Curriculum Summary
Year 7
Introduction
I hope you will find that the information in this Handbook provides you with a helpful view of what your child will be studying this year and our academic expectations for them. I have no doubt that there will be many issues that are not covered here as fully as some might like and if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us about them. The Form Teacher is probably the best person to speak to over minor matters and acts as a liaison person if there are other members of staff you would like to speak to.
At the heart of our Curriculum is the belief that all pupils are entitled to a broadly balanced education in a stimulating learning environment in order to prepare them for the future. Children will be exposed to a wide variety of learning opportunities during their time at Junior King’s and they will be given individual encouragement to develop their interests and skills to the full. We believe that school days and the educational discoveries they make here should be fun and stimulating. We expect our children to always try their best, to put in good effort, and to take increasing responsibility for their own progress; help, support and encouragement are given in good measure. Above all, the children respond positively to the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual challenges presented to them.
Parents are always most welcome in school and your support at home for the work we do is essential to the progress of every child.
General Information
HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
It is crucial to our success that channels of communication between home and school are clear and that parents feel confident in using them.
The cycle of half term assessments, written reports and staff-parent meetings/ interviews establishes the framework within which a child’s progress is monitored and discussed. It is important that all parents should feel able to have access to the staff and appointments can be arranged after school through the school office. However, we encourage parents not to linger in the morning, other than to pass on necessary information for the day. Parents are, wherever possible, encouraged to make use of the many other informal opportunities for discussion that exist throughout the School.
ASSESSMENT
A pupil’s performance is carefully monitored throughout the year. Continuous assessment, through classroom work, tests, exercises and prep marks, provides important sources of information for reporting. Regular staff discussions of individual pupils enable staff to track individual progress and concerns may be discussed with the pupil, through the Form Teacher, or Senior Academic Staff (Mr Lapthorn, Mr McKeating or Mr Stonier). Parents are informed of any significant difficulty of which we are aware and invited to discuss the possible ways forward.
FUTURE SCHOOLING
Junior King’s sends most of its pupils to the Senior King’s School although this is not exclusively the case and parents should not regard the transfer to be automatic. We will take time to advise and assist parents in finding the school which will best suit their child and in which their child will therefore thrive.
The question of scholarship potential leading to valuable awards for Academic, Music, Art or all round qualities, etc. will be covered in the course of any discussion with the Head over future schooling. Parents are of course free to change or to delay making up their minds about a choice of school although it is generally in the child’s best interests to know his/her future direction well before examinations.
At 13+, the parents of those children taking Scholarship/Year 8 end of year examinations must declare their first choice of school early in the calendar year in which the examination is taken. Throughout this procedure, Mrs Karolyi will gladly give a frank opinion of a child’s needs and potential. Overall, parents should feel free to contact either Mr Lapthorn (Future Schools) or Mrs Karolyi as a source of advice and assistance in this most important area.
Prep is given to encourage pupils to work on their own, to exercise self-discipline in their approach to learning and will provide an opportunity for further development of skills and knowledge.
We fully recognise and encourage the invaluable role played by parents in supporting good work at home and promoting prep as a positive activity. However, there should be a weaning process as the child grows older, and it is helpful, as part of the development of independent work habits, to let the child learn that unfinished or poorly completed prep may result in a sanction at school with staff concerned. The child needs to learn that it is their responsibility and that they will have to account for any shortcomings in school.
Work conditions are important. A quiet place in which to work will make a considerable difference – free from the distractions of siblings, pets and television. For some, complete silence is daunting and it may be allowable to have music playing quietly in the background.
As a general guide, each prep should take about 30 minutes as it is important that pupils achieve a sensible balance between academic work and play. Pupils in Year 7 have been issued with a planner and are expected to record each assignment. Please sign off each prep once it has been completed. After a long day at school, prep should not overwhelm the evening. Please inform the Form Teacher should you feel that your child is regularly not coping with the workload within the given times (or it is too easy).
LEARNING SUPPORT
Junior King’s is committed to meeting the needs of all pupils. General, or ‘Quality First Teaching’, describes inclusive teaching which takes into account the learning needs of all in the classroom. It is achieved through appropriate differentiation through curriculum planning, learning tasks and teaching strategies.
Further to high quality teaching, some children may receive some additional intervention either from the class teacher/ teaching assistants, from the respective academic departments or overseen by The Learning Support Department.
Some pupils have learning needs which need more targeted and specific provision. The Learning Support Department at Junior King’s, co-ordinated by Mrs Emma McCoubrie, has specialist staff, trained and qualified to support these pupils, throughout the age and ability range.
The Department also has strong links with external agencies, such as the KCC Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (STLS), educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Parental involvement and pupil voice, where appropriate, is an important part of the process.
If any parent is concerned about their child’s progress, they are encouraged to discuss this with their child’s Form Teacher in the first instance. Mrs McCoubrie is also available to speak to should you have any concerns.
PREP
English
This is the first year of a two-year course leading to transition exams. The syllabus is divided into five sections. All sections will have been introduced by the end of the Year 7, and the curriculum will be extended and revisited in Year 8. The accelerated Year 7 will cover the same ground as the other Year 7 groups in the first two terms, with extended work on essay writing as preparation for Scholarship. Over the course of the year, all sets will study at least one novel as well as a Shakespearian play and a selection of poems, covering both classic and contemporary texts, as well as texts from a diverse range of other cultures.
ISEB Common Entrance Examination at 13+
The 13+ assessment for King’s changed in 2022: the main aim is still to test the ability of candidates to think and express their feelings and ideas in accurate and effective English. The papers will continue to examine a range of relevant skills in modes which reflect good practice in both the classroom and examination room. Examiners will need to see evidence of independent literary work, an ability to write analytically, in the form of coursework, and creatively and persuasively in exams.
Poetry Coursework: candidates will be asked to read and write about a poem which they have been introduced to in class. The question will seek to test both understanding of poetic techniques and personal responses. Pupils will be able to draft and redraft their answers prior to final submission.
Imaginative, descriptive or narrative writing: Candidates will be asked to produce a piece of original creative writing in exam conditions. Time will be spent in class preparing for this and experimenting with different literary techniques, e.g. multiplenarrators, non-linear form etc.
Pupils will be expected to demonstrate their ability to use correct spelling, punctuation, grammar and syntax. Work will be marked and moderated by the JKS English Department in the first instance; a sample will then be moderated by the KSC English Department.
A PARENTS’ GUIDE TO READING
Children should:
• read silently for sustained periods
• read a wider and more challenging range of books for their own interest from a variety of times and cultures, for pleasure and for information
• be able to justify their preferences
• continue to take part in discussions about their individual reading and about books they have shared
• continue to identify key features, themes and characters from the texts they read, increasingly using inference and deduction (reading between the lines)
• adopt a regular reading pattern
Teachers will:
• incorporate a reading element
• encourage discussion of books read
• encourage pupils to extend the range of their individual reading to include texts that are both classic and contemporary and include writers from different cultures
• help pupils to evaluate the texts they have read
• create opportunities for pupils to read for different purposes and teach appropriate strategies i.e. skimming to gain an overall impression, scanning to locate information and detailed reading to obtain specific information
• continue to monitor individuals progress and offer advice on reading choices
Parents can:
• demonstrate an enthusiastic, personal response to books and reading
• help their child to create regular, quality reading ‘space’ in an increasingly busy schedule
• share in their child’s reading through discussion…what did you like best?...what do you think will happen next?...etc
• encourage visits to the local library
Mathematics
In the penultimate year at JKS there is a greater focus on the transfer examinations at the end of Year 8. The course leading up to Year 7 has been broad-based around both the National Curriculum and the Common Entrance syllabus, and has aimed at fostering a sound understanding of basic mathematical ideas and techniques whilst extending the subject into more in-depth analysis.
Pupils moving onto to King’s will sit one of two possible examination combinations:
Common Entrance Core (Non-Calculator and Calculator papers)
These are both of 60 minutes duration and they are a ‘non-calculator’ and a ‘calculator’ paper respectively reflecting the assessment at GCSE. This route covers the basic Common Entrance requirements.
Common Entrance Core (Non-Calculator and Calculator papers) plus Additional paper (Calculator)
Unlike the old Level 3, the advanced, Additional Paper will be taken as an option after the two Core Papers, not instead. So, stronger candidates will still have their basics tested on a level playing field at the Core, where they can expect to score highly, and any score on the Additional can be considered a bonus: nothing to lose. It will be a single calculator paper.
The more advanced topics in the Additional paper include: Pythagoras, Simultaneous Equations, nth Term of Sequences, Standard Form and Plotting Curves, but other topics and ideas will also be explored in greater depth.
The Common Entrance syllabus is based on the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum.
There are two exams for Year 7. The first is in the Autumn Term and the second in the Summer Term. However, there are also tests undertaken at the end of specific units of the course.
Listed below is a summary of the Common Entrance syllabus at its basic level. It gives an excellent mathematical grounding to all of the pupils in preparation for their future choices in mathematics beyond Junior King’s.
Number and Algebra
• rounding to decimal places (all sets) and significant figures (top sets)
• order of calculations
• directed numbers and the four operations
• types of numbers (square, cubed, triangular, rectangular, prime)
• decomposing numbers into their factors and prime factors
• standard index form (top sets)
• roots and powers of numbers and calculations with these
• laws of indices
• solving linear equations in one unknown
• algebraic simplification and substitution
• rearranging formulae
• factorising
• formulae
• problems involving algebraic expressions
• ratio
• understanding the relationship between percentages, decimals and fractions
• finding percentages of a value – increasing and decreasing by a percentage, expressing an amount as a percentage of another
• percentage problems involving profit and loss
Shape, Space and Measures
• understanding and using measures (metric and imperial)
• units of measurement – time, length, mass, capacity and volume
• vocabulary of solids
• angle properties of polygons (interior and exterior angles in polygons)
• area and perimeter (triangle, rectangle, square, parallelogram, trapezium, circle)
• surface area and volume of cuboids
• volume of prisms
• Bilateral and rotational symmetry
• angle theorems on parallel lines
• transformations and coordinates
• graphs of straight lines (all sets) and parabola (top sets)
• using and applying shape, space and measures
• Pythagoras’ theorem (top sets only)
Handling Data
• specifying the problem and planning
• collecting data (finding mean, median, mode and range, pictograms, bar charts, pie charts, tally charts)
• processing, representing, interpreting data and discussing results
• using and applying data handling skills
• calendars and timetables
• using Venn Diagrams
Science
At the Junior King’s School, the Independent Schools Examination Board syllabus is used for the 13+ level of attainment and the Common Entrance examination is sat by the majority of pupils whether destined for the King’s School Canterbury or other independent schools. The Common Entrance syllabus is taught over two years, beginning in Year 7. The three components, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are taught as discrete topics/units throughout the year.
Pupils will study the following topics this year:
Biology
• life processes
• variation and classification
• habitats, adaptations, feeding relationships and competition
• the numbers and distribution of living things
• plant biology (structure, photosynthesis, growth, respiration and reproduction)
• micro-organisms and people, environmental issues
• asexual and sexual reproduction, life cycles
Chemistry
• basic chemical processes, dissolving, filtration, evaporation, chromatography and distillation
• sublimation, chemical reactions, heating magnesium and copper, measuring mass changes, tests for oxygen and carbon dioxide, oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles
• evidence for chemical reactions, acids and alkalis, neutralisation, acid rain and the water cycle
Physics
• states of matter, types of materials, measurement of length, time, area, volume, temperature, mass and density
• energy – forms of energy, energy transfer, energy flow diagrams
• space
• light
• sound
• speed and motion
French
Pupils are taught by specialist teachers of French. Pupils with a prior knowledge of French start Dynamo 2, whilst new pupils start Dynamo 1. All pupils in Year 7 will continue to have access to the online facilities of Active Learn.
Topic areas introduced or extended in Dynamo 1 include:
• greetings, personal information, the family and home, pets
• classroom objects, classroom commands
• numbers to 100
• dates and birthdays
• clothes, colours
• leisure activities, likes and dislikes
• school
Topic areas introduced or extended in Dynamo 2 include:
• currency and shopping in France
• Buying food
• places in town
• describing your town/city
• directions
• travel and holidays in France and Europe
• Home routine and chores
• Music and festivals
• the present tense as well as the future
• recognition of the past tense
Spanish
Pupils are taught by specialist teachers of Spanish. Those who have previously studied the language are introduced to/extend topics from Viva 2 including:
• house and bedroom
• food and drink
• Cultural emphasis on the food in Spanish speaking countries
• opinions
• free time in the conditional and future
• Clothes
• shopping
• functional language/role play (buying tickets, ordering food, hotels, doctor’s, tourist information)
Those who are new to the language are introduced to topics from Viva 1 including:
• greetings and personal information
• alphabet, numbers to 100, dates and birthdays
• family
• animals and colours
• nationalities and countries
• physical description and personality
• school and opinions
• weather and free time
• daily routine
• present and future tenses
• recognising the past tense
French & Spanish Bilingual Pupils
We offer a French and Spanish bilingual programme that enables pupils to have lessons with French and Spanish speaking teachers. The pupils work in either small groups and/ or sometimes in a 1:1 environment with the relevant assistant to maintain their fluency in speaking and writing. They will also work on their grammar at a native level using a range of high level and authentic reading materials. Listening exercises are also part of the 1:1 sessions. The lessons take place at the same time as the French/Spanish timetabled lessons for that set.
Classics
Latin
Building on the work done in Year 6, Latin lessons will continue to focus on acquiring the language necessary for CE in Year 8 and we will continue to use Cambridge Latin Course Book 1 and move on to Book 2 where appropriate, as well as supplementing with grammar from Latin Practice Exercises Book 1, as well as Latin Practice Exercises Book 2, depending on the group. Pupils will notice how useful the grammar painstakingly covered in Latin can be for their learning of modern languages too.
We make special provisions for pupils who join Junior King’s in Year 7 to start Latin, either in a beginner’s group or within their set. They will be using the same textbooks as their counterparts did in Year 6 but at a somewhat accelerated rate with the aim to fit them into an existing group next academic year.
Classics is the study of the languages and culture of the Greeks and Romans. This includes aspects of their literature, everyday life, art and architecture, philosophy, history, mythology and religion. At Junior King’s the emphasis is on the study of the language but we also work with all these aspects of the ancient world.
This year we are excited to be implementing the new syllabus for the above subjects. The new course will have a greater focus on the acquisition of skills rather than simply recalling facts and will contain a degree of coursework. The assessment of each subject will not rely on a single end of year exam but a combination of various tasks. It is important to bear in mind that each subject will maintain its independence and curriculum time. The course will ultimately allow a greater degree of flexibility and more opportunities for cross-curricular work.
History Humanities
This year’s work forms the first of a two-year humanities syllabus covering the restoration of the monarchy to the end of the nineteenth century. We will assess our pupils through a range of extended writing pieces, projects, source analysis and trip reviews. We will study chronological history with a focus on applying key skills upon the foundation of core knowledge. Furthermore, we will develop a range of source analysis skills alongside extended writing mastery.
Pupils will study the following topics this year:
• Autumn Term: Charles II, the restoration of the monarchy and English society
• Lent Term: The French Revolution and Napoleon
• Summer Term: The early Industrial Revolution and the railway revolution
Geography
Year 7 will be the start of the Upper School syllabus, which focuses on acquisition of skills alongside the learning of the following topic areas. Assessment of pupil progress will be throughout the year and will be in a variety of forms such as fieldwork, independent research, map interpretation and a formal summative exam. There will be greater cross curricula links within the Humanities including joint trips and speakers.
Topics to be covered:
• Tectonic Processes (volcanoes and earthquakes)
• Weather and Climate
• Transport and Industry
• Global location work
• Mapwork
Religious Studies
In Year 7 pupils begin the two-year syllabus, as part of the Upper School RS course. They will study a range of topics covering theology, philosophy and ethics.
Topics include:
• An introduction to the Old Testament.
• Environmental ethics incl. the treatment of animals
• An introduction to philosophy incl. sound and valid arguments
• Rules and Laws: morality, right and wrong, ethical decision making
• Moral Dilemmas including Justice and Punishment
• Stewardship and the environment.
Assessments will take place every half-term. Pupils will be tested on a range of skills using factual questions, discursive essays, presentation and debate.
Art
In Year 7 pupils will continue to expand upon their knowledge and understanding of different media and Art History. Modern and Contemporary Art will be studied with a focus on Portraiture. A new larger sketch book will be given that will continue to be used in Year 8.
Projects will include
• Portraits/Self Portrait
• Drawing and proportion
• The Cubists and Expressionist Art
• Masks and Non-Western Art
• Sculptural Heads and Totems
Music
There is one hour long lesson per week of class music for half of the year. In addition, individual instrumental lessons are offered from a team of 30 visiting music teachers. Pupils are encouraged to practise at home and may be entered for Associated Board and Trinity College exams which are held each term at the school. Many musicians will be involved in the concerts and workshops that take place during the course of the year, as well as joining ensembles that meet each week and which cover all the instrumental combinations. For more experienced musicians there is also the possibility of joining the Milner Court Orchestra. Year 7 are also invited to join the Chapel Choir which performs regularly in important events and which tours abroad every couple of years.
Curriculum:
We study ‘Vltava’ by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana from different angles including listening, discussion, performance, analysis and score reading. Pupils will then create their own ‘River Pieces’ which will be performed to the class and recorded. We also sing songs in two or three parts.
Computing
Pupils will be given the opportunity to:
• Use a wide variety of applications to develop their interest and skills in Computing and Computational thinking
• Develop their touch typing skills
During the course the children will be able to develop the following skills:
• Creating original sound files and editing them to make a ‘podcast’
• Programming web sites using HTML
• Introduction to image manipulation
Design & Technology
The Design Technology course alternates with Computing, with pupils studying each subject area for 1 ½ terms.
Through focused practical tasks and open projects students will develop skills in the following areas:
• Designing skills: generating ideas, developing and communicating ideas using a range of media, planning, researching and evaluating
• Making skills: measuring and marking out, cutting and shaping, joining, combining and finishing
• Knowledge and understanding of: materials and components, computer aided design and manufacture, mechanisms, structures, electronics products and systems
Students are encouraged to develop and enrich their design thinking by working with the themes: Sustainability, the company of Alessi, Art Deco, Arts and Craft Movement, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Organic Design and Memphis.
Drama
The aim of the Year 7 curriculum is to explore two different topics in more detail than pupils have been used to in Middle School. This will give them the opportunity to pull together ideas and concepts from across the weeks, in order to have a greater understanding of how to generate ideas, and connect skills, ready for creating content in Year 8. The emphasis is on exploring ideas within a wider context. Key concepts for this year, include Status, Objectives and Super Objectives, Actions, Physical theatre, and techniques for developing character work.
Physical Education
All pupils are taught by one of three specialist teachers of physical education. The programme is divided into the following units which aim to promote physical development in a variety of areas.
• health and fitness: to develop overall fitness levels through a variety of running and endurance activities
• net and wall: to develop hand-eye coordination levels through games of tennis and badminton
• invasion games/general games skills: to develop tactical awareness and general skills inherent to the major team games
• athletics: to develop and improve technique alongside performance in running (speed, endurance and stamina), jumping (height and distance) and throwing (distance and power), tested and recorded throughout the summer term
• swimming: to improve technique and develop performance in the four major swimming strokes
• plus striking and fielding: to develop batting, throwing, catching and fielding skills in the summer term games programme.
Health related exercise/fitness
The six curriculum units combined enhance the health related exercise/fitness programme; particular attention in exercise and fitness classes is given to speed, stamina, endurance and strength. These areas are measured and recorded for each pupil throughout the year.
Year 7 Plan
Autumn Autumn Lent Lent Summer Summer Health and fitness Speed and agility work hockey/ badminton swimming basketball athletics swimming/ tennis
Games Programme
Pupils in Year 7 receive two, one hour training sessions per week, during which they participate in major team games, working on a wide variety of essential skills and developing more advanced knowledge and understanding of tactics and rules. The sports covered are:
Girls – Hockey, Netball and Rounders or tennis Boys – Football, Rugby, Hockey, Cricket
Competitive opportunities are gained through house matches, which take place during their weekly games time, whole school, house events, including swimming galas, cross country and sports day, and through a full programme of inter school fixtures and tournaments which take place on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
PSHE
Our PSHE curriculum aims to promote the spiritual, physical and social development of pupils and to prepare them for some of the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. This preparation for life involves self-knowledge; an understanding of the needs and motives of human beings; knowledge about their own health and bodies, and the importance of choice. PSHE education is a planned programme of learning though which pupils acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future. As part of a whole school approach, it develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. The values promoted in our PSHE curriculum are inherently incorporated into the fabric of our school through assemblies, community events and the support of charities and in our day-to-day living.
Our PSHE curriculum is a spiral curriculum based on the three core themes of “Health, Relationships and The wider world”.
Autumn Term Lent Term Summer Term
• Being in my world
• Celebrating difference
• Dreams and goals
• Healthy me
• Relationships
• Changing me
The PSHE curriculum will be taught in a variety of ways that will involve discussion, reflection, role-play, collaboration and team-work, multi-media and outside speakers.
At the end of each topic there will be an informal assessment on each topic. This will allow the teachers to work on the areas that need revisiting.
