Year 8 Curriculum Booklet

H E L E ’S S C H O O L
YEAR 8 COURSES
2015— 2016
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Feedback on your work
Individual home learning tasks and smaller pieces of classwork
will be looked at by your teacher and advice given on how you
might improve the quality of your work. By responding
positively to these comments you will be able to make
progress towards a higher level in the National Curriculum.
The effort put into your work will be assessed by your teacher
and graded : Excellent (E), Good (G), Satisfactory (S) [just
enough to get by], and unsatisfactory (U) [needs to be done
again]. For more substantial pieces of home learning,
classwork and tests your work will be marked and assessed
against the standards set out in the National Curriculum. You
will be told how you can improve your next piece of similar
work and set clear targets for progression. Our aim is to
enable you to climb up the ladder of National Curriculum
levels, in all aspects of every subject, as quickly as possible.
Your subject teacher keeps a record of your progress and you
and your parent can ask to discuss this at any time. The SIMS
Learning Gateway (SLG) enables real-time, on-line access to
attendance, behaviour and assessment data for parents,
meaning you will have the ability to check your child’s progress
24/7.
On the following pages you will find a short description of each
of the programmes you will be following during the year,
together with advice on useful equipment and resources for
school and at home.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Ar t
Head of Department : Mr N Norton
The core skills (Painting, Drawing, Ceramics and Printing) are
practised and further techniques are developed.
You will be expected to show an increased level of selfevaluation and a willingness to modify your work accordingly.
Connections are made between your work and that of other
artists and cultures. You should use this to enrich your
work and expand your vocabulary.
In set home learning the need for tonal work in
observation drawing is further emphasised and you will be
encouraged to consider background and composition.
Personal choice and research tasks allow you to pursue
your particular interests.
What you will need:
An HB pencil, (2B and 4B pencils are
desirable for homework),
a rubber, and sharpener.
A protective shirt or apron is required.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Careers Education and Guidance
The aim of the Careers programme is to ensure that all learners have
access to impartial careers information and guidance throughout the
year. There will be appropriate opportunities for learners to develop the
knowledge and skills needed to make successful choices and manage
transitions.
In Year 8 you will continue to develop your knowledge and understanding
of the subject to ensure that you are fully prepared to make choices
and decisions that are suited to your own abilities as well as aspirations.
You will build on the understanding of strengths, interests and values
and start to consider how these may influence your life and learning
choices. It is advisable at this stage to utilise the careers programmes
that can be accessed on the school intranet.
Careers education will support the drive to improve achievement by
helping you to;
 Understand yourselves.
 Achieve your potential.
 Develop research skills to investigate opportunities.
 Implement basic career plans.
Work experience
Over the course of the year you will be taught by Personal Development
tutors during afternoon registrations. There will also be career
objectives driven through ‘Stop the Clock’ days. The programme
throughout all of Key Stage 3 is built around the following 3 areas:
Self Development
 Understand yourself so that you are self-aware, have a flexible
outlook and realistically high expectations.
 Develop the Key and other skills needed for planning and
managing your own career development.
Career Exploration
 Understand the importance of ‘lifelong career development’ and
‘lifelong learning’ throughout your working life.
 Investigate careers and opportunities in learning, work and
leisure, at home and abroad.
 Know where and how to access appropriate information,
resources, help and guidance.
Career Management



Decide on and take next steps in your career development using
appropriate techniques such as action planning and reviewing
and recording achievement.
Manage transition.
Be able to prepare and use your Individual Action Plan to
support your career development within the PD delivery
programme.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Drama
Head of Department : Mrs N Tout
Year 8 Drama is obviously a development of all the skills you have
learnt in Year 7 — but with a new twist!
In Year 8 we concentrate on your exploring issues of Personal
Development within the genre of Drama. We look at a number of
issues ranging from Personal Well-Being, Economic Well-Being, to
global awareness and citizenship. We will explore these issues in
a number of ways—through improvisation, devising, writing,
performing , rehearsing and reflecting.
You will also learn about the technical side of Drama in a more
detailed way than you did in Year 7. This involves use of sound,
lighting, costume and design. As always, we also look at some
scripts from writers who we think fire the imagination!!! One of
the first projects you will complete is the ‘Alphabet of a
Teenager’ workshop. You will improve your team-work and group
work skills and have fun presenting new work to your peers and
other observers.
The main things you need to bring to lesson are an open mind,
enthusiasm and tonnes of creativity. Stand by for action,
adventure and acting!
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
English
Head of Department: Mrs J Schnoor
Second in Department: Mr M Miller
KS3 Coordinator: Miss S Hammond
Our aim is to build on the foundations of Year
7 to help students become curious, confident
and creative communicators, in the wide range
of situations they will encounter in their lives.
Just like last year, students will study a core
unit of work each term through which they will
develop vital reading, writing and speaking &
listening skills.

Communication at Work—formal writing
and presentation skills

A Midsummer Night’s Dream—reading
skills

Private Peaceful—reading skills

Be a Film Critic—’reading’ and writing
about film professionally

Writing about Travel—using a range of
writing styles

Poetry—reading, writing and performing
Below is a check list of
Suitable writing
equipment
A reading book
You will need to
have your own
dictionary and
thesaurus for home
learning purposes.
It is also useful to
have this in school.
For more please seek advice from
our school librarians or ask your
English teacher.
There will be two points of assessment for
each unit; the assessments and feedback are
stored in school but available for you to see on
request.
Students are expected to read for a minimum of 30 minutes a week, keeping a
record of their reading.
Each week, students will be set 10 spellings to learn.
In addition, Students are also assessed through the completion of ‘rich tasks’,
homework tasks designed to support class learning and build upon independent
learning and research skills. These tasks aid student development and progression;
as part of any given task, students will be asked to work on individual areas for
improvement.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
French
Head of Department : Mrs V Allen
Deputy Head of Department: Miss A Pike
You will be building on and consolidating the language learned in Year 7,
so make sure you still use your Y7 books!
Topics covered:-
Family :- Learning how to describe your family and talk about your
relationships. You will also look at stereotypes.
Healthy Living:- Learning to talk about food and drink, discussing
different aspects of health and being able to explain what is wrong at
the Doctor’s.
Special Occasions:Learning about different festivals in other
countries, describing celebrations and reading and watching some
French fairy tales.
House and Home:- Talking about where you live, your daily routine
and how you help at home. You will also be comparing your daily life
with life in France.
Out and About:- Learning how to cope if you have a French guest
visiting or if you go to stay with someone in France. You will also learn
the practicalities of buying tickets asking for information, asking for
and giving directions and coping at the lost property office.
Fashion and Shopping:- Learning to talk about clothes and fashion
and to be able to go shopping and ask relevant questions.
You will continue to develop listening, speaking, reading and
writing skills through a variety of methods including games, IT
and drama. Don’t forget that your own pocket French
dictionary will be extremely useful for home learning and
extra research. (We recommend the Collins Easy Learning
French Dictionary).
You will also have the opportunity to join in
our visit to France when you can practise
what you have learned in class.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Geography
Head of Department : Mrs L Ward
KS3 Co-ordinator : Miss C Hird
Voyage of Discovery—investigating the rainforest.
After a short course on issues of water supply in monsoon
countries, you will begin an exploration of geographical themes and
case studies by studying a range of global environments. We start
off at the Equator, working our way up through the latitudes
covering the South American rainforest, the African savannahs,
and a study of Egypt as a developing country. Themes of
international co-operation, environmental degradation, tourism and
cultural adaptations are explored, along with the composition of
these environments and the processes which shape them. You will
be taught how to plan investigations. This year there may be the
opportunity to explore these ideas as part of a trip to Paignton
Zoo.
Cairo
By the end of this year we would expect you to be able to
describe certain environments according to their vegetation,
climate and soil type, and to put forward explanations for these
characteristics. We would also expect you to be able to discuss
how human activity shows adaptations to the environment and, if
unplanned, can have harmful effects on it. We will place a strong
emphasis on pupils enquirers.
What you will need:
We expect you to attend lessons with a
pen, pencil, rubber, pencil sharpener, ruler,
note book and a set of colouring pencils.
An atlas at home is strongly recommended.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
German
German
(1st Language)
Head of Department : Mrs V Allen
Head
Department
: Mrs
Ayres
Deputy Head
ofof
Department
: Miss
AA
Pike
This year you will be building on and consolidating the language
and the structures learned in Year 7, so make sure you still use
year 7 books.
Topics Covered:
Family
Learning how to describe your family and talk about your
relationships. You will also look at stereotypes
Healthy Living Learning to talk about food and drink,
discussing different aspects of health and being able to
explain what is wrong at the Doctor’s.
Special Occasions Learning about different festivals in other
countries, describing celebrations and reading and watching
some German faity tales.
House and Home
Talk about where you live, your daily
routine and how you help at home. You will also be comparing
your daily life with life in Germany.
Out and About Learning how to cope if you have a German
guest visiting or if you go to stay with someone in Germany.
You will also learn the practicalities of buying tickets, asking
for information, asking for and giving directions and coping at
the lost property office.
Fashion and Shopping: Learning to talk about clothes and
fashion and to be able to go shopping and ask relevant
questions.
You will continue to develop listening, speaking, reading
and writing skills through a variety of methods including
games, it and drama. Don’t forget that our own pocket
German dictionary will be extremely useful for homework
and extra research. (We recommend the Collins Easy
Learning German Dictionary).
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
HISTORY
Head of Department: Mr R Farmer
Deputy Head of History : Mr A Burkey
In Year 8 you will continue to develop your skills in
History. You will study three units which will build
up your understanding of the past. You will have
more chances to use historical sources and look at
representations of the past, and you will be
carrying out some investigations for yourself.
The first study unit is Britain 1600 - 1750. Have
you ever wondered: Why was there an English Civil
War? Why did Charles I lose his head? What was
London like after the Great Fire? You will find out
the answers to all this - and more!
For the second study unit we will turn our
attention across the Atlantic Ocean to learn about
the Black Peoples of the Americas. The unit
starts with an investigation into slavery in America
and then looks at how and when black Americans
gained their freedom, and why they had to
struggle for so long to gain equality. It ends with
a look at the Black Civil Rights movement in the
1960s and the part played by Martin Luther King.
Finally, you will study the changes in Britain during
the Industrial Revolution 1750—1900. You will
learn how Britain grew wealthy from the growth of
industry and eventually became the most powerful
country in the world. But at what cost?
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
ICT (Information and Communication Technology)
Head of Department : Mrs J Strang
ICT is a core subject in the school that incorporates both the Applied
Learning and Maths and Computing specialisms. As well as having a standalone
ICT lesson in KS3 students also use ICT skills across the curriculum. Along
with Maths and English, ICT is a Functional Skill in the 2008 National
Curriculum.
Students in KS3 are taught in mixed ability tutor groups and develop their
skills in both standard Microsoft programmes and creative ICT use such as
writing websites, animation and podcasting. ICT projects are linked directly
to the whole school curriculum themes. ICT skills are developed so that they
can be used as a tool to aid students’ thinking and enhance presentation of
work.
Hardware/Software
Hele’s School has Microsoft network, running off Microsoft Server 2008. The
workstations use Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise as their operating system.
The core software on all workstations is Microsoft Office 2010 (Word, Excel,
Publisher, Powerpoint, Access) and Adobe Creative Suite 5 (Acrobat Pro,
Contribute, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks, Dreamweaver and Photoshop). We
also use a variety of freeware that can be downloaded at home from the
internet. These include Audacity, Freemind, Pivot, Mediator, Stykz.
All students are allocated an area on the network to store their work. They
can access this from home via the internet www.heles.plymouth.sch.uk click on
Easylink.
All ICT projects are published on the school website, along with classroom
resources needed to carry out the project. These can also be accessed from
home via www.heles.plymouth.sch.uk/ict
Yr 8 In Year 8 students complete 6 projects of approximately 6 weeks each.
Date
Theme/Project
Main programme
used
6 weeks
Sept—Oct
Competition! Top Trumps
Excel Publisher
6 weeks
Nov—Dec
Age calculator
Excel
6 weeks
Jan—Feb
Flash Games
Create a jigsaw in Flash
Flash Fireworks
6 weeks
Feb—April
Database design
Access
6 weeks
April—June
Homes of the future
Internet Explorer
6 weeks
June—July
E-Safety. Website to explain how to stay
safe online
Dreamweaver
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Mathematics
Head of Department : Mrs E Pearce
Deputy Head of Department: Ms L Burt
All Year 8 mathematics classes follow the framework set out in the
National Numeracy Strategy, which includes an increased focus on
functional maths, solving problems, and interpreting results.
Students continue to be set in ability groups, where lessons are
geared to their specific needs. Sets are reviewed frequently to
ensure students are in the most appropriate group.
There are four main areas of study which build on the work learned
in year 7:
Number –
including fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio,
and mental and written methods, negative
numbers, efficient use of calculators and
proportion.
Algebra –
including writing expressions, solving problems
using generalisations, using formulae and drawing
and interpreting graphs.
Shapes and Measures – including 2D and 3D shapes, angles,
formulae for, and units of, measure and spatial
awareness.
Statistics – including collecting, displaying and using data,
calculating and interpreting averages, comparing
distributions and probability.
The application of mathematic skills and processes continues to be a
key area of study, and students will be encouraged to apply their
maths to solve problems wherever possible.
This excellent interactive website is used
extensively by the department, and may be used
to set home learning tasks. Logins and passwords will be issued by
class teachers. Students can also use the website to support their
revision, and to check methods when completing other home learning.
What you will need:
Energy, enthusiasm and willingness to participate!
Your exercise book
The following equipment every lesson: Pen,
pencil, ruler, sharpener, protractor, compasses
and a calculator.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Music
Head of Department : Mr S Cartwright
In Year 8 the course builds upon the work covered in Year 7.
You will explore harmony and the use of chords. You will
experience music from many different countries, such as India
and Africa, and from different historical periods, such as
Baroque and Classical.
You will perform a wide range of music, developing your skills
on keyboards, xylophones, glockenspiels, a wide range of
percussion instruments and, where appropriate, guitars and
other traditional instruments.
Singing is an important part of the course. You will learn to
think about the quality of your own work and also the work of
others in the class. All forms of musical expression are
encouraged through a wide range of composing activities.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Personal Development
Head of Department : Dr A Kent
The Personal Development programme in Year 8 continues to
look at the important issues that affect your lives from day
to day.
The year will begin by working as a form with your tutor to
think about the community in which you live, and getting
involved in raising funds for a charity of your choice.
Over the course of the year you will be taught by all of the
specialist tutors, who will deliver lessons on their specialist
topic.
Your lessons will be linked to the following topics:
Economic Well-Being lessons aim to examine your attitudes to
money, including spending and saving. In lessons we also make
you aware of mortgages, interest rates and spending.
Personal Well-Being will focus on family relationships, dealing
with difficulties and the pressure on parents and pupils.
We will also focus on the effects of alcohol, smoking and the
use of illegal drugs. Sex Education lessons will be developed
by specialist staff used to discussing personal relationships,
sexual development and empowerment.
Citizenship lessons will look at the rights and responsibilities
of British citizens and how our government works. Careers
Information and Guidance will continue to shape your ideas
about your future life and career.
At the end of the Summer Term you should have become more
aware of the needs and wishes of yourself and those with
whom you share each day. You will also learn more about the
Social and Emotional aspects of your development. It is our
hope that you will become more positive and assertive in
difficult situations and will build up a positive self-image
where you can accept your deficiencies and emphasise your
attributes.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Physical Education
Head of Department : Mr J Carwardine
Deputy Head of PE : Mr M Cusack
The Year 8 course focuses on extending skills and understanding
introduced and developed in Year 7. You will continue to develop:
Exploring and Communicating your ideas.
Expression and
movement skills, choreography and planning tasks.
Accurately replicate. moving into and out of balance alone and
with a partner; with and without apparatus.
Outwit Opponents.
An extension of skills and principles to
develop techniques and strategies appropriate to a variety of
games. Fair play, scoring and rules.
Perform at maximum levels to extend techniques, skills and
understanding in a range of events.
You are involved in
evaluation and assessment throughout the course. Opportunities
are offered to make appropriate judgements about your own and
other students’ performance rules.
Exercise safely and effectively—You will complete, plan and
evaluate exercise activities, incorporating knowledge and
understanding of fitness and health. You will also be able to take
a variety of roles, such as leader and official.
You will be involved in evaluation and assessment throughout the
year.
What you will need:
You are asked to arrive promptly and correctly dressed.
As a safety precaution, no watch or item of jewellery is
permitted to be worn. In cases of minor injury or illness
your child will still need their P.E. kit as they will
participate as a coach, official or evaluator. They only
need a note for long term injury, e.g. broken bone.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Religious Education
Religious
Head of Department : MrsStudies
L Ward
KS3 Coordinator
: Mrs S Holmes
Head of Department : Mrs L Ward
Religious Studies offers you the opportunity to consider
thoughtfully your attitudes, values and beliefs about the
world around you, and it aims to give you a greater
understanding of religious belief and practice.
You will be encouraged to develop lively and enquiring
minds and develop the skills you need to survive in a fast
-changing world.
You will follow a programme exploring some of the
world’s largest religions, and be able to reflect on the
problem of prejudice and discrimination in the modern
world.

Buddhism — why do we suffer?

Prejudice and discrimination — is life fair?

Christianity - how should we show love?

The supernatural — what is the supernatural?
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Science
Head of Department : Mr S Hawker
Deputy Head of Science : Mr D Bevan
The course builds upon the work done in Year 7, aiming
to consolidate and extend the areas of study.
By the end of Year 7 you might have answered
questions like these . . .What will the future be like?
Will you have a transporter? Or a cell-phone that runs
on sugar? Will Scientists ever invent a time machine? if not we aim to answer these and many more by the end
of Year 8.
Every day Scientists find out more about how the world
around us works.
Whenever they make a major
discovery, engineers make advances in technology that
put this knowledge to practical use.
In Year 8 you will be studying through a themed
approach based on “How Science Works” using Science
Works 2. Topics covered will include food, glorious
food, doctors and diseases, materials and recycling,
planet earth, forces and transport, light, sound and
hearing. You will be encouraged to ask questions and be
willing to take an active role in group work.
You will act responsibly in the laboratory and risk
assess during practical lessons.
How science works is our main text but we have a
diverse range of books and computer programs—many
of which are interactive. There will be a continuous
assessment process throughout the year as well as
periodic summative testing.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
Design Technology
Head of Department : Mr H D Phillips
Deputy Head of Technology : Mrs P O’Neill
You have now completed your first year of
Technology and are moving on to more advanced
work and projects, building on your Year 7
experiences. As before, you will be expected to
carry out your tasks sensibly and safely.
Materials, tools and equipment will be provided for
you to use, but you are responsible for providing
pens, pencils and other drawing equipment. For
practical work we ask for a voluntary contribution
of £6 towards materials that you will use. The
projects that you will be undertaking this year have
been carefully designed so as to give you maximum
opportunity to develop your range of skills and
knowledge in each area. You will be approaching
the projects from a ‘problem solving’ point of view
and record your progress using the now familiar
Design Process.
The project modules that you will be undertaking
are:
“Shadow caster”. The design and manufacture
of an aluminium shadow caster/night light for
use with a tea light candle or the LED
equivalent.

‘Developing sauces to serve with pasta,
resulting in a Silver Award ‘Active Kids Get
Cooking’.
‘Supertrike’. Use your skills to design and
make a vehicle powered by an electric motor
and gearbox to race your classmates.
‘CAD’ learn to produce top quality designs
using ‘Solid works’, just like industrial design
teams do.
Printing and Batik techniques in the
manufacture of fabric containers.



When you complete your Year 8 work you will have
had the opportunity to have worked with all of the
main materials used in school Technology, and you
will have acquired a greater understanding of how
they can be used to best advantage when designing.
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
World Languages
(2nd Language classes)
Head of Department : Mrs V Allen
Deputy Head of Department : Miss A Pike__
As well as studying your first language, you will
also be introduced to several new languages and
their cultures. Over the course of the year you
will have lessons in Spanish, Chinese and either
French or German. These will be taught in 12 week
blocks. This is intended to give you a short taster
of some new languages. You will then build on these
the following year.
These languages will all be new to you and you will
need lots of enthusiasm and energy!
Your course will be based around real life
situations. Topics covered will include:




Booking into a hotel
Asking for, giving and understanding
directions
Ordering food and drink
Shopping
Art Transcends
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
NOTES
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet
n\KRS\Year Group\Y8\Curr Booklet 2012 iv
Year 8 Curriculum Booklet