Millfield

Academic Curriculum Summaries - Year 8

Curriculum Summaries - Year 8

Year 8

English

Grouping and work takes into account appropriate preparation for the end of Year 8 examinations. The groups: Scholarship, Continuous Curriculum Examination (CCE) and Adapted Continuous Curriculum Examination (ACCE), approach topics at a level suited to them and working to the NC programmes of study with appropriate extension work and Literacy Strategies. Pupils will also begin collecting work for their continuous work folder. This collection of their work will go with them to the senior school having been assessed by their English teacher. It will include a language project and a response to a pre-1914 piece of literature.

Pupils’ abilities continue to be developed within an integrated programme of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Speaking and Listening (AT 1) ‘I listen because I care. Because I care, I learn.‘

Pupils are given opportunities to talk and listen in a wide range of contexts and to take an active part in discussion. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of attentive listening skills and respect for alternative points of view. Every pupil receives a timetabled Drama lesson and in addition Year 8 put on an annual production.

Each year there is the Year 8 Maverick Debate; all pupils have a chance to actively participate in this debate.

Reading (AT 2)’You must find the time to read or surrender yourself to chosen self-ignorance.’

Pupils are given opportunities to read from a variety of plays (including Shakespeare), novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction texts, with some texts studied in detail, but the main emphasis, as in earlier years, is on the encouragement of wider reading in order to develop independent, responsive and enthusiastic readers who read for enjoyment and who show a developing appreciation of the English literary heritage. Guidance on appropriate texts is given from a booklist that has been compiled specially for Year 8 pupils. There is also a list of ‘extension’ titles for scholarship pupils and avid/able readers.

Close attention is paid to the further development of the range of reading skills and strategies which will be required in the final examinations, including skimming, scanning and close reading; inferential comprehension skills and the analysis of unfamiliar vocabulary; an appreciation of the main characteristics of literary language, including figures of speech; an understanding of how purposes, intentions, attitudes and values are communicated; the ability to identify bias and distinguish between fact and opinion; the analysis and evaluation of the use of language in a variety of media; the identification of different genres and their characteristics, and the selection of relevant information from factual material. Scholars are expected to develop a more detailed knowledge of stylistic devices and a more sophisticated critical response to a range of key literary texts, with further emphasis placed on the appreciation of poetry and drama scripts.

Writing (AT 3) ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.‘

In Years 7 and 8 pupils on the ACCE and CCE course will be introduced to a selection of ‘core’ poems – poems chosen by the senior school for MPS pupils to study.

Pupils are given opportunities to extend their skill and confidence in writing for different purposes and audiences, whether for aesthetic or imaginative purposes, or to inform others through instruction, explanation, argument, persuasion and paraphrase. Particular attention is paid to the extensive range of forms specified in the CCE syllabus, including diaries, personal and formal letters, reports, descriptions, essays, articles, reviews, stories, and play scripts. Pupils are taught to improve and sustain their writing through planning, drafting, revising and proof reading and are encouraged to develop their own distinctive and original styles. Opportunities are given for the further development of word-processing and desktop publishing skills as well as other ICT modules.

Mathematics

Pupils are prepared for Scholarship, CCE or ACCE and work to the CCE syllabus, which is based on the National Curriculum, with topics being studied up to Level 7.

Topics covered during the year include: all arithmetic operations on fractions and decimals, ratio and percentage, solution of a range of algebraic equations, construction and interpretation of a range of graphs, probability and statistics, triangles and quadrilaterals, transformation geometry and the use of scale drawings to solve problems involving distance, speed and direction. The core text is MSM Book 3X but a wide range of additional sources are used during the year.

Science

During Year 8 pupils continue to follow the Continuous Curriculum Examination syllabus, which closely parallels the National Curriculum Key Stage 3 programme of study. In Year 8 specialist tutors in the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics deliver this programme. Every week each pupil has a double period for each science discipline. Pupils are prepared for Scholarship, Continuous Curriculum or Adapted Continuous Curriculum examinations.

Pupils continue to learn scientific models that enable them to become successful in solving problems. They also develop further their ability to design experiments and describe how their results can be used to evaluate their design.

Throughout the year pupils are given opportunities to use Information Technology to record and analyse data.

Biology (Sc2)

Pupils are given the opportunity to study:

• Reproduction in flowering plants including pollination, fertilisation, seed dispersal and germination;
• Sexual reproduction in humans including changes in adolescence, structure of the reproductive systems, the menstrual cycle, fertilisation and foetal development;
• Variation between individuals including the normal distribution curve;
• Helpful and harmful microbes including the role of decomposers and the carbon cycle and the threat from pathogens;
• Breathing and respiration including the structure of the respiratory system, the role of the circulatory system in transportation of gases and dissolved substances, cell respiration and the harmful effects of smoking;
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the dangers of drug abuse;
• An animal and a plant in their habitats;
• A habitat and its community.

Chemistry (Sc3)

Pupils are given the opportunity to study:

• Testing acids and alkalis with indicators, the production of salts by neutralisation of acids and bases, uses of neutralisation in everyday life;
• The production of oxygen, its use in making oxides;
• The reaction of metals with oxygen, water and acid – brief discussion of Reactivity Series;
• Rocks as a source of metals;
• Rock processes – weathering, erosion, deposition, sedimentation, fossilisation;
• Rock cycle – formation of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and their relationship in the rock cycle;
• Use of calcium carbonate as a chemical resource;
• Burning of fossil fuels and the causes of atmospheric pollution;
• Composition of the air and the uses of different gases;
• Origins of the atmosphere.

Physics (Sc4)

Pupils are given the opportunity to study:

• Current electricity, series and parallel circuits, the use of ammeters and voltmeters, domestic electricity;
• Magnetism and electromagnetism;
• Electronics, simple electronic devices and circuits, AND and OR logic circuits and their truth tables;
• Energy, conservation and conversion, efficiency, alternative energy sources;
• Light, eclipses, reflection and refraction at plane boundaries, dispersion using a prism;
• The production and transmission of sound, use of the C.R.O., reflection of sound, speed of sound, musical instruments, hearing;
• The solar system, the Earth and its seasons, the Moon and its phases, the universe and space exploration.

Modern Languages (French and Spanish)

Pupils use a wide variety of resources in completing the final year of the CCE syllabus, including coursebooks, flashcards, overhead transparencies, audio cassettes, videos, IT, role-play, language games, songs and cultural background studies, all of which continue to build proficiency in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. While pupils are given a thorough grounding in the grammar of the language or languages of their choice, the course in each language is essentially a communicative one in which exposure to the target language is emphasised, and pupils gain increasing skill and confidence in using the language.

The course in each language in Year 8 is based on sixteen topics drawn from the National Curriculum as set out below:

The language of the classroom; house, home daily routine and chores; life and work at school; time, dates, numbers and prices; personal description; family, friends and pets; meeting people; free-time activities; describing holiday activities; visiting a café or restaurant; simple health problems; description of a town or region; finding the way and using transport; understanding tourist information; shopping; weather.

Course books are as follows:

• French – ‘Equipe2’
• Spanish – “Listos 1”

Foreign trips are seen as an integral part of the programme and are often run in conjunction with other departments such as Art.

The study of past CCE or Scholarship papers, examination techniques and structured revision of vocabulary, topic based structures and grammatical points are emphasised in the final stage of the course. Scholarship work encompasses a more rigorous and comprehensive approach to grammar, more complex structures and greater extension of vocabulary. Post-Scholarship work may include projects, using the Internet as source material

Latin

In their final year at MPS, pupils continue to follow the Cambridge Latin Course, which they started either in Year 6 or 7. Pupils in their second year continue with Unit 2, mastering all cases and active tenses in preparation for Level 2 or 3 of the CCE paper, depending on ability. Pupils entering upon a third year will embark on Unit 3 and cover the more demanding concepts of the passive, the uses of the subjunctive, and indirect speech, in preparation for Level 3 or 4 of the CCE paper or the scholarship examination of their prospective senior school.

If Ecce Romani was the course used in Year 7, this is continued with in Year 8, when there is an in-depth examination and manipulation of regular and irregular verbs and their principal parts, coverage of the future and pluperfect tenses and much challenging translation work. The course book is largely abandoned towards the middle of the Spring Term, when past papers, particularly those based on the Greeks myths, are used to prepare pupils for the Scholarship/CCE examinations in May/June.

Both Ecce Romani and the Cambridge Latin Course approach the subject in a lively way, reinforcing language patterns, grammar and vocabulary through frequent use. The teacher supplements the material with his own input of structured grammar, so the pupils not only learn to read Latin fluently but also are capable of analysing passages of particular difficulty. Considerable emphasis is placed on the appreciation of English derivations and linguistic connections with Romance languages. Slides and video material are used to consolidate pupils’ knowledge and stimulate their interest, and IT programmes are employed to enhance translation skills, vocabulary learning and archaeological knowledge. Pupils may visit Dorchester and Caerleon during the year.

History

Pupils continue their studies from Year 7 and the focus is on The Later Middle Ages.

The emphasis is on preparing them for Millfield Scholarship, the Continuous Curriculum exam or Adapted Continuous Curriculum exam. Pupils’ understanding is enhanced by the use of video/film/ICT where appropriate.

The Hundred Years War:

The origins of the Hundred Years’ War / The longbow and crossbow / The Battle of Crecy / Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt/ Henry V’s reputation

Joan of Arc:

Background to her visions / at the court of the Dauphin of France / The military achievements of Joan of Arc / Her trial and execution / Why was Joan of Arc so important in History?

The Black Death and Peasants’ Revolt

Origins and spread of the plague / symptoms and cures / long and short-term results /causes of the Peasants’ revolt /events and outcomes.

The Wars of the Roses:

An outline history of the Wars of the Roses / Events leading up to Bosworth / Richard III and The Battle of Bosworth

Pupils will be assessed throughout by end of unit tests. These will take the form of extended writing and /or evidence questions.

During the summer term pupils will undertake a revision programme targeting key evidence skills and extended writing based in their own choice of topics.

Geography

The course for Year 8 is geared to the Scholarship, Continuous Curriculum or Adapted Continuous Curriculum examinations. However, at all levels, pupils are encouraged to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the world we live in and develop an awareness of some of the problems, both natural and human, which affect life on our planet.

The year begins in the Autumn Term with the growth of settlement. This provides an opportunity for a field investigation in the local area, looking at the relationship between settlement size and services. Pupils carry out a series of field visits before combining information and writing up the results of their study. In the second half term, pupils investigate Weather with the emphasis on practical activities, including a study of micro-climates on the school site.

The Spring Term begins with a study of the British Isles, both physical and human, and incorporates a knowledge of place through atlas work. A look at Britain’s energy resources leads in to a unit on Renewable Energy. This will investigate alternatives to the use of fossil fuels with advantages and disadvantages of each. Examples will be taken from different parts of the world.

In the Summer Term, pupils embark on a study of Brazil, which will include the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and how it can be managed through sustainability. It will also include work on the effects of rapid urbanisation in developing countries with a study of life in a shanty town.

Religious Studies

The R.S. syllabus aims to create an understanding of religious concepts at a level appropriate to the age of the children being taught. As a result, each year group will often cover similar concepts but at different levels. A revision and assessment programme is undertaken in conjunction with the set topics. Pupils are tested regularly and progress is as tested through both written and oral questioning.

In years 7/8 pupils follow the Scholarship, Continuous Curriculum or Adapted Continuous Curriculum examinations syllabus. The syllabus comprises compulsory Old and New Testament texts for special study in relation to contemporary issues. In addition, there is a section covering general Bible knowledge.

The main aims of the course are as follows:

enable candidates to acquire a basic knowledge of religious studies which will help them through life and prepare them for any future study of the subject. develop the students spiritual awareness help the students to seek ultimate meaning encourage the students to explore questions of morality and the values of contemporary society. Students develop their skills knowledge and understanding through:

Studying in depth selected Old and New Testament texts and relating them to contemporary issues. acquiring a basic knowledge of thirty three culturally significant bible stories. In the Autumn Term pupils study the aspects of the life of Jesus including, who Jesus claimed he was, his relationship with outcasts and modern day characters who have done likewise, the responsibilities of being a follower, miracles of healing, parables, and the lead up to Easter.

In the Spring Term pupils continue to study the life of Jesus looking at the Events of Holy Week, the death and resurrection of Jesus. An aspect of study is given to the early church including Pentecost, how the early believers lived, along with aspects of Stephen and Paul’s life.

In the Summer Term priority if given to the Revision of key topics in preparation for end of year examinations.

Art

During this year we continue the process of building upon our pupils’ ability to work confidently with a range of investigative and making processes to explore and communicate their ideas. Pupils learn to make independent choices and decisions. They are encouraged to express more personal and imaginative responses to set themes. They continue to develop an understanding and appreciation of work from across a variety of cultures and genres. They become more fluent in their critical vocabulary and particular emphasis is placed on developing their ability to recognise the styles and techniques of a range of artists. By the end of Year 8 it is our aim that all students have the ability to use a variety of materials and processes, so as to communicate effectively and confidently in the language of Art.

Autumn Term

The theme of the first half of the Autumn Term, Natural Forms, seeks to give our pupils the opportunity to carry out observational drawings and research into the techniques of a variety of contemporary and other artists who have explored related themes. The pupils’ two and three-dimensional creations are further enriched by visits to the Tate Modern and other London galleries.

In the second half of term, pupils study ‘…isms ‘where theygain an in-depth understanding of the work of various traditional and contemporary painters, sculptors, photographers, designers and printmakers. They analyse and explore artists’ techniques through interaction in sketchbook and experimental forms, which lead into the development of their own ‘…ism’.

Spring Term

The Spring Term project allows for pupils to bring together all their understanding of artists and their techniques into a final extended piece.

Summer Term

The Summer Term marks a further revision of the concepts studied throughout Years 7 and 8 and this prepares our pupils for the continuing study of Art at their next school. The theme allows an individual Sketch Book project that incorporates deeper research into a conceptual, perhaps issue based theme, for example ‘The Homeless’ and would be developed into various interpretations, which could include installation, video as well as drawing and painting.

Design and Technology

As in Year 7, the broad aims of the course are to introduce pupils to the need for investigation, research and modelling as part of the design process; to increase the range of equipment, tools and processes available to pupils; to improve the appearance and accuracy of finished projects and to develop greater awareness of healthy food choices, dietary requirements, food additives, labelling, marketing ploys and to develop a positive and analytical approach to design and make projects.

The programme of study covers some practical circuit applications, use of electronic kits and some electro-mechanical control work, including computer control (e.g.: illuminated seasonal decorations, model fairground rides, safety lights, alarms and security circuits); and a hanging bird design and make project which involves the use of Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture.

In Food Technology, staple foods, vegetarians, food storage and promotion of a new product are studied. Assessment includes short progress tests in technical vocabulary and tools and processes (safety and skills) and evaluation of pupils’ written work in their design books or folders.

Information & Communication Technology

Autumn Term – 1 st half term – More Presentation Graphics

1. « Creating a Master slide
2. « Automatic animation
3. « Control presentation
4. « Inserting & modifying visual elements
5. « Inserting movies and music from other sources
6. « Gleaning information from the web and inserting into slide show

Autumn Term – 2nd half term – Corel Draw

1. « Typography and text
2. « Web images
3. « Print out of all stages to see development
4. « Colour/ texture combinations
5. « Images from digital camera

Stages:

1. « Examine and evaluate examples
2. « Work out purpose…details styles, etc….
3. « Rough layout
4. « Use Corel Design to develop design
5. « Print out final colour design
6. « Evaluation

Spring Term – 1st half term – Further spreadsheets

1. « Enter, edit & manipulate data
2. « Create formulae & use common functions
3. « Format & present data
4. « Link live data from one spreadsheet to another
5. « Use spreadsheets to solve problems & project results
6. « Presenting data using graphs & charts
7. « Formatting axis & labels
8. « Format the presentation of graphs & charts
9. « Use graphs to extract information to predict further values

Spring Term – 2nd half term – Further Word Processing

1. « Creating & modifying documents
2. « Managing documents
3. « Working with graphics
4. « Creating & modifying graphics
5. « Customising toolbars & menu functions
6. « Using mail merge

Summer Term – 1st half term – Further animations with Macromedia Flash

1. « Motion tweens
2. « Shape tweens
3. « Fly in text
4. « Photo morphs
5. « Layers and tweened animations
6. « Adding sound
7. « Scenes

Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship

As in Year 7, the PSHE programme is delivered both by Group Tutors in Group Tutor sessions and by five specialist tutors in timetabled lessons.

Topics addressed by Group Tutors include School and Classroom (Co-operation, Code of Conduct, Discussion Skills, Listening Skills, Communication, Conflict, Courtesy, Goals); Work Skills (Prep, Exercise Books, Equipment, Routines); Morality (Right and Wrong, Justice, Stealing, Vandalism, Lying, Cheating, Telling Tales); Awareness of Others (Respect, Fairness, Role Models, Elderly, Disabled, Animals, Property); Prejudice (Stereotypes); Current Affairs (General Knowledge, Research, Media, Media Bias, Local Affairs).

Topics addressed by specialist tutors are on a rotation basis, each tutor covering their topic for approximately six weeks with each group. The five specialist topics are: Self-Appraisal and Moral Issues; The Environment; Drugs Education; Thinking Skills and Justice and the British Constitution.

Music

In Years 7 and 8 pupils will develop the ability to perform and compose music with understanding. They will listen from a wide range of musical styles, and will develop the ability appraise what they hear.

The curriculum will closely follow guidelines laid down by The National Curriculum for Music (Key Stage 3) and examples of the four areas of study are set out below.

Performing and Composing

Pupils will continue to develop the ability to perform and compose music based on an understanding of simple musical devices and structures. In Year 7 they will have covered examples from the following list:

Call and Response, round, ostinato, repetition, binary, ternary and rondo form.

In Year 8 examples from the following list may be included:

Theme and variations, cyclic patterns, sequences, hooks and riffs and the 12 bar blues.

They will continue to compose music in response to a wide range of stimuli. In Years 7 and 8 the examples are:

Pictures, themes, a given rhythm or melody, poetry, mood, a graphic score.

In Year 8 to add to this list are:

Video clips, recorded music, films and TV commercials.

Pupils will be encouraged to use sounds descriptively and rhythmically within their compositions.

In singing, unison and part songs will continue to be taught, with attention to diction and phrasing, balance and intonation but also with a strong emphasis on enjoyment.

Pupils will be encouraged to work together in groups thus promoting social skills (eg: cooperation) and encouraging key skills (eg: communication) and thinking skills (eg: planning).

Listening and Appraising

Through listening to a wide range of musical extracts pupils will be encouraged to listen with discrimination and communicate to each other how they feel about the music, using appropriate musical vocabulary.

Musical repertoire will include extracts from:

Classical, folk, popular, jazz and music from different cultures.

Pupils will learn to identify the musical elements (rhythm, pitch, tempo, timbre, texture dynamics and duration) and will be taught the effect of different tonalities on a piece (scales and modes). In Year 8 they will also learn how to identify repeated rhythmic and melodic devices used in music. They will also develop a greater understanding of how musical styles can be linked to various traditions and cultures – how time and place can influence the way music is created.

The overall aim in Years 7 and 8 is to provide suitable learning challenges for all pupils so that they may achieve as high a standard possible appropriate to their abilities.

Drama

The specialist Drama curriculum for Year 8 consolidates and extends the Drama skills learnt in Years 6 and 7. It aims to establish a working ambience within the Drama studio by reinforcing awareness of basic rules and safety precautions; to instil confidence in the pupils through a range of exercises; to promote enjoyment of Drama and inculcate a desire to seek further involvement in a Drama club; to revise the key elements of acting, including voice projection, articulation, expression and basic movements, such as standing, walking, turning, entrances and exits; to revise common pitfalls such as lapsing from character and restlessness; to provide ample opportunity for pupils to rehearse and perform before peers and parents, whether at school assemblies or on stage at school productions, which include a major School Play.

In the Summer Term, pupils are also encouraged to produce their own presentation by using all the theatrical elements and techniques they have learnt during their Drama studies at the school, encompassing not only acting but also script writing, auditioning, directing, stage managing, sound, lighting, make-up and wardrobe.

Years Seven, Eight and Year Three at the Senior School will follow the same programme of study/syllabus. This will add continuity to existing teaching. Theatre trips will be planned for Year Eight and selected members from the Senior School. Written work will play an integral part of the syllabus, ultimately preparing children for GCSE Drama if they opt for it at the Senior School

Physical Education

The aims of Physical Education at MPS are to promote physical development and confidence and the resultant rise in self-esteem; to provide individual programmes to help all pupils realise their full potential, including outstanding athletes and pupils with special needs; to ensure pupils understand the short and long-term effects of exercise on the body systems, and to make pupils aware of the various methods of improving fitness, preparing for activities and recovering afterwards; to help pupils to value safety codes, minimise risk, avoid danger and respond appropriately, when necessary, to emergency situations; to teach pupils to know about and value the benefits of participation in physical activity and to develop in them a positive, committed, enthusiastic, hard-working approach which will help them derive maximum enjoyment and satisfaction from successful endeavour both at school and throughout life; to develop an appreciation of skilful and creative performances across the areas of activity; to develop problem-solving skills; to develop interpersonal skills and qualities such as integrity, fairness, self-discipline and a concern for quality as well as success and to ensure pupils in teams treat opponents, fellow team members and officials with respect.

While MPS has earned a wide reputation for high standards in Physical Education, gained mainly through the success of our teams in County, Regional and National events and outstanding individual performances, our competitive achievements are only part of the picture. The major part of our programme is concerned with teaching pupils a broad, balanced syllabus, which is differentiated to meet the needs of individual pupils. We study all parts of the National Curriculum but go far beyond its basic requirements in terms of range of sports and activities offered, curriculum time allotted and standards expected.

Physical Education modules taught to Year 8 encompass Health-Related Fitness, Basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming, Athletics, Tennis, Cricket/Rounders, Rugby/Netball, Hockey, Football (Boys), and Water Polo.

There is a wide range of extra-curricular outdoor activities, including Orienteering, Climbing and Caving, Canoeing, Riding, Snorkelling, Sailing and Walking. After their final examinations in the Summer Term, Year 8 pupils have the opportunity to spend three days at a PGL Centre where they can participate in a wide range of outdoor pursuits.

The Language Development Centre

Information regarding the LDC (Special Needs) is available from Mary Mountstephen, Director of Learning Development, or from Sally Garland-Jones, Tutor for Admissions.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Information regarding EAL is available from Pippa Wynn, EAL co-ordinator or from Sally Garland-Jones, Tutor for Admissions.