St Leonard's

Year 8 is an essential year in any child’s development as this is a time when pupils really develop their knowledge, skills and understanding across all of their subjects. This is also the year when pupils begin to gain a deeper sense of their interests and passions ahead of choosing their options in Year 9.  

Some changes to classes will also take place in Year 8. Having largely been taught in tutor groups in Year 7, from the beginning of Year 8 pupils will be in sets for English, Mathematics, Science and Religious Education. Whichever set a pupil is in for English, they will also be in the same set for Religious Education. Whichever set a pupil is in for Maths, they will also be in the same set for Science. 

The school has worked hard to ensure that pupils in Year 8 continue to access a broad, balanced, ambitious and exciting curriculum ahead of their options year in Year 9. 

Year Lead: Miss Ainsley

Tutors

Tutor Group	Teacher	Classroom
8 L	Mr Robinson	St Bridget Lab 10
8 E	Miss Campbell	St Bridget Lab 4
8 O	Mrs Anyan & Mrs Hastie	St Bridget Music 1
8 N	Mr Spinks	St Bede 2
8 A	Mr Maxwell	St Hild 7
8 R	Miss Dungworth	St Bridget Lab 8

Key Dates:
Parents’ Evening: This is a face to face event with an opportunity to receive feedback from all of your child’s teachers. Date: Monday 2nd March 2026, 3:45-6:15pm. 

Reports: Reports will go out at three points during the year: November, February and July, one per term. The Year 8 end of year assessments are planned for the week commencing the 1^st June –12^th June 2026. These are in-class assessments.

Subject guidance on how to prepare for assessments:

Art and Design	View
Computing	View
English	View
French	View
Geography	View
History	View
Mathematics	View
Music	View
Religious Education	View
Science	View
Technology	View

Curriculum Support Videos

Maths

Title	Link
1) Determine if a given number is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 using standard tests.	Link
2) BIDMAS including fractions and indices	Link
3) Prime factor decomposition and using it to find HCF and LCM	Link
4) Area of compound shapes including triangles, parallelograms and trapeziums	Link
5) Solve volume problems including problems involving compound volume.	Link
6) Sketch nets of 3D solids by considering what each of its faces looks like and how the edges match up.	Link
7) Calculate the surface area of cubes and cuboids.	Link
8) Draw 3D solids on isometric paper and know that lines can only be drawn in three ways	Link
9) Know what plans and elevations of 3D solids are and be able to draw them for blocks and recognise 3D solids from plans and elevations.	Link
10) Calculate angles and draw pie charts and know the relevance of factors of 360	Link
11) Compare two sets of data presented in grouped frequency tables using averages and range	Link
12) Solve equations with unknowns on both sides using the balancing method	Link

English

Title	Link
1) Descriptive writing – technical accuracy	Link
2) Descriptive writing – ambitious vocabulary	Link
3) Descriptive writing – character	Link

Science

Title	Link
1) Cells and respiration	Link
2) Light and sound	Link
3) Our Earth	Link

French

1) Y8 catch up	Link
2) La télé	Link
3) Le cinema	Link
4) Past tense	Link
5) La technologie	Link
6) La lecture	Link
7) Name, age, hair and eyes	Link