Art & Design

What can you do to improve your work and develop your understanding in this subject?

  • Come to all your lessons fully prepared. This means with the right equipment (a 2B drawing pencil, a sharpener – erasers are not to be encouraged), your Art & Design homework as appropriate.
  • Look after your Artwork - take a real pride in it, spend time on it and enjoy it. Think about the overall quality and effect of your work. Do not lose it. Do not spill anything over it.
  • Pay attention to the presentation of your work. Most of your work other than the main pieces you do in lessons should either be done directly into your Art & Design book or can always be glued in later. Do not fold A4 sheets to stick them in, unless Mr Bradley asks you to do this. They are usually the same size as the pages. When you have printed work out, if the colour quality is poor, send it to your email account and reprint it in before attending your Art & Design lesson. Do not label and name unnecessarily or so big the writing interferes with the image you have produced; always on the back of the work please. Don’t leave pages blank unless told to do so. Keep the cover as neat as you can by handling your book carefully and ensuring everything is stuck down beautifully.
  • When you reach the end of your Art & Design book, ask Mr Bradley for a new one and then fix this inside the back cover of your existing one and carry on. Your Art book should run from Year 7 to the end of Year 9.
  • Use prior learning to support your progress and development of your work/ideas. If you have used a medium before, use any return to it as an opportunity to develop your skills further. Try to enjoy what you do and take a real pride in all your Artwork e.g. if you have drawn too heavily with a pencil before, where tonal value is not varied or convincing, try to work lighter and consider your mark making more. Draw from real life sources when appropriate to enhance your drawing capabilities. Quality and control will help you achieve the best outcome possible.
  • Always check your homework or email Mr Bradley if you need further explanation or clarification. If you need any further help, make sure you speak to Mr Bradley before the nextlesson.
  • Refer regularly to the level descriptors in the front of your book.
  • Try your best at all time; take pride in producing beautiful work.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Useful websites

Films to Watch

There are so many wonderful enhancement videos on YouTube and there are virtual tours on National & International Museum and Gallery websites

Places to visit

  • The Art Galleries & Museums of London
  • Local Art & Design exhibitions -‘Curve, Slough’
  • National Trust Properties
  • Anywhere can be a source of inspiration! Even a daily bus journey. Keep your eyes open and observe - use a A5 visual diary to sketch or instantly record on your mobile phone or tablet (where appropriate)
  • Holidays abroad can introduce you to different cultures, lighting, landscapes and art - it will broaden and enlighten your experiences

Computer Technology

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

  • Ensure all your work is completed, and attempt the higher level tasks.
  • Fully back up your reasoning with facts and references.
  • Be able to judge carefully between fact and fiction of websites and use only reliable websites for research and information.
  • Do not copy and paste from the web, use it as a reference point and re-write it in your own words.
  • Be familiar with the national curriculum levels requirements and targets so you will know what you are aiming for.
  • Download Python and Scratch programming languages at home. They’re free and self-explanatory. They’re available from the following sites respectively:
  • Ensure all work is saved on OneDrive instead of using USB sticks, as the USBs may be lost and you would possibly lose all your work.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Books to read:

  • Computer Weekly and PC Active (magazines)

Useful Websites

  • Teach–ICT and BBC bite size
  • BBC Click
  • Scratch MIT

Films to Watch

  • The Matrix
  • The Gadget Show (on TV)
  • BBC Click
  • The Social Network

Places to Visit

  • Science Museum and technology exhibitions
  • National Museum of Computing

Design & Technology

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

  • Show evidence of researching from several different sources and show evidence of your research in your design ideas e.g. colour, pattern, texture, line, form and function.
  • Produce a specification which includes five measurable points and all other points are relevant to the design task.
  • Produce a variety of creative and original design ideas which are fully annotated which relate directly to the design specification. Show that your design ideas are realistic by testing and modelling them in a variety of materials.
  • Plan ahead for your practical work, working as independently as possible and following all necessary health and safety procedures. To achieve the best grade, you must show that you understand quality control procedures and use them at important points in your practical work. Make sure you use appropriate technical language when listing what materials, tools and equipment to use for the task. Make sure you are always organised and know what you are supposed to be doing. Set yourself achievable targets for each lesson.
  • Always make sure your practical work is fully functional, finished, accurate and precise. You should demonstrate as many practical skills as you can, and make sure your products have a high quality finish and appearance.
  • Evaluate and test your product in the environment in which it will be used and document appropriate comments. Identify a number of key weaknesses and suggest improvements. Ask the opinions of others, record them and take action on potential modifications.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Useful Websites

Look in your OneDrive class group to obtain other relevant websites:

  • (graphics)

Programmes to Watch

  • BBCi player Horizon programmes
  • How it’s made TV series
  • Food programmes on TV e.g. Food Factory
  • Textile Programmes on TV e.g. Project Runway
  • Junior Masterchef
  • Local farmshops/food fairs/farmers markets
  • The South Bank Street Food Market/Borough Market

Places to Visit

The Design Museum

If there are any exhibitions that focus on Food, Textiles or any of the materials we use in Technology, take the opportunity to visit.

At home

Practise new techniques learnt at school and be more ‘hands on’ at home. This will enable you to work more confidently and independently in manufacturing lessons.

Look at existing products, similar to those you are designing, to help you think about what works well and which features could be improved.

Use knowledge from relevant magazine articles and TV programmes to help you choose suitable materials and understand how materials can be combined together successfully.

Drama

What can you do to improve your work and develop your understanding in this subject?

  • Come to all your lessons fully prepared. This means with the right equipment:

-your planner

-any props that you might need for your performance or rehearsals. Be aware that no fake weapons may be used in Drama or on the school site!

  • Pay attention to the quality of your performances. Be aware of key terminology and the correct performance techniques. This will undoubtedly enhance the quality of your performances.
  • All homework should be completed on time and to a high standard. Any pictures must either be drawn in colour or personal photographs. Images should NOT be copied from the internet.
  • Where you have printed work out, if the colour quality is poor, save it to your One Drive and reprint it at school.
  • Use prior learning to support your progress. If you have used a Drama technique before use any return to it as an opportunity to develop your skills further. Try to avoid making the same mistakes e.g. if you have made a mistake on stage, make sure to set the latter as a target for improvement.
  • Always check your homework in the OneDrive class group if you need further explanation or clarification. If you need any further help, make sure you speak to your teacher before the next lesson.
  • Refer regularly to the level descriptors which are available in the Drama area in the One drive and on the school website. The school website also offers a variety of ideas and further information about your lessons and can be used to help you revise.
  • Make sure to do at least two evaluations of another student’s performance during the year. This will not only enhance your knowledge of the level descriptors, it will also make you aware of improvements you can make to your own acting, in order to improve your own Drama level.
  • Try your best.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Useful websites

Films to Watch

Always watch YouTube for useful information on devised performances

Places to visit

Your local theatres

Windsor -

Maidenhead -

Bracknell -

English

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

The following points are based on securing a Grade 2 in English. Should you be working below this, or exceeding this level, please refer to the criteria provided by your subject teacher.

Writing

  • Structure material clearly, with sentences organised into paragraphs.
  • Use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound and complex).
  • Use a variety of sentence lengths and sentence openings.
  • Use a full range of punctuation accurately.
  • Use a reasonably wide vocabulary.
  • Read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts.

Reading

  • Proof-read all work, checking for punctuation, spelling and grammar.
  • Show awareness of the effects of the writers’ language choice.
  • Support comments by providing relevant textual detail.
  • Give comments based on inference and deductions.
  • Comment on structure and organisation of a text, including grammatical and presentational devices.
  • Select evidence from the text to ‘prove’ your point.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

  • Take a trip to the theatre.
  • Always aim to do further research and reading about the topic that you are studying or on the work completed in class.
  • Vary the authors that you choose.
  • Deliberately choose a book from a genre that you do not normally read.
  • Deliberately choose a book that will ‘stretch’ you.
  • Collect vocabulary and make your very own personal vocabulary bank to use in your work.
  • Watch a film version of a favourite novel.
  • Participate in the Accelerated Reader Scheme where pupils are required to take a quiz which will test their comprehension, vocabulary and literacy in each book.

Recommended Reads

These are a sample of the books suggested by the school librarian. A full list, along with a guide to more challenging books, can be found in the library.

GIBBONS, Alan Legendeer Trilogy - Phoenix faces the evil Gamesmaster

SAGE, AngieSeptimus Heap books – spellbinding adventures.

HOFFMAN, MaryStravaganza - City of Masks - a magical time travel tale set in a parallel 16th century Venice - part of a series.

LE GUIN, Ursula Earthsea novels - an ancient world of wizards.

HIGSON, Charlie Silverfinetc - young James Bond adventures.

LAWRENCE, CRoman Mysteries series - murder mysteries set in ancient Rome.

HOROWITZ A.Stormbreaker – espionage, involving a 14 year old reluctant MI6 spy, Alex Rider. (Read any Horowitz books).

MUCHAMORE, R The Recruit - first in an exciting series of spy stories, C.H.E.R.U.B. recruits children as spies.

THOMPSON, KCreature of the Night

CASSIDY, Anne Looking for JJ - explores circumstances surrounding a child murderess.

CHOLDENKOAl Capone Does My Shirts - poignant story of a boy living with his family in Alcatraz prison.

GRAY, KeithOstrich Boys - a journey of friendship.

HADDON, MarkThe Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time - a murder mystery told from the viewpoint of a 15 year old suffering from autism.

BLACKMAN, MNoughts & Crosses - issues of racism set in an alternative society.

DHAMI, Narinder Bend it like Beckham - Jess, 18 and Indian, is determined to prove her parents wrong.

ELLIS, DeborahThe Breadwinner - a young Afghan girl pretends to be a boy to help her family.

RIORDAN Rick The Red Pyramid – two children with magical ability fight with ancient gods to right a wrong that affects the outcome of man’s survival.

Useful Websites

Films to Watch

  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
  • Twilight/New Moon
  • Oliver Twist
  • Stormbreaker
  • Goodnight Mr Tom
  • Skellig
  • Millions
  • The Lord of the Rings
  • Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
  • Harry Potter series
  • Bend It Like Beckham
  • The Hobbit

Places to Visit

  • The Globe Exhibition – tour of the Globe Theatre.
  • RSC Stratford-upon-Avon, including Shakespeare’s Houses and Gardens.
  • The British Library, Euston.
  • Any screen/theatre adaptations of novels/plays.
  • Art galleries.
  • The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire.
  • Book events.
  • The local library.

French

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

  • Answer all questions as fully as possible.
  • Check that the verb agrees with its subject.
  • Check your adjective endings.
  • Ensure you use accents correctly.
  • Draw on prior learning and include previously taught material in your work whenever possible.
  • When you are taught the future tense, in addition to the present, in the summer term, use the two tenses together as it is the use of two tenses that allows you to access Grade 2.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Useful websites

See your teacher to obtain the up-to-date user names and passwords:

Films to Watch

  • Take the opportunity to come to MFL film club when a film appropriate for your age is being shown.
  • Likewise, if a French film that is suitable for your age is shown on TV or comes out in the cinema, watch it.
  • Watch The Eurovision Song Contest and hear each country giving its scores in French.

Places to visit

  • Visit France or any other French speaking country if you have the opportunity.
  • When the French market goes to Windsor, go along to see the range of products being sold and try to ask for something in French.
  • Go to a café or restaurant where French food is served.
  • If there are any exhibitions that focus on French themes or people, take the opportunity to go along.

Geography

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

  • Write answers in full sentences, including the question.
  • Practise 4 and 6 figure grid references on an OS map.

Plan a journey using map scale, distance, symbols and direction.

  • Make a glossary of all key geographical terms with their definitions e.g. latitude and longitude.
  • Revise key topics carefully such as settlement patterns.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Books to read:

  • Bill Bryson: Notes from a Small Island
  • Browse an atlas looking at countries of interest, where relatives may live, holidays taken etc.
  • David Smith: If the world were a village.
  • Environment and Travel sections of weekend newspapers

Useful Websites

Films/TV programmes to Watch

BBC Coast Series

Unreported World

Travel programmes especially UK destinations

Slumdog Millionaire

Places to Visit

Natural History Museum

Museum of London in Docklands

Science Museum

Slough Museum

Slough Library

History

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

  • Read over your written work to ensure you have written in full sentences and you have no spelling errors. Remember capital letters for names and places.
  • Support your points with a wide range of examples from the evidence.
  • Check the evidence for bias.
  • Listen to others and make thoughtful contributions in discussions.

Additional Enrichment Ideas

Books to read:

  • Horrible Histories e.g. “The Stormin Normans.”
  • Go and see Mrs. Downs in the library for more books.

Useful Websites

  • (Check for bias when you use this.)

Programmes to Watch

  • Horrible Histories
  • Timeteam

Places to Visit

  • Any Medieval castles e.g. Windsor, Rochester.
  • Also, any Medieval cathedral e.g. Winchester.
  • The Tower of London and the Museum of London.

Mathematics

What should you do to improve your work in this subject?

  1. It is good to be stuck on a problem in Mathematics. This means that you are in a position to learn. Enjoy it. If you are stuck you have a lot of ways of getting help:
  • Read the question again slowly. Does it make any more sense the second time?
  • Think quietly about what the question might mean.
  • Try drawing a diagram, does that help?
  • Discuss the question with someone, this could be:

The person sitting next to you

The teacher

An older brother or sister

A parent

  • You have a text book that contains lots of examples. Use the index or contents pages to find an example and work through it.
  • Find a lesson on MyMaths.co.uk, work through it and then do the Online Homework.
  • If you are stuck on a homework, then find your teacher before your next lesson and ask for help.
  1. Good Mathematics is not just a correct answer.
  • Good Mathematics should show how you have come up with your correct answer.
  • For a longer question, the answer might take a number of lines. Each line should follow logically from the previous line.
  • Your answer should also make correct use of Mathematical symbols.
  • Your final answer should be underlined, with correct units if appropriate.
  1. Your exercise book should be a record of what you have learnt during the year.
  • Always make sure that your work has a date and title.
  • Highlight important points, so that they stand out for future viewing.
  • Update the tracker on the front of your exercise book. You should always know your current and target levels.
  • Read the helpful comments that your teacher writes on your homework. Your teacher is trying to help you and gets frustrated when his/her advice is ignored.
  1. Always try to understand Mathematics rather than just remember it. Once you have really understood a piece of Mathematics it is remarkable how little you actually need to remember.

Additional Enrichment Ideas