Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
CURRICULUM
2015/2016
Dear Parent/Carer
On behalf of the staff at Backwell School, I would like to
welcome you to our school. Starting a new school is exciting,
but it is also one of those occasions that can cause a certain
amount of anxiety for both students and parents. The purpose
of this booklet is to give you an overview of what your son or
daughter will be studying in each subject over the coming
year. I hope that it will help you to support your child and
understand the curriculum that he or she will be following.
This booklet also contains important dates to inform you about
school events and a list of useful people you may need to
contact.
This booklet is available on our school website:
www.backwellschool.net.
Any feedback on the contents of this booklet will be gratefully
received.
Yours faithfully
Ben Houghton
Deputy Headteacher
CONTENTS
Important dates
Useful people .
T2 Breakout .
English
10
French ..
12
Geography ..
13
History ....
14
Mathematics ...
15
Music .....
16
17
17
Science ....
18
Spanish ..
19
20
IMPORTANT DATES
Meeting with tutors
Thursday 15 October 2015, 4.30 pm 6.30 pm
This is a chance for you to have a short meeting with your
childs tutor, to discuss how he or she is settling in and for either
of you to raise any concerns you have. We also plan displays
and presentations on issues of special interest to Year 7
parents.
Reports
During Term 4 you will receive a short report through the post.
The short report contains assessment data and a short
comment from staff to share achievements and areas for
development. In July you will receive a target report. The
target report contains assessment data and a short comment
from staff to share achievements and areas for development.
Parents evening
Thursday 17 March 2016, 4.30 pm 6.30 pm
This is an opportunity to have short meetings with all the staff
who teach your child to discuss how s/he has progressed
during his/her first year here.
If you have particular worries or concerns about your child
please contact us at any time. Telephone and ask to speak
to or leave a message for your childs tutor or Miss Joanne
Leighton, Head of Year 7 or for Miss Vincent or Mr Wearne,
Deputy Heads of Year 7. If you leave a phone number we will
get back to you.
USEFUL PEOPLE
Head of Year 7
Miss J Leighton
Tutors
7C1
7C2
7C3
7M1
7M2
7Q1
7Q2
7Q3
7S1
7S2
Mr G Brees
Mrs R Lewis / Ms A Keep
Ms H Wild
Ms L Thomas
Mr N Falla
Mr B Mortimer
Mrs K Lewis / Ms R Wolfe
Mrs K Stuttard/ Mrs R St John-Crees
Ms A Saif
Mr H Twist
Mrs A Cheeseman
Independent enquirers.
Creative thinkers.
Reflective learners.
Team workers.
Self-managers.
Effective participators.
Healthy lifestyles
Community participation
Enterprise
Digital Skills
Using spreadsheets to model a spy mission, and other
tasks.
Using programming software to create a computer
game
Controlling everyday events using flowcharts
8
Technical knowledge
Understanding the roles of the components in a
modern PC
Finding information
Searching for reliable and accurate information
Organising and analysing data to draw conclusions.
Assessment will be by short tests throughout the year or by
teacher assessment of work produced. There is no homework
in ICT.
Students are very used to using ICT in their everyday life, so it
would be useful for parents/carers to tell them what life was
like before Computers!
Design & Technology
In Years 7 and 8 students study either Food and Textiles or
Product Design:
Group 1
Food Technology
Textiles Technology
Group 2
Product Design
Food and Textiles students will undertake alternate Food and
Textiles projects throughout the year, whilst Product Design
students will study their single option for the whole year (a
double lesson per week for each Group). This will enable
students to cover more in-depth and challenging projects,
resulting in a higher level of skill and understanding.
9
Year 7 students only will follow the other Groups topics the
following year.
Each subject area will cover a range of projects to develop
students research, product analysis, designing and making
skills. All subject areas will consist of practical projects and the
use of ICT where appropriate. Many of the skills learnt will be
transferable across the subject areas and all these Design and
Technology subjects are available as GCSE options at Key
Stage 4.
English
The aim of the English curriculum is to enable all students to
develop competency and creativity in all areas of the subject.
The curriculum is broken into three key assessment areas;
speaking and listening, reading and writing. One lesson per
fortnight is timetabled in the library classroom and is used to
promote independent, wider reading skills. We expect all
students to be reading regularly throughout the year and ask
parents to support this at home.
The Year 7 syllabus is delivered through the following
programmes of study:
Narrative: Transition Unit. Reading a variety of texts that reflect
a range of cultural experiences and exploring the writers
craft; organising writing effectively; varying sentence structure
and writing with technical accuracy. Final outcome: write an
autobiographical account.
Fiction: shared novel. Organise and present texts effectively;
read for pleasure and for meaning; explore the craft of the
author. Final outcome: write a book review.
10
French
Aims and Objectives: The course in French develops the four
language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Students learn to communicate in French by being given a
range of tasks with a real purpose. The course focuses on the
immediate world of the learner and covers the following topic
areas in Year 7:
Assessment: During the year formal tests are given on the skills
of speaking, writing, listening and reading. Teachers regularly
evaluate and give feedback to students on their progress.
Homework: Students are given a range of tasks involving
comprehension, writing or learning. They can expect either
one long task or two 15 minute tasks a week.
How to support learning: Students are expected to have their
own pocket French dictionary we recommend the Oxford or
Collins range. Students are issued with workbooks which
include useful summary pages at the end of each unit. It is
recommended that students bring in their own headphones
for computer room lessons. The website
12
Geography
In Year 7 the emphasis in Geography is on giving a broad
introduction to the subject with a particular focus on the UK
and our home region of the South West.
We start by examining what Geography means and
throughout the year aim to encourage and inspire our
students to take an interest in the world around them. We
support them to ask questions and to become confident at
working independently to find out how and why things
happen.
The following modules are covered during the year:
History
The aims of the History Departments teaching are:
13
Mathematics
Mathematics is taught to students in ability sets enabling them
to develop at a pace to match their ability. This allows
students to enjoy and feel confident with Mathematics
encouraging engagement and motivation to meet high
expectations. Early in the year those students requiring extra
support are identified and appropriate provision is given.
Assessments are made termly to monitor progress. Homework
is set regularly to reinforce class work and encourage
independent learning.
To aid progress at home, we recommend use of study guides
and websites of the appropriate levels. Familiarising students
with their tables and everyday uses of Mathematics such as
units of measure and arithmetic calculations is also beneficial.
Asking students to explain what they have learnt is an
excellent way of consolidating understanding and involving
parents/carers in learning.
The course outline is:
Music
Music is a unique form of communication that enables
students to develop a wide range of transferable skills.
Collaborating and working with others as musicians as well as
adapting to different musical roles and respecting the values
of others is a vital part of the learning experience.
The course aims to promote enjoyment and develop interest in
music by engaging all students in composing, performing and
appraising. Students work individually, as a class, in pairs or
small groups on a wide range of practical activities. These
may include:
Singing as a class or in small groups, with some choosing to
further their ability and enjoyment in the schools choirs.
Playing pitched percussion, such as glockenspiels and
xylophones, keyboards and other relevant instruments,
with students who show ability and interest being
encouraged to play in the schools orchestras and bands.
Composing projects
Listening to the performance of music and analysing
aspects of its composition, often with reference to
appropriate notation.
Topics covered in Year 7 include Rhythm, Elements of Music,
The Orchestra, Musical Structures, Pentatonic Music and
Programme Music. All pupils will be introduced to the Treble
Clef and begin to develop their own notation skills.
Assessment is carried out regularly to promote good progress
and there is an emphasis on students monitoring their own
technical and creative skills. Peer assessment and selfevaluation form are encouraged alongside formal assessment
tasks once a term.
16
What is belief?
Code breaking.
What do people believe about God?
What happens when we die?
By what authority?
What does it mean to be human?
Physical Education
We aim to instil and encourage a positive approach to
Physical Education, with students enjoying healthy exercise
and learning about physical well-being and the need for
safety.
Students are introduced to new skills and activities as well as
the traditional games. Self-confidence, body awareness and
17
Science
Students are expected to:
Genes
Spanish
The course in Spanish aims to develop pupils ability to
use the language effectively and to the best of their
ability using the four main language skills: listening,
speaking, reading and writing. We aim to promote
awareness and provide an insight into the culture and
people of the Hispanic World. Students learn to
communicate in Spanish through completing a range of
tasks with a real purpose. The course focuses on the
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