Foundational Knowledge & Skills
Year 7
A single view of the foundational Reading, Writing, Oracy and Maths & Numeracy knowledge and skills pupils should secure during Year 7.
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Reading
Year 7 foundational reading expectations
Phonics
- Blends sounds to read simple Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.
Fluency & Decoding
- Reads with appropriate rhythm and expression.
- Reading stamina means students can engage with increasingly complex texts.
Comprehension & Inference
- Understands and can summarise a range of simple texts.
- Look beyond literal meaning in order to make simple inferences.
- Efficient retrieval of information from longer and more complex texts.
Reading for Purpose & Audience
- Understand that writing has different purposes and different audiences. Can identify features associated with these different purposes and audiences.
- Adapt a range of reading strategies depending on the task.
Disciplinary Reading
- Applies a range of reading strategies that have been taught explicitly by the teacher, e.g. skimming, scanning, detailed reading and SQ3R.
Reading for Pleasure
- Sustain focus on longer and more demanding texts independently.
Writing
Year 7 foundational writing expectations
Purpose & Audience
- Apply features of the genre / type of writing accurately with some teacher support and guidance.
- Awareness of the need to adapt tone and levels of formality for different purposes and audiences.
Grammar
- Accurate use of tenses: past, present, future, active and passive.
- Subject / verb agreement is used accurately.
- Accurate use of simple, compound, complex sentences including the use of subordinate clauses.
Punctuation
- Accurate use of capital letters, full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, apostrophes and quotation marks to indicate references.
Spelling
- Accurate spelling of common words.
- More complex vocabulary is spelled phonetically at times.
- Tier 2 and 3 words which are a focus of the topic are spelled accurately or corrected and followed up.
Editing & Redrafting
- Students can edit / proofread for key Tier 2 and 3 words accurately.
- Students can edit / proofread the punctuation above accurately.
- Improve / redraft writing by adding and correcting basic elements.
Handwriting & Presentation
- All dates and titles are underlined with a ruler.
- The right materials and tools are used for the task e.g. pencil to draw graphs, pen to write extended answers.
- Students can write legibly in designated areas e.g. on lines and in squares.
- Expression of ideas is not hindered by handwriting and presentation. Where it is, this is supported and corrected.
Communication, Oracy & Vocabulary
Year 7 foundational communication and spoken-language expectations
Vocabulary
- Uses everyday vocabulary with some subject-specific terms; may misuse or repeat language.
- Can use new words when prompted.
- Recognise and begin to adapt speech for different levels of formality.
Linguistic
- Attempts to adapt talk with support.
- Uses mostly complete sentences; beginnings of sentence variation; explanations simple / linear.
Cognitive
- Responds to others’ ideas.
- Explains thinking simply; gives basic reasons.
Social & Emotional
- May struggle with disagreement.
- Takes turns; listens; basic respect.
- Uses active listening skills to listen attentively and respond appropriately.
- Confidence is developed through encouraged engagement in opportunities to become involved in discussions, questions and answers.
Physical
- Relies on prompts or notes.
- Audible voice; some eye contact; basic delivery.
Maths & Numeracy
Year 7 foundational maths and numeracy expectations
Number
- Understand and use place value accurately.
- Develop fluency with the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), including in contexts.
- Complete calculations in the correct order (BIDMAS).
- Understand and calculate with negative numbers.
Algebra
- Understand the meaning of substitution.
- Write and simplify “algebraic” sentences.
Statistics
- Accurately draw a range of charts and representations.
- Understand the importance of totals (calculating the mean).
Proportion & Rates of Change
- Understand what is meant by a percentage.
Geometry
- Understand and apply properties of 2D and 3D shapes to identify and classify.
Numerical Communication
- Show organised working out.
Calculator Skills
- Begin to use a calculator successfully.