The Transition will provide an exciting, personalised approach to the curriculum where students

will be learning through a multitude of approaches.

A strong focus will be on improving Literacy and Maths skills and applying these to everyday

situations. Students will develop their confidence and their ability to attempt tasks in other subject

areas.

Students on this pathway will make exceptional progress. This pathway is tailored specifically to

each individual’s needs, ensuring each student is sufficiently challenged and supported

throughout the curriculum. This pathway allows skills to be deployed in different subject areas

through a series of six topics. Life skills will also pay a huge part in this curriculum; students on

the Transition will take part in a wealth of experiences which will broaden their life opportunities

as they progress through William Howard School and beyond.

Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4 Period 5

Monday

S Pathway

Science

DT

Each morning students will have one hour of English, one hour of Maths and an hour

where teaching will be based around a topic. The topic will also be incorporated into

English and Maths lessons where appropriate. (Example of a daily timetable)

Coats and wellies may be needed as we will be working

outside in the garden as well as using our local area to

enhance the learning of students. The following outlines

trips we are proposing to undertake to enhance learning

outside of the classroom.

With parental consent, students will be allowed to

bring their own devices into school to assist with

their learning. Students can bring items such as

iPads and Tablets, digital cameras and

Dictaphones.

Proposed Date Trip Voluntary Contribution approx.

September Carlisle £3

Nov/Dec Chocolate Factory £15

March Newcastle £10

May Talkin Tarn N/A

All prices are approximate

Parents/carers will be asked for a voluntary contribution towards the trips.

In Year 7 Science, the students will cover the units: Basics of Life (cells, organ systems, human

skeleton), Biological Relationships (reproduction in humans and plants, variation, environment),

Particles (solids, liquids, gases and separation techniques), Chemical Reactions (chemical

formulae, energy in reactions, neutralisation), Energy & Forces (energy types & transfer, balanced &

unbalanced forces, aerodynamics and friction) and Electricity & Magnetism (circuits,

electromagnetism, static electricity). Throughout the year, students will also develop their scientific

skills looking at scientific attitudes, experimentation and data analysis.

The scheme of work followed by all students focuses on the involvement of all students in the fundamental musical activities of performing, listening and composing. All students are given the opportunity to try a range of instruments in the classroom including voice, guitar, bass, drums and keyboard before settling as soon as possible onto the instrument that suits them best. Students go on to compose film music to fit a storyboard of their own creation. A theory course appropriate to each student is also followed during the year which helps to make sense of the composing and performing activities.

A variety of sports are used to deliver the outcomes of the curriculum that is based around six key

areas of development: Social: This focuses on developing and assessing student leadership skills.

Students are given the opportunity to experience different roles and responsibilities and learn to lead

as well as learn to follow. Cognitive: Focusing on tactics and strategies. Personal: The personal

module focuses on challenge and resilience. Creative: Students develop their creative side in a

variety of situations. Health: Health education is taught in an innovative way to highlight to students

the importance of a healthy balanced lifestyle. Physical: A physical development strand runs through

every block with the emphasis on students refining the basic and advanced skills that can be

transferred into every sporting situation.

Year 7 start the year building on the foundation skills. They develop drawing skills exploring line, tone, mark-making and texture. They produce observation work looking at proportion and scale. Students then move onto colour theory and research the work of Henri Matisse producing work inspired by his in a wide range of materials and techniques. They finish the year with a cultural project on African art. This is a 3D recycling project where students get to respond to materials, patterns and textures from African culture.

This pathway initially involves students completing a DT skills course in which they will learn

about and use a range of tools, machinery, drawing skills and acquire other DT skills necessary

for progression to the next stage. The next stage will involve students producing a practical piece

applying the skills and knowledge cover within the skills course. This practical piece will allow for

independency where possible but also provide close support if required.

During Year 7 we do small group and whole group

exploration and improvisation based on: a poem, a

theme and in response to a photograph. During these

lessons we introduce some of the elements, strategies

and medium of Drama. In the third term we explore a

play text and how to transfer ‘from page to

performance’ which is an introduction to interpretation,

creating a role and performance skills.

All about you and the world

we live in

Local area investigation

The journey of the cocoa bean

A trip to the chocolate factory

Preparing and growing our

very own veggie plot!

Your chance to be

the next big

inventor.

Geo Caching

Bear Gryll’s Talkin Tarn

Survival Mission

Comparing Carlisle to Edinburgh

A close look at London

Mystery Trip!

We want every student to realise their potential and be the best they can be. That is why our new

assessment structure clearly sets out a progress path for every student. It is expected that all

students will make better than expected progress during their time at William Howard. The new

assessment structure will allow parents and carers to clearly understand what ‘better than

expected’ progress means and track progress throughout the year in every subject. This

understanding and insight will allow parents and carers to support learning effectively for their

child.

You will receive the following reports throughout the year; a written narrative once a year from the

Subject Teacher and Form Tutor and a data report.

The data report will consist of 2 parts.

1. A table of results showing the current assessment for your child, their attitude to their

learning and the target that we would expect your child to achieve at the end of Key Stage

4.

2. A flight path which displays the trajectory that we would expect your child to achieve

throughout their time at William Howard School.

There are a few things to note, and which will take a little time to get used to.

The new scale. 8 being equivalent to A* and 1 being equivalent to G, although the exact

match is a little more complicated than this! For simplicity at this stage we are adopting the

scale as per the flight path.

As long as your child achieves the expected value they will be progressing. For

example, a student with a target of 4 at the end of KS4 would expect to receive a value of 4

in every year if they were working at expected progress. Below a 4 and they would be

underachieving, below expected progress, above

a 4 and they would be above expected progress.

It is expected that your child’s progress falls between

the 2 lines on the flight path.

Student

name: Amy Student Form Group: 7AS

Date Attendance Secondary Ready

Spring Term 2015 99.00% Ready

Subject Year 7

Attitude to Learning

(ATL)

Expected Level

of Progress

Autumn Spring Summer

Outstanding, Good,

Satisfactory,

Concerning, Poor

(1-9)

English 5 5 5 Satisfactory 5

Maths 6 6 6 Outstanding 5

Languages 4 4 4 Satisfactory 5

Humanities 6 6 6 Good 5

Science 6 6 6 Outstanding 5

Art 5 5 5 Satisfactory 5

Drama 5 5 5 Good 5

Tech 5 5 5 Outstanding 5

Please find the 'flight path' for your child below. We hope that the report table and this will

help you to understand how well your child is doing in school at the current time, but also what

we would expect them to achieve by the time they take their exams at the end of Year 11.

Year 6 Points Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11

New

Target

Level

Old

Target

Level

120+

9 A**

115 8 A*

110 7 A

105 6 B

100 5 C

95 4 D

90 3 E

85 2 F

80 1 G

The Year 6 point score (on the left of the table) gives an indication of the level that your child

finished primary school. It allows us to approximate where we expect them to be at the end of

Year 11. The government deem your child to be ‘secondary ready’ if they achieve 100 points or

more in their key stage 2 tests.

The New Target Levels indicate GCSE grades. They replace the alphabetic system which was

A* to G. The new system runs from 9 to 1. The columns indicate how the new grading system

equates to the old grades.

Expected progress is indicated by the lower, horizontal line. We would expect your child to be

between the 2 lines during their time at William Howard School. The higher they are the more

above expected progress they would be.

What will this look like in the

classroom?

Every subject will be using an

assessment for learning grid giving

students the knowledge of what they

need to know, understand and be able to

do, in order to make the desired progress

and be successful in their learning. All

subject assessment for learning grids will

be published on the school website

throughout the year. This will enable

parents/carers to support student

learning from home. A copy of the grid

can be seen on the right:

Each week students will be set a number of spellings that are suitable for their individual level or

working. They will progress each week learning new spellings as well as revisiting ones they have

already learnt. Students may also be asked to complete a grammar based activity to enhance the

work they have been working on in class or may be asked to complete some research to assist with

their work for future lessons.

Students will be expected to learn their times tables each week and be able to apply them to a

number of calculations. The times tables will be differentiated so each student is sufficiently

challenged each week. A piece of homelearning will also be set relating to the topic we are studying

in Maths to ensure students extend their learning at home.

Students will be given a takeaway style

homelearning sheet at the beginning of

each term and we begin our new

topics.

Students will be expected to complete

a set number of tasks to be handed in

on specific dates. The tasks will be

discreetly differentiated and guidance

will be given to the individual about

which tasks they should complete.