ENGLISH 

In the Spring term year 7 will cover non-fiction in the form of letter writing and fiction in the form of myths and legends. They will have the opportunity to be assessed formally on both their reading and writing skills with some speaking and listening used to develop their ideas. They will also continue with spelling intervention in addition to phonics and handwriting support where necessary. They will continue to have dedicated reading time with one to one feedback. 

MATHS 

The Spring term sees the Year 7 students develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills further. Number, including multiplication and division if applicable and pattern recognition are some key skills that our students will start to learn. 
Weekly online, independent learning with Mangahigh continues.
We also aim to do a whole school Mathematics project where we hold a community event to raise money for a selected charity.

SCIENCE 

Forces at Work – In this theme we do lots of activities in which the girls experience forces and their effects. They find out how forces can make things move, slow things down and keep things still. They also learn about friction and pressure. 

Patterns in Life – In this theme we find out how living things are organised. We spend quite a lot of time looking at cells and finding out about the jobs that they do in plants and animals. We also look at the way in which living things can be put into groups which share similar characteristics. 

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 

Environmental Studies incorporates work from History, Geography and practical outdoor learning. This outdoor learning provides the students with opportunities to learn and enhance their horticultural and animal care skills.

In History this term we will be exploring the link between us and our environments. We will look at how environments and cultures have adapted over time.  

In Geography this term, we will be focusing on what our environment is and how it may be different in various parts of the world. 

RELIGION AND ETHICS (R AND E) 

What does it mean to be religious? – Pupils will consider different ways in which people worship, looking at feasts and fasting as well as finding out about some of the Spring festivals from different religions. They will be able to look at buildings, signs and objects that are special to some people and think especially about Easter. 

ART 

Food and drink will be our theme this term as pupils produce a range of images, models and sculptures. We will be exploring shape, colour and fonts in packaging to produce unique art work and to replicate real life items we find in the shops.  Food and drink is all around us and girls will start to look at it with a detailed eye and a critical mind. 

DESIGN CRAFTS

During the spring term students will have the opportunity to take part in a cross curricular project with the Dance and Drama department. After an initial research phase, students will co-create a range of Props, costumes and scenery that they will wear for an in-school performance.

Year 7 students will be exploring a range of 2D and 3D techniques and materials, including print-making, textiles and upcycling.

MUSIC 

Water Music – Pupils will be investigating sounds made with water and listening to lots of music connected with water. They will be able to compose their own pieces and consider pattern in composition. Songs will be linked to the topic and key words will be pulse, dynamics and tempo. There will be opportunities to play a range of instruments and pupils will work towards a class performance at the end of term. 

DANCE 

Dance from around the world – This term, pupils will explore different dance styles from around the world such as Gumboot dancing and Bollywood. They will build on the key concepts from the autumn term (Action, Space, Dynamics and Relationships) to create and choreography their own routines to perform. 

PE 

Pupils will be introduced to Gymnastics, Health Related Fitness and Trampolining. Pupils will start by learning the importance of safety when exploring and encountering new and increasingly challenging physical expectations when using a variety of equipment. Basic shape, body control and spatial awareness will feature prominently whilst developing skills and techniques in isolation. Swimming will also continue to be a weekly feature.

SOCIAL SKILLS 

Pupils will be split into smaller groups and receive a rotation of Social Skills, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy. For the Social Skills classes pupils will talk through what they have covered in Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy and it will be reinforced in a circle time format. Following this, pupils will play games or do team building exercises in order to build friendships with the other pupils, learn/practise social and emotional skills, and become accustomed to the style of Social Skills lessons ready for year 8 and 9 when the classes are much larger. 

In the Occupational Therapy lessons, pupils will be supported with their transition into secondary school through the development of their independence skills. The lessons will cover expectations about appearance in school and the related skills needed, e.g. buttons, zips, hair tying, bag packing. They will also explore where things are in school, route finding, using a timetable and how this can be transferred into the community. At the end of the Summer Term there will be a block of lessons focussing on road safety.

For the Speech and Language Therapy Classes pupils will cover Classroom Skills, which includes listening skills, showing you are ready to work, respecting others, indoor and outdoor voice and learning teachers’ names. They will also explore how to use their visual timetable, bag packing, homework diaries, and asking for help. 

PSHE 

It’s good to be me: This unit focuses on personal safety and looking after our bodies. There will be an opportunity to meet the local Police Officer to discuss ways of keeping safe. Pupils will also consider how to look after themselves in practical ways; dental care, health and hygiene, how to look good and coping with changes that occur during puberty. 

HOME ECONOMICS 

The pupils working in Home Economics will focus on basic cooking and food preparation skills. Pupils will learn how to work safely in the kitchen as well as developing, an understanding of what Home Economics is and learn the important hygiene and healthy eating rules. They will learn about basic nutrition and the importance of a balanced diet. Pupils will cook a wide range of dishes from a variety of simple recipes. Pupils will gain independence in the kitchen and begin to discuss the skills they are learning. 

Pupils will continue to cooking from recipes provided. We will focus on how important it is to ensure that food safety and hygiene is being followed to avoid any accidents and minimise any risk of food poisoning. They will also be focussing on purchasing foods from a variety of sources; food labels provide information to the consumer. During these lessons the pupils will follow a project on ‘Breakfast’ and why it is important. 

FOREST SCHOOL

The pupils working in Forest School will be outside in the woodland area having a hands-on opportunity to learn about the natural environment through directed tasks and exploration. They will be guided to use their own initiative to solve problems and cooperate with others. The students will be given a large amount of freedom in their learning.  

In Year 7 there will be a large focus on organising ourselves and being prepared for each lesson as well as becoming familiar with the rules and ready for learning. The main theme throughout the lessons will be building relationships and team work. Some of the activities throughout the year will include den building, fire lighting and exploration.