First Form CURRICULUM GUIDE
JUNE 2020
Contents
The Lower School...... 3 The First Form...... 4 Subjects...... 7 Art and Design...... 7 Classics - Latin...... 8 Drama...... 9 English...... 10 French...... 12 Geography...... 14 History...... 15 IT and Computing...... 16 Mandarin...... 17 Mathematics...... 17 Music...... 18 Physical Education and Games...... 20 Swimming...... 20 PSHE and Citizenship...... 22 Religion and Philosophy...... 22 Science...... 22 School library...... 25 Great novels for young adults - Reading list...... 27
The Lower School
As your child begins First Form, the traditional entry point for secondary education, the pace of teaching, and their learning, will quicken. The main aim of this booklet is to familiarise you and your child with what they will be enjoying over the next academic year.
I hope that you are familiar with the core values of the School because they run through many of the things that your son will experience this year and beyond. Making friends and treating people equally is an absolute priority.
As soon as they start the First Form, your child will be encouraged to take greater responsibility for organising themselves and their work. They will be supported by their Form Tutor and subject teachers on how to present work, organise themselves, use a locker correctly and manage their time well.
Your child will also be encouraged to make the most of the numerous and wide-ranging extra-curricular opportunities on offer to them. Whatever their passion may be, CLS will endeavour to cater for it and opportunities to represent their form or school are commonplace. We believe that providing scope for pupils to develop outside of the classroom is of great importance and encourage all our pupils to live a full school life.
Your child’s progress will be guided by his subject teachers, form tutor and Head of Year. My role, as Head of Lower School, will be to monitor this progress and ensure that your child is on course to achieve their best during his time in the Lower School. I want to make certain that over the next three years before your child enters the Middle School and begins their GCSEs that they have the knowledge, working habits, emotional wellbeing, resilience and determination required to meet the challenges that will face them.
I hope that you find this booklet helpful and that it is useful in helping you understand what the year ahead has in store for your child.
Mr Chris Apaloo
HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL [email protected] The First Form
While a pupil at CLS, there will be high expectations placed upon your son to ensure that he is stretched to maximise his potential. We as a school will ensure that we have the appropriate measures in place to cater for all your son’s needs, while guiding him in the right direction so he can engage in a variety of co-curricular activities alongside his academic studies. If parents have any concerns, they should seek out the form tutor as a first port of call, this allows a smooth process alleviating any apprehension and ensures that the working relationship between the school and you is a positive one and vice versa with the form tutor contacting you about your son’s progress.
Throughout the course of the year, there will be a wealth of inter-form competitions to be engaged with ranging from Football to crosswords to debating. The fantastic spirit of the competitions allows the chance for all pupils to contribute and play a crucial role in the holistic development of CLS pupils while at the school. Boys will also earn commendations where they produce an exceptional piece of work or make an outstanding contribution to the school. An accumulation of commendations will lead to special rewards include congratulation letters home, awarding of book tokens and special mentions in year assemblies!
During the year, there will be two Parents’ Evenings (November and March) when you will be invited to meet the staff who teach your son (boys do not attend Parents’ Evenings until Fourth Form). You and your son will be invited to an Induction Afternoon in the Autumn Term. You will get a Progress Card at October half-term (this will go to the Parent Portal and you can find the nomenclature for the reporting here) and a further one in December (with Head of Year and Head of Section comments) and a further one at February half-term. There will also be a fulsome Report at the end of Summer Term; there will have been a separate Progress Card with Exam Results. You and your son will also be invited to an Induction Afternoon in the Autumn Term.
Each boy has a Homework Diary which parents (and Form Tutors) are asked to sign once a week and add comments if appropriate. You will receive a copy of your son’s timetable and homework timetable early in the Autumn Term. Ensuring their homework diary is signed weekly keeps your son on a clear routine and provides them with a greater ownership of their learning.
My role as Head of Year is to work closely in collaboration with subject teachers to monitor progress of every pupil in the First Form. This ensures that they succeed with their studies and are equipped with all the necessary tools to achieve their best in every subject. The progress of your son will be tested regularly during each term and close contact with subject teachers allow for interventions to be introduced if necessary.
Subjects
■ Classics ■ IT & Computing Purple IT: Information Technology
■ Art & Design ■ Mandarin Mathematics Drama ■ ■ Orange ■ Music ■ English Lavender Grey ■ PSHE PSHE: Personal, Social & Health Education ■ French (+ ■ Fr. vocab) Light Green / Pink ■ PE, Games & Swimming PE: Physical Education Geography ■ Religion and Philosophy Light Blue ■ Yellow
■ History ■ Science Red Dark Green The colours in brackets (■■■■■■■■■■ ) refer to the colours of exercise books for these subjects. Boys will get a print out of this which they can keep in their lockers for reference.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch, should you have any immediate concerns or questions, and I look forward to meeting you in due course.
Mr Ben Medlock
HEAD OF FIRST FORM [email protected] Art and Design 7
Art and Design
The Art and Design Department aims to encourage creative thinking, develop design skills and increase artistic ability in all our students.
Members of staff in the department are enthusiastic, multi-skilled and very keen to pass on their own passion for art and design. Boys will experience a variety of media, processes, techniques and technologies, and will begin to develop proficiency in many of the basic skills of Art and Design.
The boys will experience the following areas of practice: drawing and painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and workshop practice where students work with materials such as hard and soft woods, pewter and acrylic; work is often produced using IT and the laser cutter.
First Form classes are split into two and taught by two members of staff (one Art teacher and one D&T teacher). The groups switch between Art and D&T approximately halfway through the year. Boys attend two periods a week in the department, are taught in small groups and teaching in First Form is generally project based. In Art lessons, work is focused on the theme ‘World of Colour’. In D&T the focus is on applying skills and making products, such as acrylic torches and wooden clocks.
Homework is set fortnightly, and is used to build on and enhance classroom work. Occasionally they will receive more demanding extended homework projects, which will be completed over a longer period of time. Each boy will have a sketchbook which he is encouraged to use properly, recognising the importance of the sketchbook in both art and design activities.
Over the course of the year, boys will be introduced to basic studio and workshop techniques and safety practices, and will experience ‘resistant materials’ such as wood, metal and plastic as well as a range of mark- making media such as paint, pencil, markers, charcoal and pastel. They will also have the opportunity to experience working in a three- dimensional medium, such as clay or Modroc. 8 Classics - Latin
Boys’ work is featured in exhibitions to coincide with parents’ evenings and school events such as concerts. Work by First Form boys is also exhibited in the Old Grammar and First Form corridor, and in other parts of the school.
During their time in First Form, the boys will begin to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to enable their self-expression and creativity to develop in a satisfying, enjoyable and disciplined fashion, building on the strong foundations developed in OG.
Classics - Latin
All First Formers begin the study of Latin, using the Cambridge Latin Course. This is essentially a reading course, aiming to give pupils fluency in reading a Latin text.
The course also contains a good deal of interesting information about the life and customs of the Romans, related to the lives of the characters in the stories and the time in which they lived. Working with this material means that our pupils acquire an understanding of much more than just the Latin language.
On the language side, the major part of the work is the reading of fictional Latin stories about the life of a family living in Pompeii in 79 CE. In meeting the family in a variety of situations and reading about their activities, their concerns, their friends and their slaves, pupils learn about Roman society as well as gradually developing their linguistic skills.
The Latin stories are supplemented by grammatical explanations and a great variety of exercises, puzzles, worksheets and activities which support and consolidate the learning and understanding of the language.
Ultimately, pupils should develop both the ability to understand a piece of Latin and put it into good natural English, and a general interest in the culture, customs and civilisation of the ancient world. Many interesting comparisons are drawn between Roman society and our own, and our debt to ancient civilisation is explored. Drama 9
Latin is continued in the Second Form, and is taken by the majority of Third Formers; it is then continued to GCSE by a substantial number of pupils. So this first year serves as a good introduction to the subject for boys who may well soon be taking a GCSE course in Latin or in Classical Civilisation — or both. Classical Greek is also offered in the Third Form, and you will receive information about this next year.
Drama
Drama is a practical artistic subject, a specialist area with its own discipline, methods, language and body of skills and knowledge. Lessons are practical, using improvisation and text to extend the pupil’s imaginative and expressive range. Lessons focus on three key areas of a pupil’s development.
Personal Development
Personal Skills Promoting confidence, self-esteem, concentration, self-reliance and discipline; ordering ideas and feelings and communicating them effectively; developing a wide range of modes of expression, verbal and non-verbal.
Social Skills Presenting work in a public forum; working practically as a team, organising, leading, negotiating ideas and action; giving and accepting advice and criticism; learning the value of reliability and commitment.
Expressive Skills Body language, proxemics, movement, gesture, facial expression, vocal qualities. 10 English
Arts/aesthetic education
Drama is also an art form and an important part of pupils’ arts education, giving them an understanding of excellence and quality in artistic achievement and a chance to participate in and appreciate the principal forms of creation and creative communication. We explore ways of seeing and listening by discussion and analysis of our own work.
Creativity and imagination
Drama concerns itself directly with creativity and imagination, together with the areas of the feelings and the senses. It allows pupils to develop their potential in artistic imagination and enhances their capacity to explore and understand their emotional responses.
Extra-curricular opportunities
• Boys will be given the opportunity to audition for the annual Junior School Production. • Boys can opt to participate in the LAMDA Acting Examination Programme which involves a weekly session preparing for a February exam.
English
English work in the First Form is a mixture of topics designed to broaden the boys’ abilities to write creatively and accurately. This is achieved through a mixture of fiction and non-fiction texts. It is likely that the boys will study one or two novels, as well as some poetry and drama. By the end of the First Form boys should be able to:
Reading
• Make developed comments about a text, including making inferences • Use quotation to support opinions about literature texts English 11
• Identify and begin to comment on the effects of techniques used by a writer • Organise their ideas into extended analytical pieces about literary texts using PEAR/PEAL on topics such as the presentation of a character • Analyse unseen passages in a manner appropriate for their age • Identify literary techniques such as simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration and onomatopoeia • Understand the differences between poetry, prose, and drama, using the correct terminology (i.e. ‘stanza’ rather than ‘verse’, ‘novel’ rather than ‘book’) • Read a variety of novels from the school reading list
Writing
• Write confidently and clearly, varying sentence lengths and using connectives • Use commas and apostrophes accurately, constructing complex sentences • Punctuate speech correctly • Structure writing into logical and accurate paragraphs, including when writing dialogue • Write in a variety of styles and for a range of purposes (e.g. to describe, to persuade) • Spell most words correctly and check their work for mistakes • Write descriptively using interesting adjectives and some metaphors and similes • Use a thesaurus to help make their vocabulary more interesting • Correct use of comma; comma splices; construction of complex sentences (including awareness of main and subordinate clauses); paragraphing 12 French
Study Skills
• Set themselves targets from teacher feedback and consciously address them in subsequent work • Use the mark scheme to conduct peer assessment and self- assessment, giving a qualitative comment (e.g. WWW and EBI) • Correct their spelling using a dictionary
Homework
There are two homeworks set each week. One is usually a written assignment, the other a reading, drafting or learning task.
It is our expectation that every boy reads for twenty minutes (minimum) a day at home; it is clear that this has an impact on future public exam performance.
French
Previous experience of French The First Form course in French aims to meet the needs of boys with a wide range of ability in and experience of the language. Although a number of boys come to us having already had some French teaching at a previous school, we assume no previous knowledge, and therefore no boy will be at a disadvantage. Those who have done some French before have the opportunity to consolidate and extend their knowledge. We work at a good pace and have always found that, with the right attitude, all the boys, whatever their previous experience, make great strides.
Communication versus grammar We focus on both of these essential aspects of language-learning. Boys are encouraged from the start to use the language as a living thing and a tool for everyday communication. Grammar is not, however, neglected, as the department believes strongly that a language cannot be mastered unless a pupil makes an effort to understand what it is he is doing when he manipulates it. French 13
Speaking Opportunities for extended speaking are obviously limited at this stage but boys are encouraged, through participation in role-play and whole- class question and answer oral work to throw themselves into the exciting challenge of expressing their ideas in another language.
Listening This forms a major part of what we do in the First Form. The boys are exposed to a wealth of material both from recordings and the teacher’s voice. They are encouraged again to immerse themselves in the sound of French and to listen both to longer extracts for the gist and more precisely for specific details.
Reading The boys are encouraged to read short passages from text books and, occasionally, from specially tailored magazines. Realising that they are capable of putting what they have learnt to practical use is an important motivational tool.
Writing Boys are asked to undertake a variety of tasks, ranging from writing post cards and letters to producing leaflets and posters to decorate the walls of their classrooms. Rapid progress can be made so that, by the end of the first term, most boys are capable of a piece of continuous writing of 100-120 words with little incidence of error.
Homework and Study Skills There are two homeworks set each week. One of these is likely to involve some writing and the other to require some learning, which will be followed up by a test.
Throughout the course the emphasis is on what pupils can do with what they have learnt, giving them a sense of achievement and a sound basic knowledge on which to build further. There is an optional Normandy Trip (with the History Department) in the Summer Term. This is advertised in September via the Friday Communication; it sells out fast! 14 Geography
Geography
The aim of the Geography Department is to give boys an understanding of the world in which they live, to enable pupils to create links between the physical and human worlds, and to give each student the chance to formulate his own ideas and opinions on a varied diet of human, physical and environmental geographies.
In this ever changing and ‘shrinking’ world, boys are encouraged to think for themselves. The First Form course combines traditional and enquiry-process learning. Boys will follow a multi-disciplinary program incorporating a wide range of skills in order to further their knowledge of the world around them.
The First Form curriculum roughly follows the Geog.1 textbook. Boys will have two Geography lessons per week and one homework of no more than thirty minutes. The department produces many tailor-made resources for the boys at CLS to suit their distinct learning styles. The topics studied include:
• Migration issues and multiculturalism In today’s globalised world multicultural societies provide a range of opportunities and challenges. This unit allows boys to explore these, and a range of associated contemporary issues, both in the UK and other countries.
• An introduction to map skills Boys will learn basic map reading skills, including how to draw cross- sections and interpret Ordnance Survey maps.
• The Geography of Sport Through fieldwork, and the use of a variety of media, boys explore how Geography can be used to study sport and its impact on the human and physical environment.
• The Geography of Africa This unit looks at the Geography of arguably the most fascinating continent on Earth. The wide ranging physical and human History 15
geographies of Africa are analysed before looking at how peoples’ lives and surroundings can be so fundamentally different to our own.
Throughout the year, there is an emphasis on a sense of place, as well as the application of Geography and its related skills outside the classroom. These are supplemented with a fieldtrip to the Emirates Stadium where boys begin to study fieldwork skills and geographical scientific enquiry. All boys are encouraged to read around the subject, and to follow current affairs. The school library contains a well-stocked selection of Geography books, and boys also have the opportunity to use a wide variety of IT during the course.
History
In the First Forms pupils will study the years 1066-1485. They will enhance their historical skills and understanding and, in particular, will become used to using a wider variety of historical sources.
Various medieval historical themes are explored, including
• The nature of kingship, monarchical power, authority and control • The nature of the feudal system, its significance and evolution (with an emphasis on Magna Carta) • The role of church and religion • Rebellions – causes and consequence • The medieval economy • The nature of warfare and the importance of castles
There will be a variety of trips including one to Hampton court and an optional visit to Normandy (this will be advertised in September via the Friday Communication- it sells out fast). The department also produces a resources guide to promote use of the excellent School library.
A wide variety of teaching methods are employed in the department and pupils are encouraged to develop document handling, essay writing, note taking and revision skills. In addition, great store is placed on pupils’ grammar, spelling and presentation. There are regular displays of work 16 IT and Computing
in the history corridor. Every year gifted Junior School historians are recognised through the award of the James Harley History Prizes.
We seek to nurture enquiring minds, provide pupils with a range of valuable study skills and instil a love of History.
IT and Computing
One of the most important skills for boys leaving school over the next decade will be their ability to use Technology confidently and effectively at work and at home.
The Programme of Study (POS) at the City of London School aims to create confident users of IT and to give all boys the opportunity to explore Computing. Boys are taught to apply what they learn in other subjects and to develop an understanding of how IT is used in industry and business and affects their lives.
The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use though programming.
Programming is taught to all first year boys and boys can also attend Programming Club to develop higher level programming skills. Students are encouraged to develop computational thinking skills. The school has a set of MicroBits and programming external devices and use of sensors is part of the Programme of Study.
There is a strong emphasis on safe internet use and both the positive and negative aspects of social media are explored.
Keyboard skills are taught and boys are expected to develop a confident approach to a wide range of applications.
Each First Form class has two periods a week throughout the year. Mathematics 17
Mandarin
Mandarin is introduced to boys as a compulsory subject in the First Form and each boy will have one period a week of Mandarin teaching.
The boys will begin their Mandarin studies by establishing a strong foundation of linguistic knowledge. This includes learning and practising the tonal system verbally, using the romanised ‘pinyin’ system of notation to transcribe words and sentences, and learning how to form accurate Chinese characters.
The course focuses on accessing the spoken language as a priority, and gradually builds reading and writing around the spoken language to help increase the boys’ confidence using the unfamiliar writing system slowly. Chinese culture will be taught alongside the language.
The boys will learn to communicate effectively using spoken Chinese, be able to ask and answer simple questions and build up a vocabulary of known Chinese characters and words on which to build for their reading and writing skills.
Mathematics
Mathematics is the subject of understanding. It has been studied for thousands of years and deals with absolutes, logic and reasoning. In lower school, we teach a huge range of numerical and algebraic tools to help solve problems, but also develop the pupils into understanding problems, thinking about them mathematically and selecting an appropriate and rigorous method to solve. Perseverance and practice with Mathematics breeds success.
Curriculum In First Form we do not allow the use of calculators. This is to promote the use of quick written and mental arithmetic and to hone the skills from previous years’ work. In first form we introduce algebra both simplifying expressions and solving linear equations. We recap factors, multiples 18 Music
and primes and use these to find highest common factors and lowest common multiples of larger numbers. We introduce the number and use it to find areas and perimeters of shapes with circular curves and leaving answers in exact form. Pupils will also calculate statistics such as mean median and mode and tackle tricky problems involving these.
In an academically selective school such as City of London School, there is a smaller range of ability. Hence, we do not set pupils in this year group and all pupils cover the same work. Pupils are extended by being given extra work or questions designed to push their understanding in class and are supported with one to one help and encouragement in class.
Pupils are set further up in the school to help support individual needs.
Extra-Curricular All pupils in 1st Form sit the UK Maths Trust Junior Maths Challenge. The top scorers will go on to sit the Olympiad. We have had excellent success in the past.
Pupils who find Mathematics difficult may be offered peer-to-peer mentoring by the sixth form.
Preparation Pupils should attend every lesson with a ruler, protractor and compasses. All of these are sold in our school bookshop. A calculator is not needed in lessons.
Homework is set twice a week. The activities set in homework will vary: a selection of questions from an exercise, a difficult problem, an online activity, revision for a test. In addition to this, pupils are expected to continue to enjoy or persevere with Mathematics in their own time: JMC papers, Olympiad mentoring problems, further online or written practice.
Music
Each First Form has two periods of music per week. During one of these in the Autumn and Spring terms, boys learn to play an orchestral instrument Music 19 with one of the visiting music teachers. During the Spring term, parents will be advised by letter if this experiment is thought sufficiently successful to justify individual lessons starting in the following April. The chances of success are greater if boys are encouraged to do regular daily practice at home.
Class work involves the traditional areas of Listening, Composing & Performing. Lessons are designed to be suitable for boys with little prior musical experience as well those who join City with considerable expertise. Staff notation on the treble and bass clefs is introduced, or revised. The First Form study the ‘Elements of Music,’ the Orchestra and look in some detail at Holst’s ‘The Planets’ and ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ by Saint-Saens. During the Summer Term, boys are introduced to the basics of Logic and Sibelius in our Music Technology room, w2, in readiness for the Second Form.
City has a very large number of musical ensembles listed in the termly Calendar. They are open to any boy in the school, and players are selected according to their technical ability rather than their age. Thus, once a minimum of technique has been acquired, a boy can play in a group music activity throughout his school career. For many boys this is an important part of their life at City.
Any boy who plays an instrument should consider entering the School Music Prizes, which are held in the Spring Term. There are classes of varying standard from Intermediate to Open. Details are available from the Director of Music.
There are two Lower School Concerts a year in February and June which form a focal point for Second Orchestra, Swing Band and the many other ensembles featuring lower school boys. There is also an informal First Form Recital, at which any boy may perform a solo. Parents and friends are always most welcome to attend these and other school concerts and recitals.
Requests for individual instrumental lessons may be made to the Director of Music at any time via the Music Administrator, Mrs Polly Manser – [email protected] 20 Swimming
Physical Education and Games
Each class is timetabled for one P.E. period per week and one Games afternoon. The boys follow a wide programme which is based on participation and aims to develop skills and interest in physical activities.
All First Form classes enjoy the same Games afternoon. Football is the major field sport during the Autumn and Spring terms while cricket and athletics are the main activities in the Summer term.
Inter-form competitions are organised in a range of activities throughout the year on a half-termly basis. A number of activities operate at Club level and provision is made for those who train to have the opportunity to represent the school. Parents are very welcome to support their sons at all the inter-school fixtures.
If your son is unable to participate in a lesson for any reason please write a note explaining the reason and requesting that he be excused. Your son should present this to his teacher at the beginning of the appropriate lesson.
Please ensure that all items of clothing are clearly marked with your son’s name. Any items of clothing which appear in lost property and are marked with a name will be returned via the Form Tutor.
Please refer to the Parent Portal to purchase Games Kit. The link is there for the supplier: https://www.clubwebshop.com/a-z/clubs/ cityoflondonschool/club-bundles
Swimming
Each class has one swimming period per week in the excellent 25m swimming pool which the school is fortunate to have on-site. Stroke development forms the major part of the First Form swimming programme which aims to ensure that everyone is able to swim. Extra improver’s classes are run during the lunch hour to supplement the PSHE and Citizenship 21 weekly swimming lesson and help those boys that find the activity challenging, progress.
Please ensure that all swimming kit is also clearly marked.
Any parents or pupils seeking further information are more than welcome to contact Mr Neil F Cornwell (Head of Physical Education) on the school email : [email protected]
PSHE and Citizenship
The role of PSHE is to enhance the examined curriculum that the student follows in order to encourage development of a socially and morally aware individual. There is no doubt that a student who is happy, well- informed and able to make the right decisions will go on to achieve higher. It is especially important that the modern adolescent is aware of the potential dangers that face them as citizens of a large City and are taught how to cope with the problems that may arise.
The programme of study has been developed alongside feedback from the boys to make sure that we are tackling what they want to know about, as well as developing essential skills and attitudes. The majority of the sessions are taught by the form tutor in a once a week timetabled lesson, with occasional specialists coming in to cover important areas such as drugs awareness.
The first form have one 40 minute session a week with the form tutor and work on issues such as :
• Organisation and time management • Study skills • Friendships • Diversity • Health and exercise • Bullying • Online Safety • Behaviour 22 Science
The organisation Westminster Drug Project come in to deliver sessions on drug awareness and peer pressure.
In addition, guest speakers address the boys on various issues, for example internet safety and healthy eating.
Religion and Philosophy
At the City of London School the syllabuses take into account the diverse backgrounds of our pupils, and instruction is not in a particular faith. Our aim is that, through the study of religions, a boy will recognise and appreciate the nature and importance of religion and its influence on our ways of life and our values.
Boys in the First Form have two periods of RE and one homework a week. The scheme of work over the First to Third Years is a continuous whole. By the end of the Third Year boys will have made systematic studies of each of the six major world religions as well as having been introduced to some more thematic ideas and some philosophy of religion. The course in the first year beings with a study of Philosophy and philosophical thinking skills, followed by half a term of study on the beginnings of religion; this is a consideration of how and why religion developed. Pupils will also examine examples of myths and stories from ancient cultures and civilizations. The rest of the year includes systematic studies of Christianity and Hinduism.
Science
The ethos of the course is one of discovery through practical investigation with an integrated approach encompassing, but going beyond, the National Curriculum and Common Entrance. The courses assume little prior knowledge of Science, as the boys come from such diverse backgrounds. Science 23
The First Forms have four periods of Science per week, one double and two singles plus one homework of about 30 minutes. The topics covered include:
1. Safety 2. Basic laboratory skills 3. Measurement 4. The nature of matter 5. Looking at living things – including microscopy 6. Basic human anatomy 7. Reproduction in humans 8. Water 9. Separation techniques 10. Famous scientists
The First Form text book we use is ‘So You Really Want To Learn Science’, Book Two and this is supplemented with handouts and DVD’s as appropriate to the topic being studied. There is much practical work for the boys to do to really get to grips with this exciting subject. The only topic common to both the Old Grammar and the First Form syllabus is safety.
Tests are set at intervals, usually at the end of a topic. Parents can help their son’s revise by helping them to do mind maps or use card indexes or similar so that they build up a body of information to help them in future tests. Tests are always returned so that errors can be analysed and avoided in future.
Science homework for the First Form may include writing up experiments, making things, plotting graphs from data, performing simple experiments at home or planning work for future lessons. Boys are encouraged to use the library and the internet to find information and to use word processing and spreadsheets in their work. Parents may help by encouraging visits to the School or local library, as well as visits to the Science or Natural History Museums and other places of technological interest which would give added relevance to the work done at School. 24 Science
The School runs a Scientific Society, STEM Society and an Astronomy Club which the boys are welcome to attend when the subject matter is appropriate. They also run small projects in which the boys follow a topic of interest to them. In Science week these projects may be presented to a wider audience. Mr Dawson, who has overall responsibility for the Lower School Science curriculum, can be contacted at [email protected], if you have any questions. School library 25
School library
The School Library is located in the Levene Learning Centre on Level 3.
Library Cards
All Pupils are automatically registered as Library Readers when they join the School. The School ID Card serves as a Library Ticket for borrowing Library items.
Library Opening Hours
The Library opens at 8 am and closes at 5.50 pm. The Library is closed during Morning Registration. Occasionally the Library will need to close early for Special Events.
Library Stock
The Library has more than 20,000 books, dvds and cds. There are also newspapers, magazines and access to many online information resources such as encyclopaedias. New books are displayed in the Library and Suggested Reading Lists are available. The Library Catalogue, Heritage Online, can be searched either in the Library or via Firefly or the Heritage CIRQA app. Lap Tops are available for use in the Library. Printing, scanning and photocopying facilities are also available in the Library.
Library Rules
Pupils are expected to work quietly in the Library and not to bring in food or drinks.
Most of the books can be borrowed for a period of 3 weeks and must then be returned or renewed. Fines are charged for the Late Return of Library Loans and a Replacement Charge will be made for items that are damaged or lost. 26 School library
Pupils below Sixth Form may have a maximum of Five items on loan at any one time.
Library Induction
When they join the School, new pupils will be shown in their English Lessons how to make best use of the Library.
Library Helpers
Boys may also apply to be Library Helpers and, if their application is successful, they will be given a period of training.
Author Visits and the Trinity Schools Book Awards
During the School Year the Library arranges visits and talks by both new and popular authors of Children’s and Young Adult books. Pupils will also be encouraged to read books from the Short List for the Trinity Schools Book Awards. This involves a competition to submit the best Book Review and Creative Response and an opportunity to vote for their favourite book. Great novels for young adults - Reading list
OG to Third Form
This is not an exhaustive list; it is merely a list of suggestions to get you going!
NB The level column is a rough guide to the increasing difficulty of the text and/or emotional maturity required, with *** being the most challenging.
Title : Author : Description Level
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams When Ingrid accidentally leaves her favourite football sneakers at a murder scene, she is sucked into the mysterious case. It's all her fault that the police are on the wrong track, so Ingrid swears to hunt down Cracked-up Katie's killer herself. When the clues lead her to the new member of the theatre group, Vincent, she doesn't realize the danger until it's too late…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams The intergalactic adventures of Arthur Dent begin in the first volume of the ‘trilogy of five’, Douglas Adams’ comedy sci-fi classic. It’s an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace bypass and his best friend has just announced that he’s an alien. At this moment, they’re hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed with the big, friendly words: DON’T PANIC. The weekend has only just begun …
Unique by Alison Allen-Grey Dominic has always been a disappointment to his ambitious father, but he has never understood why. Then he discovers that he had an older brother who died before he was born. Dominic decides to try to find out about his brother, but he discovers more than he bargained for. Their father had Dominic's dead brother cloned, and Dominic is the result…
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Clay Jensen returns home from school one day to find a mysterious box, with his name on it, lying on the porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she did what she did - and Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list - and it'll change Clay's life forever.
Genesis by Bernard Beckett The island Republic has emerged from a ruined world. Its citizens are safe but not free. Until a man named Adam Forde rescues a girl from the sea. Fourteen-year-old Anax thinks she knows her history. She'd better. She's sat facing three Examiners and her five-hour examination has just begun. The subject is close to her heart: Adam Forde, her long-dead hero. In a series of startling twists, Anax discovers new things about Adam and her people that question everything she holds sacred. But why is the Academy allowing her to open up the enigma at its heart? An original and fascinating novel. 28 Great novels for young adults - Reading list
Noughts and Crosses (Trilogy) by Malorie Blackman Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realise they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought – a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses – and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives.
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne Bruno is nine years old, and the Nazis’ horrific Final Solution to the ‘Jewish Problem’ means nothing to him. He's completely unaware of the barbarity of Germany under Hitler, and is more concerned by his move from his well-appointed house in Berlin to a far less salubrious area where he finds himself with nothing to do. Then he meets a boy called Shmuel who lives a very different life from him – a life on the opposite side of a wire fence.
Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks Late one night, two brothers learn that their sister has died in the worst way imaginable. She's found, strangled, in a desolate place hundreds of miles from their East London home. Ruben is the smarter of the two, with a gift for getting into other people's hearts; Cole may be older, but he's a devil's angel who doesn't care if he lives or dies. Together, they set out to find their own answers and retrace Rachel's final journey.
The Sword of Shannara (Series) by Terry Brooks Long ago, the world of the Four Lands was torn apart by the wars of ancient Evil. But in the Vale, the half-human, half- elfin Shea Ohmsford now lives in peace - until the mysterious, forbidding figure of the druid Allanon appears, to reveal that the supposedly long dead Warlock Lord lives again. Shea must embark upon the elemental quest to find the only weapon powerful enough to keep the creatures of darkness at bay: the fabled Sword of Shannara.
Looking For JJ by Anne Cassidy A gripping and emotionally searing novel from a talented author, Looking for JJ explores the circumstances and motives behind the murder of a child - by her friend. Six years later, JJ has now been released, and has a new identity. But is there any way that she can lead a "normal" life?
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. There comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor…
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Ten strangers, apparently with little in common, are lured to an island mansion off the coast of Devon by the mysterious U.N.Owen. Over dinner, a record begins to play, and the voice of an unseen host accuses each person of hiding a guilty secret. That evening, former reckless driver Tony Marston is found murdered by a deadly dose of cyanide. The tension escalates as the survivors realise the killer is not only among them but is preparing to strike again… and again…
Stolen by Lucy Christopher Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? 29
Halo by Zizou Corder Washed ashore as a baby in ancient Greece, Halo is discovered by a family of centaurs. Although her true identity remains a mystery, she is loved as one of their own. But when Halo is dragged away by fishermen, her wild adventure begins . . . Halo soon realizes that if she is to survive then she must live in disguise – as a boy. A violent war is threatening to erupt and Halo is at the mercy of the mighty Spartan warriors. And as she battles to hide her secret, Halo never forgets her quest to find out who she is – and where she really came from.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. She has to be; she's representing her District, number 12, in the 74th Hunger Games in the Capitol, the heart of Panem, a new land that rose from the ruins of a post- apocalyptic North America. To punish citizens for an early rebellion, the rulers require each district to provide one girl and one boy, 24 in all, to fight like gladiators in a futuristic arena. The event is broadcast like reality TV, and the winner returns with wealth for his or her district.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle The Hound of the Baskervilles is the classic detective chiller. It features the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, in his most challenging case. The Baskerville family is haunted by a phantom beast “with blazing eyes and dripping jaws” which roams the mist-enshrouded moors around the isolated Baskerville Hall on Dartmoor. Now the hound seems to be stalking young Sir Henry, the new master of the Baskerville estate. Is this devilish spectre the manifestation of the family curse? Or is Sir Henry the victim of a vile and scheming murderer? Only Sherlock Holmes can solve this devilish affair.
I Am The Cheese by Robert Cormier Robert Cormier’s dark, psychological thriller is one of the most chilling and disturbing books of its kind. As Adam Farmer begins to reveal his darkest fears to a faceless and nameless psychiatrist, he is forced to look deep into his memory to discover why he made such a treacherous journey to get to this point. As the events and suspicions that led Adam to the psychiatrist’s chair begin to form more clearly in his mind, he is obliged to face the undeniable truth about the fearful secrets and nightmares that his mind has chosen to erase. [See also any of Cormier’s other novels – he is great!]
Boy/Going Solo and Deception, Cruelty, Lust, Madness by Roald Dahl / Roald Dahl wasn’t always a writer. Once he was just a schoolboy. Have you ever wondered what he was like growing up? In Boy you’ll find out why he and his friends took revenge on the beastly Mrs Pratchett who ran the sweet shop. He remembers what it was like taste-testing chocolate for Cadbury’s and he even reveals how his nose was nearly sliced off. Then in Going Solo you’ll read stories of whizzing through the air in a Tiger Moth Plane, encounters with hungry lions, and the terrible crash that led him to storytelling. If you’re feeling more grown-up, try Dahl’s short story collections instead – Deception, Cruelty, Madness and Lust…
When I Was Joe by Keren David When Ty witnesses a stabbing, his own life is in danger from the criminals he’s named, and he and his mum have to go into police protection. Ty has a new name, a new look and a cool new image – life as Joe is good, especially when he gets talent spotted as a potential athletics star, special training from an attractive local celebrity and a lot of female attention. But his mum can’t cope with her new life, and the gangsters will stop at nothing to flush them from hiding. Joe’s cracking under extreme pressure, and then he meets a girl with dark secrets of her own. An extremely popular and acclaimed novel.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens This novel contains many classic Dickensian themes - grinding poverty, desperation, fear, temptation and the eventual triumph of good in the face of great adversity. Oliver Twist features some of the author's most enduring characters, such as Oliver himself (Who dares to ask for more), the tyrannical Bumble, the diabolical Fagin, the menacing Bill Sykes, Nancy and 'the Artful Dodger'. 30 Great novels for young adults - Reading list
A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly It's 1906 and 16-year-old Mattie Gokey is at a crossroads in her life. She's escaped the overwhelming responsibilities of helping to run her father's broken-down farm in exchange for a paid summer job as a serving girl at a fancy hotel in the Adirondacks. At the hotel, Mattie gets caught up in the disappearance of a young woman, Grace Brown. When Grace is found drowned, Mattie reads the letters and finds that she holds the key to unravelling the girl's death… A great novel!
Auslander by Paul Dowswell A tense and dramatic story of growing up in Berlin during World War Two. When Piotr’s parents are killed he is taking to an orphanage in Warsaw. But Piotr is a ‘volksdeutscher’ – of German blood with the result that he is adopted by a German family and taken to live at the heart of the Nazi power, in Berlin. How Piotr becomes Peter and adapts to the new life and particularly how he discovers that behind the apparent adulation of Hitler there are many dissenters taking great risks is a thrilling story which also offers fascinating insight into the lives of young Germans during the Second World War.
My Family And Other Animals by Gerald Durrell When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful account of Durrell’s family’s experiences.
Moonfleet by John Meade Falkner First published in 1898, ‘Moonfleet’ is a riveting adventure story full of drama, mystery, revenge, pursuit, smuggling, pirates and romance, with a place in the literary canon alongside ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Kidnapped’. The tiny village of Moonfleet nestles on the English coast, and every one of its inhabitants lives off the sea in one way or another. When local young man John Trenchard accidentally stumbles upon treasure stashed in the local crypt, he unknowingly enters the murky world of the smuggling trade and the local secret of Colonel John Mohune’s treasure. Trenchard is soon forced to flee England with a price on his head, leaving behind his wife and the life he hoped for…
The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank First published over sixty years ago, Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl has reached millions of young people throughout the world. In July 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the occupation, went into hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse. Over the next two years Anne vividly describes in her diary the frustrations of living in such close quarters, and her thoughts, feelings and longings as she grows up. Her diary ends abruptly when, in August 1944, they were all betrayed.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . See also Coraline.
Once by Morris Gleitzman For three years and eight months Felix has lived in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. But Felix is different from the other orphans. He is convinced his parents are still alive and will come back to get him. When a group of Nazi soldiers come and burn the nuns' books, Felix is terrified that his Jewish, bookseller parents will also be in danger. After escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous journey through Nazi occupied Poland Great novels for young adults - Reading list 31
Lord of the Flies by William Golding A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. The boys' delicate sense of order fades, and their childish fears are transformed into something deeper and more primitive...
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant It’s December 1998, and 10-year-old Pia Kolvenbach and her family are living happily in the quaint German town where her father grew up, until Pia’s grandmother accidentally sets herself on fire and burns to death. A rumour erupts that her grandmother exploded, and, overnight, Pia becomes an outcast. Her only friend from then on is the most unpopular boy in her class, nicknamed StinkStefan. The two of them attempt to solve the decades-old mystery of a number of local girls who have gone missing.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon Christopher is an intelligent youth who lives in the functional hinterland of autism - every day is an investigation for him because of all the aspects of human life that he does not quite get. When the dog next door is killed with a garden fork, Christopher becomes quietly persistent in his desire to find out what has happened and tugs away at the world around him until a lot of secrets unravel messily.
Dr. Franklin’s Island by Ann Halam What's it like to see your friend transformed into a raven before your very eyes, and to know it's your turn next? How does it feel to morph into a manta ray or slide into the body of a snake? This is what happens to Miranda, Semi and Arnie, three friends who are the sole survivors of a plane crash. They find themselves on a tropical island of azure waters and white sands. But beyond the palm-fringed beaches lies the hospital run by the sinister Dr Franklin, and the three teenagers are about to become his next patients. Perfect candidates for his experiments in genetic engineering. . .
Fly By Night Series by Francis Hardinge Mosca Mye and Eponymous Clent are in trouble again. Escaping disaster by the skin of their teeth, they find refuge in Toll, the strange gateway town where visitors may neither enter nor leave without paying a price. By day, the city is well-mannered and orderly; by night, it’s the haunt of rogues and villains. Wherever there’s a plot, there’s sure to be treachery, and wherever there’s treachery, there’s sure to be trouble - and where there’s trouble, Clent, Mosca and the web-footed apocalypse Saracen the goose can’t be far behind. But as past deeds catch up with them and old enemies appear, it looks as if this time there’s no way out . . .
Rowan the Strange by Julie Hearn How does a doctor examine a person's brain? They won't use any knives on me, will they? Rowan knows he is strange. But dangerous? He didn't mean to scare his sister. In his right mind, he wouldn't hurt a fly. But there's a place he can go where they say they can fix his mind . . . Beyond the bars on the window, England is at war. Behind them, Rowan's own battle is only just beginning.
The Enemy by Charlie Higson They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive? 32 Great novels for young adults - Reading list
Redwall (series) by Brian Jacques What can the peace-loving mice of Redwall Abbey do to defend themselves against Cluny the Scourge and his battle-seasoned army of rats? If only they had the sword of Martin the Warrior, they might have a chance. But the legendary weapon has long been forgotten-except, that is, by the bumbling young apprentice Matthias, who becomes the unlikeliest of heroes. Teeming with riddles, humour, unforgettable characters, and high-bounding adventure.
Crusade by Elizabeth Laird Two boys - two faiths - one unholy war ...When Adam's mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy. Salim, a merchant's son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre - until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed, travelling doctor. But Salim's employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin's camp - and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee A truly moving and profound novel that has sold millions. It is the Deep South in the US, and Scout Finch and her brother Jem are growing up. Childhood adventures develop into something more profound as an African-American man is accused of rape and their lawyer father, Atticus, has to prove his innocence. And the mysterious Boo Radley haunts the night…
The Call of the Wild / White Fang by Jack London Jack London's tale of a dog's fight for survival in the harsh and frozen Yukon is one of the greatest animal stories ever written. It tells of a dog born to luxury but sold as a sledge dog, and how he rises magnificently above all his enemies to become one of the most feared and admired dogs in the North.
Fearless by Tim Lott The smartly painted exterior of the City Community Faith School hides a disturbing secret. Behind its walls, one thousand girls are forced to labour in the city's laundry, separated from their families and deprived of their freedom. One of these girls is Little Fearless, a courageous spirit who never gives up hope that one day they will be rescued. Unafraid of the punishment she will face, Little Fearless escapes the institute to tell her story to the world. But why does nobody believe she's telling the truth?
Just Henry by Michelle Magorian It's 1949 and life is bleak for Henry. He misses his father who died a war hero, and he escapes from his annoying stepfather and stepsister whenever he can and goes to the cinema - his passion. One day in the cinema queue he meets Mrs Beaumont who also loves films, and lends Henry a camera for his school project. Henry is disgusted that he's been put in a group with Jeffries, the son of a man who went AWOL, and Pip, who was born illegitimate; but he's about to learn that tolerance and friendship are more important than social stigmas. Henry will need his new friends when he processes the film and makes an alarming discovery. Like a bomb waiting to explode, Henry's world is about to unravel.
Company of Liars by Karen Maitland England, 1348, and the shadow of the plague has become a terrible reality. It has spread like wildfire, destroying people, animals, crops, pervading everything. We meet the narrator, Camelot, at a Midsummer Fair, where the plague is just starting to claim its first English victims. Truth and rumour have blurred edges, and panic accelerates an exodus, heading for safer parts. Camelot is joined by a variety of travellers, each with a reason to become a part of the group. They all share a driving force; they have to keep moving to avoid the plague… Great novels for young adults - Reading list 33
The Declaration (trilogy) by Gemma Malley In the year 2140, it is illegal to be young. Children are all but extinct. The world is a better place. Longevity drugs are a fountain of youth. Sign the Declaration, agree not to have children and you too can live forever. Refuse, and you will live as an outcast. For the children born outside the law, it only gets worse – Surplus status. Not everyone thinks Longevity is a good thing, but you better be clear what side you’re on. . . . Surplus Anna is about to find out what happens when you can’t decide if you should cheat the law or cheat death.
Kai-ro by Graham Marks In the year 2499, a strange new city has risen, hot and dusty, dotted with half-built pyramids and ruled over by a dark army. Beneath it all, forgotten statues of ancient gods lie waiting to wreak their power on an unsuspecting world. One boy will stand up and become a hero.
The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughr-ean When Pepper Roux was born his aunt foretold that he would not live past 14 years of age. Throughout his childhood his parents haven't bothered with him much, knowing that his life would be short-lived. So when Pepper wakes up on his 14th birthday he knows this will be the day that he'll die. But as the day wears on, and Pepper finds himself still alive, he decides to set off to sea in an attempt to try and avoid death for as long as possible. As time goes on Pepper steps into many roles and personas and has numerous outrageous adventures. But can he stay one step ahead of death?
Blood Ties / Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie When Theo discovers the father he thought died when he was a baby is still alive, he's determined to find him. The clues lead him to the lonely Rachel, who has problems of her own, including parents who compare her unfavourably to her long-dead sister. But when Rachel and Theo are attacked by men from RAGE - the Righteous Army against Genetic Engineering - at Rachel's school disco, they are rescued by strangers and taken to meet a mysterious figure. There, they both make some startling discoveries about their identities, which will affect their past, present, and future in dramatic and life-altering ways...
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell January, I982. Thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor – covert stammerer and reluctant poet – anticipates a stultifying year in his backwater English village. But he hasn’t reckoned with bullies, simmering family discord, the Falklands War, a threatened gypsy invasion and those mysterious entities known as girls. Charting thirteen months in the black hole between childhood and adolescence, this is a captivating novel, wry, painful and vibrant with the stuff of life.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness Imagine you're the only boy in a town of men. And you can hear everything they think. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don't fit in with their plans... Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run...
Animal Farm / 1984 by George Orwell / Fuelled by Orwell's intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism, Animal Farm is a nearly perfect piece of writing--both an engaging story and an allegory that actually works. When the downtrodden beasts of Manor Farm oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land, all are awash in collectivist zeal. Everyone willingly works overtime, productivity soars and for one brief, glorious season, every belly is full. Too soon, however, the pigs, who have styled themselves leaders by virtue of their intelligence, succumb to the temptations of privilege and power. 34 Great novels for young adults - Reading list
Wolf Brother: The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (Series) by Michael Paver The book begins dramatically with the death of Torak’s father, the mage, Fa, from mortal wounds inflicted by a giant, possessed bear. Fa’s dying words bind Torak to a quest to find the mythical Mountain of the World Spirit. Only there will Torak find the strength needed to defeat the demonic creature and killer of men.
Tamar by Mal Peet In the final winter of the second world war, two young Dutchmen, trained in England by the Special Operations Executive, parachute into the heart of the occupied Netherlands, one charged with coordinating the disparate and dissenting resistance groups in the area, the other a wireless operator maintaining contact with London. A tale of love and betrayal, courage and human tragedy, the storyline dips backwards and forwards from wartime Holland to a young girl's journey in 1995 to discover the truth. A great novel!
Triskellion by Will Peterson Rachel and Adam are sent to stay with their grandmother, following their parents' divorce. But the quiet English village is a sinister, unsettling place. Is there a dark heart beating beneath the thatched roofs of Triskellion? It is a place protected by an ancient, three-bladed artefact; a village where crops never fail and where the war memorial is blank; a community with much to protect. With the help of the mysterious Gabriel, Rachel and Adam begin to unearth centuries-old secrets and make a shocking revelation about their family’s past – and their own future...
Nation by Terry Pratchett When a giant wave destroys his entire Nation - his family and everyone he has ever known - Mau finds himself totally alone. Until he meets Daphne, daughter of a colonial Governor and the sole survivor from a shipwreck. They have no common language, no common culture - but together they discover some remarkable things - like how to milk a pig and why spitting in beer is a good idea - and must try and forge a new kind of Nation. Then other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island, and not all of them are friendly.
Northern Lights (His Dark Materials Trilogy) by Philip Pullman Lyra's life is already sufficiently interesting for a novel before she eavesdrops on a presentation by her uncle Lord Asriel to his colleagues in the Jordan College faculty, Oxford. The college, famed for its leadership in experimental theology, is funding Lord Asriel's research into the heretical possibility of the existence of worlds unlike Lyra's own, where everyone is born with a familiar animal companion. Philip Pullman's lively, taut story is a must-read for fantasy lovers of all ages.
Fever Crumb/Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve The author of the best-selling and critically beloved Mortal Engines quartet has written a stunning prequel. Fever Crumb is set a generation before the events of Mortal Engines, when cities are just beginning to devour each other. Is the mystery of Fever, adopted daughter of Dr Crumb, the key to the secret that lies at the heart of London?
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts? Great novels for young adults - Reading list 35
Just In Case / How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff After finding his younger brother teetering on the edge of his balcony, fifteen-year-old David Case realizes the fragility of life and senses impending doom. Without looking back, he changes his name to Justin and assumes a new identity, new clothing and new friends, and dares to fall in love with the seductive Agnes Day. With his imaginary dog Boy in tow, Justin struggles to fit into his new role and above all, to survive in a world where tragedy is around every corner. He's got to be prepared, just in case.
Divergent (series) by Veronica Roth Divergent follows the story of Beatrice (Tris) Prior in a new dystopian world. In an attempt to proven the outbreak of war, humankind broke into five different 'factions'. Children grow up in whichever faction their parents belong to, but at the age of 16, they go through an aptitude test to show them which faction they belong in and the following day, at the Choosing Ceremony, they must decide the path for the rest of their lives. For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.
Magyk: Septimus Heap Book One (Series) by Angie Sage A baby girl is rescued from a snowy path in the woods. A baby boy is stillborn. A young Queen is taken ill. An ExtraOrdinary Wizard mysteriously resigns from his post. And all on the same night. A string of events, seemingly unconnected, begins to converge ten years later, when the Heap family receive a knock at the door. The evil Necromancer DomDaniel is plotting his comeback and a Major Obstacle resides in the Heap family. Life as they know is about to change, and the most fantastically fast-paced adventure of confused identities, magyk and mayhem, begin.
My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust and despite the inhospitability of the villagers settle there as woodcutters. When a band of gypsies comes to the village Peter's drab existence is turned upside down. He is infatuated by the beautiful gypsy princess, Sofia, intoxicated by their love of life and drawn into their deadly quest. For these travellers are Vampire Slayers and Chust is a dying community - where the dead come back to wreak revenge on the living.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman Set in America in the near-future, this outstanding novel tells of Unwinding – whereby a parent may choose to retroactively ‘abort’ their teenage children and harvest their organs. Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together through desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing all the while that their lives are hanging in the balance.
Grasshopper Jungle by John Steinbeck In the small town of Ealing, Iowa, Austin and his best friend Robby have accidentally unleashed an unstoppable army. An army of hungry, six-foot-tall praying mantises. This is the truth. This is history. It’s the end of the world. And nobody knows anything about it. Funny, intense, complex and brave, Grasshopper Jungle is a groundbreaking, genre-bending, coming-of-age stunner. ‘If you only read one book this year about sexually confused teens battling 6 foot tall head-chomping praying mantises in small town America, make it this one’, says Charlie Higson. 36 Great novels for young adults - Reading list
Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck Drifters in search of work, George and his childlike friend Lennie, have nothing in the world except the clothes on their back - and a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch in California’s Salinas Valley, but their hopes are dashed as Lennie - struggling against extreme cruelty, misunderstanding and feelings of jealousy - becomes a victim of his own strength. Tackling universal themes of friendship and shared vision, and giving a voice to America’s lonely and dispossessed, Of Mice and Men remains Steinbeck’s most popular work
Treasure Island/Kidnapped by RL Stevenson Spirited, romantic, and full of danger, Kidnapped is Robert Louis Stevenson's classic of high adventure. Beloved by generations, it is the saga of David Balfour, a young heir whose greedy uncle connives to do him out of his inherited fortune and plots to have him seized and sold into slavery. But honour, loyalty, and courage are rewarded; the orphan and castaway survives kidnapping and shipwreck, is rescued by a daredevil of a rogue, and makes a thrilling escape to freedom across the wild highlands of Scotland.
Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells Danny is one of the survivors of a nuclear strike - one of the unlucky ones. Set in Shipley, an ordinary town in the north of England, this is a powerful portrayal of a world that has broken down. Danny not only has to cope in a world of lawlessness and gang warfare, but he has to protect and look after his little brother, Ben, and a girl called Kim. Is there any hope left for a new world? See also Stone Cold.
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien Poor Bilbo Baggins! An unassuming and rather plump hobbit (as most of these small, furry- footed people tend to be ), Baggins finds himself unwittingly drawn into adventure by a wizard named Gandalf and 13 dwarves bound for the Lonely Mountain, where a dragon named Smaug hordes a stolen treasure. Before he knows what is happening, Baggins finds himself on the road to danger...
Montmorency by Eleanor Updale Who is Montmorency? Some say he's a dangerous villain. To others he's a hero. How do a terrible accident and an ambitious young doctor forge his two identities? And how long can he sustain them without getting caught?
Talking in Whispers by James Watson A book about courage, nationhood, friendship and hope. Set in Chile, and based closely on events surrounding Pinochet's military coup, Watson's book follows the fortunes of Andres - a young musician with a dream that soon his country will be free. However his hopes are dashed in a security ambush on a lonely road which leaves his uncle dead and his father a prisoner of the secret police. Andres himself is forced to go into hiding whilst the military junta impose a brutal dictatorship. Those who question are tortured and murdered. They become 'the disappeared'...
Code Name: Verity by Elizabeth Wein In a cell in Nazi-occupied France, a young woman writes. She dribbles out information—“everything I can remember about the British War Effort”—in exchange for time and a reprieve from torture. But her story is a lot more than a listing of wireless codes or aircraft types…
The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall Chas McGill has the second-best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth, and he desperately wants it to be the best. When he stumbles across the remains of a German bomber crashed in the woods - its shiny, black machine-gun still intact - he grabs his chance. Soon he’s masterminding his own war effort with dangerous and unexpected results . . . A classic novel! Great novels for young adults - Reading list 37
Uglies by Scott Westerfield Tally lives in a world where your sixteenth birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation which erases all your flaws, transforming you from an ‘Ugly’ into a ‘Pretty’. She is on the eve of this important event, and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time. But then she meets Shay, who is also fifteen - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn’t sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape ‘ turning’...
Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer A group of emotionally fragile, highly intelligent teenagers gather at a therapeutic boarding school where they are mysteriously picked for ‘Special Topics in English’. Here, they are tasked with studying Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and keeping a journal. Each time the teens write in their diaries they are transported to a miraculous other world called Belzhar, a world where they are no longer haunted by their trauma and grief - and each begins to tell their own story. Belzhar is a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Here is a small fact - you are going to die. 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. Some important information: this novel is narrated by Death himself. First Form CURRICULUM GUIDE
JUNE 2020