Habs Boys Year 7 Curriculum Booklet 2026 by Habs Elstree Schools

Year 7 Curriculum Overview

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Contents Academic Foreword

Wellbeing and PSHE

Habits

Subjects Art

Biology

Chemistry

Computer Science

Design Technology

Drama

English

Geography

History

Latin

Mathematics

Modern Foreign Languages

Music

Physics

Physical Education

Theology and Philosophy

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Academic Foreword It is a real pleasure to welcome all our new Senior School students to Habs Boys. As well as being a chance to "get stuck in", Year 7 is a wonderful opportunity to develop new knowledge, new skills and new passions. MR MIKE BRENNAN Deputy Head - Academic

The curriculum for Year 7 students is designed to stimulate and inspire the very best young minds, and every subject in this booklet has a fascinating programme of study; I am always impressed by the topics students learn and how they engage with them. The underlying principle of the Year 7 curriculum is breadth of education: students study every subject throughout the year, exploring new interests and developing existing ones, from Family History projects to making models in Science and composing original pieces in Music.

From September 2026 we are strengthening this breadth still further by embedding our Habits framework more deliberately across every subject. Our Habits describe the dispositions students need to flourish academically, professionally and personally, and to make a profound impact in the world.

They are not separate from academic success; they are often what makes it possible. Alongside each subject's programme of study, this booklet now sets out how that subject builds these Habits. We are living through a period of rapid change in the world of work, driven by artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty and the shift to green technologies. Employers and universities alike tell us that qualifications alone are not enough: young people also need resilience, initiative, independent judgement and the ability to collaborate and communicate well. Our Habits are how we prepare students not only for the academic demands ahead, including examinations and further study, but for a fulfilling and impactful life beyond the classroom.

As students progress through the School they will make choices allowing greater depth of study; the first of these comes at the end of Year 7, when they choose two languages for Year 8, having sampled French, German and Spanish through this year's carousel. There is a suggested further reading list at the end of each curriculum summary, provided as an indication of what students might like to read to extend their knowledge further still. This is an exciting year, and I am sure the students will enjoy all their subjects and apply themselves fully to their studies. I wish them every success.

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Wellbeing and PSHE

Your child will receive weekly PSHE education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) lessons with their Form tutors during morning tutor time.

This will continue from Year 7 to Year 11 and consists of the Jigsaw 11-16 curriculum. Resources for themed weeks or special topics are delivered through forms . Workshops with specialist speakers are organised for all year groups at different times through the year, focusing on age-appropriate issues such as e-safety, physical health, mental health and relationships. Talks and/or workshops are also delivered to parents.

Our school is a ‘Tooled Up Education’ school. This means, in addition to all that we do at school to help students, we also care about supporting parents and families. Please use the link to register your free account and gain access to the digital hub of evidence-based resources covering: mental health, digital life, aspiration, learning, family life and relationships.

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Habits defines what we stand for and provides the foundation for everything our students achieve. They enhance academic performance, shape character and enrich life beyond the classroom.

By grounding our four core values in 12 practical Habits, we ensure that our students develop the mindset and skills to flourish in all areas of school life and far beyond.

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Art Mission Statement Looking, thinking and making.

HABITS IN ART

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Reflection is an essential part of the creative process. Students are encouraged to evaluate their work critically, enabling them to make independent choices. Students are encouraged to see mistakes as a valuable part of their time in the studio.

Curiosity

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Students develop open-mindedness by engaging with artists from different cultures, time periods and parts of the world. This broadens their understanding of how Art can reflect the world in different ways, Creativity is in everything we do in Art, students all create different outcomes for each project and are encouraged to recognise there is no 'right answer'.

Courage

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Students learn integrity through producing work that reflects their efforts and ideas rather than relying on shortcuts or imitation. Leadership is nourished through group critiques and discussions.

Community

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Use of Artists, we study a wide range of Artists in the studio who all have their own story to tell about their life. We often work together in group crits and through experimentation for students to work as a team.

Ambition

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Art Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Hokusai and the world around us

Fauvism

Creative Habits unfolded

Students will spend Autumn Term adjusting to a new studio space and learning about how to be independent in an Art studio for their first lesson whilst also learning about how to work as a team of artists. This is done through positive group critiques and group work.

During the Spring Term of Year 7, we introduce colour theory through the Fauvist movement. Students learn about the meaning of colour and how to abstract the world around them to express feeling. Colours can also communicate mood, energy and emotion which we show them through the works of André Derain and Henri Matisse. This scheme of work is more about communication and expression than purely recording and looking.

In the Summer Term, students must create their own concertina which is filled with all of the skills they have learnt throughout the year. This will include observational drawings in their favourite medias, we give them independence and autonomy over this project, so it is truly theirs and they can take ownership of it. This encourages students to take risks and make their own choices early on which prepares them for the Y8 and beyond.

They then learn about the world around them and how to document it visually by studying Hokusai. Hokusai documented the world around his through drawing and we will be doing that with Year 7 using a different media each week.

By the end of this term, students understand how to complete a very high-quality observational drawing, and they will have used every media that is available to them at GCSE level. Students also understand mark making, line, shape, form, and pattern through all the different subjects that we draw.

After Term one, students can successfully record and now it's their turn to communicate and express emotion through their art. They build confidence through media as this project used oil pastels which are bold and messy. We encourage bold mark making, adventurous use of colour and for the students to take risks in this project.

Fauvist references and pastiches will also be included in this concertina where students can build on their skills and practice the techniques of the artists they have studies throughout the year. This concertina project is a way of celebrating everything they have learnt throughout their first year at Habs and helps students recognise their progress.

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Art Signature Project: Hokusai’s The Great Picture Book of Everything In Year 7 Art, students begin their Habs Art journey by exploring ‘Hokusai’s The Great Picture Book of Everything’. They engage in sustained observational drawing, working from life each week using a different material, process or approach. This project develops students’ confidence in looking carefully, recording accurately and responding creatively to the world around them.

Through regular drawing practice, students are encouraged to develop the habits of creativity, independence and resilience, as well as a deeper understanding of their own visual responses. The project pushes students out of their normal experience of Art lessons and encourages them to take risks as young artists through new medias or new drawing

Scholarship and Enrichment • ‘Hokusai - The Great Picture Book of Everything’ by Tomothy Clark • V&A Japan collections • Kyoto Garden, Holland Park/ Japan House, London

• Rooms 92-94 British Museum • Tate Modern – Fauvism collection • National Gallery – Room 45

subjects. They learn from the challenges of unfamiliar materials, mistakes and experimentation, developing confidence and initiative. Each page becomes a visual record of their discoveries, and the project culminates in a collection of observational studies celebrating the beginning of their artistic journey at Habs.

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Biology Mission Statement Biology is the study of life in all its variety, from a single cell to a whole habitat. We want students to fall in love with the living world and to leave Year 7 thinking like scientists, curious, careful and ready for what comes next.

HABITS IN BIOLOGY

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Much of Year 7 Biology is hands-on, and progress depends on persisting with skills that take time. Students build resilience as they keep adjusting a microscope until the image is sharp, and show continuous learning by naming the change that improved it and acting on it next time. Initiative grows across the year, from preparing their own slides after a demonstration to setting a personal revision goal and planning their own fieldwork.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Biology is taught as a way of reasoning, not a set of facts to memorise. Students think critically to justify what is living and to infer an animal's diet from its skull and teeth, and stay open-minded when the evidence asks them to change their mind, such as accepting that a leaf is a plant organ. Creativity has its place too, from explaining an idea in an original way to designing their own key to identify unfamiliar specimens.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Scientific honesty is built into how the course is taught. Students show integrity by recording only what they actually see and reporting a concern even when they are worried. This takes some risk-taking, whether committing to an answer in front of others or asking a difficult question, and leadership is developed through peer-helper, fieldwork and revision-station roles.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Practical work is collaborative, with students supporting each other to focus a microscope and building keys together. Care shows in the gentle handling of specimens and in the respectful tone the class keeps during sensitive lessons, while social responsibility is strongest in the biodiversity fieldwork, where low-impact sampling and returning every organism to its habitat teach respect for the living world.

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Biology Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Cells and Organ Systems

The Human Body and Reproduction

Biodiversity

Year 7 Biology begins with the study of living things and the building blocks they are made from. Students learn to define biology, identify the characteristics of living organisms, and work safely in the laboratory.

Students turn to the human body, naming the major organ systems and studying the skeleton, the comparison of carnivore and herbivore skulls, teeth and oral health, and the brain and the senses.

The final unit takes students into classification and fieldwork. They learn why and how scientists classify living things, work through the five kingdoms and the major vertebrate and invertebrate groups, and use and build dichotomous keys.

They are introduced to the light microscope and develop their first major practical skill, preparing and focusing slides and producing accurate biological drawings of animal and plant cells. From there they build up the levels of organisation, from organelles and cells to tissues, organs and whole organ systems, and observe living microorganisms in pond water.

The reproduction unit follows, taught with maturity and inclusion. Students learn how animals reproduce, compare reproductive strategies, and study puberty and the human reproductive systems using accurate, respectful language.

This term establishes the careful observation, honest recording and evidence-based reasoning that underpin the rest of the course.

Throughout, the emphasis is on reasoning from evidence and on the integrity and care that make sensitive content teachable.

The unit then moves outdoors for habitat fieldwork in the school grounds, where students sample woodland, grassland and pond habitats ethically and identify what they find. It is the richest unit of the year for collaboration, creativity and care for the living world.

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Biology Signature Project: Science Museum Enquiry

This is a two-week challenge that runs across Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students become a team of scientists, designers and communicators with one brief: to create a museum-quality exhibit that brings real science to life for the public. They might tell the story of a discovery that changed the world, tackle a problem facing the planet today, or imagine what science could make possible in the future.

The project asks students to think deeply about their science and then to do the harder thing, which is to make it clear, vivid and genuinely interesting to someone else. It rewards curiosity, creativity and teamwork in equal measure, and it ends with a Science Museum Fair where every group presents their exhibit to an audience.

Scholarship and Enrichment In Year 7, students begin to develop scholarly approaches through close observation, scientific drawing and curiosity about living organisms. They are encouraged to take part in BioArtAttack and the Nancy Rothwell Prize, both run through the Royal Society of Biology; BioArtAttack focuses on biological artwork, while the Nancy Rothwell Prize recognises labelled specimen drawings that combine scientific accuracy with artistic skill.

Students can further extend their learning through departmental enrichment opportunities including the internal Wildlife Documentary Competition, the 30 Days Wild photography challenge, the Big Schools’ Birdwatch, and the UK Butterflies photography competition, all of which encourage observation, ecological awareness, and engagement with biodiversity. The RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch involves students collecting bird survey data in the school grounds. Year 7 students also take part in a Science Fair project across all three sciences, working in groups to choose, plan and present an investigation.

For many students it is the moment science stops being a subject on the timetable and becomes something they want to share.

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Chemistry Mission Statement Year 7 is about introducing Chemistry as a separate science. • • •

Addressing familiar topics as well as exploring new ones. Establishing basic skills in practical work, diagrams, graphs and scientific language. Enjoying the subject.

HABITS IN CHEMISTRY

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience

Challenging topics and high expectations, supported by strong teaching, build perseverance in students, and allow them to achieve their full potential. For example, exploring physical and chemical change.

• Continuous Learning

The spiral curriculum in Chemistry revisits and builds on key knowledge and skills, enabling secure progression through the course. For example, developing skills such as drawing scientific diagrams, and plotting graphs.

• Initiative

Students take ownership through planning investigations and engaging in independent research. For example, through the ‘Muddy Water’ investigation.

• Open-mindedness

The wider scientific contexts and history are explored, encourage curiosity and open thinking. For example, the history of elements and the Periodic Table.

• Critical Thinking

Students evaluate evidence, analyse data and refine their understanding throughout. For example, making observation of elements and chemical change.

• Creativity

Open-ended tasks enable approaches to problem-solving and communication. For example, writing scientific correspondence about growing Hydrangeas

• Integrity

Students reflect honestly on results, identify errors and improve their work through self-appraisal. For example, analysis of topic test corrections.

• Leadership

Group work provides opportunities to guide others and contribute to shared goals. For example, working with a partner on practicals.

• Risk-taking

Students form hypotheses, test ideas and learn through experimentation and refinement. For example, through the ‘Antacids’ investigation.

• Collaboration

Group tasks, such as experiments or group work develops communication and appreciation of different strengths.

• Care

Safe laboratory practice promotes responsibility for self, others and the environment. For example, introducing laboratory safety from the first lesson.

• Social Responsibility

Sustainability and resource management highlight Chemistry’s role in society, such as the development of renewable resources & how acids and alkalis are used in medicine and agriculture.

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Chemistry Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Introduction

Materials

Heating and Burning

• Lab Procedure & Safety

• Solids, liquids, gases,

• Chemical and Physical changes

• Bunsen Burner

• The Particle model

• Fire triangle

• Elements & Compounds

• Chemical test for common gases

Separation Techniques

• Solutions, suspensions

• CuSO4 crystals • Pure salt

Acids and Alkalis

• Distillation of ink

• Acids, Alkalis and Indicators

• Fractional Distillation

• Making indicators

• Filtration Investigation

• Neutralisation

• Chromatography*

• Independent – ‘Investigating Antacids’ investigation

• Independent ‘Muddy water’ investigation

• Oxygen preparation Periodic table

• History of the periodic table • Names and symbols of elements • Naming chemical compounds

Summer Science Fair Project • Independent group activity

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Chemistry Signature Project: Science Museum Enquiry

This is a a two-week challenge that runs across Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students become a team of scientists, designers and communicators with one brief: to create a museum-quality exhibit that brings real science to life for the public. They might tell the story of a discovery that changed the world, tackle a problem facing the planet today, or imagine what science could make possible in the future.

Scholarship and Enrichment • Beyond the classroom, students can participate in Junior Science Club, applying Chemistry through practical and scientific challenges. • Activities include carrying out exciting chemical reactions, analysing unknown substances, exploring chromatography and forensic science, conducting environmental chemistry investigations, and tackling practical problem-solving challenges. These engaging experiences foster curiosity, creativity, teamwork, and a deeper appreciation of how chemistry influences the world around us."

For many students it is the moment science stops being a subject on the timetable and becomes something they want to share.

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Computer Science Mission Statement To inspire curiosity about how technology works and give every student the confidence to become a creator, not just a user, of technology.

HABITS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Year 7 Computer Science is about learning to make things work and understanding why they work. Students develop resilience as they debug Scratch games and Python program, correct spreadsheet formulae and refine solutions that do not work first time. Continuous learning is encouraged as they use feedback and testing to improve their work, while initiative develops through programming challenges and opportunities to extend programs beyond the minimum requirements.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Students are encouraged to look beneath the surface of the technology they use every day. They explore how computers represent data using binary, how the processor carries out instructions and how digital systems can model real-world situations. Critical thinking and creativity come together particularly strongly in programming where students devise algorithms, experimental different solutions and design their own interactive scratch games.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Programming encourages students to take intellectual risks: to try an idea, run it and be prepared for it not to work. Students develop the confidence to explain their solutions, ask for help when needed and learn from mistakes rather than avoiding difficult problems. Integrity is also central to the responsible use aspect of the course, where students consider online safety, security, privacy and appropriate behaviour when using digital technology.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Students share ideas, test one another's games and offer constructive feedback while learning to respect different approaches to solve in the same problem. Through their study of e-safety, phishing, online profiles and responsible computer use, students also consider how their actions in digital environments can affect other people..

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Computer Science Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Year 7 begins by establishing the knowledge and habits students need to use computer safely, effectively and responsibly. Students explore file management, security, online safety, phishing, social media, email and effective search before looking beneath the surface of the computers they use every day.

Spreadsheet Modelling and Games Development

Python programming and Problem Solving

They are introduced to computer architecture, the Input-ProcessOutput model and the FetchDecode-Execute cycle, alongside binary representation, ASCII and storage. The term establishes an important foundation: students begin to see computers not simply as devices they use, but as systems that can be understood, questioned and controlled.

Students move from understanding computer systems to creating solutions of their own. They first use spreadsheets to build and explore models, applying formulae, functions, validation, conditional formatting and charts to investigate how changing data affects outcomes. They then move into visual programming through scratch. The Year 7 Signature ProjectScratch Games Development takes place during this programming work. Students design and build a game of their own, applying sequence in variables Boolean logic and broadcasts, lists, scoring, lives and other game mechanics. Testing, debugging and peer feedback are an integral part of the project, encouraging students to improve both the algorithms and the quality of the final product. The project brings together creativity and computational thinking and gives students their first opportunity to develop a substantial piece of software independently.

The Summer Term introduces students to text-based programming using Python. They learn how programs are constructed, the importance of accurate syntax and how algorithms can be translated into working code. Students develop programs progressively, testing and debugging their solutions as they work. The year concludes with Python programming challenges of which there are 15 stages, providing opportunities for students to consolidate their learning and work with increasing independence. By the end of Year 7, students have progressed from using technology responsibly to designing algorithms and creating programmes in both visual and text-based programming environments.

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Computer Science Signature Project: Scratch Games Development

Students become game designers and programmers with one challenge: to design, build and refine a playable computer game of their own. Building on this study of algorithms and programming, students use sequence in variables, Boolean operators, sprites, lists, broadcasts and event driven programming to turn an idea into an interactive product.

More ambitious games may incorporate scoring, lives, randomisation, inventories and more sophisticated event handlers. The project places particular emphasis on the development process rather than simply the finished game. Students test and debug their programs, receive feedback from others and refine their algorithms and designs in response.

Scholarship and Enrichment Students are encouraged to explore computing creatively beyond the classroom. Scratch Club develops programming confidence through games and interactive projects, while Python Club supports both complete beginners and pupils ready for additional challenge. Machine Learning Club provides an early introduction to artificial intelligence, and Minecraft Club offers an enjoyable environment for creativity collaboration and problem-solving.

Recommended reading/links • MIT scratch-interactive projects https://scratch.mit.edu/ • Getting started dash an introduction to Python programming https://www.python.org/abo ut/gettingstarted/

It gives students an early opportunity to experience programming as a genuinely creative discipline in which logic thinking, perseverance, ambition and imagination contribute to the final product.

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Design Technology Mission Statement We want every student in Design Technology to be able to think for themselves. They learn to draw on Maths, Science, and Art together, not as separate subjects, and to use that knowledge to design things that work, that last, and that are made with the world in mind.

HABITS IN DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

Ambition

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Curiosity

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Courage

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

To champion the projects by pushing yourself and teaching others.

Community

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

To foster a sense of cohesion through teamwork and understanding impacts on sustainability.

To retain consistent and critical information, shown through workshop initiative.

To show a willingness to go above and beyond, exploring a plethora of technologies and techniques.

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Design Technology Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Technical Drawing and Sketching

Materials, Manufacturing and the Environment

Digital Design and the Torch Project

Students are introduced to the fundamental language of design: technical drawing. They begin with rectangular isometric projection — a key method for representing 3D objects on paper — before progressing to non-rectangular isometric forms and more complex shapes.

This term broadens students' understanding of the materials world. Using accurate technical vocabulary, they explore the properties and uses of the three main material families: metals, timbers, and polymers.

The final term puts skills into practice. Students undertake the Torch Project — a hands-on making project that combines electronics (including PCB assembly) with laser-cut components to produce a working torch.

Alongside this, they develop freehand and 2D/3D sketching skills, learning how to draw exploded views (showing how components fit together) and how to use thick and thin line technique to communicate detail and depth. They also practise drawing cylinders both freehand and using templates and are introduced to third angle orthographic projection — the industry-standard method of showing an object from multiple views.

They study the four types of motion (linear, rotary, reciprocating, and oscillating) and how these are used in mechanisms. Students also learn about a range of manufacturing techniques, how materials are formed and shaped, and the environmental and ethical considerations behind material sourcing. The term concludes with an introduction to CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacture).

Alongside this, they develop their digital design skills, working with 2D design software and the 3D CAD platform Onshape, where they model a Lego figure as a structured introduction to parametric design.

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Design Technology Signature Projects: Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Learning how to sketch in 2D and 3D.

Overview of materials and introduction of the Torch Project.

Designing and manufacturing of the torch and Onshape introduction.

Scholarship and Enrichment Students can engage with other year groups in the Sixth Form Scholar led DT Club. It provides them opportunities to grow their knowledge in Design Technology while also exploring their own creative interests with Sixth Form mentors to aid them. Independent projects are important for advanced development and showcasing talent amongst any aspiring DT scholars.

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Drama Mission Statement In Year 7, students develop the idea of “serious play”; how to bring energy to and “be ready” in a space; that the rehearsal room as a space for experiment, exploration, risk-taking and mistake-making; ensemble skills – how to connect with, listen to, affect and react to others; the importance of non-verbal communication.

HABITS IN DRAMA

Ambition

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Comfort with struggle, target-setting, progression, initiative.

Curiosity

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Openness to the game, embracing surprises, being playful.

Courage

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Community

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Moving outside comfort zone, using initiative.

Being ready and generous; being interested in others; listening; taking care of the game and the collective effort.

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Drama Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Rehearsal Room Culture Introduction to Mime Skills

Consolidation of Skills

Commedia Dell Arte and Physical Comedy

Students learn a shared drama language and a culture of “serious play”

Students develop non-verbal skills of:

Game-based learning (Passing the Clap, Crossing the Circle, Line-ups, class shapes/letters, call-andresponse with reversals, random counting, Popcorn, 1–2–3 game, ball games like Keepy Uppy and NineSquare).

Key Skills: The “Ready” position; openness; listening; group and spatial awareness; balancing space; peripheral vision and eye contact; purposeful movement; precision and punctuation; power of stillness; risk-taking and commitment; the importance of play and making mistakes

Pre-mask and Trestle Mask Work

• Clocking

• Peripheral vision • Clarity of focus

• Passing the focus • Counter mask (how clear physical choices can change the mask’s expression) • Movement with purpose

• Leading with different body parts to create character • Precision and punctuation of movement • Awareness of rhythm and tempo • The power of stillness

Mime Skills/ Devised Piece

• Using contrast to create meaning

Pupils deepen understanding of physical choices to affect audiences; learn to be a generous, supportive audience and develop feedback literacy.

Students continue to develop the skills of:

Activities: Introduction to mime skills; Devising in groups of 3–4 a short silent comedy piece underscored by music.

• Giving, responding to and implementing feedback

Key Skills: Precision; timing; actions/reactions; letting moments land; stillness; clarity of focus and passing focus; specific physical choices to communicate meaning; simple narrative building; being a good audience; implementing feedback.

• How to be a supportive audience

• Giving feedback

• Creative collaboration

Students will explore the performance skills needed to bring Commedia Dell Arte half masks to life and work on group scenarios exploring the hierarchy of Commedia characters Students learn to: • Appreciate the influence of Commedia Dell Arte on subsequent theatre and comedy

• Understand the need for clear, precise, bold physical choices • Punctuate movement with fixed points, slow motion, suspension • Develop skills of timing, physical comedy, interaction with audience through clocking and asides • Use grommelot ("emotional babblespeak" to encourage a physical approach and a focus on pitch, intonation, pause, pace, reaction, and listening and genuinely responding to others in the creation of meaning. The work this term culminates in the creation of a lazzi – for example The Magician and The Magician's Assistant or the Lazzi of the Tooth Extraction.

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Drama Signature Project: Comic routine inspired by Commedia Dell Arte In the Summer Term, Year 7 Drama students devise in small groups, a comic routine, inspired by Commedia Dell Arte, demonstrating the skills of mime, clear punctuation of movement. Mime, clocking, mask work, slow motion and a playful, but precise approach.

The piece is developed with work in progress performances and is designed to reflect skills learnt throughout the year.

Scholarship and Enrichment All students are encouraged to take part in the broad Cocurricular Drama programme including major productions, drama clubs, House events and backstage opportunities. Students are also encouraged to be an engaged and active audience, exposing them to a wide range of theatre and performance within school and professionally, in order to broaden and develop their creative and critical thinking beyond the classroom.

Drama scholars are expected to act as role models and leaders, broaden their own interests and experiences about drama within and outside of school and contribute positively wherever possible to the wider drama programme.

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English Mission Statement We want our English curriculum to be boundless. We strive to give young people the opportunities, experiences, knowledge, skills and analytical tools to speak, write and read confidently and fluently. We want them to see language and literature as a path to achievement, intellectual vitality, self-discovery and a source of lifelong joy.

HABITS IN ENGLISH

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

We demonstrate resilience when diving into complex, ambiguous texts, rich vocabulary, and diverse literary traditions, showing continuous learning as we refine our analytical and communication skills over time. We show initiative by independently driving our own interpretations, reading between the lines, and actively pursuing independent reading to expand our worldviews.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

We approach English with open-mindedness, stepping into the shoes of characters from various eras, cultures, and contexts. We use critical thinking to deconstruct an author's craft and creativity to respond to literature - whether by crafting original poetry, reimagining narratives from alternative perspectives, or breathing new life into classic texts through world-building and adaptation.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

We demonstrate courage and risk-taking by finding our own vocal identity, experimenting with bold rhetorical devices, and sharing original creative writing. We show leadership in oracy by anchoring group discussions, presenting structured arguments with integrity, and honouring the power of language to advocate for others.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

We develop collaboration and oracy through vibrant class debates, dramatic performances, and collaborative literary analysis where every voice is heard and valued. We show care and social responsibility by analyzing how literature reflects realworld injustices, using our words empathetically, and understanding how stories shape our shared human experience.

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English Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

• Novel or short stories.

• Autobiography / biographyBoy; Bear Grylls • History of the English Language spelling / Chaucer / Gawain / Shakespeare sonnets

• Shakespeare extracts: Heroes and Villains; Women in Shakespeare / Parents and Children incorporating Shakespeare by Heart.

• Landmark Pieces of Work (community and curiosity: thinking about family and ‘my’ role in it) A piece of autobiography.

• Landmark Pieces of Work (curiosity; creativity; initiative; thinking for myself) Poetry Anthology of their own work.

• Myths and Legends incorporating poetry. • Landmark Pieces of Work (ambition; initiative) Myths and Legends Project.

• Poetry creative writing unit

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English Signature Project: Shakespeare by Heart

All students will learn a monologue from Shakespeare and perform this is front of their class. The best will be chosen to enter a school-wide competition.

Scholarship and Enrichment Year Group Challenge • Shakespeare by Heart: monologues and duologues

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Geography Mission Statement The Year 7 Geography course has the theme “Global Issues” and seeks to introduce the pupils to a range of contemporary geographical issues. These include water, food and environmental issues in the first half of the year followed by a “Hazards” theme which focuses on tectonic hazards. Students also have the opportunity to develop a core set of transferable skills such as persuasive writing, issue evaluation, OS map reading and data interpretation. HABITS IN GEOGRAPHY

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

We demonstrate resilience when tackling challenging topics such as climate change, global trade and natural hazards, and continuous learning as we build our understanding of how geographical processes shape the world. We show initiative by independently analysing maps, data and case studies, using our knowledge to evaluate sustainable solutions to issues such as water security, flooding and environmental change

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

We approach Geography with open-mindedness, exploring different perspectives on global issues such as food security, plastic pollution and environmental sustainability. We use critical thinking and creativity to ask geographical questions, investigate patterns and consider how people can respond to challenges affecting places around the world.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

We demonstrate integrity by using evidence carefully and considering a range of viewpoints when evaluating geographical issues. We show leadership and a willingness to take calculated risks by sharing ideas, debating solutions and applying our knowledge to unfamiliar places, issues and case studies.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

We develop collaboration through group investigations and discussions, working together to understand complex global challenges such as resource management and natural hazards. We show care and social responsibility by considering how our actions affect people and environments at local, national and global scales and by exploring ways to create a more sustainable future.

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Geography Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Students will explore the importance of water as a vital global resource. They investigate concepts such as water footprint, water scarcity, and the social, economic, and environmental impacts of limited access to clean water.

Students will investigate major environmental challenges facing the planet. They explore issues such as plastic pollution, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the hidden plastics in everyday items such as tea bags, and strategies used to manage plastic waste.

Students are introduced to tectonic hazards and the dynamic processes shaping our planet. They begin by studying the structure of the Earth, including the crust, mantle, and core, before exploring plate boundaries and the processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Students also examine how competition for water can lead to conflict, focusing on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a detailed case study.

Students also examine the environmental impacts of fast fashion and electronic waste (ewaste), culminating in an 8-mark evaluative essay.

This topic culminates in an extended 8-mark essay evaluating the impacts of the dam. Alongside this, students complete a baseline assessment to develop and assess core geographical skills, including literacy, numeracy, data interpretation, graph analysis, and Ordnance Survey Map (OS) map skills such as grid references, scale, and map symbols.

Later in the term, students study global food systems, including food miles, where our food comes from, the historical impact of the Scramble for Africa, sustainable food production, and global trade.

Throughout the term, students build skills in analysing evidence, interpreting data, constructing balanced arguments, and writing structured extended responses.

A case study on Kenyan green beans allows students to assess the advantages and disadvantages of global food trade through another 8-mark essay.

Throughout this term, students strengthen skills in source analysis, decision-making, evaluating different viewpoints, using case study evidence, and developing reasoned written arguments supported by geographical examples.

Students investigate the impacts of tectonic hazards through case studies such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, analysing why some places are more vulnerable than others.

Throughout the unit, students develop their understanding of hazard risk, vulnerability, and disaster response. Key geographical skills include interpreting diagrams, analysing cause-and-effect relationships, comparing case studies, interpreting maps and hazard data, and applying evidence to explain why impacts vary between countries. Students also continue developing extended writing skills by constructing clear, evidencebased explanations and evaluations.

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Geography Signature Project: Food and Sustainability

In Year 7 Geography, students complete an engaging project exploring the theme of food and sustainability. Students begin by keeping a personal food log to investigate where their food comes from and students will calculate the approximate food miles, alongside completing a waste tally to understand how much food is wasted at home.

They then research sustainable solutions for the future, including actions individuals can take at home as well as initiatives that could be introduced within the school to reduce food waste and improve sustainability. Students present their findings in a PowerPoint presentation, which they deliver to the class. This project encourages students to think critically about global food systems and their own impact on the environment.

Scholarship and Enrichment • Geography Society • Young Geographer of the Year • Habs Geographical Magazine

Further Reading • 'When the Rivers Run Dry: The Global Water Crisis and How To Solve It’ by Fred Pearce • 'How To Give Up Plastic' by Will McCallum

It develops key habits such as continuous learning, initiative, open-mindedness, critical thinking, creativity, and social responsibility. Students also build important geographical skills including oracy and spoken communication, independent research skills and the ability to structure and communicate geographical explanations clearly to an audience.

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History Mission Statement The Year 7 History curriculum inspires students to discover their own heritage and explore how early migrations, global empires and medieval societies emerged, helping them develop into analytical researchers who appreciate the diverse origins of our shared past.

HABITS IN HISTORY

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Source evaluation is central to historical enquiry. Students use their initiative to build complex arguments regarding changing societies. They develop academic resilience by engaging with historical records, understanding that history is a process of continuous learning where conclusions evolve with new evidence.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Students develop open-mindedness by exploring diverse global and local perspectives, from Islamic Golden Age Baghdad to Anglo-Saxon life. They apply strict critical thinking and analysis to determine historical objectivity, demonstrating creativity when constructing arguments where there is rarely a single 'right answer'.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Students develop academic integrity by evaluating challenging histories, such as the experiences of medieval minority groups or past conflicts. They take risks as young historians by presenting new interpretations during debates, building empathy and leadership as they lead peer discussions.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

History is inherently collaborative. By studying medieval migration, trade and social systems, pupils discover how individual lives shape a wider global picture. They work together to build collaboration and social responsibility, developing a deeper understanding for historical narratives and our local communities.

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History Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Students begin their journey exploring migration to medieval England, studying how AngloSaxon, Viking, and Norman arrivals shaped society. They investigate early civilisations, tracing the growth of the early Islamic world and the cultural significance of Golden Age Baghdad.

Students delve into comparative history, evaluating how life in medieval England contrasted with the wider medieval world.

Students explore political and military transformation through the evolution of medieval warfare, from the Battle of Maldon to the dawn of gunpowder at Towton.

Concurrently, students launch their Signature Project, conducting oral history interviews within their community. Cultivating core skills in primary source analysis, historical empathy and structured research, they learn to gather firsthand testimonies and construct independent arguments. This term builds a robust foundation in understanding diverse perspectives, cross-cultural connections, and complex historical writing.

Through an examination of feudalism, faith and medicine, they compare European structures to Shogunate Japan, Mali and Song Dynasty China. Students analyse complex social hierarchies, from legal coverture affecting medieval women to the economic impact of the Peasants' Revolt. The focus centres heavily on critical thinking, comparative analysis, and evaluating historical interpretations. Students learn to evaluate varied historical material, improving their ability to make inferences from contrasting global and domestic sources.

They trace the shifting realities of knightly codes, chivalry and technological revolutions in weaponry. Following this, pupils investigate religious upheavals, analysing the Church's medieval authority, the Break with Rome and the Elizabethan Settlement.

The skills focus emphasises historical causation, utility and extended analytical writing. Students synthesise evidence to assess multi-causal changes, evaluating how deep-seated structural shifts and religious resistance fundamentally remade the political landscape of England.

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History Signature Project: Heritage Project In Year 7 History, students explore the importance of their own heritage. They engage in historical research, interviewing a family member, or a member of the local community, to discover lived experiences of the past. This project develops oral history skills and the contribution that it makes to our understanding of the past.

By gathering these firsthand accounts, students are encouraged to develop habits of creativity and initiative as well as a deeper connection to their own community. The project pushes students out of their normal experience of history lessons and encourages them to take risks as young historians. They learn from the complexities of real-life testimonies and develop independent research skills.

Scholarship and Enrichment • The JORVIK Viking Centre (York) (The Vikings and York) • ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’ by Rosemary Sutcliff (Early Britain and Migration) • You're Dead To Me – "The Islamic Golden Age" (Autumn & Spring Terms: Early Islamic World and Global Science) • The Tower of London & The White Tower (The Norman Conquest and Medieval Warfare)

• ‘Black and British: An Illustrated History’ by David Olusoga (Medieval Migration and Global Connections)

Students create a poster about their research and the whole project culminates in a school exhibition to which parents are warmly invited, celebrating the vibrant tapestry of our shared past.

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Latin Mission Statement The Year 7 Latin curriculum inspires students to explore the structure of an inflected language, discover how Latin underpins English vocabulary, and develop critical insight into Roman society, mythology and the primary sources that reveal the classical world.

HABITS IN LATIN

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Learning an inflected language demands resilience: pupils persevere through the complexities of noun declensions and verb conjugations. They take the initiative to commit paradigms to memory, continuously building on prior learning as mastery of Latin grammar develops.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Students develop open-mindedness by exploring the myths of the Olympian gods and the daily life of Roman citizens, from Pompeii to the Republic. They apply critical thinking to decode unfamiliar sentences, and use creativity to construct translations where more than one right answer exists.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Students develop academic integrity by working systematically through unseen translations rather than guessing. They take risks as young linguists, tackling complex sentences with irregular verbs, and build leadership by explaining their reasoning to support their peers.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Latin is inherently collaborative: students work together to translate texts and reach consensus on meaning. By studying Roman government, they discover how communities were organised, developing social responsibility as they compare ancient and modern citizenship.

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Latin Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Students begin their journey with an introduction to the Romans and the classical world, exploring how we know about their civilisation through written and archaeological evidence.

Students become familiar with key stories from Roman history and mythology, following Aeneas's journey to Italy, Horatius's defence of the bridge and Cloelia's escape to safety.

Students explore the role of Roman household gods, Vesta and the Penates, in the composition of Rome's greatest literary epic.

They learn to identify the nominative and accusative singular, recognising the subject and object within a Latin sentence. Alongside this grammatical foundation, students explore the properties and mythical context of the Olympian gods and are introduced to the first three noun declensions.

Grammatically, they learn the concept of gender in Latin, understanding how it contrasts with English, before studying adjectives and the principle of agreement between nouns and adjectives in number, gender and case.

The term concludes with a study of Roman government, comparing ancient and modern conceptions of democracy and the workings of Pompeian life.

Students are introduced to the perfect tense, beginning to see the concept of principal parts in verb morphology, and encounter their first irregular verbs, inquit and inquiunt, learning to distinguish regular from irregular forms.

They learn the function of the ablative case across the first three declensions and study the prepositions that govern it, understanding why certain prepositions require special cases.

Building on this, students investigate how prepositions combine with verbs to form verbal compounds, before studying conjugations through the infinitive, the second principal part and its importance in locating a verb's pattern. The term closes with the irregular verbs sum, eo and possum, which pupils learn to conjugate across three tenses.

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Latin Signature Project: Latin Legacy

In Year 7 Latin, students explore the enduring legacy of the Latin language in the world around them. They investigate how English vocabulary in a subject of their choosing, from science to law, derives from Latin roots, building a glossary of key terms and their origins.

This project develops the habits of curiosity and initiative as pupils research independently and make unexpected connections between ancient and modern language. Pupils are encouraged to take risks by presenting their findings to the class, explaining the derivations they have uncovered and defending their reasoning under questioning.

Scholarship and enrichment • ‘The Thieves of Ostia’ by Caroline Lawrence (first in the Roman Mysteries series) (Autumn Term: Introduction to the Roman World) • ‘Pompeii’ by Robert Harris (Autumn Term: Roman Government and Pompeian Life)

They learn to structure an argument clearly and build confidence in public speaking. The project culminates in a class exhibition of 'Latin Legacy' posters, celebrating the ways in which a language spoken over two thousand years ago continues to shape how we communicate today.

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Mathematics Mission Statement Our Year 7 curriculum fosters curiosity and courage as students begin their mathematical journey. We inspire students to embrace problem solving, develop confidence in their thinking, and approach new challenges with resilience and a sense of ambition.

HABITS IN MATHEMATICS

Ambition

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

We nurture perseverance and curiosity as students begin to tackle mathematical problems, encouraging them to try different methods and learn from mistakes. Students develop confidence in working with number and forming clear mathematical reasoning.

Curiosity

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

We inspire thoughtful exploration of mathematical ideas, helping students to explain their thinking and consider alternative approaches. Through this, they begin to see patterns and relationships across topics.

Courage

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Supporting students to check, refine, and improve their solutions. They develop confidence in attempting unfamiliar problems and learning from challenge.

Community

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

We encourage accuracy and honesty in mathematical work, We promote effective collaboration in mathematics, where students discuss ideas and support one another’s understanding. Students begin to appreciate the value of shared thinking in reaching solutions.

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Mathematics Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Whole Numbers

Angles

Percentages

• Powers and roots

• Angles up to 360°

• Reminder of long multiplication and division methods

• Angle rules in basic shapes

• Conversion between percentages, decimals, fractions

• Multiples, factors, primes

• Divisibility tests Negative Numbers

• Construction Introduction to Algebra • Notation for multiplying and dividing

• Arithmetic rules using negatives

• Substituting values for letters

• BODMAS

• Function machines

Fractions

• Arithmetic operations using fractions • Application of fractions to problem solving Decimals • Converting between fractions and decimals • Recurring decimals • Arithmetic using decimals Area & Perimeter

• Squares, rectangles, triangles • Other quadrilaterals • Compound shapes

• Application to problem solving Project: Crop Circles 37

• Simplifying expressions

Averages & range

• Mean, median and mode • Range Coordinates • Correct notation • Drawing axes, correctly labelled

Project: Fake or Fortune

• Use in problem solving

• Interpret percentages visually Probability

• Likelihood and numerical range • Symmetric cases • Complementary cases • Venn diagrams

• Expected outcomes Equations • Rules of algebraic manipulation • Unknown on one side only • Unknows on both sides • Use of negatives and fractions Sequences

• Finding missing terms • Finding formulae from sequences • Finding sequences from formulae Project: Tessellation Investigation

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Mathematics Signature Projects:

Autumn Term – Crop Circles

Spring Term - Fake or Fortune

Summer Term Tessellation Investigation

This project will put your creative skills to the test by designing your very own Crop Circle, while developing your ability to use a pair of compasses with precision.

You will be using your artistic skills alongside your appreciation of shape featuring in artwork. Attention to detail will be the key to creating a masterpiece!

Discover the beauty and intricacy of tessellations and then work in pairs to create your own unique design.

Scholarship and Enrichment • Maths Club • Maths Society • UKMT Maths Challenges and follow on rounds Suggested Further Reading • ‘The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure’ by Hans Magnus Enzensberger

• ‘How many socks make a pair?’ by Rob Eastaway • ‘How to Cut a Cake: And Other Mathematical Conundrums’ by Ian Stewart

• ‘The Moscow Puzzles’ by Boris Kordemsky • ‘Alex's Adventures in Numberland’ by Alex Bellos

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Modern Foreign Languages Mission Statement Our principal aim in Year 7 is to integrate the new students into the school and to build on positive attitudes to language learning acquired through previous study or experience. We also aspire to develop an awareness of the nature of language and language learning through the appropriate teaching of the grammar of the target language. Further, we want to develop an awareness of and enthusiasm for various aspects of culture and civilisation of the country or countries in which the target language is spoken.

HABITS IN MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Ambition

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Making mistakes; desirable difficulty; student-led learning / independent expression; building confidence / learning by reviewing mistakes.

Curiosity

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Exposure to new cultures, perspectives and ways of thinking; encouraging pupils to express themselves in creative ways; analysing grammar to help them spot patterns in language.

Courage

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Students have enhanced cultural sensitivity. Students are encouraged to take risks with language and step outside comfort zones; engaging with different cultures fosters integrity.

Community

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Students are encouraged to learn collaboratively eg through peer assessment and group work. Language learning helps pupils develop the social awareness and responsibility to contribute positively to their communities, thereby becoming true global citizens.

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Modern Foreign Languages Curriculum Overview

All students in Year 7 learn French, German and Spanish. They do this on a carousel, studying two languages for one hour a week across the first two terms, and then studying the third language for two hours a week in the Summer Term. At half-term in the Summer Term the students choose two languages from these three to be studied in Year 8.

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Modern Foreign Languages Signature Project: Reading Aloud Competition

In Year 7, students in all Modern Languages will take part in a Reading Aloud Competition in the second half of the Spring Term. Building on what they have learned about the specific sounds of the languages they are studying, as well as the key sound-spelling correspondences, they will prepare short passages of ambitious and unfamiliar

language, taken from short poems or literary extracts; they will read these aloud in their language lessons, with the best performers progressing to a final round in front of their peers and key staff.

Scholarship and Enrichment Developing cultural awareness: Exploration of the countries and communities where the target language is spoken, including key geographical and cultural facts and comparisons with countries and cultures represented within the year group; this will provide useful context for the Y8 group research project. Phonics and pronunciation: Develop an understanding of phonics and accurate pronunciation through dedicated phonics work, including challenging sounds, with pupils encouraged to apply these independently when reading unfamiliar language.

Languages beyond the textbook: Exposure to authentic target language through songs, rhymes and audio-visual material, including children's songs and seasonal traditions. Independent vocabulary challenge: Students are challenged to build their own classroom-language repertoire beyond the minimum requirement, with recognition for excellent use of language in lessons.

Creative use of language: Opportunities to apply new language creatively through projects such as the Fantasy Pet Poster Challenge, including designing and presenting an imaginary animal or character. Language-learning technology: Independent extension through online platforms including Kerboodle, LanguageNut and Linguascope, allowing pupils to consolidate and extend vocabulary, grammar and phonics beyond the classroom.

Developing grammatical awareness: More able students are encouraged to recognise and explore the structures underlying the language, including verb conjugation, the accusative case, articles, adjective endings and modal verbs, rather than relying solely on memorised phrases.

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Music Mission Statement In Year 7 Music, we aim to develop rounded, versatile musicians through performing, composing, listening and appraising. We believe music is a culturally situated and continually evolving human practice, so our curriculum builds on pupils’ own musical experiences while opening a window onto unfamiliar traditions, styles and perspectives. Through this, students develop musicianship, creativity and critical thinking, alongside the confidence to collaborate, take risks and make informed musical choices.

HABITS IN MUSIC

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Students develop through purposeful preparation for performance and refining their compositions, responding to feedback and taking increasing responsibility for improvement.

Curiosity

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Students are encouraged to explore the wider world, seeking out unfamiliar music, traditions and perspectives. This exploration informs the planning of their own creative work and the musical choices they make.

Courage

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Performing, improvising and composing encourage students to commit to ideas, share their work and take creative risks. Regular reflection on experiences, practice and feedback helps them identify and act on their next steps.

Community

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

Musicking is an inherently social activity. Through making music together, students develop their ability to lead others, respond sensitively and work effectively as part of a team.

Ambition

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Music Curriculum Overview

Across Year 7, students revisit and extend core musical ideas through contrasting contexts, building their knowledge, understanding and practical musicianship as the year progresses.

WCT: 6th to 16th Centuries

Blues and Jazz

Music from Africa

Students explore music from Medieval and Renaissance Europe, developing their understanding of how musical practices changed across the period.

Students begin through singing, developing vocal technique and ensemble skills through songs drawn mainly from Southern African choral traditions. They also prepare to perform as part of a large Year 7 choir at the Festival Concert, alongside some of the school’s most senior ensembles.

They begin with Medieval Music, learning about notation, modes and drones before composing a short modal melody. In Renaissance Music, pupils move into small group performance, exploring texture, harmony and repeated harmonic patterns while developing ensemble skills.

Students explore the historical and cultural origins of the blues, learning how characteristic harmony, form, rhythm and melody work together through listening, performing and composing.

The second half of term focuses on West African drumming, where students develop djembe technique and explore cyclic rhythm, polyrhythm and call and response through practical ensemble music making.

They then investigate how jazz developed from the blues, encountering contrasting styles while developing improvisation and ensemble skills. Across the term, pupils make connections between musical features, cultural context and the ways musical traditions develop and change.

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Music Habits and Musicianship :

Positive habits are fundamental to musicianship. Across the year, students prepare and work as a team when performing; plan and refine when composing; and explore new music and reflect on their experiences, feedback and practice. These processes develop with increasing independence as students progress.

Scholarship and Enrichment All students are encouraged to take part in the broad cocurricular music programme. Ensembles, choirs, concerts, workshops, trips and specialist tuition provide opportunities to broaden experience and develop musicianship beyond the classroom.

Music Scholars are expected to act as musical role models, broaden their interests and experience, and contribute positively to the musical life of the school. They also follow a personalised programme coordinated through Performance Music, including specialist support, wider musical opportunities and leadership.

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Physics Mission Statement Physics develops students' understanding of the physical world through observation, measurement, experimentation and analysis. In Year 7, students build foundations in measurement, light, forces and electricity while developing practical laboratory skills, numerical fluency and scientific thinking. Through investigations, problem-solving and communication of scientific ideas, students learn to interpret evidence, explain observations and apply physics to everyday situations and real-world technologies.

HABITS IN PHYSICS

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

•

Demonstrating resilience when practical work does not produce the expected outcome.

•

Developing confidence with calculations, measurements and scientific vocabulary.

•

Taking initiative to improve the accuracy and quality of observations and results.

•

Asking questions about how and why physical phenomena occur.

•

Using critical thinking to interpret evidence and explain observations.

•

Applying creativity when designing investigations and solving problems.

•

Sharing ideas and predictions, even when unsure.

•

Showing integrity by recording observations and results honestly.

•

Taking intellectual risks by testing explanations and learning from mistakes.

•

Collaborating effectively during practical investigations.

•

Working safely and responsibly with scientific equipment.

•

Respecting the contributions of others and communicating ideas clearly.

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Physics Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Students begin by developing the fundamental skills needed to study physics successfully.

The focus shifts to forces and electricity.

Students explore forces that act without direct contact, including gravity, electrostatic forces and magnetism.

Through measurement, speed and density, they learn how to make accurate observations, collect reliable data, record r esults appropriately and perform calculations using scientific units.

They then explore the behaviour of light, investigating shadows, pinhole cameras, reflection and colour. Throughout the term, students develop confidence in practical work and learn how physicists use models and diagrams to explain observations.

Students investigate how forces affect motion, including friction, balanced and unbalanced forces, and the measurement of force. They learn to construct and interpret force diagrams and use evidence from investigations to explain physical phenomena. In electricity, students build circuits, use circuit symbols, measure current and explore how resistance and electrical devices influence circuit behaviour. Practical work develops students' ability to analyse results, identify patterns and communicate scientific ideas clearly.

They investigate how these forces operate over distance and use the concept of fields to explain their effects. The Summer Term also provides opportunities for greater independence through the Science Fair project, where students design, research and present their own scientific investigations. Possible end of year extension activities, include rocketry and engineering challenges These allow students to apply their understanding creatively to realworld problems.

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Physics Signature Project: Science Museum Enquiry

Scholarship and Enrichment Beyond the classroom, students can participate in Junior Science Club, applying physics through practical engineering and scientific challenges. Activities include building model wind turbines, investigating parachute design, constructing comets, measuring the speed of sound, designing bridges, undertaking astronaut-training challenges and building balsa wood aircraft.

These experiences promote creativity, teamwork and a deeper appreciation of how physics is used in science and engineering.

For many students it is the moment science stops being a subject on the timetable and becomes something they want to share.

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Physical Education Mission Statement To help every student flourish through movement, sport and challenge. Active People – Good People – Ambitious People

HABITS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

PE develops resilience by encouraging students to persevere through challenges and setbacks. Continuous learning is promoted through feedback, reflection, and skill development. Initiative is strengthened as pupils make decisions, solve problems independently, and take responsibility for improving their own and their team's performance.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

PE develops open-mindedness by exposing students to different activities, perspectives, and approaches to performance. Critical thinking is strengthened through evaluating tactics, analysing performance, and making informed decisions. Creativity is encouraged as pupils adapt strategies, solve movement challenges, and explore innovative ways to achieve success.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

PE develops integrity by encouraging honesty, fairness, and respect for rules, opponents, and officials. Leadership is fostered through teamwork, communication, and the opportunity to guide and support others. Risk-taking is encouraged as pupils step outside their comfort zones, embrace new challenges, and learn from both success and failure.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

PE develops collaboration through teamwork, communication, and working towards shared goals. Care is fostered by supporting others, showing empathy, and promoting wellbeing within a positive sporting environment. Social responsibility is encouraged as pupils demonstrate respect, contribute positively to their community, and recognise the impact of their actions on others.

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Physical Education Curriculum Overview

In Year 7 students are introduced to skills and fitness development. The programme is taught in mixed ability form groups on a rotating carousel. FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT

In the Functional Movement module, students learn and apply key movement patterns including the hinge, squat, push, pull, brace, and rotate. By developing these fundamental movements, pupils improve movement efficiency, body control, and coordination, providing a foundation for greater physical literacy and success across all physical activities. AQUATICS In the Aquatics module, students build their aquatic competence across a range of swimming strokes, developing confidence, control, and efficiency in the water. They also learn essential water safety skills through activities such as treading water and participate in aquatic games, including water polo, helping to develop teamwork, decision-making, and lifelong confidence in aquatic environments.

GAMEPLAY

SUMMER TERM

In the Gameplay module, students develop fundamental game skills through catch and throw activities. They learn how to use space effectively, work collaboratively as a team, and make decisions in dynamic game situations. Pupils then apply their understanding by designing their own games, promoting creativity, teamwork, and a deeper understanding of gameplay concepts.

Our Summer Term options are currently under review. Alongside an additional Aquatics rotation, students will be offered a Net and Racket Games pathway, where they will develop the fundamental skills, tactics, and movement patterns common to a range of net and racket sports. Through engaging and progressively challenging activities, pupils will build confidence, coordination, and game understanding, further enhancing their physical literacy and enjoyment of physical activity

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

In the Athletic Development module, students develop the fundamental physical qualities that underpin success in sport and physical activity. Through learning about power and plyometrics, core strength, acceleration and deceleration, agility, change of direction, coordination, and multidirectional movement, pupils build a strong foundation for improved physical literacy, enhanced athletic performance, and lifelong participation in physical activity.

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Physical Education Signature Project: Our Signature Project is delivered through the Co-curricular and Games programme, where students are challenged to apply the physical literacy they develop through PE in authentic and increasingly demanding contexts.

Through participation in a wide range of sports, fixtures, sports tours, and inter-house competitions, pupils develop confidence, competence, and character while testing and extending their physical, social, and emotional capabilities.

Scholarship and Enrichment PE provides one of the school’s most extensive Co-curricular enrichment programmes, with over 20 physical activity options available to students of all abilities before school, at lunchtime, and after school throughout the week. Opportunities are further enhanced through Saturday fixtures, sports tours, and competitive events, enabling students to develop skills, pursue their interests, and engage more deeply with physical activity beyond the curriculum.

These experiences reinforce the learning from PE and promote a lifelong engagement with physical activity and sport.

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Theology and Philosophy Mission Statement In Year 7 we introduce students to theological and philosophical enquiry through worldview questions, working to develop critical, collaborative, creative and caring thinkers. Students will develop open-mindedness and critical thinking skills through studying the Abrahamic Faiths, Political Philosophy and the relationship between Theology and Art.

HABITS IN THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

• Resilience • Continuous Learning • Initiative

Students are encouraged to use their initiative as they articulate responses to key existential questions. We foster academic resilience by testing those ideas through thoughtful debate and discussion, understanding that learning is not static and that our responses to worldview questions will develop over time.

• Open-mindedness • Critical Thinking • Creativity

Students develop open-mindedness and critical thinking as they approach worldview questions through the diverse lenses of the Abrahamic Faiths, and that little spark of creativity ensures that old questions, are explored in ever new and fascinating ways.

• Integrity • Leadership • Risk-taking

Students develop academic integrity and leadership by exploring the lives of key Biblical characters and assessing divergent views in the political philosophy unit. The discursive heart of the Theology and Philosophy classroom encourages students to ‘take risks’ with sharing insights and hearing those that are different from their own.

• Collaboration • Care • Social Responsibility

By cultivating a ‘community of enquiry’, the Theology and Philosophy classroom becomes a dynamic space in which pupils learn to exchange ideas freely, conscientiously and responsibly. Students collaborate in think, pair, share activities and specifically through group work, such as ‘philosothons’ and the ‘Perfect Society’ project.

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Theology and Philosophy Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Students begin their journey by looking at the importance of asking questions, especially worldview questions, for which there may be no one ‘correct’ response.

Students continue exploring worldview questions, this time through a Christian lens. Students delve into the concept and mystery of the Holy Trinity, the function of creeds, as well as the significant events in the life of Jesus. The unit concludes with an investigation of Parables as ‘earthly stories with heavenly meaning’ with a more symbolic understanding of religious narrative.

Students begin the term with an introduction to Political Philosophy, studying the principal ideas of Hobbes, Mill, Rawls, Marx and Gandhi. This leads on to the ‘perfect society’ group project in which pupils have the opportunity to think critically and creatively about the nature and purpose of government, the relationships between liberty, equity and equality, as well as the role of the state in protecting the rights of its citizens.

Questions considered include: • What is a human being?

• Does God exist? • Why is there suffering in the world?

• How should we live? Students develop religious literacy by examining the ways in which these questions have been addressed in scripture through the lives of some of the key Biblical figures. The examination of source material serves as a foundation for the first of the Abrahamic Faiths studied, Judaism. Here, we look at the Jewish conception of God |in both prayer and text, the role of the synagogue, festivals and laws of kashrut.

In the second half of the term, students study the Muslim worldview, where emphasis is placed on Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah), the function of the Qur’an and Hadith, as well as key events in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The unit culminates with an assessment on scriptural reasoning in which pupils learn to value similarity and difference on interrelated themes in the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Having studied religious truth claims through the written word, the final unit, Theology through Art, explores how imagery is implemented to visually communicate meaning, often beyond literal inference, within the Abrahamic Faiths.

Habs Boys | Curriculum Booklet

Theology and Philosophy Signature Project: Perfect Society In Year 7 Theology and Philosophy, students explore the fundamental worldview questions, including how to live well and flourish, both individually and in communally. Having studied various perspectives through the Abrahamic Faiths, students are introduced to Political Philosophy and the work of Hobbes, Mill, Rawls, Marx and

Gandhi in particular. Thinking critically and creatively, students work in groups to create a ‘Perfect Society’ in which diverse interests are represented and questions concerning the nature and purpose of government, the relationships between liberty, equity and equality, as well as the role of the state in protecting the rights of the individual are considered.

Scholarship and Enrichment • Veritas (T&P Journal) • T&P Society a.k.a. The Lunchtime Lyceum Recommended reading • ‘Big Ideas for Little Philosophers: Truth with Socrates’ by Armitage, D. • ‘The Reason for God’ by Keller, T.

• ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by Lewis, C.S.