Loading…

Year 7 - Foundations

Year 7 builds the foundations of KS3 English - explicit reading via teacher-led aloud + echo strategies, the WHAT/HOW/WHY analytical paragraph, sentence stems ("This shows…", "I think… because…"), and a steady move from heavy scaffolding to one independent analytical paragraph by end of term. The arc moves through a contemporary novel of empathy and identity (T1), poetry and pre-1914 short stories (T2), and Shakespeare + extended narrative writing (T3).

Yearly expectations

Students working at the expected standard by the end of Year 7:

Reading

7R.1 - Identify language and structural features.
7R.2 - Understand explicit and implicit meaning.
7R.3 - Select relevant quotations.
7R.4 - Make simple inferences.
7R.5 - Comment on effects using "This shows…".
7R.6 - Make connections between texts (themes, ideas, methods).

Writing

7W.1 - Organise ideas into clear paragraphs.
7W.2 - Use basic punctuation mostly accurately.
7W.3 - Use simple and some varied sentence structures.
7W.4 - Develop ideas with some detail.
7W.5 - Write simple narratives with structure, description, voice.
7W.6 - Write for different purposes (describe, narrate, explain).

Language, grammar and control

7W.7 - Recognise differences between spoken and written language.
7W.8 - Make simple edits to improve clarity, vocabulary and punctuation.
7W.9 - Begin to adapt vocabulary and sentence structures for purpose and audience.

Speaking and Listening

7SL.1 - Listen and respond appropriately.
7SL.2 - Share ideas with some confidence.
7SL.3 - Speak clearly in discussions.

Three terms

Term 1

Year 7 opens with a contemporary dual-narrative novel - *The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle* by Victoria Williamson. Two girls (Caylin, a Glasgow native presented as tough and defensive; Reema, a Syrian refugee carrying memories of Aleppo and her brother Jamal) cross paths in a story that asks how first impressions form, how loneliness hides itself, and how empathy can be earned. The term anchors KS3 reading habits - echo reading, sentence stems, WHAT/HOW/WHY paragraphs - and writes our shared analytical vocabulary.

View Term 1 →

Term 2

Poetry anthology (HT1) + Pre-1914 short stories (HT2). Students meet older syntax in bite-sized form before tackling Shakespeare in T3. Poetry compresses meaning; Victorian short stories build stamina with archaic register. Both feed the National Curriculum requirement for pre-1914 reading.

View Term 2 →

Term 3

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream - Acts 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 5.1) in HT1 + extended narrative writing in HT2. Students study three forms (novel, poem/story, play) then USE the storytelling craft they have studied to make their own narrative.

View Term 3 →

Marking rubric - Year 7

Four strands × four levels. Each cell is the descriptor a marker reads when awarding the level, with the skill codes it draws on.

Strand	Below target	Working towards	Expected	Greater depth
Reading	Identifies simple ideas. Limited evidence. Basic or unclear comments.	Shows some understanding. Uses some evidence. Begins to comment on language.	Explains ideas clearly using relevant evidence. Makes supported inferences. Explains effects.	Interprets meaning confidently. Selects precise evidence. Explains how and why methods shape meaning. Makes connections.
Writing	Writes simple ideas with limited structure. Little control.	Some structure and paragraphing. Ideas partly developed. Some control.	Clear paragraphs. Developed ideas. Writes for purpose with some control of viewpoint.	Well-crafted, controlled writing. Shapes meaning through vocabulary, tone, and viewpoint.
Language, grammar and control	Frequent errors. Limited control of punctuation and spelling.	Some accuracy. Attempts control of sentences and punctuation.	Mostly accurate punctuation and spelling. Some deliberate choices.	Accurate and controlled. Edits effectively. Adapts language for purpose and audience.
Speaking and Listening	Shares simple ideas with limited clarity.	Responds to others. Some clarity in ideas.	Clear ideas. Uses evidence. Responds appropriately.	Justifies ideas with evidence. Builds and challenges ideas. Structured, confident delivery.

What changes by the end of the year

Students arrive identifying surface meaning; by end of term they can independently write one analytical paragraph anchored in a self-selected quotation using WHAT / HOW / WHY and "This shows…".