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.