English
In the English department, we aim to ignite and encourage a lifelong love of English through teaching strong lessons every day, using engaging stimuli and covering literature form around the world.
We work closely with students to fix any misconceptions and build confidence in all forms of communication through passionate teaching and sharp attention to detail. We give students the keys to success and will always support them to achieve the best they can. We aim to offer excellent Language provision so that students can become masters of how they present their ideas and arguments. We will offer engaging Literature provision so that students gain perspective of the world around them and become experts at reading between the lines of the various messages they receive.
We understand that language empowers learners. We strive to help students to become articulate, confident speakers who are able to critically analyse what they read, formulating their own views and opinions on social and moral issues in particular. We aim to ensure students are able to express themselves clearly and succinctly through their extended writing and are confident in their ability to write for a variety of audiences and purpose, thus preparing them for the world beyond school.
Curriculum Intent
We aim to provide all students with following key elements:
Key Knowledge and Understanding:
- Understanding of a variety of text types, their conventions and their purposes.
- How to use language for a range of purposes and audiences.
- Understanding of a variety of contexts, genres and perspectives.
Key Skills:
- To develop fluency in extended written responses that are creative, coherent and compelling.
- To develop the skills of inference, analysis, evaluation and comparison.
- To develop the ability to speak clearly with a purpose to a range of audiences.
- To develop the habits of resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness, reciprocity and respectfulness, which are the levers of success.
Our English curriculum aims to:
- Foster a love of reading across a range of texts
- Encourage students to question and challenge the world they live in
- Develop confident and articulate writers and speakers
- Spark ambition by encouraging students to engage with the world we live in
- Develop well-rounded and confident young adults who are ready to take their place in the world
Key Stage 3 Curriculum Overview
In Key Stage 3, students study a wide range of texts and practise skills necessary to become better communicators.
Year 7 English
Animal Farm - Students will revise key skills from KS2 and develop key skills needed for KS3 in both reading and writing.
Ghost Boys and Identity Poetry - Students will study the modern novel by Jewel Rhodes and explore a range of poetry.
Shakespeare's Heroes and Villains - Students will explore some of Shakespeare's iconic heroes and villains alongside learning to write an effective speech.
Year 8 English
A Monster Calls - Students will study the novel by Patrick Ness alongside non-fiction extracts linked to key themes in the text.
Macbeth and The Gothic - Students will study Shakespeare's Macbeth alongside seminal Gothic texts.
The Dark Lady - Students will explore Akala's new novel set in Elizabethan London in order to develop analysis skills.
Year 9 English
Dystopian Literature - Students will study a range of iconic dystopian texts while developing reading and writing skills.
Blood Brothers - Students will study Willy Russell's play and develop their understanding of play conventions.
Literary Greats - Students will explore a range of iconic literary texts from around the world.
Conflict Journalism - Students will explore non-fiction writing through conflict journalism.
Don't Get Me Started - Students will develop speaking and listening skills in relation to current issues facing modern Britain.
Year 7 Curriculum Content
Topics Covered:
- Greek Myths and Narrative Writing
- Ghost Boys and Transactional Writing
- The Tempest
- A range of poetry
Key Knowledge and Skills:
- Understanding the origins of narratives in English
- The simple structure of narratives and how writers can experiment with this to make stories have different effects
- The archetypal characters found in stories and their complexities
- How to plan, write and edit work effectively
- A range of contexts from Ancient Greeks to modern American Civil Rights and how they impact the meaning of a text
- The conventions of writing to persuade and argue through letters and speeches
- How to understand Shakespearean language and the context of the time he was writing in
- Understanding the conventions of poetry and how poets use speaker, imagery and mood to convey meaning
- How to write poetry and use the form to give voices to others
Assessment:
- Progress tasks in all lessons
- Weekly VIP tests to recall key knowledge
- Key Piece assessments each half term, focusing on both reading, writing and knowledge retention
Homework:
- Knowledge Organiser with weekly quiz in lesson
- Additional homework menu with a range of tasks varying in difficulty to complete over the course of the term
Links to Careers and Preparation for Life in Modern Britain:
- Promoting inclusively and diversity of protected characteristics
- Enabling students to communicate with clarity and confidence
- Promoting resilience, confidence and healthy relationships
Year 8 Curriculum Content
Topics Covered:
- A Monster Calls and Letter Writing
- The Dark Lady and London through Time
- Romeo and Juliet
- A range of poetry
Key Knowledge and Skills:
- Being able to track and discuss how characters, themes and plot develop over the course of a narrative
- Recognising the importance of allegory and how literature can teach lessons for our real lives
- The conventions of a range of transactional texts and how to apply them successfully e.g. letters, articles and speeches
- Developing analytical skills through use of a range of texts with a focus on extended written analysis
- How to apply understanding of context to analysis
- Understanding how writers use imagery to describe settings and characters with depth
- Strengthening understanding of Shakespearean language and ability to discuss and explore it in more detail
- What is meant by ‘tragedy’ and the conventions of that type of play
- Developing understanding of more challenging poetry, including sonnets, and how to discuss effects with clarity
Assessment:
- Progress tasks in all lessons
- Weekly VIP tests the recall key knowledge
- Key Piece assessments each half-term, focusing on both reading, writing and knowledge retention
Homework:
- Knowledge Organiser with weekly quiz in lesson
- Additional homework menu with a range of tasks varying in difficulty to complete over the course of the term
Links to Careers and Preparation for Life in Modern Britain:
- Spiritual development: students develop the ability to reflect on their own beliefs
- Preparing students for future success in education, employment and training though further development of their literacy skills
- Students giving their opinions on issues facing Modern Britain
Year 9 Curriculum Content
Topics Covered:
- Dystopian Literature and Creative Writing
- Blood Brothers and Essay Skills
- Don’t Get Me Started: The Art of Rhetoric
- A range of poetry
Key Knowledge and Skills:
- Understanding the conventions of different genres
- Developing depth in creative writing through character and setting descriptions
- Understanding the context of 1970s and 1980s Britain and the impact it had on literature
- Recognising literature as a form of protest and a tool to bring change in society
- How to discuss key dramatic techniques used in plays and the impact they can have on an audience
- How to discuss character, theme, plot development across a whole text with greater independence
- Essay writing skills and how to develop an argument in written responses
- The origins of rhetoric and its significance in the world we live in
- Understanding the Five Canons of Rhetoric and the importance of using them to structure engaging speeches that have an impact on the audience
- How to analyse iconic speeches and how to tackle major issues facing Modern Britain and the wider world
Assessment:
- Progress tasks in all lessons
- Key Piece assessments each half term, focusing on both reading, writing and knowledge retention
- Weekly VIP tests to recall key knowledge
Homework:
- Knowledge Organiser with weekly quiz in lesson
- Additional homework menu with a range of tasks varying in difficulty to complete over the course of the term
Links to Careers and Preparation for Life in Modern Britain:
- Preparing students for future success in education, employment and training through refinement of their literacy skills
- Promoting inclusively and diversity
- Cultural development: understanding the wider range of cultural influences that shape individuals
Key Stage 4 Curriculum Content - English Language
We follow the AQA GCSE specification.
Component 1 – Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
- This component has a Reading section based on one fiction text and a Writing section in which students write their own fictional text.
Component 2 – Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
- This component has a Reading section based on two non-fiction texts and a Writing section in which students write their own non-fiction text, based on their own viewpoint.
Component 3 – Spoken Language
- This component is an oracy-based unit, in which students choose a topic to speak about and answer questions on.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum Content - English Literature
We follow the AQA GCSE specification.
Component 1 – Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
- Section A Shakespeare (we study ‘Romeo and Juliet’) – students answer one question, using an extract printed on the exam and their own knowledge of the play.
- Section B 19th century novel (we study ‘A Christmas Carol’) – students answer one question, using an extract printed on the exam and their own knowledge of the novel.
Component 2 – Modern texts and poetry
- Section A Modern text (we study ‘An Inspector Calls’) – students answer one question from a choice of two, using their own knowledge of the play.
- Section B Anthology poetry (we study ‘Power and Conflict’ group of poems) – students answer one question, using a poem printed on the exam and their own knowledge of another linked poem.
- Section C 19th Unseen poetry – students answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing it to a second unseen poem.
Key knowledge and skills in Key stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)
Language:
- How to read and analyse a range of fiction and non-fiction texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries with increasing confidence
- How to structure narratives and descriptions to ensure they are coherent and engaging
- How to structure a range of non-fiction texts e.g. letters, speeches, articles, blogs, essays
- Selecting key information from texts and how to compare and summarise the viewpoints of writers
- The ability to speak with confidence and clarity to an audience
- The significance of planning, writing and editing work to ensure it is coherent.
Literature
- The ability to explore different forms of literature and form arguments in response to questions
- To understand how plot, character and themes develop and how to discuss this in responses
- Looking at alternate ways of looking at language
- Considering how the context of a text impacts the meaning
- How writers’ intentions can impact the message of a text
- How to build a thesis and explore this through essay writing skills
- Comparison on poems by themes, imagery, structure, form
- How to approach unseen poetry and analyse the writers’ methods and intentions with accuracy