Grade 6 to 8 at Wetherby-Pembridge

By the end of Grade 8, students further their National Curriculum skills for Word Level, Sentence Level, Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. Our students study several texts together with a wide range of non-fiction prose and poetry. Practice in essay planning, writing and redrafting ensures confidence in written tasks. Students also study a range of poetry from different eras and genres. In Grades 7 and 8, students are guided to comment on the writer’s choice of vocabulary and language structure, together with the effects created. In personal writing, students employ increasingly sophisticated literary techniques to engage their reader.

Class texts across Grades 6 to 8 might include any of the following example titles: Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a range of nineteenth-century short stories by authors such as H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens or Sir Arthur Conan – Doyle, The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Further texts might include Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian, Boy by Roald Dahl and Animal Farm by George Orwell.

At Wetherby-Pembridge the curriculum covers the four main areas of Mathematics: Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra and Statistics. Code-Breaking and trigonometry are also explored in the final year of the Middle School.

The curriculum is designed to:

Develop Fluency

• consolidate numerical and mathematical capability from Grade 3 and extend understanding of the number system and place value to include decimals, fractions, powers and roots
• select and use appropriate calculation strategies to solve increasingly complete problems
• use algebra to generalise the structure of arithmetic, including formulating mathematical relationships
• substitute values in expressions, rearrange and simplify expressions, and solve equations
• move freely between different numerical, algebraic, graphical and diagrammatic representations [for example, equivalent fractions, fractions and decimals, and equations and graphs]
• develop algebraic and graphical fluency, including understanding linear and simple quadratic functions
• use language and properties precisely to analyse numbers, algebraic expressions, 2-D and 3-D shapes, probability and statistics

Reason Mathematically

• extend understanding of the number system; make connections between number relationships, and algebraic and graphical representations
• extend and formalise students’ knowledge of ratio and proportion in working with measures and geometry, and in formulating proportional relations algebraically
• identify variables and express relations between variables algebraically and graphically
• make and test conjectures about patterns and relationships; look for proofs or counterexamples
• begin to reason deductively in geometry, number and algebra, including using geometrical constructions
• interpret when the structure of a numerical problem requires additive, multiplicative or proportional reasoning
• explore what can and cannot be inferred in statistical and probabilistic settings, and begin to express their arguments formally

Solve Problems

• develop mathematical knowledge, in part through solving problems and evaluating the outcomes, including multi-step problems
• develop use of formal mathematical knowledge to interpret and solve problems, including financial mathematics
• begin to model situations mathematically and express the results using a range of formal mathematical representations
• select appropriate concepts, methods and techniques to apply to unfamiliar and non-routine problems

Pupils will be taught a balanced range of topics across Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Robotics Programmes will also feature across the Middle School aimed to develop computational thinking, spatial awareness, scientific and design thinking, creative storytelling and mathematical reasoning.

The curriculum is designed to develop:

Scientific Attitudes

• attention to objectivity and concern for accuracy, precision, repeatability and reproducibility
• understand that scientific methods and theories develop as scientists modify earlier explanations to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of publishing results and peer review
• evaluate risks
• understand the power and limitations of science and potential ethical questions and debates
• consider the validity of experimental results in terms of fair testing
Experimental skills and investigations
• ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world, alongside prior knowledge and experience
• make predictions using scientific knowledge and understanding
• select, plan and carry out the most appropriate types of scientific enquiries to test predictions, including identifying independent, dependent and control variables, where appropriate
• use appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory work, paying attention to health and safety
• make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods for different investigations; evaluate the reliability of methods and suggest possible improvements or further investigations
• apply sampling techniques
• use scientific theories, models and explanations to develop hypotheses
• plan investigations to make observations and to test hypotheses, including identifying variables as independent, dependent or control, and measure and consider other factors which need to be taken into account when collecting evidence
• use knowledge of techniques, apparatus, and materials, during fieldwork and laboratory work, select those that are appropriate to the investigation, and use them appropriately, adapting apparatus and strategy flexibly when problems arise and paying attention to health and safety
• measure and manipulate concentrations

Analysis, Evaluation and Problem-solving

• apply mathematical concepts and calculate results
• undertake basic data analysis including simple statistical techniques
• use and derive simple equations and carry out appropriate calculations
• present observations and data, using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs; carry out and represent mathematical and simple statistical analysis
• interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations, measurements and data to draw conclusions
• present reasoned explanations, including explaining data in relation to predictions and hypotheses
• evaluate data, showing awareness of potential sources of random and systematic error
• identify further questions arising from their results
• represent random distribution of results and estimate uncertainty; interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and trends and use observations, measurements and data to make inferences and draw conclusions
• evaluate data critically, showing awareness of potential sources of random variations and systematic errors, and suggest improvements
• communicate the scientific rationale for the investigation and the methods used, giving accounts of findings, reasoned explanation of data in relation to hypotheses and reasoned conclusions through written reports and electronic presentations

Measurement

• understand and use SI and IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) chemical nomenclature
• convert units