Years 7 to 9: what to teach and where to find it.
What the national curriculum asks of older pupils, which parts of the free course cover it, and a term-by-term path through Level 3, Bridge English.
Where to start
Level 3: Bridge English
For older pupils who need to catch up, or who are learning English as an additional language. Use the placement check to choose Level 2 or Level 3, then work through the year in the order shown. This is an intensive pathway, not a replacement for the school's own key stage 3 curriculum.
If it feels too easy or too hard
Use the placement check, then move up or down a year on this map. Children learning English as an additional language often sit at a different level for speaking, listening, reading and writing: that is normal.
What the national curriculum asks
- The Reading Framework covers Reception to Year 9, including support for older pupils who cannot yet decode (S4).
- The national curriculum English programmes of study run from key stage 1 to key stage 4 (S1). The detailed key stage 3 content is not summarised here: UNVERIFIED in this pass.
- Pupils who still struggle to decode need urgent, systematic phonics, while listening to and discussing age-appropriate texts (S1 says this at each primary stage; the older-pupil detail is in S4).
Summarised in our own words from the official documents listed under Sources. For exact wording, always use the official text.
How the free course covers it
| Phonics catch-up | Older learners can move quickly through the sound sets, in the calm teacher style. |
|---|---|
| Typing | The full course, useful for coursework and exams. |
| Writing | Argument, review, report and note-taking. |
| Grammar and vocabulary | Study words, linking language, formal and informal register. |
| SEND and reading access | Reading preferences and the SEND page. |
Some strand pages are still being added to the site and will open as they are published. See the full plan for every strand.
Your year, term by term
A suggested path through Level 3. Each week links to the full week on the level page, with lesson outlines and free resources.
School term 1
Level 3, weeks 1 to 12
- Wk 1 Getting to know youpresent simple and continuous; question forms
- Wk 2 School life and organisationadverbs of frequency; have to / don't have to
- Wk 3 Free time and interestsverb + -ing or to-infinitive
- Wk 4 Weekend storiespast simple, regular and irregular
- Wk 5 What was happening?past continuous with when and while
- Wk 6 Life experiencespresent perfect with ever, never, just, already, yet
- Wk 7 Our digital livespresent perfect with for and since; How long...?
- Wk 8 Staying safe onlinemust, mustn't, should, shouldn't
- Wk 9 Towns and citiescomparatives, superlatives, (not) as ... as
- Wk 10 News and reportspast simple passive (was built, were found)
- Wk 11 Reviews and recommendations-ed and -ing adjectives; because, so, although
- Wk 12 Review and assessmentTerm 1 grammar
School term 2
Level 3, weeks 13 to 24
- Wk 13 Plans and arrangementsgoing to, present continuous for arrangements, will for quick decisions
- Wk 14 Our future worldwill, might, may for predictions; probably, definitely
- Wk 15 The environmentfirst conditional; unless
- Wk 16 Health and wellbeingshould, ought to; too and enough
- Wk 17 Friends and people we admirerelative clauses: who, which, that, where, whose
- Wk 18 Jobs and skillsbe able to, could; good at, interested in + -ing
- Wk 19 The art of the interviewindirect questions: Could you tell me...? Do you know...?
- Wk 20 How things are madepresent simple passive; first, then, after that, finally
- Wk 21 Passing it onreported speech: said, told, asked
- Wk 22 Agreeing and disagreeingso do I / neither do I; however, on the other hand
- Wk 23 Numbers and chartscomparatives with numbers; fractions and percentages
- Wk 24 Review and assessmentTerm 2 grammar
School term 3
Level 3, weeks 25 to 36
- Wk 25 Stories that grippast perfect for narrative
- Wk 26 Then and nowused to; didn't use to
- Wk 27 Imagine if...second conditional; If I were you
- Wk 28 Travel and adventurepresent perfect or past simple
- Wk 29 Media and advertisingmodals of deduction: must, might, can't
- Wk 30 Digital footprint and sourcesquestion tags; formal and informal register
- Wk 31 Study skillsphrasal verbs for study (look up, go over, catch up)
- Wk 32 Making a caselinking: firstly, in addition, however, in conclusion
- Wk 33 Presenting with confidencesignposting language; review of reported speech
- Wk 34 Mock exam weekmixed B1 review
- Wk 35 Presentationsall Level 3 grammar
- Wk 36 Final assessment and celebrationTerm 3 grammar
Checks and tests this year
- Check your school's key stage 3 assessment calendar. Nothing here replaces it.
At home
- Show an interest in what they read, whatever the format.
- Agree a quiet daily reading time, even ten minutes.
- If English is an additional language, keep talking, reading and telling stories in the home language too.