Year 8

Year 7 is new and exciting, if not a little daunting; year 9 assumes a higher status because the curriculum is geared towards GCSE options. Which leaves Year 8 to be seen as a ‘stop-gap’, where there are no big decisions to make, and nothing is particularly new or exciting anymore. However, at Dormston, we could not disagree more. Building on the successes of Year 7 is crucial, we recognise the increasing maturity of our students and ensure that the Year 8 curriculum represents a significant step-change in terms of challenge and complexity.

Whilst Year 8 may not be a year of ‘big decisions’, it is one where pupils will continue to build on prior knowledge, take greater responsibility and reflect on their own skills and achievements to ensure they are preparing themselves for their upcoming GCSE’s and life post 16.

Welcome to Year 8 Presentation

Main Components of the Strategy

The Year 8 strategy covers 3 main areas: The Curriculum, Pupils and Parents.

The CURRICULUM – Our aim is to:

ensure that all subject teachers are preparing their pupils well for their future examinations through a clear mapped out overview of what they are teaching over the year.
ensure all pupils have access to subject Knowledge Organisers.
ensure pupils have the opportunity to extend their learning through the provision of Non-Required Work.

PUPILS – Our aim is to:

prepare our pupils for their future examinations and GCSE choices.
ensure pupils prepare and take responsibility of their own learning – study skills and time management.
1. ensure pupils see the value of education and how it can support their future career plans.
2. identify any pupils who may be struggling with any of the above and provide bespoke intervention to support them.

PARENTS – Our aim is to

keep parents informed of their child’s progress so they can support their progress
share key information with parents so that parents have a range of strategies which can be used to support their children throughout the year
support individual parents as required

Reports and key information is shared with parents through Go4Schools. In addition to this there are a series of Parent Information Evenings & a Parents’ Consultation Evening during the year.

Key Dates for Year 8

PSHE

Personal, Social, Health Education becomes statutory for all schools from September 2020 under the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

At Dormston, PSHE is a planned, developmental programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.

PSHE equips pupils to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, responsible and balanced lives. It encourages them to be enterprising and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices and in achieving economic wellbeing. A critical component of PSHE is providing opportunities for children and young people to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future.

PSHE contributes to personal development by helping pupils to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem, and to identify and manage risk, make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. It enables them to recognise, accept and shape their identities, to understand and accommodate difference and change, to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings. Developing an understanding of themselves, empathy and the ability to work with others will help pupils to form and maintain good relationships, develop the essential skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives.

Please see Learning Journey for specifics of what will be taught this year. Click here to view the PSHE learning journey.