INTENT

The English department nurtures students’ language skills and a lifelong love of literature in an atmosphere of enjoyment and shared learning. Students learn to express themselves creatively and imaginatively; analyse and explore a wide range of texts and communicate with others confidently and effectively.  The core values of responsibility, respect, and resilience are woven throughout our curriculum.

Mastering the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing enables students to be successful across the curriculum as well as in their life after school.

IMPLEMENTATION

Our spiral curriculum is carefully structured and sequenced to engage students and to ensure they make excellent progress. This curriculum model ensures that students can revisit and build upon their previous learning and key concepts, deepening their understanding as they encounter increasingly complex tasks and texts.

Home Learning

At both key stages, homework tasks are set weekly to support classroom learning, revisit and improve previous learning, or pre-learn information. In KS3, reading and spelling are also regularly set as homework to reinforce literacy skills. Through homework, students are empowered to take responsibility for their own learning.

Key Stage 3

Year 7

• The Island – group discussion, role play, reading and descriptive writing
• Poetry – analysing, writing and performing poetry
• Horror – analysing, writing short stories and presenting stories
• ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell – discussing and analysing the text and understanding context
• Non-Fiction Writing – identifying persuasive techniques and writing to argue and persuade
• ‘Frankenstein’, a play by Philip Pullman – debating, analysing and writing

Year 8

• Poetry – discussing, analysing poetry and understanding context
• Non-fiction – analysing texts and writing to argue
• ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck - discussing, analysing and understanding context
• Short Stories – analysing and writing short stories
• ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare - analysing, writing and understanding context
• Non-fiction – identifying persuasive language techniques and their effects and writing persuasively

Year 9

• Creative writing – descriptive writing
• ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens – analysing the text and understanding context
• Non-fiction - analysing non-fiction from different periods
• Poetry – analysing poetry from different periods and understanding context
• Non-fiction -persuasive writing
• Modern texts. One of the following: ‘Blood Brothers’, ‘An Inspector Calls’ or ‘Lord of the Flies’ - analysing the text and understanding context

Assessment

Students regularly evaluate their class work through self-assessment and peer-assessment using clear success criteria. They also improve their work through dedicated improvement and reflection time. Teachers frequently live mark during lessons and assess students’ learning every half-term.

Key Stage 4

Students follow the AQA English Language GCSE and AQA Literature GCSE courses.

GCSE English Language

• Course Content: The AQA Language course enables students of all abilities to develop the skills needed to read, understand, and analyse a wide range of texts from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Students learn to write clearly, coherently, and accurately using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures. They also continue to develop their, oracy skills including delivering a formal speech on a topic of their choice and responding to questions from an audience.
• Assessment: Students are assessed through two final written exams.  Speaking and Listening (Spoken Language) is assessed separately through a formal presentation.

GCSE English Literature

Course Content: Students read and analyse a play by Shakespeare, a 19th-century novel, a modern text, and a range of poetry. This course encourages students to become thoughtful, critical readers and to read widely for pleasure.

Assessment: Students are assessed through two written final exams for English Literature.

IMPACT

Career Readiness

Literacy is the key to being successful in life. Many employers and apprenticeships require a minimum of a grade 4 in either English Language or Literature and A-level courses often require GCSE English Language or Literature at grade 6 and above.

The skills developed in our curriculum not only prepare students academically but also instil resilience, responsibility and respect, essential qualities for success on any career path. Careers opportunities include journalism, teaching, law, administration, Civil Service, marketing, speech therapy, human resources.