handbook year 7 - 2013.14

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YEAR 7 HANDBOOK Telephone: 96 142 41 74 Email: [email protected] YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

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Page 1: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Telephone:

96 142 41 74

Email:

[email protected]

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Page 2: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

KEY STAGE 3

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

WELCOME!

Dear Parents:

Fourteen subjects, new teachers, lockers, changing class for every subject…

these are some of the new features in this stage of your child’s education.

Apart from the obvious structural changes, Secondary education is a great

personal challenge for all students. Their academic progress, personal

growth and learning are as much a group effort as an individual one.

On one hand the student has to learn to do his/her daily work, but on the

other hand the interaction with his/her year group in class, in the

playground, on school trips, Sports Day or Athletics Day is essential to help

him/her to grow and develop qualities such as solidarity, companionship, and

maturity.

Your child will be working within the reward system during Years 7, 8 & 9

(Key Stage 3) and here I would like to ask for your help and support. There is

more information about this in the school’s “Welcome to Secondary”

handbook. All the work which we do here in the school, especially in the

area of discipline, is much more effective if we are supported in the home.

Thank you for all your cooperation and welcome to Secondary.

Mª Carmen Moreno

Head of Year 7

CONTENTS

Secondary Educational

System ......................... 2

IPad Project ………………………..3

Tutorials ........................ 4

Assessment & Reporting......5

Progression Policy ………………..6

Subjects ........................ 7

Complementary Activities....22

Extra-Curricular Activities..23

Homework.......................23

Timetables......................24

School material.................25

Transport........................25

Page 3: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

THE SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

2

Secondary Education in Caxton

College covers 3 key stages as follows:

“Key Stage 3” (Year 7 to Year 9)

“Key Stage 4” (Year 10 & 11)

“Sixth Form” (Year 12 & 13).

This period covers the teenage years

of our students (from 11 to 18 years

old), which is why we consider this to

be the ideal time, not only to instil in

them good study habits, but also to

make them responsible for their own

actions and decisions, to show them

how to make the best use of their

leisure time and, of course, to try to

mould them into better people.

At this time, the tightly-linked

cooperation of teachers, parents

and students is essential. As a

result of this collaboration between

the school and the home, our students

obtain excellent results with which to

apply for University, while, on the

way, they grow into excellent

individuals.

In Key Stage 3 (Years 7—9),

students must study all the subjects in

the British Curriculum and they must

pass them in order to progress onto

the following year.

In Year 10, students start their 4th

and final obligatory key stage, a very

important stage in their education,

lasting 2 years.

Caxton College is a recognised

examination centre for the University

of Cambridge examination board

(CIE) as well as the Edexcel London

Board. In Year 9 students sit IGCSE

ESL (English as a Second

Language), so that they can focus on

the EFL (First Language English)

exam for IGCSE throughout Years 10

and 11. In Year 11 pupils sit their

IGCSE exams (International General

Certificate of Secondary Education),

thereby enabling them to obtain the

Certificate of ESO in the Spanish

system (Certificate of Obligatory

Secondary Education).

The IGCSE exams are a very

important part of our students’

education. Access to Sixth Form

depends on their grades from Year 11.

At present, in order to gain access to

Spanish Universities, students

submit their A Level grades as well as

those obtained in 2 extra Spanish

subjects which are chosen by the

students themselves, depending on

the career they wish to follow in the

future.

"Accept responsibil-ity for your actions, and adopt a healthy

attitude to life”

Spanish System British System Cycles Public Examinations

6º Primaria Year 7 KEY

STAGE 3

1º ESO Year 8

2º ESO Year 9 IGCSE ESL

3º ESO Year 10 KEY STAGE 4

4º ESO Year 11 IGCSE

1º Bachillerato Year 12 SIXTH FORM

AS level/

Advanced level 2º Bachillerato Year 13

Page 4: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

PROYECTO IPAD

In Caxton College our aim is to always be at the forefront

of education, and we constantly strive to offer the highest

quality teaching and learning methods.

The introduction of new technologies has had a very

positive effect on our students, allowing them to

experience interactive activities and to develop their

potential as individual learners. IPads are used as an

alternative tool for learning, with teachers carefully

choosing the most appropriate method for the topic in

question: textbooks, oral discussion in class, or the use of

kindles. In addition, iPads allow the students to learn in

any place and at any time, and thus enable them to share

their knowledge in a variety of ways and with a wide

range of people.

We have recently launched Project 1:1 iPads for students from Years 7 and 8, which means that every child

in these year groups will bring their own iPad to school. The iPads are used in all areas of the curriculum

with the aim of encouraging the students to take more responsibility for their own learning, to develop

creativity and improve teamwork.

Students from Year 9 to Year 11 regularly work on the school iPads (we have two fully-equipped trolleys for

this purpose, with 26 iPads on each), which can be used for different purposes: Students can film

performances and presentations in order to self-assess their work; make their own films (using iMovie) at

the end of a topic, use the Pages app to develop their ability to create texts, and even carry out scientific

experiments with them.

Some of the positive changes that we have identified in our students following the introduction of the use

of iPads as an education tool are as follows:

They are more committed to their own learning, more motivated and willing to work harder.

Their levels of self—confidence and attitude towards their own learning have improved.

They are able to finish a greater number of tasks and reach higher targets than those predicted.

They are responsible for their own iPads.

The iPads allow them a greater freedom of choice, and thus, a greater sense of responsibility

regarding their work.

They face up to challenges and use their own reasoning and skills to solve problems.

We are really looking forward to continuing this exciting and challenging journey on the iPad Project!

3

Page 5: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

TUTORIALS / COMMUNICATIONS VIA THE WEB

Personal & Social Education

At school great importance is placed upon the personal

development of our pupils, as this is the basis of everything

they will do in the future.

PSHE:

Year 7 students attend a weekly class in Personal, Social,

Health Education. This is a time for thought and for

personal and group work, following a programme of

“Education in Values”.

Solidarity in the Classroom:

In addition, in school students take part in the Programme

“Solidarity in the Classroom” created by Fundar, the

Foundation for Solidarity and Volunteer work in the

Valencian Community.

The activities contained in the Programme are designed to

instil values such as good relations, tolerance, cultural

diversity and voluntary work with the aim of making the

whole educational community more aware of, and

committed to, these values.

1. The students have the help of a tutor throughout

Secondary school. Students meet their tutor first thing

every morning.

The tutor is responsible for monitoring individual

students and, holds one-to-one interviews with them

periodically to give them any support or advice they may

need.

As well as the meetings with tutors held by the school,

parents can always request a personal interview to talk

about their child’s progress whenever they wish.

2. During tutorials, students learn Public Speaking skills,

give talks and hold debates.

They will also receive career guidance and learn study

techniques.

3. The school web page now includes a private area for

parents, where they can send and receive emails, follow

their child’s Progress List which is updated weekly, see

term grades and receive documentation such as

handbooks, talks from the Psychologist and other items

of interest.

4

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YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

5

ASSESSMENT & REPORTS

In Year 7 there are three assessment periods. At the

end of each one, parents will receive a report with the

grades achieved by their child in both academic

performance and effort.

In all subjects taught in English, teachers assess using

National Curriculum criteria, as occurs in all British

centres abroad. These are then converted to a Caxton

grading scale from A to E.

There are exams at the end of every term, and final

exams in the third term in the core subjects. They

make up 20% of the final year grade in the

British subjects, and 10% of the year grade in

the Spanish subjects.

At the end of the year, all pupils who fail to achieve at

least a grade C in any subject will be required to sit an

exam in August.

Grades:

Please note that the grades A—E will often feature a +

or – sign to indicate a student’s position in relation to

the actual criteria, and provides better differentiation

among the students. For example a C+ would indicate

achievement heading in the direction of improvement

towards the next grade, whereas a C- serves to

illustrate that the student is falling short of a grade.

<<<Examinations and Tests

Exams are very important in order to consoli-

date knowledge and to gain an objective pic-

ture of a child’s progress.

They also prepare students for future external

British examinations.

Parents should bear in mind that students may

not repeat examinations except in very serious

or exceptional circumstances. We recommend

that you do not plan any family trips or other

activities which would oblige your child to miss

any school days.

If a student misses an exam or tests, they

must provide a medical certificate. If not,

they will receive a zero mark.

If a student has an unjustified absent the

day before or the day of an examination,

they will not be allowed to sit the exam,

and they will receive a zero grade.

Page 7: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

6

<<<Criteria for Progression from Year 7 to Year 8

Students will only be allowed

to progress to the next year

with a maximum of one subject

failed.

In order to sit subjects failed in

June, there is a re-sit

evaluation at the end of

August.

Students can only re-sit exams

during the August evaluation

with a maximum of 3 subjects

failed.

If a student has failed more

subjects, a panel of teaching

staff will decide whether the

student will be able to repeat

the year or not.

In some subjects, the re-sits

may consist of a project to be

handed in, instead of an exam.

Special consideration will be

given to foreign students in

their first year in the school as

regards Spanish and Social

Sciences.

In addition:

Students must demonstrate an

adequate level of study skills,

behaviour and effort for

entering the following year

group.

From the first term, students will be monitored by subject teachers and the relevant Head of Department if they have been identified as failing in a subject. They will be set specific targets for improvement.

Those students who are failing in a number of subjects will also be monitored by their Head of Year.

Parents of these pupils will be contacted periodically during the term in order to give added feedback on their child’s academic development in a particular subject area.

If, during the term, a student shows measurable signs of improvement, he/she will no longer be monitored and can work independently.

A pass grade at this level represents grades

A to C

<<<Monitoring of “At Risk”

students

Private Classes >>>

If your child has a private tutor for any subject, we

recommend that you let his/her tutor know. This helps to

build up an understanding of your child’s commitment

and approach to learning.

Page 8: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

SUBJECT INFORMATION

From Years 7 to 9 students study

the following subjects:

English Language & Literature

Mathematics

A Foreign Language (French or

German)

Art, Music & ICT

British History and Geography

Religion or Ethics

Science

Career Skills (Personal

Development)

Physical Education

PSHE (Formación Humana)

Spanish Language & Literature

Spanish History & Geography

ENGLISH>>>

Head of Department: Stephen Miller

7

First Term Second Term Third Term

Non-fiction:

Autobiography Prose: Holes

Drama: The Terrible Fate of Humpty Dumpty

Poetry: Pen Rhythm Non-fiction: The News Non-fiction: The Environment

Drama & Media

Writing reviews End of Year Exams

Assessment Policy: Assessment is ongoing throughout the

year, both in class (through conversation, drama, essays etc)

and by means of homework.

There are regular core assessments for the year group, as well as

an end-of-year exam, which is worth 20% of the final grade.

Homework: Homework is given once a week and students

are expected to spend approximately 35 minutes on it.

All students are expected to read two extra books in English per

term. These may come from the library, home or be bought

(the school will recommend books). Students will complete a

book review for each book read. This should be signed by par-

ents.

IPad Project: Ipads will be used with the aim of improving

listening comprehension, speaking fluency in English and pro-

nunciation. The apps that the students will use are: Key Note,

Pages, Showbie and iMovie.

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 8

Web Pages:

www.bbc.co.uk/KS3bitesize/english www.revisionaid.co.uk www.channel4.com/learning www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites Recommendations:

How to help with reading: Students should have access to

books or magazines in English and develop the habit of reading

them. When you watch films at home, try to watch them in

English with subtitles in English, this will improve your child’s

reading ability and comprehension.

Remember that talking about reading is very important, so

discussing a book will also help to develop their reading com-

prehension skills .

Keep reading time relaxed, comfortable and pleasurable; a

quiet place, with the television turned off is best.

As your child progresses, talk about authors, characters,

Page 9: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

8

themes and plots or what new information has been learnt .

If your child reads silently ask him/her to re-tell the part that

has been read and encourage the 'pointing out' of relevant

sections in the text.

If your child has hobbies and interests, encourage him/her to

read about these in English.

Helping with written homework:

Always ask your child if they have checked punctuation,

grammar and spelling in his/her written homework.

Encourage your child to use a dictionary when doing home-

work. This will help to check spellings and to broaden their

vocabulary.

A thesaurus can also help your child to broaden and vary his

or her vocabulary .

English books: Bookfairs are held in the school several times

a year, and there are reading books available in the school

shop and in the library.

English courses abroad: Many parents have opted to take

or send their son/daughter to England during holidays. This

has immense benefits for the development of the use and un-

derstanding of the language in a range of contexts.

The school can advise you on the best courses for your needs,

based on the information we have on courses abroad which we

have experienced personally.

MATHEMATICS>>>

Head of Department: Kevin Worthington

First Term Second Term Third Term

Sequences & Functions Rules of Algebra, Simplifying, Formulae, Equations.

Percentages.

Ratio & proportion.

Decimals, Directed Numbers, Estimation, 4 Rules.

Lines & Angles, Coordinates. Symmetry Reflections, rotations & translations.

Length, Perimeter & Area, 3D Shapes, Surface Area.

Tally Charts, Grouped Frequency. Pie charts.

Fractions and Decimals, Adding, Subtracting and Equivalent Fractions.

Rounding, BODMAS, Four Operations, Long Multiplication, Long Division.

Multiplying & Dividing Decimals. Using a calculator. Fractions & percentages of quantities.

Averages and Range, Statistical Diagrams, Probability.

Squares & Roots, Triangle Numbers, Nam-ing Graphs.

Solving Equations, Formulae, Real-life Graphs.

Polygons. Tessellations. Constructing 3D shapes.

Polygons.

Homework: Homework will be set once per week and should last

about 30 mins. In addition, pupils are encouraged to set aside some

time over the weekend to go over their work and highlight any

problems.

Assessment Policy: Assessment through homework and

classwork will take place continually throughout the year. Exams

take place every term and the end of year exam is worth 20% of the

final grade.

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 8

Web Pages:

www.myimaths.co.uk

www.channel4learning.com/apps/homeworkhigh

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revision

Recommendations: Each student will have a practice book

which should be used on a regular basis alongside the main text to

help support and reinforce their learning. This resource is

invaluable in preparing for end of unit exams. Parents should check

pupils’ work regularly, sign any internal tests and make sure pupils

have the correct mathematical equipment.

Page 10: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

SCIENCE>>>

Head of Key Stage 3: Nicola Porch

9

Homework: Homework will be set

once a week.

Assessment Policy: There will be

one summative assessment during

each topic. These are the

assessments that form the term

grade. The end of year grade is an

average of the three term grades +

end of year exam (20% of total).

IPad Project: Students will use

their iPads daily as if they were a

textbook. They will carry out

experiments and analyse the results

afterwards. They can access

interactive Periodic Tables using the

iPads and use apps to measure

volum e, and the di f ferent

wavelengths of sounds, etc. The

apps they will use are: GoogleDrive,

iMovie, iMotion HD, Keynote and

Pages.

Web Pages: We recommend

visiting the following sites. :

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/

ks3bitesize

www.school.discovery.com

www.scifun.chem

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle:

8

Recommendations:

Pupils should not leave their

revision to the last minute.

It is important that the pupils use

their KS3 Revision Guides as

much as possible to support the

work they are covering in class.

It is important to use both the textbook and their notebooks to revise from.

Doddle Learn and Caxton Tic are excellent resources, full of summary presentations and quizzes.

There is a “Scientific Ex p e rime n ts” work shop available during clubs time on Wednesdays.

First Term Second Term Third Term

Cells Solutions Forces

Particles Reproduction Differences

Energy Electricity and magnetism Chemical Reactions

Classification

*Order may vary within year group.

Page 11: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

<<<Forming Groups in the Core British Subjects

10

Teaching groups in the Core Subjects:

With the aim of addressing the needs of all our students,

and maximising their academic potential, the core

British subjects English, Maths and Science are

organised in flexible class groups which do not

always correspond to their tutor groups.

The main characteristics of these groups are:

All the groups follow the same curriculum

They all sit the same exams

The teachers use different pedagogic styles.

The three subjects have different policies which are

outlined below.

English

In English, Years 7—9 have 2 support groups, with a

maximum number of 10 students in each, which

allows for more intensive support. The rest of the

pupils are distributed in groups of different mixed

levels.

The support groups are decided within the

department, and are based upon different criteria:

In Year 7:— the information provided by their

Year 6 teachers, including the results of KS2

SATs.

In Year 8 & 9:— data from previous years,

including internal assessments, teachers’

observations and end of year exams.

In Years 10 & 11:— the results of the ESL

external exam from year 9 are taken into

account.

Science

In Years 7 to 9 students are taught in tutor groups.

However, in Years 10 and 11 there are two high

ability groups, where students have achieved A or

high B grades the previous year.

Maths

From the moment students start in Secondary, they

are taught in ability groups according to the

following criteria:

In Year 7: information provided by their Year 6

teachers, taking in to account work and internal

and external assessments done during the year.

In Year 8, 9, 10 & 11: internal assessment data,

teacher observations and end of year exams.

Students in all groups will all use the same

textbooks.

Page 12: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Homework: Once a week. It is important for the work to be supervised at home.

Assessment Policy: This subject

will be continually assessed by

means of regular tests on what is

taught in class. As well as this,

classwork, projects, etc. will be

graded. All of these grades go to

make up 75% of the term grade, with

the remaining 25% being awarded

for essays written as homework.

There will be an end of year exam,

which is worth 10% of the Year 7

end of year grade. The final grade

will be the average of the three term

grades, plus the final exam grade.

IPad Project: iPpads will be used

to help students gain a more

thorough understanding of the

subject (in the areas of vocabulary,

spelling, summaries, and searching

for information). The apps used will

be: digital textbook, Blink, RAE

dictionary, Pages, Keynotes, iMovie,

Showbie, Inspiration and Prezi.

Web pages:

Real Academia de la Lengua:

www.rae.es

Caxtoncollegetic (learning

platform)

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle :

8

Recommendations:

Consult the Caxton tic web page

regularly;

Read your own books at home and

hand in book reports to your

teacher;

Study and revise regularly at

home in order to develop good

study habits.

SPANISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE>>>

Head of Department: Mar González

First Term Second Term Third Term

Unit 1: Descriptions;

Root words & suffixes;

Texts;

Literary genres

Unit 5: suffixes;

Verbs III;

Poetry

Unit 9: Arguing;

Predicates;

Biographies

Unit 2: Narratives;

Basic words and derivations;

Types of sentences;

Poetry

Unit 6: suffixes;

Verbs IV;

Stories

Unit 10: Taboos & euphisms;

Predicates II;

The novel

Unit 3: descriptions;

Prefixes;

Verbs

Unit 7: Suffixes;

Verbs V;

Fables

Unit 11: Colloquialisms & common expressions;

Reports;

Comedy in Drama

Unit 4: prefixes II;

Verbs II;

Informative leaflets

Unit 8: Sentences;

Myths & Legends;

An opinion piece

Unit 12: Borrowed words, technicalities & coining new words;

Tragedy in Drama;

Creating a blog

11

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YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

12

Homework: Homework will be set

once a week.

A s s e s s m e n t P o l i c y : t h r e e

evaluations plus final exam.

Within each evaluation period there

will be several tests: the average

mark, along with the grades given to

homework and/or class projects, will

add up to the final evaluation grade.

End of Year grade: Will consist of

average of all three evaluation

periods plus the end of year exam

(10% of total).

Web Pages: Nowadays there are a

large quantity of web pages about

History and Geography. Below we

highlight some of them, which cover

general topics. For specific topics,

students can consult their text book,

and in every unit we refer them

to interesting and useful pages,

related to what they are

studying.

www.wikipedia.es

www.educahistoria.com

ww.artehistoria.com

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 3

Recommendations: In this subject

the pupil has to understand and

comprehend the subject, not just

memorize the course content. In this

way the student can establish links

between the different concepts.

Projects should be carefully prepared

during the time allocated and NOT the

day before.

SOCIAL SCIENCES>>>

Head of Department: Mª Carmen López

First Term Second Term Third Term

Early civilisations Life in Rome The Iberian Peninsula in

Ancient Times

The legacy of the Greeks

Page 14: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Homework: to be handed in once a week.

Assessment Policy: This subject will be assessed depending on a final Project to be assigned by the teacher. Furthermore, homework, classwork (both individual and group work), and the study of basic prayers will add to the grade. The pupil’s participation and attitude will also add to the final grade.

It is important for students to realise that not handing in the project means they will fail the subject.

IPad Project: IPads will be used not only to support the textbook, but also to learn more about other religions, the Bible, history and religious traditions. The Apps to be used are: Blinklearning, Numbers, Keynotes and Inspiration.

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 2

Web pages:

www.enciclopediacatolica.com (reference page)

www.anayadigital.com

Recommendations: Students need to remember that

Religion is not just a subject but also a way of life, therefore the

pupils’ education should be shared with the families, and

reinforced through discussion of topics at home, practising

basic prayers, etc.

Note: In Years 10 & 11, Catechesis in preparation for the

Confirmation is taught outside the school timetable, after

5.00pm. In order to be allowed to attend, students should have

attended Religion classes since they started their Secondary

education.

Homework: Required once a week, which usually con-

sists of unfinished class work.

Assessment Policy: The evaluation consists of hand-ing in a project to be set by the teacher. Apart from the project, the work during class time and homework will be evaluated. Participation and the pupil’s effort during les-sons will also add to the final grade at the end of the term.

It is important for students to realise that not handing in the project means they will fail the subject.

Web pages: When appropriate, the teacher will inform the pupils about the most interesting pages they should visit for each topic they cover in each lesson .

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 2

Head of Department: Almudena Cózar Ethics>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

- Rules & fairness, rights & Responsibilities

- Most important religions of the world

Developing debating skills

Communities & identities

Living together in communities

Developing research

skills

Being a global citizen

Images of rich and poor countries in the world

The impact of tourism

RELIGION/ETHICS>>> Students are free to choose one of these subjects, but

they will not be allowed to change once the year has started.

Head of Department: Almudena Cózar

Course Content: The aim is to teach students the essence of the Christian message, both from a theoretical as well as a practical point of view. Students will learn basic prayers as well as the content of the textbook.

Religion>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

Our need to believe Looking to Jesus Committing to the Mission of Jesus

Discovering other religions Learning to love like Jesus Looking to the Virgin Mary

Believing in Jesus Jesus can save us Living in hope

13

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YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Career Skills>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

Form Representative Elections–

Speeches from candidates

Study skills– organisational skills,

time management

Careers introduction– hopes and

dreams for the future, research

and presentation task

Learning basic First Aid

Skills– presentations by

students on different

skills

Introduction to Public Speaking,

debate, discussion around

different topics including bullying

and respect

Government and Politics–

students create their own political

parties, take part in debate and

public speaking in front of the

year group

Target setting and review

of the year

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their ability to

engage in public speaking activities, contributions in class

and from their workbooks.

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 2

-Students will be encouraged to take on leadership roles

within the lessons, taking on responsibilities, motivating

others and being a positive role model within the class, year

group and the whole school.

-Students will be focusing on different issues within society

that they can debate and discuss- then form presentations

around these issues.

-To focus students on what they would like to do in the

future (Careers)

-Students will also be concentrating on effective study skills,

time management, organisation and revision techniques.

Homework: Will be set over the course of the term.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,

do more, you are a leader."- John Quincy Adams

Coursework: We will follow the in-house PSC exercise

handbook

Homework: to be handed in when set, on the day that they

have class.

Assessment Policy: The work during class time and

homework will be evaluated. It is important for students to

realise that not handing in the project means they will fail

the subject.

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 2

IPad Project: IPads will be used to prepare projects and

work such as role-plays. The apps to be used are: iMovie,

Showbie, Prezi and Pages. Also, students will study values

such as tolerance and diversity using the app “Vivir los

Valores” (Living Values).

PSHE / CAREER SKILLS >>> The aim of these subjects is to develop the ability to see things from another’s point of

view, express feelings and desires, and to accept and comprehend others.

Students also learn healthy eating habits and reflect on the dangers of the Internet.

First Term Second Term Third Term

Study techniques Food & Nutrition Desires and Needs

Learning how to Listen Qualities of a good friend Moral Dilemmas

Rumours Self-control How to appreciate Others: Praise

Good Relationships: Empathy

PSHE (Formación Humana>>> Head of Department: Carolina Cebrián

14

Head of Department: J J Wisden

Page 16: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

As well as the other languages the school offers to complete their education, Year 7 students can choose a third language: French or German.

Homework: Students will be assigned

homework once a week, which will

normally consist of reviewing class

theory (grammar o vocabulary) or a

reading or written assignment .

Assessment Policy: Class work,

consisting of the student’s written work

(Workbook) and oral participation, will

be assessed during the whole term and

will account for 50% of the term grade.

The other half of the assessment will

consist of a combination of writing,

reading, listening and speaking.

IPad Project: IPads will help the

students to broaden their knowledge of

the language, but more importantly,

they will serve to practise it in an

educational and original manner: to

record conversations, work on role-

plays, mini performances, making

posters and presentations, searching

for information on the internet when

necessary and using linguistic web

sites. In addition, students will

download specific apps for this

language.

Web pages:

www.languagesonline.org.uk

www.linguascope.com (see teacher

for login code).

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 4

Recommendations: Students ’

continuous effort will ensure progress

in this subject; thus the importance of

completing homework (about 30

minutes weekly), of constantly revising

and memorizing the theory seen in

class (vocabulary, spelling, grammar,

etc). We would also recommend

regular reading at home.

15

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES>>>

Head of Department: Cathy Desbois

First Term Second Term Third Term

Greetings and Introductions The city: directions Sports

Numbers and Months Hobbies Hobbies

School Items School Musical instruments

Home Subjects Holidays

Family Daily routine

Pets

French>>>

Page 17: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

16

Homework: Students get one homework task per

week, usually either a learning task (grammar or

vocabulary) or a written task.

Assessment Policy: Class work, consisting of the

student’s written work (Workbook) and oral

participation, will be assessed during the whole term

and will account for 50% of the term grade. The

other half of the assessment will consist of a

combination of writing, reading, listening and

speaking.

IPad Project: IPads will be used to share work (for

warm-up activities, homework, etc). The apps to be

used are: Showbie, Pages, Keynote and German

Dictionary App.

Web pages:

www.germanfortravellers.com

www.languagegames.org/la/german.asp

w ww. at s ch ool . ed uw eb . co. u k /ha b e rg /

reallyusefulge

www.linguascope.com (see teacher for login

code).

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 4

Recommendations: Please support our teaching

staff by monitoring your child’s homework: learning

should be done frequently over the week for short

spells (5 minutes per day) with necessary attention to

spelling; also, it must be noted that a written

homework should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

Students can attend a German conversation

club on Wednesday afternoons if they wish.

Head of Department: Melissa Baxter

German>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

Greetings

Introductions

Numbers

Where you live

Alphabet

Pencil case

Dates time

Instructions

School

Food & Drink

Opinions

Uniform

Family

Pets

Descriptions

Sport

Hobbies

Home

Rooms

Furniture

Town

Food & Drink

“The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language.” - Ezra Pound, ABC of Reading

Page 18: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

17

ART>>>

Head of Department: Liz Edwards

First Term Second Term Third Term

Ensuring success when working

from observation – Natural Forms

Essential techniques to enable

pupils of all ability levels to

understand how to really look at,

and visually record, the world

around them. This is based on the

technique known as ´Drawing on

the Right Side of the Brain´ as

described by educationalist Dr

Betty Edwards.

The Art of the Far East

Pupils will encounter Arts and

Crafts from an Eastern culture

(either China or Japan)

learning from them to develop

new skills and different

approaches in both 2 and 3

dimensions. Becoming aware

of the influence that these

cultures have had on the

history of Western Art.

Cubism, Colour & Contemporary Portrait

Sculpture

Pupils will investigate Cubism and study the

portrait artwork of Pablo Picasso and

Georges Braques. Using these artist

influences, pupils will develop their own 2

dimensional Cubist portraits and then hone

their skills in colour blending, tracing,

cutting and composing, to create a 3

dimensional Cubist portrait sculpture.

Homework: Homework is set every two weeks and a

list of the required tasks should be found attached to the

inside back cover of pupil sketchbooks.

Assessment: Assessment takes the form of teacher,

peer and pupil’s self -assessment on a regular basis. This

will be verbal as well as written; “Assessment for

Learning” is an integral part of every Art lesson.

The awarding of A- D grades for attainment reflects the

extent to which pupils meet the expected British KS3

levels for their age group, with a C grade or above

indicating that they are meeting the required level.

Web pages: (for artist research):

www.the-artists.org

www.artcyclopedia.com

www.finesite.webart.ru

www.tate.org.uk

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 3

Recommendations: The habit of carrying a small (A5)

sketchbook around on a regular should be encouraged; it

enables pupils to respond to stimuli from real life

observation. This can include impressions of moving

objects in a matter of seconds, extended studies of

subjects in their environment (at the beach or waiting for

an appointment, for example) as well as notes made in

Art galleries, inspirational thoughts, quotations, poetry,

films, music etc.

An awareness of all the applied Art in our everyday lives

(jewellery, advertising, fashion, architecture, road- signs

etc) should be encouraged.

Page 19: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Homework: 1 per two-week cycle. Homework may be long-er, combined tasks.

Assessment Policy: Tests after each unit and a continual assessment over a range of tasks.

IPad Project: Students will use iPads to carry out research on projects, and to make presentations. The apps to be used include: Skitch, Google Earth, Popplet, iMovie and Showbie.

Web pages:

www.esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations

www.metoffice.com

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/11_16/site/geography.shtm

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 3

Recommendations: Encourage your child to use the Inter-

net in a constructive way, both for homework and for keeping

an eye on geographical events. See the websites for reference.

Head of Department: Jo Mattingley-Nunn

GEOGRAPHY>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

Mapping Skills Floods Geography of sport

Rivers Earthquakes & volcanoes Shopping

Head of Department: Jeanette Nugent HISTORY>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

What is History? An introduction to historical skills.

War in the Middle Ages The power of the King in the Middle Ages

Introduction to the Roman Empire The Norman Conquest What was life like in the Middle Ages?

Did people love or hate living in the Roman Empire?

Castles

Homework: Homework will be set once a fortnight and will

normally involve 30 minutes work. It may involve a range of

different activities. If a student fails to produce homework on

time a note from parents must be produced stating the reason

for this.

Assessment Policy: At KS3 there are a number of formal

assessments throughout and at the end of the year . These will

assess students’ knowledge to some degree but will focus pri-

marily on the skills that they have learnt throughout the term.

History is less about memorizing dates and terms and more

about using historical skills effectively. The assessments are in

line with the English National Curriculum for History.

Web pages:

- www.bbc.co.uk/history

- www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

- www.schoolhistory.co.uk

- www.historyonthenet.com

- www.historylearningsite.co.uk

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 3

Recommendations: All students

are encouraged to take an active in-

terest in history in a number of ways. This may include being

taken to historical sites, watching historical films and docu-

mentaries and talking to family members about historical

events and people.

In addition, the reading of newspapers is useful, as it helps

develop some historical skills such as source evaluation and

interpretations.

18

Page 20: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

19

Homework: Pupils will receive homework

occasionally, when necessary.

Assessment Policy: There will be continual

assessment throughout the year. At the end of the year,

the grades will be calculated as follows: 20% of the final

grade will be for ICT theory, 20% for touch typing skills

(with an end of year typing exam) and 60% for project

work.

IPad Project: Students will learn to transfer

information between the iPad and the computer by

means of Gmail and Google Drive. In addition, they will

use the following apps: Keynote, Pages and Numbers.

Web pages:

- www.caxtoncollegetic.com/caxton

- www. teach-ict.com

- www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize

- www.greenfast.org

- www.scratch.mit.edu

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 3

Recommendations:

- We recommend that all Year 7 pupils have a set of

headphones ( preferably small ones which are more

easily stored and carried around and not expensive

ones).

- Children should be encouraged and made aware of

technology and technological advancements around

them to keep them up to date with an ever changing

society. They should be encouraged to use computers as

a means of developing and enhancing their research and

communication skills.

- Touch Typing (Keyboarding) Skills: Typing is a

great method to introduce students to computer literacy

and to improve their interaction with the computer. We

use touch typing software called “Typing Platinum”

which emphasises both accuracy and speed in typing.

There is a special emphasis on touch typing so that by the

end of Year 7 students will be familiar with the correct

body and finger posture and learn the letter positions on

the keyboard. The students should be able to type letter

sets at 10

words per

m i n u t e

(WPM).

Head of Department: Stephen Neville

ICT (INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY)>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

Internet Awareness/Safety 3-D Modeling Touch Typing

Creating a Blog Animation and Movie Making Game Design

PowerPoint presentations Researching and Graphing Microsoft Office

Applications

Students in all years

will learn to integrate

computer applications

developed on the

computer and export

and edit them on their

iPad devices.

Page 21: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

Homework: Homework is given every two weeks and is

based on the topics studied in lessons at the time. Students

are given a homework sheet for the term that displays all

homework where the teacher puts the grade and effort to

enable parents to view their progress.

Assessment Policy: Listening and appraising musical

extracts, performing their own work and that of others and

composing are assessed through class work, homework &

regular written tests. Both individual and group activities

are assessed.

IPad Project: Students will use GarageBand to improve, by

means of sequences and multitracks, their ability to

compose. In addition, they will learn the techniques

necessary to create keyboard, percussion and stringed

instruments. The use of an IPad will allow students to

maximise their creative potential.

Web Pages: The internet is required to complete some

homework. Other web pages to help students are:

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music

www.bbc.co.uk/

northernireland/

schools/4_11/music/mm/

orchestra01.shtml

Nº of classes per 2-week cycle: 3

Recommendations: The music room is available at

specific lunch times to practise on the class instruments.

Students are able to join extra music clubs to help develop

both performance and group skills. The music teacher is also

there to help students with any queries or doubts they have

about the subject.

“The effects of good music are not just because it is new; on the contrary music

strikes us more the more familiar we are with it”. - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

MUSIC>>>

Head of Department: Sheryl Howells PHYSICAL EDUCATION>>>

First Term Second Term Third Term

Elements of Music Form and Structure Instruments of the Orchestra

Rhythm and Pulse Exploring Scales Exploring songs & Singing

First Term Second Term Third Term

Invasion Game 1 Invasion Game 2 Invasion 3

Net Wall Gymnastics Striking & Fielding

Fitness Dance Athletics

Swimming

Assessment Policy: At KS3 each activity is allocated 5/6 lessons per unit.

The end of year grade is the average of each term. It is expected that students will achieve at least a B grade.

Number of lessons per two-week cycle: 6

P.E. Kit: We insist on all students wearing the Caxton P.E. uniform of:

- polo shirt,

- shorts or tracksuit bottoms,

- white sports socks

*Order may vary within year group, depending on availability of facilities.

20

Head of Department: Gerry Paci

Page 22: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

21

- Suitable sport trainers (no Converse trainers).

It is advised that students wear an undershirt or Caxton tracksuit top on colder days and bring a towel to shower if the activity requires it.

If the correct kit is not available for any reason we require a note of explanation and other appropriate sporting clothes should be brought. This will be not-ed as incorrect kit, but the student will not receive a low level until 3 incorrect kits have been accumulat-ed.

If a pupil is unable to take part in the lesson we re-quire a note. Notes should be written and signed in the student’s diary on the day of the lesson.

If a student is unable to take part in the physical as-pect of the

lesson they should still change into kit and be in-volved as much as possible, taking the role of referee or leader. This will help maintain the professional atmosphere of the class and keep students who are unable to take part physically engaged and learning.

Recommendations: It is advised that students should take part in regular, continuous physical activity 3 to 5 times a week for a minimum of 20-30 minutes to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Head of Department: Pilar Tortonda

Assessment Policy: Continual assessment of classwork

throughout the year plus regular testing (twice a term).

Number of lessons per two-week cycle: 4 one-hour

classes every month.

Web Pages: In the page www.cult.gva.es/jqcv it is

possible to ask questions and do mock tests approved by the

JQCV (official Valencian organisation).

Recommendations: Students should be encouraged to

read in Valencian and to try to practise the language

whenever they can outside school.

First Term Second Term Third Term

Lectures: A l’Albufera, El

tresor del castellet de Rel,

El meu cotxe teledirigit.

- Vocabulari: Els elements del paisatge, Les

festes populars, Els menjars de Nadal.

-Lectures: Oda als peus, Pesca amb Mar-

tell, Els personatges de l’andana.

- Vocabulari: Les parts del cos, Les parts

d’un teatre, El port.

-Lectura: El tresor de les pirámides.

-Vocabulari: Els vehicles de motor.

-Ortografia: Accent agut i greu, Accentuació

de les paraules agudes, Accentuació de dif-

tongs.

-Gramàtica: Les llengües d’Espanya, El dicci-

onari, El nom: gènere i nombre.

-Ortografia: Accentuació de les paraules

planes, Accentuació de les paraules es-

drúixoles.

-Gramàtica: El grup nominal, Diftongs i

hiats.

-Ortografia: L’accent diacrític, L’apòs-

trof.

-Gramàtica: Els graus de l’adjectiu, Els

determinants.

-Expressió oral: Els viatges, Contar una faula,

Les festes.

-Expressió escrita: La faula, El reportatge, La

narració de misteri.

-Expressió oral: Els mitjans de comuni-

cación, Les aficions i els gustos.

-Expressió escrita: La narració

d’aventures, L’auca.

-Expressió oral: Els acudits, Un esdeve-

niment esportiu.

-Expressió escrita: L’escena de teatre,

La crónica esportiva.

“You have to expect things of your-self before you can do them.”

- Michael Jordan

VALENCIAN LANGUAGE>>>

Page 23: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

<<<Complementary Activities

22

Drama

Throughout the course, students will be

given the opportunity to attend a variety

of dramatic performances, some of them

given by professionals, and others by the

Drama Club which runs during Extra-

Curricular Activities.

In addition, the college puts on whole

school theatre productions for pupils at

specific points during the academic year.

Professional theatre companies are

invited into school on a regular basis. The

productions are in either English or

Spanish. The productions are a valuable

resource for a number of subjects across

the curriculum.

School Trips

The school encourages pupils to develop

their friendships and social interaction

beyond the school day. One of the most

important events in this respect is the

Year Trip. This experience enriches the

sense of companionship and promotes the

group ethos, not only amongst pupils, but

also with regard to the relationships

formed between students and teachers.

Campaigns

Throughout the year different campaigns

are held to promote values amongst the

students such as solidarity, respect,

tolerance towards other nationalities and

cultures and good relationships in the

school.

Games Day, Athletics Day

& Swimming Gala

The PE department arranges 3 Inter-

House sports competitions during the

year. “Games Day” primarily consists of

team sports, such as Football and

Basketball, etc.; whilst “Athletics Day”

comprises Field and Track disciplines.

The students can also take part in a

variety of events in the Swimming Gala,

both individual and group. On all of these

days, pupils will have the chance to

demonstrate what they have learned

during PE lessons.

Special Days:

Book Day:

On International Book Day all students

and staff take part in a collective 10

minutes of silent reading of an English

text.

Talks by Guest Speakers

At certain times in the year, guest

speakers are invited to give talks on

various topics of interest to the students.

Prize-Giving Event

In mid-June, there is a Prize-Giving

Evening for students from Years 7 &8,

where their academic achievements as

well as their efforts are celebrated. Each

subject department awards a diploma to

those students who have obtained the

highest marks in their subject, or made

the best effort this year.

Clubs Activities:

Teachers offer several Workshops so that

students can further their knowledge in

certain subjects, such as: Conversation

clubs in French and German, ICT

workshops or Scientific Experiments.

These are held during clubs time on

Wednesdays, from 3.15 to 4.50 pm.

The Choir (“Sound Lab”), meets almost

every lunchtime in the Music Room.

House System:

The House system at Caxton College is an

essential part of the school community

and provides friendly but fierce

competition for all to get involved in. All

students and teaching staff are allocated

to a House and join in with great

enthusiasm in the challenge of leading

their house to victory. More detailed

information can be found in the “Welcome

to Caxton” handbook.

Page 24: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

23

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Training Healthy Adolescents

Education is not only about the transmission of knowledge,

but also about the formation of values, habits and customs.

For this reason, we offer a wide range of extracurricular

activities on Wednesday afternoons, including sports, artistic

and academic activities. All students in this Key Stage should

enrol in one of these activities as part of their comprehensive

education. Students who do not participate in an

extracurricular activity will have to do supervised private

study, including homework.

In May you will receive all the information you need in order

to enrol. Activities begin in September and end in June.

Those students who study Valencian Language will do this

during clubs time.

HOMEWORK

At Caxton College homework is an important and integral part of the learning process. It:

Provides an opportunity for staff and pupils to check knowledge and understanding.

Consolidates learning.

Develops and makes demands upon an individual student’s self-discipline, as well as important study and research skills.

Provides extra practice of work done in class.

Encourages family involvement in children’s learning.

Organisation at home

All pupils will be issued with a homework timetable at the beginning of the academic year. Subject teachers will set

homework according to this timetable and the agreed formula for each subject. Additionally, we recommend that stu-

dents devote at least 2 hours a week to those subjects which they feel require more attention.

Sample of Year 7 homework timetable:

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

WEEK A Maths

Social Sciences

Spanish

Music

English

History

Science

Art

French

or

German

WEEK B English

Geography

Maths

PSHE Science

Religion

Or

Ethics

Spanish

Page 25: Handbook year 7 - 2013.14

YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

We recommend that students should be in their tutor room at 9.20 am.

The students have registration and notices from 9.20 am to 9.35 am.

The lesson periods are 45 or 50 minutes long. Throughout the week, students may have double periods (100 minutes) in some subjects.

Lessons finish at 4.50 pm and the buses leave at 5 pm (see School Day below).

The students have 25 minutes for morning break from 11.10 to 11.35, and 70 minutes for lunch, from 2.05 to 3.15 pm.

Detailed timetables are given to students at the beginning of the academic year.

The students follow a two-week timetable, “Week A” and “Week B”:

24

<<<Timetable

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

TIME ACTIVITY

9:20—9:35 Registration with tutor

9:35-10:25 Period 1

10:25-11:10 Period 2

11:10-11:35 Break

11:35-12:25 Period 3

12:25-13:15 Period 4

13:15-14:05 Period 5

14:05-15:15 Lunch

15:15-16:00 Period 6

16:00-16:50 Period 7

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YEAR 7 HANDBOOK

25

All students will need:

Pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, etc.

A 30 cm ruler

1 compass

1 protractor

1 scientific calculator (we recommend Casio FX-85ES or a similar model provided it has the “replay” function).

1 pen-drive of 2 Gb

Exercise books (available in the school shop)

An iPad, minimum size an iPad 2 with 16 GB memory, is recommended to take notes and use in class when the teacher allows it.

<<<School Material

Textbooks may be purchased through the school.

They are charged separately and in some cases are

used for two academic years.

Exercise books are available through the school

since they are personalised for our centre.

The fee for school material in Secondary is desig-

nated for general school resources and includes the

cost of laboratory and art resources and photocop-

ies.

It does NOT cover the costs of individual materi-

als.

<<<School Transport

For Secondary students to go home alone from the school bus stop, written permission is needed from their parents.

Bus changes will not be permitted since the buses are filled to capacity. However, a student will be permitted to make his or her own change from bus to car by requesting this change in Reception. This will not require parental permission.

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YEAR 7 HANDBOOK