The City School

 

Joining Year 7 at The City School is a very exciting time, meeting new classmates, new teachers and being introduced to new subjects. One of the key subjects in Y7 at City is Building Learning Power (BLP). Students who have studied BLP have found the subject to be both interesting and worthwhile. As well as gaining subject knowledge about History, Geography and RE, students also study how to become better learners and how to apply learning skills.

Skills for Learning Year 7: Key Stage 3

Aims and objectives of subject

Skills for Learning aims to develop the Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills of year 7 students. The Building Learning Power framework is followed and throughout year 7 students focus on the development of their:

 Resilence                         The ability to ‘lock on’ to learning and resist distractions either external or internal

 Resourcefulness        Being willing and able to learn in different ways

 Reflectiveness             Students actively think about learning, and themselves as learners

 Respect                             Being able and willing to learn alone and with others

 Activities/areas covered – key aspects of the curriculum

The Department delivers the year 7 curriculums for History, RE, PSHE and Geography thematically, with a different project beginning each half term.

Students are introduced to the ‘Big Picture’ at the start of the week with a review and celebration of learning at the end of the week. This involves the year group coming together to ‘show’ and evaluate their learning and is a popular and positive experience for all involved.

Exciting opportunities which may arise

Skills for Learning classrooms are exciting, busy and varied. There are a number of visitors to lessons, including, the local MP Clive Betts, the School and Community Police Officer PC Chappell and the School Nurse.

Trips to the local area are an important method of extending learning. When looking at and celebrating Sheffield, all year 7 students are taken to Weston Park museum, for example.

Any links to outside agencies

The Skills for Learning Department has an ever increasing number of links to external agencies, for example, students visit and undertake ‘conservation’ activity in Shire Brook Valley as part of their ‘Our world’ project.

The Department is also currently part of a Creative Partnerships project in which Year 7 students develop and implement ideas for easing and improving the transition process for incoming year 6 students.   

Technology available to aid students learning and facilities which are available

Year 7 Skills for Learning classrooms are each equipped with an interactive whiteboard and a set of networked laptops are available for classes to use. The Department works in close collaboration with the on-site City Learning Centre. An ICT-rich project is planned in to each half term; these build on CLC ICT projects undertaken in year 6; for example, the use of Revelation Sight and Sound filmmaking software and Podcasting.

The Learning Platform is also used extensively for homework tasks and lesson activities in Skills for Learning.