Year 8 Term 1 Curriculum website

Year 8

Curriculum Overview
Term 1

Dear Parents and Carers,

In the following booklet, you will find an overview of what your child is studying this term in College.
We’ve included key details on what they will be learning, how they will be assessed and what they might do in lessons, or outside the
classroom, to further develop their understanding. The aim for this is to make it easier for you to work with the College to support your
child in their learning.

Our overall aim for our curriculum is for it to be ambitious and knowledge-rich for all of our students and for them to become
Uckfield ACEs by the end of their journey with us:

A. Academic Achievers:
● Critical, creative, hard thinkers and learners
● Confident and knowledgeable speakers with large vocabularies (over 50,000 words) by the time they leave year 11

C. Citizens of our world with good Character :
● Social activists: engaged, responsible, knowledgeable, tolerant, outward-looking
● Ready, willing and able to make a wholly positive contribution to improving society

E. Enterprising and confident:
● Personally developed and personally knowledgeable - physically, mentally, socially and emotionally
● Able to think for themselves, be innovative, aspirational and to use their knowledge confidently

They learn this important knowledge through their subject lessons, deep learning days, assemblies, time with their form mentor, the
homework curriculum and through extra-curricular activities.

Art and Design

Topics: Life events Life events
Knowledge: The War artists

Assessment: What is the artist's role in society? How can art teach us Developing skills in monoprinting
Stretch and Challenge: about life events? Using photography as a means of recording
Understanding the role of photography in recording life events
Developing analysis of visual imagery Analysing imagery/developing understanding of how artists
use visual elements to express ideas.
Developing understanding of how artists use visual elements Developing/generating ideas for artwork
to express ideas
Creating a giant group piece based on Picasso’s Guernica
What is slavery?
What was the Atlantic Slave Trade?
How is it relevant to current Black Lives Matter
Movement?

Students will be assessed on their analysis of Picassos work - They will be assessed on the clarity of their drawing and
both written and visual understanding of the mono-printing process. Eg How clear is
Their drawing skills will be assessed and their the image? How accurate to the original ?
contribution to the class collage ‘Guernica’

Exploring expression of feeling through visual means Interpreting feeling/emotion through photography
How to compose a successful photograph
Working collaboratively, being able to discuss scale, tone, Developing personal response to a given theme
image quality and being aware of what others are doing in
contribution. Developing ability to be selective and purposeful in use of
visual elements to express ideas
Outside of the classroom students can visit The National
Gallery, pay attention to the News, especially when war
photography has been used.

Topics: Computing

Writing the Web (HTML)

Knowledge: Understanding the language of HTML
Creating webpages in HTML
Assessment: Creating content for our web pages using HTML tags
Stretch and Challenge: Apply appropriate styling to web pages.
Create links between pages to generate a fully functioning website.
Add additional tags to your website to build in more advanced features.

Students will be assessed based on the content they have produced in their own website. Students will be given a
grade based on how well they have developed their own website.
End of unit Test

Students are encouraged to work on their website outside of lesson time.
They are provided with a series of extension tasks to improve the look and functionality of the website beyond
what is covered in class.

Topics: Dance
Knowledge:
Rock and Roll
Assessment:
This unit of work focuses on advancing and developing the skills learnt previously in Year 7:
Stretch and Challenge: - Students will develop their understanding of independently choreograph showing appreciation for the specific
genre
- Students will explore how to reproduce performance and technical skills learnt last year and develop these
showing more confidence and sophistication when using them.
- Students will develop their cultural appreciation by exploring the features about Rock and Roll and be able to self
evaluate as well as peer assess progress and work.

Dance assessments are based on the three strands of Performance, Choreography and Appreciation, as well as group
skills.
Performance - In duets/small groups, students will perform their Rock and Roll routine confidently with stylistic
characteristics evident.
Choreography - Application of knowledge, skills and understanding of choreographic forms and devices during
rehearsal and performance.
Appreciation - Students will be able to articulate their knowledge and critical reflection to inform their artistic practice.

Students are provided with opportunities to develop their physical, technical and expressive skills by attending dance
club once per week. Students are provided with opportunities to develop their leadership skills in small groups and in a
whole group context through leading warm-ups and recap sections of the class. Challenging questions are regularly used
and deeper thinking tasks are embedded into the sessions.

Drama

Topic: Storytelling

Knowledge: This unit continues to develop students ability to explore advanced drama techniques in order to rell-tell a chosen narrative using
abstract conventions.
Assessment: Students will:
Stretch and
Challenge: - Develop their understanding of a body as a prop, using their bodies within the space to communicate a specific character,
idea or emotion.

- Develop their understanding of a line story, looking at how to develop a script in order to exaggerate key ideas using a
specific formation to engage an audience.

- Develop their use of narration, exploring the use of third person narration in order to break the 4th wall and engage an
audience further.

- Develop their use of flashback and flashforward, exploring how drama does not need to retell a story using a linear
narrative.

Within this unit students are assessed on:
- Their ability to apply all the key techniques they have learn this term within a group assessment. Students will be offered a
selection of fairytales and will be encouraged to transform the original story in order to sustain an audience’s attention,
exploring how individuals might interpret different ideas.

Students are encouraged to explore more abstract idea within the lessons, developing their knowledge of both the style and form
of drama. Students are also actively encouraged to develop their leadership skills by taking on the role of a director, ensuring they
are able to express and communicate their ideas effectively. Students are encouraged to develop their use of script-writing,
ensuring their chosen original fairy-tale becomes modernised.

Design Technology and Engineering

Topics: Students are given to opportunity to develop their repertoire of skills and knowledge and are encouraged to become increasingly independent. They
complete a variety of Design and Make tasks which are designed to enable them to make the best possible progress during KS4, with a greater
emphasis on designing for a specific user in mind. Evaluation and Analysis are used to test the final outcomes and to develop their prototypes for
potential industrial production as they would in their GCSE.

Knowledge: Structures: Students are briefed with a fun competition to win with the strongest structure in the class. Students will work in teams to gain an
understanding of civil engineering and applying physics and maths to their design and make challenge. Students will develop their range of
technological and design vocabulary.
Enamelled Jewellery: Students will gain an understanding of the work of a variety of artists and how they have used key aesthetic elements to
develop their abstract art works. Students will develop their range of technological and design vocabulary. They begin their journey in silversmithing
to develop their skills in working with copper. They will learn to work with enamelling powders, glass threads and mosaic tiles to make a beautiful
item of jewellery.
Flat Pack Clock: Students will be challenged to design and make a flat pack clock that is to be user friendly and practical. They will develop complex
CAD skills; Use specialist design vocabulary; Present design ideas clearly with simple graphic communication skills; Give and receive constructive
criticism; Reflect on and evaluate the work of famous designers; Analyse product designs; Model design solutions.

Assessment: Structures: Students will be assessed on their application of forces their design. The strength to weight ratio of their final bridge. Communication
skills and team work.
Enamelled Jewellery: Students will be assessed on the quality of the jewellery item that has clearly been influenced by a named artist. Preparation
and planning for manufacture. Evaluation and improvements.
Flat Pack Clock: Students will be assessed on their isometric and orthographic drawing skills. CAD work, accuracy of finish. Testing and evaluation.

Stretch and Design: Students are be taught varying levels of presentation techniques, mastering basic sketching and reverse colour skills building up towards rendering and drawing
Challenge: a convincing 3D object. They will use modelling skills to develop design ideas. They will start to explore working drawings and understand more technical ways of
communicating, planning and presenting. They will develop CAD skills using OnShape to create accurate drawings which can then be laser cut for manufacture. More
able students may use CAD to create 3D representations, working drawings and and demonstrate assembly through exploded drawings. Make: Students develop their
modelling skills thinking about scale, materials and construction. This will then be used to create a CAD drawing suitable CAM manufacture. They will be shown the set
up and function of the laser cutter to help produce an element/or all of their final product. Evaluate: Students will develop their evaluative and analytical skills using their
own initial specification and by gaining feedback from others. More able students will add personal thought and respond to evaluation and feedback with suggestions of
modifications and consideration of commercial production.opinion and back up their response with other examples of good design.
Technical Knowledge: Students will be introduced to the properties of modelling materials. Students will be shown key function of tool on OnShape CAD program. More
able students will exploit the properties of these physical and digital tools and justify them in their use.

English Link to English website

Topics: Exploring Genre: ‘The Bone Sparrow’ by Zana Fraillon
Knowledge:
Through our reading of this beautiful, yet heartbreaking, novel about a child living in a refugee camp in Australia, we learn
Assessment: how storytelling can be used to give insight into other cultures and experiences.

Stretch and Threshold concepts for this unit:
Challenge: ● Understanding the function of language in creating meanings; how elements in a text can represent an argument /view

and function symbolically.
● Understanding the function of structure in creating meanings.
● Awareness of impact / interpretation and the ways language can affect readers.

Reading: students are assessed on their vocabulary, comprehension and analytical skills.

Writing: in the writing lessons which follow the reading of this text, students are assessed on non-fiction, transactional writing.
This includes using language persuasively and adapting writing to suit audience, purpose and form.

In lessons, students are encouraged to use a range of subject specific vocabulary to offer analytical responses to questions
about the text. They are encouraged to think hard about the way that literature is a reflection of the world around us and the
fears and concerns of people and society.

High level vocabulary is embedded into this unit and students are encouraged to use it in both verbal and written responses.

Outside of lessons, students should continue to challenge themselves by wider reading. Through this unit, we encourage
students to read more non-fiction to expand both their vocabulary and their understanding of the wider world.

There are also some excellent lessons on this topic available on the Oak National Academy website.

Food Preparation and Nutrition/Textiles

Food Prep & Nutrition/Textiles

Topics: We teach on rotation depending on the rooming available and the facilities available. Year 8 students spend half the year working on Food Preparation and Nutrition
and the other half of the year learning about textiles. The curriculum is designed so that projects can be taught in any order and the skills build year on year.

Knowledge: Food preparation and Nutrition: The students complete two projects. In Textiles: The students complete 4 projects. The first is an introduction to art textiles.
Assessment: the Healthy Snack Attack project, students will make a new and exciting Then we explore the true cost of textiles. n this unit students look at how technology
range of snack foods that could replace the unhealthy foods that can be and cost considerations have affected the production of textiles, the
found on the supermarket shelves. emergence of ‘eco fashion’ and what consumers can do to promote eco friendly
Food around the World introduces students to the origins of some fashion.
multicultural foods You will be drawing on your existing knowledge of Textiles entrepreneur covers a variety of skills: Generation and development of
multicultural foods throughout the project. Students will use a new and design ideas for a very simple product – as part of a team. They will develop an
exciting range of multicultural ingredients. They will extend their practical understanding of the need for planning making before practical work begins.
skills in order to create high quality products. They will use a range of food Students will learn to communicate as a team. They will develop and understanding of
garnishes and decorations. They will also apply your knowledge of food how to cost a product
safety and hygiene. Dual Purpose textiles teaches the students the importance of maintaining
traditional skills as part of a culture/country’s heritage. We will explore how this can
be combined with current technology to improve the quality of life for people. The
students will be encouraged to take creative risks when designing.

Students will be assessed on their application of the principles of nutrition Students will be assessed on their safe use of materials and equipment in the textiles
and health. They will be assessed on the quality and presentation of their room. They will be assessed on how coherently they can present their ideas and how
dishes and their hygiene and safety. When they produce their final dish, well they work in a team.
they will also be marked on their time management skills.

Stretch and The students are encouraged to cook at home when there is supervision. Students could research the ethics behind the modern textile industry and develop a
Challenge: Recipes provided can be modified for different diets and cultures. much better understanding of the consequences our ‘throw away’ society has on the
Students are encouraged to prepare garnishes and explore different ways to longevity of our planet.
present their dishes.

Topics: Geography
Knowledge:
Extreme Weather
Assessment:
In this unit we study extreme weather both in the UK and all around the world. We look at how these extreme
weather events occur and the impact they have on people’s lives. We study the causes, impacts and responses of
storms in the UK, tropical storms around the world and drought in desert areas.

Students are assessed on their ability to explain and evaluate both impacts and responses to extreme weather
events all around the world. They are also assessed on their knowledge of a case study, specifically on their ability
to explain the impacts and evaluate the responses.

Stretch and Challenge: Students are encouraged to consider the social, economic, environmental and political aspects of weather events
throughout this unit of work and are further stretched by being encouraged to research other extreme weather
events around the world to compare with the case study that we study in class. Evidence-based activities,
homework and pause lessons ensure that all students are challenged and achieve excellent results.

This topic develops the threshold concepts of pressure and climate to allow students to excel at the climate change
topic later in the year. Hurricane Katrina as a case study highlights racial inequality in the USA and promotes wider
discussion in this important issue.

History

Topics: The British Empire - Is it essential as 21st century citizens to understand the British Empire?

Knowledge: This unit is designed to help students understand the nature of the British Empire with a major focus on the 19th century
when the Empire was at its height. Students learn about how the portrayal of the British Empire in the 19th century
continued to shape 20th century perspectives of the Empire and how this has been challenged in recent years. The unit is
intended to give students the opportunity to learn about the Empire through a series of case studies, such as America,
India, Australia and Ireland. At the end of this unit students are able to look at the causes, events and consequences of
the British Empire to ultimately judge the extent to which its study is essential for living as a 21st century citizen today.

Assessment: Students will use their own knowledge gained through looking at the different case studies, as well as the views of other
historians to assess how the Empire should be remembered today and why it is essential for young people to be fully
aware of it in the 21st century.

Stretch and Challenge: Throughout this unit, students consider the impact of the British Empire on different groups of people, and assess how it
can be viewed differently depending on their position - e.g. through the eyes of those in control or through the eyes of
those under the Empire’s control. Students are challenged to consider the way the Empire has been reinterpreted through
time, as new voices, historical works and perspectives have emerged or have been heard. Students are encouraged to cite
examples of the impact of the Empire from beyond those that we study; this helps students to both assess the British
Empire and widen their knowledge and understanding of international history.

Topics: Life Learning
Knowledge:
Assessment: Personal safety

Students explore the importance of keeping safe in a variety of situations. This scheme of work gives students the
knowledge and practical skills in keeping themselves safe and what to do in emergencies situation. Students will
develop problem solving skills as well as citizenship skills and are given the tools to navigate through these
situations so that they feel confident in knowing what to do in a challenging circumstance.
Students will develop problem solving skills as well as citizenship skills.

Students are assessed through formative assessment retrieval practice quizzing to embed knowledge and so the
teacher can check students understanding and confidence in the content they have learnt

Stretch and Challenge: Students are given opportunities in each lesson to answer questions at an increasingly more challenging level.
Students are required to apply knowledge beyond the curriculum to real life scenarios

Life, Religion and Ethics

Topics: Hinduism

Knowledge: In Y8, students will learn the Eastern faiths in contrast to the Knowledge:
Abrahmic faiths studied in Y7. In this unit, students will learn Students will learn key beliefs about gods and Brahman
key theological terms of monotheism and polytheism and in Hinduism
apply them to beliefs in Hinduism. Students will also learn Students will compare beliefs and practices to
key Hindu practices and consider the symbolism in Hindu Abrahamic Faiths learnt in Year 7
worship and make comparisons to practises in Abrahamic Skills:
faiths. interpretation; comparative skills; symbolism

Assessment: Students will develop their writing skills and will be assessed on their key knowledge, understanding of symbolism and
evaluation skills. evaluation. Students will be assessed through formative and summative assessments.
Students will be assessed on:
Key vocabulary
Interpretation skills and evaluation skills

Stretch and Challenge: Students will be stretched and challenged throughout this unit by learning higher tier vocabulary and comparing to
Abrahamic faiths learnt in previous years. Students will develop more complex theology skills such as referring to
symbolism in order to develop a higher level of understanding of religious beliefs and practices.

Maths

Topics: Delta Theta Pi
Knowledge: Unit 1 - Factors and Powers Unit 1 - Number Unit 1 - Number
Unit 2 - Working with Powers Unit 2 - Area and Volume Unit 2 - Shapes and Measure in 3D
Assessment:
Stretch and ● Prime factor decomposition ● Calculations ● Adding and subtracting with
Challenge: ● Laws of indices ● Calculating with negative larger numbers
● Powers of 10
● Calculating and estimating integers ● More calculations
● Simplifying expressions ● Powers and roots ● Negative numbers
● More simplifying ● Powers, roots and brackets ● Writing ratios
● Expanding and simplifying ● Multiples and factors ● Using ratios to solve problems
● Substituting and solving ● Area of a triangle ● Multiplicative reasoning
● Area of a parallelogram and ● 3D solids
● Nets of 3D solids
trapezium ● Surface area
● Volume of cubes and cuboids ● Volume
● 3D shapes ● Working with measures
● Surface area of cubes and

cuboids
● Problems and measures

● Skills Check Assessment in the ● Skills Check Assessment in the ● Skills Check Assessment in the
penultimate week of term penultimate week of term penultimate week of term

● Unit Assessment in the last week ● Unit Assessment in the last week ● Unit Assessment in the last week
of term of term of term

● Students will be encounter a ● Students will be encounter a ● Students will be encounter a
wide range a problems in which wide range a problems in which wide range a problems in which
they can apply the skills learned. they can apply the skills learned. they can apply the skills learned.

● Use the hegarty maths search ● Use the hegarty maths search ● Use the hegarty maths search
bar to find more challenging bar to find more challenging bar to find more challenging
tasks related to current work tasks related to current work tasks related to current work

Modern Foreign Languages

Topics: French: Talking about yourself and family Spanish: Talking about free-time activities,
Knowledge:
members, jobs, where you live and the weather. friends and nationalities.
Assessment:
Students are revisiting vocabulary about family Students are going to use adverbs of frequency to
members and are learning about different jobs and describe how often they do an activity. They are going
places of work. They are learning about cardinal points to learn about key verbs in the present tense and use
and are looking at a map of France to learn about the comparative when giving opinions about different
different cities. They are learning as well about the activities. They are also learning about the adjective
weather. agreement.

Students are going to be assessed on their reading Students are going to be assessed on their reading
comprehension and the ability to answer to some comprehension and the ability to answer to some
questions in English and in the target language. questions in English and in the target language.

Stretch and Challenge: Students are going to be challenged in their ability to Students are going to be challenged in their ability to
decode a text and to answer with accuracy in target decode a text and to answer with accuracy in target
language in the present tense using different subject language in the present tense using different subject
pronouns. pronouns.
Students have the opportunity to learn about languages Students learn about free-time activities you can do in
in the world of work. Spain and geographical locations.

Music Link to music website

Topics: A Cappella

Knowledge: This unit will explore; the importance of singing, vocal arrangements and vocal features/techniques, as well as developing
vocal skills.

Students will:
- Explore the use of vocal features and arrangement of voices (particularly a cappella, melody, accompaniment,
harmony and beat boxing) and apply these to listening, composition and performance tasks.
- Compose/arrange an a cappella performance in the style of Pentatonix/Pitch Perfect
- Perform existing songs in an a cappella style as a class using a variety of vocal features.
- Perform their own small group arrangements of existing songs in an a cappella style.

Assessment: Music assessments are based on the four main strands of music making: Performing, Composing, Listening and Appraising
and Character.
Performing: Perform an a cappella arrangement of an existing song in small groups, making use of a variety of vocal
features.
Composing: Arrange a Pentatonix/Pitch Perfect inspired A Cappella version of an existing song.
Listening and Appraising: Recognise key features of the style and identifying elements of vocal arrangement
Character: Working well as part of a group, making positive contributions to your group and be able to offer appropriate
and supportive feedback to others.

Stretch and Challenge: Students can choose more complex songs or pieces of music, add in more complex vocal harmonies and explore other
ways of using voices effectively including sound effects, beatboxing and rapping.

Topics: Physical Education

Knowledge: Year 8 Students will take part in the following activities throughout Year 8:
Assessment: Netball, Football, Handball, Hockey, Rugby, Badminton, Swimming, Gymnastics, Cricket, Stoolball, Rounders and Athletics.

Stretch and Term 1 Year 8 Girls = Hockey, Netball, Football, Badminton, Gymnastics and Swimming.
Challenge:
Term 1 Year 8 Boys = Football, Rugby, Basketball, Badminton, Gymnastics and Swimming.

Each sport has 5 skill areas.
Students are assessed and prepared for assessment lessons in these through isolated practices, conditioned
games/activities and full context games (i.e. 7 v 7, 11 v 11 etc).

Students will be assessed at the end of each block of activity. Each activity block lasts for one term, the assessment
lesson will take place in the last lesson of the term.

E.g A male student in term one may do one term of football (about 6 weeks) and one term of swimming, in the last
lesson of each activity they will be assessed and given a grade. These grades are then averaged out at the end of the
year to give an accurate overall grade in PE.

Students are encouraged to attend extra curricular clubs either in school or out of school to enhance their consistency,
accuracy and speed.

More able students will be challenged mentally as well as physically to improve their tactical awareness of sport. PE
teachers will test their ability to justify, evaluate and discuss the tactics in a variety of sports.

Topics: Science
Knowledge:
Assessment: Students will study a series of Maths based lessons at the start of the term in order to
develop their mathematical skills. They will then study the Electricity and Resistance topic.
This is the first Physics topic of the year.

Students will practice handling data skills and how to rearrange an equation. Electricity can be a bit of a
mystery as you cannot see what is happening inside a wire. In this big idea as students will learn how
electricity works and how you can model it. They will have the opportunity to build an electric circuit and
an electromagnet. Students will practice calculating how current and voltage works in an electric circuit.
They will also discover how to explain resistance and how fuses work.

Students will be assessed with a ‘PIN assessment’ at the end of the Physics topic.

Stretch and Challenge: To provide high challenge, students will practice how to calculate Power (W) around a circuit. They will
also practice using different formulae to calculate the voltage, current and resistance around a circuit.

Topics: Personal Development Time
Knowledge:
Year 8 students will take part in the following activities in term 1:
Stretch and ● Reading.
Challenge: ● Votes for Schools.
● MyACE & Mentoring
● Assemblies.

● Reading - As a mentor group, they will read through a selected novel together to help increase students’ passion for
reading and vocabulary. Do ask them what book they have chosen!

● Votes for Schools - In order to develop students’ oracy and citizenship skills we use this nationwide programme
where students discuss current national and global issues and then vote at the end. These votes are then collected
around the country and mentor groups can see how their mentor group, year group and school compare with other
young people’s views across the UK.

● MyACE & Mentoring - Students carry our reflection activities to set meaningful targets based around the Uckfield
ACEs. They they add these to their MyACE webpage. During this mentors meet with groups of students to discuss their
progress and development.

● Assemblies - Students have an assembly from SLT every week which is based on key wider learning themes built
around the Uckfield Qualities. Directors of Year also deliver an assembly every fortnight discussing key year group
information and also developing the Uckfield Qualities.

● There is an extensive Student Leadership programme available which students can apply to. This will lead to them
being either a Form Representative, a member of the College Council or a Prefect.

- Form Representatives: Meet with their Director of Year every month to lead deliver charity based projects.
- College Council: Meet with the Council every week to discuss whole College issues.
- Prefects: Meet with Sixth Form leads in specific committees to lead and deliver projects.