Year 7 and 8
Subjects Studied in Year 7 and 8:
Arabic, Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language, French, Geography, History, ICT, Islamic Studies, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education (PE), Physics, Spanish, Arabic Social Studies, Moral Studies.
Our curriculum builds on the experiences children have had at their primary school. Our aim is to maintain the strengths of the primary approach as we introduce teaching by subject specialists. In particular, we want our students to use their skills across the curriculum and not to confine them to the subject in which they happen to be learned. Information Technology equips students with skills which are used and reinforced across all subjects. We have utilised the Google Classroom and Google Calendar applications to integrate technology into the daily lives of our students, this technology assists our students in their organisation. We think they will be invaluable to our students, who are faced for the first time with the need to organise their day and week at school. We know from experience that the earlier the skills of organisation are learned, the quicker children settle and the greater chances of success at IGCSE/GCSE and beyond.
We ask you to help your child make effective use of these tools and especially at first to share responsibility for it. Students should be encouraged each evening to look forward to the next day, making sure that they have completed their homework by the required date and that they have all the equipment they need for the next day’s lessons. If parents take an interest in the tasks and targets set, it will make it easier for us to work together. We are always keen to identify any concerns at an early stage so that matters can be put right. Through Moral Studies, tutors encourage positive attitudes to learning and working cooperatively together. Although we set aside a specific period each week for Moral Studies, it is also an aspect of everything we teach and cannot be limited to a single lesson.
Information for Parents on National Curriculum Levels of Attainment:
If your child is currently in Year 7 or Year 8 of their education, they will receive a detailed academic report twice each school year – at Winter Break and in the Summer term. Alongside grades for effort and attainment, each subject area will also provide a National Curriculum Level. As you may be aware we teach the British National Curriculum at AAESS. This governs what is taught in all subject areas and ensures that all students receive a broad, balanced curriculum as they progress through the Key Stage. Students are assessed via National Curriculum Levels. This internationally recognized form of assessment enables parents to see how their child is progressing in comparison to students of the same age in England and around the world.
What do the National Curriculum Levels mean?
There are 8 levels in the National Curriculum. Children are expected to work their way through one level every two years. If a child has achieved the expected level in the National Curriculum, it means they show knowledge and skills that are the same as, or slightly better than, most children of the same age. At the end of Key Stage 3 the minimum level expected in English, Mathematics and Science is Level 5. This indicates that a student has the potential to attain a C grade or higher at IGCSE/GCSE level (Years 10 –11).
