazard theory – plate margins and associated hazards; applied to specific examples & hazard management. Looking at examples of volcanoes and earthquakes. Link to Naples trip and what we saw.
Geography in the news – when relevant during each topic.
Out of town shopping centres – factors influencing location, impact of developments, changing in shopping over time.
Sustainable shopping centres – shopping centres of the future based on the principals of sustainability.
Climate change (new topic, that will link with sustainability). Students will understand the causes of the problems our planet faces and how we can adapt to a changing world.
Environmental issues- focus on an issue that is relevant currently (oceans/overfishing and impacts)

Some topics normally taught in Year 8 were taught to this year group in Year 7, to allow them the opportunity to complete Bluewater fieldwork and sustainable shopping centres, therefore some topics have been switched around.

Graphics

Year 8 – Skills

Term 1 & 2: Foundation course that relates to developing the skills required to explore a theme.

Line
Tone
Colour
Texture
Pattern
Shape
Form
Composition

Developing the skills of research, exploration, experimentation, critical self-reflection & motivation to nurture resilience

Terms 3 to 6 Exploring the theme

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Refine/Expressive and Experiential approach/object/subject/concept/theme-based learning: Encourage learners to use all their senses – especially touch, sight and smell.

Further understanding of subject specific language.

History

Year 8 – Skills

Year 8 Knowledge and Understanding

Topic 1 – Slavery
Topic 2 – British Empire
Topic 3 – Agriculture and Industrial Rev – Children in the Mill
Topic 4 – WWI causes – Haig on Trial

Languages

Year 8 – Skills

*Planned communicative tasks – less controlled
*Explicit grammar teaching

The EPI approach allows teaching to develop fluency in all 4 skills through engaging and enjoyable tasks.

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Personal information
Technology
Free time
Food
Sports
Daily Routine

Maths

Year 8 – Skills

Manipulate formula
Cross topic = approaching problems using different mathematical methods
Multi-step single topic problem solving

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Number
Area and volume Statistics, graphs and charts
Expressions and equations
Real-life graphs
Decimals and ratio
Lines and angles
Calculating with fractions
Straight-line graphs
Percentages, decimals and fractions

Music

Year 8 – Skills

Performing

Pitch, tuning and rhythm are mostly accurate.
The Performance shows evidence of expression and use of stylistic features.
There is full awareness of the tempo and pulse throughout.
Gives a strong and confident performance.
Good breath control and posture encouraging good phrasing.
Performs an appropriately challenging part.
Gives a strong musical performance.
Demonstrates good ensemble skills.

Composing

The piece has elements of a chosen style.
Shows some development of ideas.
Shows evidence of the brief.
Is imaginative.
Uses some melodic, harmonic and rhythmic devices appropriately.
Demonstrates consideration of the musical elements.

Listening and Appraising

The musical elements are at the core of the musical skills. Students explore these through listening and analysis of all musical styles and genre thereby developing an awareness and understanding so that they can apply them, with increasing skill across the key stages, in practice with composition and performance.

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Demonstrates creative responses to musical starting points.
Responds to the music of others in an appropriate fashion.
Discusses and critiques the music of others confidently.
Discusses and critiques own music confidently.
Uses appropriate musical terminology demonstrating a very good understanding.

Personal Development Learning (PDL)

Year 8 – Skills

Managing change
Resilience
Decision making
Participation
Teamwork
Self-care: self-esteem
Literacy

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Managing change
Political system, political parties, Parliament
Relationships – assertiveness and balance; sexuality
Safety – personal safety, first aid, sun safety
Anti-social behaviour: cause and consequences
Drugs: classes, categories, possession/supply, risk

Physical Education

PLAY BY THE RULES, PLAY TOGETHER, PLAY FAIR.

Learning appreciation for team success rather than individual success and identifying the skills needed to be a team player in:

Netball
Trampolining
Gymnastics
Football
Hockey
Rounders
Athletics
Summer games
OAA

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Rules
To know how to use team strategy within the rules of a sport.

Skills
To know different team based strategies in terms of team sports

Healthy Lifestyles
To be able to perform a safe warm-up and explain why warm-ups are so important

Holistic
To understand that self-determination is to be celebrated with pride.

Religious Studies

Year 8 – Skills

Resilience
Self-evaluation
Target setting
Building an argument
Using sources of wisdom and authority
Applying knowledge and belief to ethical situations
Professional presentation of self and work

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Sources of Wisdom and Authority within Islam and Christianity

Insights into Abrahamic religions

Judaism
Christianity
Islam

Jerusalem & Palestine

Places of National Significance

Science

Year 8 – Skills

Knowledge recall (topic by topic + year 7)
Application: building on year 7 ideas
Concluding and evaluating, building on year 7
Mathematical, rearranging formulae, drawing and interpreting bar and line graphs, percentages
Practical, more complex instructions, using equipment safely, devising experiments.

Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

10 Big Ideas 2:
Earth
Ecosystems
Electromagnets
Energy
Forces
Genes
Matter
Organisms
Reactions
Waves

Textiles

Year 8 – Skills

2 Term Carousel: A range of Textile techniques and processes developing the skills and knowledge required to explore a theme.

Carefully designed & guided practice, with an emphasis on: –Challenging perceptions about the world/what Textiles is and how it is used in everyday life.

Developing confidence, key skills, experimentation and expression.
Using & understanding the formal Art & Design elements.
Line
Tone
Colour
Texture
Pattern
Shape
Form
Composition

Developing & utilising the skill of critical self-reflection & motivation to nurture self-reliance & resilience
Year 8 – Knowledge and Understanding

Refine/Expressive and Experiential approach/object/subject/concept/theme-based learning: Encourage learners to use all their senses – especially touch, sight and smell.

Further understanding of subject specific language.