Year 7

Autumn term – Baseline and introduction to ‘horrible histories in art’

• Observational drawing
• Texture and mark making
• Colour
• Art timeline
• Prehistoric art
• Art of the ancients – Classic Greek theatre (masks)

Spring term – ‘Horrible histories in art’ continued

• Egyptian art paper making
• Middle ages
• Eastern dragons and clay work

Summer term – ‘ Horrible histories in art’ continued

• Modern art timeline
• Expressionism and music
• Pop art and consumerism

Visit our art page for more information

Autumn term

• All about me – introducing Microsoft Office suite
• E-safety – early guidance on online safety

Spring term

• PPT game design – designing a maze-style game in PowerPoint
• Welcome to Holgate – shooting and editing a welcome video for new year 7s

Summer term

• Virtual pet – students design and program a virtual pet using Scratch

Visit our computer science page for more information

Technology rotation

Product design – keyring fob – students will design and make a keyring fob using cutting techniques.

Visit our product design page for more information

Food and nutrition – health and safety and good food plate – various recipes are explored including savoury scones and pleasing pasta.

Visit our food and nutrition page for more information

Photography

Visit our photography page for more information

Graphic communication – logo design – students will explore design, development and processes considering: what makes a good design? What elements do designer use to sell us stuff?

Visit our graphic communication page for more information

Autumn term

Drama skills/breadwinner script

Spring term

Native American (exploratory)

Summer term

Greek theatre (historical)

Visit our drama page for more information

Autumn term – Genre study

Rationale: students uncover how history and genre shape great writing, building strong foundations for GCSE. Immersed in rich examples, they learn to internalise structure and style, crafting confident and authentic pieces of their own.

Key knowledge:

• Conventions of key genres (myth, legend, fairy tale, gothic, dystopian).
• Common themes such as heroism, morality, and transformation.
• Narrative structure and archetypal characters.
• Language and setting to create mood and atmosphere.
• Exploration of childhood experiences in literature.
• Features of Shakespearean comedy (mistaken identity, conflict, resolution).

Key vocabulary:

• Genre
• Convention
• Structure
• Mystery
• Intrigue
• Suspense
• Tension
• Morality
• Myth
• Legend
• Protagonist
• Antagonist

Key skills:

• Retrieve key information
• Infer meaning
• Analyse language and structure
• Understand plot and character
• Writing to describe/narrate
• Explore context
• Organise writing
• Identify themes
• Use of evidence
• Write critical essays

Spring term – Shakespeare – The Tempest 

Rationale: students discover how Shakespeare’s language and structure create timeless meaning for different audiences. They explore characterisation in depth and develop their own voice through engaging non-fiction writing across a variety of forms and styles.

Key knowledge:

• Elizabethan context and Shakespeare’s world.
• Power, control, and forgiveness.
• Magic, illusion, and the supernatural.
• Characterisation of Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban.
• Language, imagery, and dramatic structure.
• Themes of exploration and colonisation.

Key vocabulary:

• Power
• Hierarchy
• Injustice
• Isolation
• Acceptance
• Reality
• Supernatural
• Nature
• Morality
• Antithesis
• Tolerance
• Patriarchy

Key skills:

• Retrieve key information
• Infer meaning
• Analyse language and technique
• Write to argue/persuade
• Organise writing
• Understand plot and character
• Use of evidence
• Explore context
• Write critical essays
• Present information
• Use standard English
• Participate in discussion
• Listen and respond

Summer term – Midwinterblood

Rationale: students journey through an atmospheric tale, exploring recurring themes and the techniques writers use to create powerful effects. Their own writing focuses on crafting vivid, believable characters that bring stories to life.

Key knowledge:

• Themes of love, sacrifice, and fate
• Structure and interconnected stories
• Characterisation and relationships
• Symbolism and motifs across the novel
• Writer’s methods and effects
• Context and genre (myth, mystery, and gothic elements)

Key vocabulary:

• Blessed
• Isolation
• Community
• Deity
• Gothic
• Sacrifice
• Destiny/fate
• Cult
• Archaic
• Suspicion
• Folk
• Reality
• Appearance

Key skills:

• Retrieve key information
• Infer meaning
• Analyse language and technique
• Understand plot and character
• Explore how mystery is created through structure and language
• Use evidence to support ideas;
• Write descriptively to create atmosphere
• Develop characterisation in writing
• Organise writing effectively
• Use imaginative vocabulary and sentence structures
• Write for different purposes and audiences
• Use standard English accurately

Visit our English page for more information

Autumn term

Thematic contexts: my personal world

• Introductions and greeting.
• Classroom language.
• Talk about myself.
• Describe myself and others.
• Talk about my likes and dislikes.
• Learn about differences between cultures and language.
• Explore Christmas traditions.

Spring term

Thematic contexts: studying, my future and leisure

• Understand about differences between French and British schools.
• Talk about my school life: subjects I study and opinions.
• Describe my uniform and opinions.
• Talk about your school day.
• Talk about my leisure time – sports I play and opinions.
• Describe what I do in different weathers.

Summer term

Thematic contexts: my personal world, lifestyle and wellbeing

• • Talk about activities I like to do in my free time.
  • Talking about my family life.
  • Describe family members.
  • Talk about where I live.
  • Describe my routines – food and drink.

Visit our French page for more information

Topic order:

• what is geography?
• geography of my stuff
• rivers of Britain
• migration and Britain
• amazing Africa
• wild weather
• map masterclass

Visit our geography page for more information

Autumn term

The Romans
• How did the Romans change Britain?
• How significant were the Romans to Britain?
• Why did Boudicca’s revolt fail?
• What do sources reveal about the Roman Empire?
• Why was there a murder in Rome?

Vikings and Anglo-Saxons
• Who were the Anglo-Saxons?
• What was life in Anglo-Saxon Britain like?
• Was Alfred ‘great’?
• Who was Aetheflaed?
• Saxon burials
• Who were the Vikings?
• Viking home life
• Were the Vikings the ‘bad boys’ of history?

Spring term

The Norman Conquest
• Raiders and invaders
• What was buried at Sutton Hoo?
• Why was 1066 a year of crisis?
• The Battle of Stamford Bridge and Gate Fulford
• The Battle of Hastings
• William’s problems
• Why did William harry the North?
• The feudal system
• Motte and Bailey Castles
• Impact of Norman rule

Medieval monarchs
• Mathilda
• Murder of Becket
• Eleanor of Aquitaine
• King John
• Magna Carta
• The Black Death
• The Peasants Revolt
• Richard III

Summer term

The Crusades
• Golden age of Islam
• Byzantine Empire
• Causes of the first crusade
• Crusader control of the holy land
• Muslim response to the first crusade
• Saladin
• Richard the Lion Heart

Silk roads and African kingdoms
• What were the Silk Roads?
• What can objects tell us about the Silk Roads?
• What was traded?
• Religion
• Conquest
• African kingdoms introduction
• The kingdom of Mali
• Who was Mansa Musa?

Visit our history page for more information

Autumn term

• Find your voice one
• Keyboard skills

Spring term

• Gota rhythm-African drumming
• Keyboard skills two

Summer term

• Film music
• Find your voice two

Visit our music page for more information

Autumn term

All about me and careers

• Aspirations
• Self-esteem
• Using the start profile
• Healthy lifestyles
• Planning for a healthy lifestyle
• The dangers of energy drinks
• Religious education curriculum: philosophy of religion

Spring term

Financial education/ changing faces

• Budgeting
• Loans, savings and interest rates
• My attitudes to money
• Religious education module symbols of peace
• Puberty
• Romantic relationships
• Families
• Emotional literacy
• Religious education curriculum – pilgrimages

Summer term

Bullying and safety, antiracism and mental health

• What is bullying?
• Staying safe online
• Safety in relationships
• What is discrimination?
• Skills for managing bullying
• Antiracism
• Antiracism in religion
• What is good mental health?
• Coping with stress
• Managing anxiety

Visit our personal development page for more information

• What is a considered photograph?
• Basic camera settings
• Aperture/macro photography
• Legography

Visit our photography page for more information

Introduction to religious education

• What is faith?
• The existence of God
• Religion in Nottingham
• Religious symbolism

Judaism

• Beliefs
• Practices
• Festivals

Understanding Christianity

• Trinity
• Creation
• The Fall

The life of Jesus

• Miracles
• Parables
• The ministry of Jesus
• The importance of Jesus in Christianity

Visit our religious education page for more information

Autumn term

• Cells
• Particles and behaviour
• Forces

Spring term

• Structure and function of body systems
• Elements, atoms and compounds
• Chemical reactions
• Sound

Summer term

• Reproduction
• Acids and alkalis
• Light
• Energy

Visit our science page for more information