Year 7
The aim of the Year 7 Curriculum is to facilitate effective transition from primary to secondary education by engaging learners actively in projects that provide them with relevant and enjoyable contexts in which they can apply their developed knowledge and skills. This is achieved through the Curriculum approach in Year 7 where subject based learning is re-organised into a series of cross-curricular projects linked together around broader themes of Citizenship, Personal effectiveness and Creativity.
Furthermore a focus on creating independence in learners is central to the delivery of these projects. During these experiences the learning structured around developing key Competences and Attributes, otherwise known as 'Employability skills' which are needed by students if they are to be effective as independent learners. The broader competences developed are as follows and are referred to as Super Skills:
- Managing Information [Readiness /Listening Skills / Researching Information / Interpretation skills
- Managing Themselves as Learners [Learning in varied and effective ways / Reflection]
- Numeracy and Problem Solving [Creativity / Thinking Skills]
- Managing Situations [Resilience / Resourcefulness]
- Managing Others [Relationships / Team work]
- Literacy and Communication [Reading, Writing, Presentation skills, Public Speaking]
- Citizenship [Understanding of the Wider World / Awareness of Rights and Responsibilities]
- Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning [Social Skills / Empathy / Self-Awareness]
In order to measure progress within these competences all the teachers from the project days coach, monitor and report on the progress students make in terms of demonstrating the key attributes needed to achieve success in life, learning and work. These are as follows and are referred to as Magic Attitudes.
- Readiness [Being prepared, equipped and focused]
- Resourcefulness [Being creative and able to solve problems]
- Relationships [Being a positive contributor and team player]
- Resilience [Being Determined and learning from mistakes]
- Reflection [Knowing how to self- improve and develop others]
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Cross-Curricular Projects
The new Year 7 alternative curriculum would feature the following focus for assessment:
- Key Competences [Managing Information, Managing Situations, Managing Others, Learning to Learn & Citizenship]
- Key Skills [Literacy, Numeracy and ICT]
- Key Attributes [Readiness, Resourcefulness, Remembering, Resilience and Reflective]
- Key Technologies of Achievement [EQ, VAK/MI, NLP/PTT & Thinking Tools]
The cross-curricular content is organised into three project days each week with one day devoted to further key skills development:
- Project 1: Heroes
- Project 2: One Life, One World
- Project 3: Infinity and Beyond
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Heroes
The Heroes day will focus on learning programmes centred on personal, social, health and physical development and incorporated cross-curricular themes involving Science, PE, Religious Studies, PSHE, Citizenship and Media.
One Life, One World
The One Life, One World project day will focus on learning programmes centred on developing an understanding of Global and Humanities related issues and incorporating cross-curricular themes involving Art, Drama, Music, Humanities, ICT and Media.
Infinity and Beyond
The Infinity and Beyond project day will focus on learning programmes centred on developing creativity as part of a practical based projects involving cross-curricular themes involving Science, Technology and Maths.
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