During year 7 we cover the topics Abstract Still Life, Sweets and Treats and Identity, you will use a variety of materials such as pencil, water colour, poster paint, clay, chalk, oil pastel, cardboard and have the opportunity to develop your skills and independence. Year 7s have two hour-long lessons per fortnight with a specialist teacher who will inspire, motivate, and challenge you with our exciting projects. A typical lesson will always be practical, you will need to arrive promptly so that you can get the most out of our hour-long lessons – we always try to fit as much in as possible! You will receive regular homeworks – around two-three per term – and they will usually be to complete artist research pages or independent art work at home!

The Art Team

English

English is taught by a committed team of specialists in mixed ability groups.  We provide an engaging, broad and rigorous diet that includes high quality literature and non-fiction texts. We aim to enhance students’ skills and equip them with knowledge which we re-visit regularly to help embed it.

We aim to ensure that all students make excellent progress by helping them to:

• Refine writing skills so that students are able to express themselves with precision and flair
• Build upon existing levels of accuracy with regard to spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Hone analytical skills so that students are able to use inference and deduction when reading, analysing and quoting from texts
• Improve confidence in oral skills so that our students are able to express themselves in an articulate and eloquent manner
• Read widely for pleasure: as well as having DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) in tutor time, we also devote 20 minutes a week to it in English lessons.

The Year 7 programme is:

• Flexible so that experienced staff can match work to the needs of their students
• Challenging so that students are engaged, inspired and encouraged to succeed.
• Progressive so that the building blocks of English are laid down in the first term and developed step by step throughout the year.

Our First Term’s Scheme is “Detectives”. We study a range of different crime fiction texts and learn how to be literary sleuths, digging for clues and seeking evidence in the depths of a stirring story!

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• Poetry Competition: to be launched in September
• Debate Club: we meet weekly and debate the pressing issues of the day
• Book Club
• Theatre trips

Look out for termly reading recommendations

Mrs McLarnon and the English Team

Physical Education

In Year 7 you will have 5 PE lessons over a fortnight.

You will do PE in class with one other class and will be a single gender group. Across the year all classes will do the same sports but in different orders!  Each half term you will do two sports or activities, so in total this will be 12 sports that you get to do.  Typically every half term, one activity will be indoors and one outdoors.

Activities

Football, Netball, Rugby, Basketball, Gymnastics, Dance, Badminton, Fitness, Athletics, Cricket, Rounders, Tennis.

PE demands you to be organised in bringing your kit to every lesson.  A normal lesson will see you lining up on the yard outside and waiting to be greeted by your teacher who will escort you to your changing rooms.  Once changed you will go to the area where your sport takes place and do a lesson including skills and games before being given enough time to change again afterwards.

Extra Curricular

The Extra Curricular clubs on offer change across the year depending on the sporting season.  In the winter football, netball, badminton and basketball typically take place then we transition to tennis, rounders, cricket and athletics.  Clubs normally take place at lunchtime or after school.

If there is enough interest in a sport to make a school team then we will play matches and tournaments against other local schools.  Occasionally there are even competitions during school! 

Equipment List

• All students need a full PE kit including a Heart of England tshirt, shorts or skort, leggings or tracksuit bottoms, football socks, a jumper.
• Additionally you will need trainers, a hair band, ankle/sports socks for non-games sports, shin pads a gumshield and football boots.
• No Jewellery is permitted during PE lessons and hair must be tied back.

Behavioural Expectations

In PE we have the highest expectations regarding behaviour to allow your lessons to take place and stay safe.  Students need to listen and follow instructions at all times and failure to do so means you will not participate.

The PE Team