Year 7 Curriculum Overview
Year 7 Curriculum: Summer 2
Find out what Year 7 pupils will be learning across the curriculum this half-term, along with simple ways families can support learning at home.
Contents
Click a subject below to jump to that section.
English
Pupils continue to study their modern novel, The Giver by Lois Lowry. They explore key events, characters and themes, while beginning to analyse how the writer uses different methods to present her ideas. Learning is enriched with class debates, creative interpretations and drama-based activities.
How you can help at home: Talk to your child about the novel and what they like or dislike about the narrative. Encourage regular reading, including other dystopian novels, and support them in completing their weekly Educake independently.
Maths
Pupils explore the properties of shapes, focusing on polygons and the area of different quadrilaterals. They then move on to the area of a circle before being introduced to Pythagoras’ Theorem and calculating missing lengths in right-angled triangles.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to identify 2D shapes around the home and discuss their properties, such as parallel lines and angles. You could also challenge them to calculate the area of rectangular or circular items using a tape measure.
Science
Pupils study Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics including gas exchange and respiration, ecology and ecosystems, Earth’s resources and atmosphere, and electricity. Practical work includes fieldwork, flower dissection and building circuits.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to complete their Sparx Science homework and use their Meeting Mats to revise key knowledge before assessments.
Art and Design
Pupils continue creating their textiles doughnut outcome. This 3D piece is made from felt, stuffing and stitching. They practise cutting fabric from templates, using running, back and whip stitches, tying knots and constructing with fabric. Later in the term, they learn portraiture skills including facial proportions and feature techniques.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to complete independent learning tasks on ClassCharts. They could also practise sewing skills by fixing a small hole in a favourite piece of clothing.
Design Technology
Engineering: Pupils learn how materials are transformed into functional products. They design and cast a keyring using CAD software, refine it to a high-quality finish, and create a working USB fan using thermoplastics and soldered electrical components.
Food Preparation and Nutrition: Pupils develop cooking skills while learning about hygiene, nutrition and healthy eating. They prepare dishes including fruit salad, muffins and bolognese, while studying the Eatwell Guide.
Product Design: Pupils complete a Wooden Robot project, developing woodworking skills including measuring, marking, cutting and shaping timber safely. They also explore sustainability and responsible material choices.
Drama
Pupils create their own interpretation of The Tempest by William Shakespeare, working as an ensemble to bring chosen elements of the story to life. They use acting and directing skills to explore Shakespeare’s words and characters in their own way.
How you can help at home: Rewatch The Animated Tales version of The Tempest on YouTube. Ask your child about their interpretation, setting, characters, changes, costumes and props.
Geography
Pupils explore the world’s diverse biomes and discover how climate shapes environments across the globe. They then focus on hot deserts, investigating how plants and animals survive extreme conditions and how desert landforms are created.
How you can help at home: Discuss examples of different biomes, explore maps or nature documentaries together, and talk about how living things adapt to their environments.
History
Pupils explore migration through the enquiry question: how have the experiences of migrants changed over time, and how have they helped shape the country we live in today? The course spans from the earliest human movement out of Africa to the Windrush generation, using examples from culture, identity, society and sport.
How you can help at home: Encourage regular use of the knowledge organiser to revise vocabulary, interpretations and lesson summaries. You could also ask simple “why” questions to help your child explain their ideas more clearly. To extend their knowledge, pupils may enjoy Black and British by David Olusoga.
MFL: French
Pupils continue studying the topic of education in French. They revise school subjects and lesson activities, while developing grammar including time phrases, vouloir, devoir and the future tense. Learning is enriched through exploring the life of Gabriella of Monaco.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to complete Linguists for Life challenges, teach you new vocabulary and practise by saying the English so they respond in French.
MFL: Spanish
Pupils continue studying the topic of education. They revise school subjects and lesson activities, give reasons for learning a language, and learn the verb querer. Pupils also use the immediate future tense to talk about goals and ambitions. Learning is enriched through exploring the life of Leonor, Princess of Asturias.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to complete Linguists for Life challenges, teach you new vocabulary and practise by saying the English so they respond in Spanish.
Music
Pupils learn how Electronic Dance Music is created using music technology. They explore rhythm, structure, texture and timbre, while developing practical skills in composing, sequencing and sound manipulation within a DAW.
How you can help at home: Encourage your child to listen to EDM and discuss the sounds, beats and instruments. Ask them to explain key musical elements and, where possible, experiment creatively with music apps or software.
Physical Education
Pupils develop physical literacy through summer sports including athletics, cricket, tennis, rounders and softball. Lessons focus on movement competence, confidence, knowledge and understanding, and motivation.
Religious Education
Pupils continue to study Christianity as an academic subject, focusing on beliefs about sin, temptation and atonement. They explore Bible teachings and stories about Jesus, considering different Christian perspectives on forgiveness and salvation without promoting any particular viewpoint.
How you can help at home: Ask your child to explain key ideas and vocabulary, discuss different viewpoints, and reflect on moral choices, responsibility and forgiveness in everyday life.
