A look at the Year 7 curriculum for 2007 / 2008 will give you an insight into the Opening Minds experience.

All Year 7 students will learn through the Opening Minds curriculum next year. They will study topic areas linked to three main study areas: “Our Roots”, “Our Community” and “Our World”. Each study unit lasts for six weeks. During this time they will receive inspirational, active and demanding learning opportunities. Learning will be exciting, challenging and definitely more fun!

Learning will be based on a mix of Key Competences and National Curriculum subject objectives. Students will be expected to look at the world in new ways, to value difference and experience new opportunities.

In September Year 7 students will study “You are unique” as their first module. Examples of what they will be required to study are:

Our physical similarities and differences - data capture, analysis and presentation - Numeracy and Maths learning objectives.

Our location and family origins – culture, migration, mapping - Geography and Citizenship learning objectives.

Our physical development – human biology, cells, birth, genetics – Science and Health Education objectives.

My own Autobiography – create a detailed written account of my life using appropriate language and conventions - Literacy and English objectives.

Create a written and oral Profile for a pen pal in French / Spanish.

My favourite food – analyse foods in terms of their nutritional value, create new foods to challenge expectations and analyse advertising – Food Technology / Healthy Eating objectives.