Welcome to
Year 9

Writing

At Ipswich Academy, we place great importance on the ability of students to communicate their thoughts, feelings and experiences clearly in different forms and for different purposes. All of our units are underpinned by opportunities to write analytically, creatively and persuasively.

Reading

Reading is the master skill of learning and the English curriculum offers broad opportunities to read and develop confidence with challenging texts of varying type, age and purpose. Specific focus is given to creating a broad knowledge base and a specific skill set for academic reading.

Year 9 takes the theme of injustice as its basis with Blood Brothers, Romeo and Juliet and Reynolds’ Long Way Down, providing the beginning of discussions around how individuals are impacted and fight against inequality.

The 5-year curriculum plan provides a logical progression through the National Curriculum for KS3, following onto the Edexcel Foundation or Higher GCSE specification.

The Year 9 curriculum is both the culmination of Key Stage 3 studies and introduces many concepts and skills that form part of the GCSE syllabus.

Topics taught this year include:

• More advanced graph work
• Algebra work, including simultaneous equations, algebraic products and factorising quadratics
• Number work, including trial and improvement, recurring decimals, percentages work with appreciation/depreciation and rounding (upper and lower bounds)
• Trigonometry
• Congruency and similarity for triangles
• Transformations, particularly enlargements.

Autumn Term

In the autumn term of Year 9, students begin the first part of the GCSE science syllabus by exploring key concepts in biology, including the use of microscopes and the structures and functions of animal and plant cells. In chemistry, they delve into the states of matter, learning about solids, liquids, and gases and their properties. Physics covers P1, focusing on fundamental principles of motion, such as acceleration and interpreting velocity-time graphs.

Spring Term

In the spring term of Year 9, biology lessons cover the study of enzymes and their functions, as well as essential processes like diffusion and osmosis. Chemistry focuses on separation techniques, including filtration and chromatography, along with understanding how water is purified for drinking, and students complete a core practical on chromatography. In physics, the curriculum delves into forces, with a particular emphasis on Newton’s laws of motion and their applications.

Summer Term

In the summer term of Year 9, the biology curriculum includes studying mitosis, growth processes, the use of stem cells, and the basics of the nervous system. Chemistry lessons focus on understanding atomic structure and exploring the periodic table, providing a foundation for more advanced concepts. In physics, students learn about energy, forces, and power, delving into how these principles interact and affect the physical world.

The French curriculum is designed to introduce students to another language and culture.

We have three key aims to our language learning; developing cultural awareness and intercultural understanding; providing a firm basis for further study; providing students with the tools to understand and use French for travel or other purposes.

We develop skills in four key areas: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Key themes in Year 9 are:

• Social media
• Food
• Healthy living
• Work and future studies
• Environment and social issues.

Students are introduced to near future and conditional tenses, complex sentence structures, modal verbs, comparisons, time adverbs.

Students study the following units, which develop their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. Each unit includes a range of interesting case studies on a local, regional, national and global scale.

• Geography of Disease
• Development
• Tectonics
• Coasts
• Brazil
• Weather and Climate.

In Year 9 students’ studies focus on the Twentieth Century and the ever changing nature of international power and alliances.

Students will study topics such as the World Wars, Life in Nazi Germany, the Russian Revolutions, and the Holocaust. These topics are essential for students gaining an understanding of how the world looks today and the complicated nature of international relations.

Again, students will continue to build on key historical skills with the aim of best preparing them to use those skills at GCSE level or to build a bank of transferable skills to be applied across students’ other subjects.

Autumn Term 1

Texture – Using the ‘phonics’ (Indian Raga)

Autumn Term 2

Texture – Using the ‘phonics’ (Film Music)

Spring Term 1

Preparing for GCSE – Performance

Spring Term 2

Preparing for GCSE – Performance

Summer Term 1

Preparing for GCSE – Performance

Summer Term 2

Preparing for GCSE – Performance

Our Physical Education curriculum for Year 7, 8, and 9 students aims to foster holistic development, encompassing physical, social, cognitive, and emotional growth. We are committed to inclusivity, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate and thrive in a supportive environment.

Each half term, students will engage in a variety of sports, including invasion games, net and wall games, and striking and fielding activities. This diverse curriculum is designed to enhance physical literacy and competence, ensuring that every student develops a broad range of skills and enjoys the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Through our program, we aim to provide ample opportunities for all students to achieve their full potential in physical education.

In Year 9, students will consider the arguments for and against belief in God. In the second term they will study Buddhist teachings about overcoming suffering, and in the third term students will examine Sikhism and its beliefs about equality.

The PSHE programme has been carefully designed to meet the needs of students and is regularly updated according to students’ changing needs.

The programme of study follows a large number of Jigsaw 11-16 lessons as well as some more bespoke lessons designed in-house. These lessons include three core themes: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. The programme also incorporates SMSC, British Values and Careers to ensure students gain a rounded education and experience.

The main focus of the PSHE programme is to give students a broad and engaging programme of study that provides a positive, safe and consistent environment where students gain the most out of their educational opportunities, regardless of ability or background.

Careers focus: Graphic design, Games/Animation Industry

Elements of art revisited: colour, line, texture, pattern, technical drawing. All relate to A02, 3 & 4. In addition Photography (A03- to record ideas and observations animation) and stop frame animation (A04- to produce a personal outcome).
Photographer/animation/illustrator- hinterland careers.

It is carefully constructed to revisit but build upon technical skills across 2d and 3d, creative skills and vitally critical understanding of art/artists and why we make art. We aim to embed the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create throughout the years.

Students will continue to develop skills required for performance through the exploration of different theatre styles. They will study both Physical Theatre and Naturalism introducing them to a wider range of practitioners and techniques.

Students will also begin to explore a vast range of roles and responsibilities within theatre, supporting different career routes within the arts.

In Year 9, students will cover:

• Traditional cooking
• One pot wonders when cooking
• Sweet vs savoury
• Meal planning
• Time plans
• Own planning and cooking of their own dish.