Bridging the grammar gap in Year 7 with the Natural Curriculum

At The Natural Curriculum, we recognise the challenges many pupils face when transitioning from primary to secondary school, particularly when it comes to grammar.

Around a quarter of students begin Year 7 without meeting the expected standard in grammar and punctuation. Even those who meet the standard often have gaps or misconceptions. Combined with the effects of the well-documented ‘summer slide’, this can leave many pupils underprepared for the demands of Key Stage 3 English.

For English teachers, the early weeks of Year 7 are crucial. There’s a need to quickly identify and plug knowledge gaps in grammar, so that children will be able to write with clarity and confidence whilst engaging with more complex texts through effective reading comprehension and literary analysis.

We believe our Natural Curriculum grammar programmes, developed for KS2 provide valuable support for Year 7 teachers facing this challenge.

How the Natural Curriculum can support Year 7

English Natural Curriculum grammar lessons offer several features that make them a strong candidate for supporting all pupils, but its use can be extended as both a bridging project or intervention tool. particularly for those children who are reluctant writers and have entered Year 7 with gaps in their grammar knowledge.

Grammar in context

Each lesson is built around a short, captivating BBC nature clip, using the wonders of the natural world to provide engaging, real-world contexts for grammar learning. This approach captures attention and gives grammar meaning and relevance.

 Clear and accessible

Our lessons feature straightforward grammar explanations, making them useful not only for pupils, but also for English teachers looking to refresh their own subject knowledge, whilst gaining a clear insight into what children have previously been taught about grammar at the primary level.

Strong curriculum coverage

The content aligns closely with KS3 expectations, including more advanced elements such as the use of the passive voice and literary devices like metaphors and similes. The grammar knowledge developed through our lessons provides a solid foundation for analytical reading and effective writing.

Rich vocabulary

The lessons are rich in vocabulary, an essential prerequisite to applying their knowledge of grammar effectively when writing for different purposes and finding greater meaning in texts.

Why Year 7 Teachers should adopt the Natural Curriculum

Our grammar lessons have been successfully applied in primary schools across the country, and we now advocate their use in Year 7 classrooms with the support of secondary educators who see their potential in a secondary setting to support intervention programmes, grammar recap sessions, or even as a Year 7 bridging project at the start of the academic year.

“My AHT loved it, thinks it’s very useful and user-friendly and could be used as a bridging project and/or intervention. It maps really well into Year 7 where, interestingly, the curriculum loses all of the grammar focus and moves swiftly into analysis.”

Hetty Blackmore, Assistant Headteacher at Mangotsfield School

Interested in exploring our resources?

We’d love to hear from KS3 English teachers interested in trialing or adapting our grammar lessons to suit the needs of Year 7 students. Whether used for targeted interventions, revision, or early grammar consolidation, we believe our resources offer a unique, engaging way to support pupils at a critical stage in their learning. Contact dmillington@era.org.uk to get involved.