What your child should know by the end of Year 7 (Maths, Science and English)
Schools teach topics in different orders, but by the end of Year 7 most children in England will have covered the same core ideas from the KS3 National Curriculum. This checklist shows the main ones, so you can see what your child is working on.
Maths
- Place value, rounding and estimating, including decimals and significant figures.
- Negative numbers: adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing them. See our negative numbers notes.
- Fractions, decimals and percentages: converting between them and finding a fraction or percentage of an amount. See fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Algebra: simplifying expressions, substituting values, expanding a bracket and solving simple equations. See algebra basics.
- Sequences, ratio and proportion.
- Angles, area and perimeter of triangles, rectangles, parallelograms and trapeziums. See angles, area and perimeter.
- Averages and probability: mean, median, mode, range and simple probabilities.
Science
- Cells: plant and animal cells, specialised cells, and how cells form tissues and organs. See cells.
- Particles: solids, liquids and gases, changes of state, diffusion and separating mixtures. See particles and states of matter.
- Forces: balanced and unbalanced forces, weight and mass, friction and speed. See forces and energy.
- Acids and alkalis, the pH scale and simple chemical reactions.
- Energy and electricity: energy stores, simple circuits and renewable resources.
- Reproduction, ecosystems, light and sound.
English
- Reading for inference: working out what a writer suggests, not just what they say. See reading: inference and language.
- Language techniques: simile, metaphor, personification and why writers choose particular words.
- Grammar: word classes, clauses and sentence types. See word classes and sentences.
- Punctuation and spelling: apostrophes, commas, speech marks, semicolons and common tricky words. See punctuation and spelling.
- Non-fiction: the purpose of a text and persuasive techniques.
- Poetry and an introduction to Shakespeare.
How to use this checklist
Don't expect every topic to be secure in November; much of it is taught later in the year. The useful question is whether the topics already taught have stuck.
A quick way to find out is a short test across all three subjects. Our free Notenix week does exactly that and emails you a report on day 7.
Questions parents ask
What maths is taught in Year 7?
Typically place value and rounding, negative numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages, early algebra (expressions, substitution, equations), sequences, ratio, angles, area and perimeter, and basic statistics and probability.
What science is taught in Year 7?
Common Year 7 topics include cells, particles and states of matter, forces, acids and alkalis, energy and electricity, reproduction, ecosystems, and light and sound. Schools teach them in different orders.
Is Year 7 the same in every school?
The KS3 National Curriculum sets what is covered across Years 7 to 9, but each school chooses its own order, so your child may meet topics at different times from friends at other schools.