Curriculum
Year 8 themes continue to build upon and develop the knowledge and skills of students. They may revisit some of the ideas that are covered in Year 7 but in greater depth.
Again, each theme lasts between three and four weeks and is centred around group work, research skills, audienced learning and technology. Below is a brief description of each theme.
Autumn Term
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DRIVING QUESTION: What must we consider when building for our community?
Students will take on the role of an Architect bidding for a new project in the local area; planning and building models of their designs and considering how to fund them for the future. They will conduct research, plan, build and use feedback to make improvements throughout the project.
The project will conclude with a competition, where students will deliver their pitch in the hope of it being chosen by the local community.
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Spring Term
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DRIVING QUESTION: What App can we design to improve people’s lives?
During this theme, students will:
- Work individually or as part of a team to complete a project
- Brainstorm a real-life problem that could be solved by an app
- Decide on an idea to take forward
- Identify the app features that would be most beneficial to potential users
- Design and prototype an app
- Promote their app idea to potential investors
Summer Term
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DRIVING QUESTION: What impact has the Industrial Revolution had on living conditions today?
Please Sir explores the Industrial Revolution in Britain, with its main focus around education and industry. Students investigate the differences between the conditions of this time and the modern world. They will explore and research some of the fundamental differences within the world of work, schools and inventions before discovering the difficult circumstances of children through William Blake’s poetry and eyewitness accounts. Students will also use Dickens’ Oliver Twist to create pieces of script that reflect the themes and plot of the original text, helping them prepare for an extended piece of writing discussing the potential return of corporal punishment. Students also experience a typical school day similar to Victorian times to compare the differences in teaching and learning styles, subjects and activities.
As part of their study students are encouraged to consider the Industrial Revolution and what a challenging time it was for some. They will also learn that there were crucial advances in technology that directly influenced Britain today, including transport, machinery and domestic items that we still see in the UK. Students will also research some of the key figures of a time that was pivotal in shaping their local area and in turn, the Industrial Revolution as a whole.
The theme concludes with students participating in typical Victorian entertainment by exploring melodrama and presenting a piece of practical work in this style. By the end of the theme, students should be able to see a variety of differences from 19th century Britain and today, but also able to articulate how the Industrial Revolution shaped the world around them.
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Review and Exam Weeks will be held twice during the year, in January and in the Summer term.
There will also be a series of Focus Days embedded within themes where students can explore an idea in greater depth. Focus Days can include off-site visits, guest speakers and workshops.