Year 7
Okay, this is where it all starts for most Southmoor pupils. Throughout the year all pupils will cover the same basic skill areas as required by The National Literacy Strategy. The work is outlined below in a formal way but here are some of the things a new starter at Southmoor can expect to be studying:
• Poetry and figures of speech; similes and metaphors for example.
• Punctuation such as commas, full stops and apostrophes.
• Writing in many forms such as stories, magazine articles or leaflets.
• Parts of speech such as nouns, verbs and adjectives.
• Oral activities in the form of speeches, radio shows or debates.
• Using good grammar. This can be anything from clauses to correct tense usage.
• Using ICT to present work and improve skills such as spelling.
• Analysing media in the form of a film, magazine or web-page.
• Reading in its many, many forms.
• Any other ideas individual teachers may use.
All classes should cover at least three reading books throughout the year. At least one of these books should be a pre-twentieth century text. This isn’t as intimidating as it sounds as we often use abridged texts for lower ability pupils—in case you didn’t know “abridged” means the text has been cut down and re-written.
What follows is the formal plan for work in Year 7 and every English teacher
follows these guidelines in his or her own way.
Formal Structure of Year 7:
Year 7 Term 1
Intermediate Test
1. Vowel choices
2. Plurals
3. Punctuation in sentences
4. Punctuation in speech
Termly Assessment
Writing to inform, explain and describe.
A termly assessment grade will come from this work.
Year 7 Term 2
Intermediate Test 
1. Suffixes
2. Prefixes
3. Tense usage
4. Active and passive voices
Termly Assessment
Writing to persuade, argue and advise.
A termly assessment grade will come from this work.
Year 7 Term 3
Intermediate Test
1. Homophones
2. Clauses
3. Phrases
4. Ambiguity
Termly Assessment
“
Optional Tests” in Reading and Writing.
A termly assessment grade will come from this work.
This is all a very general overview of Year 7 and there are a wide variety
of methods used by English teachers to ensure the work is appropriate to
the class.
