Gridlink and Gridlink International School

YEARS 7-9 (AGES 11-14)

(UK KEY STAGE 3 CURRICULUM STUDIES)

Standard courses follow the UK national curriculum, which describes programmes of study and attainment targets for pupils in British schools. These programmes can be varied for pupils with special educational needs, and are given as a guide to the possibilities for individually-tailored courses.

YEAR 7 (age 11-12)

English

Pupils' abilities will be developed across the range of Speaking and Listening, Reading, and Writing.

Multimedia projects and programmes will be used to assist develop and assess listening and speaking skills. Books, poetry and other text information appropriate to the individual's level of development will be used during the course.

Pupils will be expected to produce both word-processed and hand-written work. They will be encouraged to recognise and use the vocabulary and grammar of standard English, and to understand the use of speech in differing situations. They will be taught to read with understanding and to analyse and respond to what they read. In writing they will be encouraged to develop both compositional and presentational skills, including use of IT.

Pupils will learn to respond to a range of texts with understanding of significant points and ideas, themes, events and characters. They will be encouraged to write in lively and thoughtful, varied and interesting ways.

Maths

Pupils will be taught mathematics drawn from all the sections of study - Using and Applying Mathematics, Number, Algebra, Shape, Space and Measures, and Handling data.

Their programme will be according to individual need as assessed at the start of the course, and based on both maths learning systems on the computer and off-computer "text book" work. Pupils will be introduced to the use of IT in their maths work.

Science

The programme of study will follow the National Curriculum across the subjects - Experimental and Investigative Science, Life Processes and Living Things, Materials and Their Properties, and Physical Processes. Pupils will be encouraged to use IT where appropriate in the presentation of their work.

The year's course will normally cover the following topics -

Investigating Science - Introduction, including the concepts of observing, measuring, planning, predicting and interpreting and forming conclusions.

Materials - raw materials and their uses.
Energy - what is energy - energy for machines, food as energy.
Variety of life - introduction to classification, cells, tissues, organs and systems.
Forces - Introduction including gravity friction, forces at work.
Acids and alkalis - Introduction to chemical testing through pH.
Growing up - maturity and human reproduction.
Magnetism and electricity - magnets, batteries and circuits
Matter - solids, liquids and gases
Environment - habitat, seasons and food chain
Rocks - rock types - erosion.
Sight and sound - the eye and ear.

It will be useful for pupils to obtain or have access to some simple equipment to assist with their understanding of practical work - eg kitchen scales, spring balance, battery/lamp/wires for circuits.

Materials used will include multimedia CD-Roms in addition to course texts and worksheets.

History

Pupils will study the following units -

1. Mediaeval Realms - Britain 1066-1500.

This unit covers major episodes and aspects of Britain's mediaeval past from the Norman Conquest, the development of mediaeval monarchy and the way of life in Britain in this period.

2. The World of Islam.

This unit will cover key issues concerning the history of Islamic culture. This option is selected from options of delivering study unit 6 of the National Curriculum, which requires study of one past non-European society.

Alternatives to study unit 2 include

Imperial China from the First Emporor to Kubla Khan
India from the Moghul Empire to the coming of the British
The civiisations of Peru
Indigenous peoples of North America
Black peoples of the Americas

Japan under the Shoguns

Materials used will include multimedia CD-Roms in addition to course texts and worksheets.

Geography

In key stage 3 pupils will be given the opportunity to develop skills across the following areas - investigating themes and places, studies answering geographical questions, geographical patterns and physical processes, human interaction with the environment, global contexts.

The normal course of study in year 7 will include introductions to -

What is Geography?
Weather and Climate
River Basins
Settlement
Transport
The Home Region
Map Skills

Materials used will include multimedia CD-Roms in addition to course texts and worksheets.

Modern Foreign Languages

Subjects offered are French, German and Spanish.

Pupils will learn to recognise and understand words, simple statements and questions. Language material will cover - Everyday activities, including home and school, clothes, food etc

Personal identity and family relationships, social activities

Home town and local area

Materials used will include texts, multimedia IT applications and may include cassettes.