English
Curriculum Intent
We study English to create, embed and develop a love of English Language and Literature through an appreciation of the importance of English in everyday life. We aim for students to understand the power of words, texts and spoken English in order to make sense of the world they live in. We use this to explore key identities of identity, eras and places. The key stage 3 journey is sequenced in such a way that these themes are explored systematically and logically. We simultaneously look to:
- deepen an experience of the greatest literary texts and the best that has been written, thought and said, so that students have rich cultural capital
- deepen what they know about these texts and about readerly, writerly and speaking / listening skills
- deepen what they can do (as speakers, listeners, readers and writers) as a result of this new and deeper knowledge
We embed a culture of interdependent and independent oracy to help learners to express themselves, communicate and articulate themselves formally and to create a culture that helps young people thrive and aspire beyond their school years, regardless of their route through life.
We explore a wide range of topics and events (in a holistic, sensitive way) from both past and present, to encourage learners to empathise with others and grow from the mistakes that have been made in the past. We appraise social class across a range of eras and their impacts; evaluate how societies have changed across time and discuss the way that literature has acted to ease troubles, both personally and on a greater scale. Through this, the Grace values are used to build learners who have a moral compass which cements the foundations to become a considerate citizen.
We scaffold and evolve skills each year so that every learner can build their skillset to be in a position to contribute to society and grow as a person. Knowledge is embedded to allow students to formulate their own ideas; mastery and retrieval are built into the curriculum to allow learners to apply their skills and foster a resilience that matures beyond adolescence.
We critically scrutinise some of the greatest literary minds (past and present) and their plays, stories, poems and novels to write about the impacts that literature has had on the world. This base is the soil from which learners build deep roots in English before flourishing and achieving their potential, both academically and as people in society.
This term, we are studying…
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Year 7 |
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Spring Term 2 |
Narrative Arc in horror: The Landlady |
“How do horror writers shape a story?” |
In this unit we will learn about the conventions of short stories (opposed to longer prose) looking at the features and tropes of the gothic horror genre. This is so that students can:
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Year 8 |
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Poetry (& creative writing) |
“How can a poem reflect your experience in the world?” |
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In this unit, we will how writers use poetic techniques to create meanings, and create & break stereotypes. This is so that students can:
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Year 9 |
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Creative Writing – Making the Ordinary, Extraordinary. |
“How can we breathe life into the ordinary through words?” |
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In this unit, we will look at how writers can take everyday ideas, objects and topics and make them sound exciting and extraordinary through the craft, control and deployment of precise language and syntax. This is so that students can:
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Year 10 |
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Spring Term 1
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Writers; Viewpoints and perspectives |
Spoken Assessment Language Paper 2 (Q1-4) |
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Significant importance is placed on use of standard English and clarity of communication. This spoken language unit is awarded a pass, merit or distinction grade and will appear on their GCSE certificate. |
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Year 11 |
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Revision Season:
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By this point in the year, the content is finished, and students will now be revisiting key topics with the aim of revisiting key knowledge, and practicing essays and answers in line with exam requirements (see above) Students should be supporting in-class revision with their own extensive |
Year 13 |
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Content Completion Paper 2 – Wipers Times and Scars Upon My Heart – finish the texts and secure / consolidate knowledge. Paper 2 – Birdsong - finish the text and secure / consolidate knowledge. Revision Season: Paper 1: Taming of The Shrew Love Through The Ages anthology The Great Gatsby Texts and revision materials are available on the google classroom. |
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By this point in the year, the content is finished, and students will now be revisiting key topics with the aim of revisiting key knowledge, and practicing essays and answers in line with exam requirements (see above) Students should be supporting in-class revision with their own extensive revision, using past papers and materials given by school. |
Qualification information:
GCSE: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english
A Level: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-literature-a-7711-7712
Curriculum content:
Attached are the curriculum maps which outline the sequence we use in order to structure our learning. If you would like to support your child's learning, we have attached links to Oak National Academy who provide lessons, activities and resources for commonly taught topics. Please use the curriculum map for this subject before visiting:
https://teachers.thenational.academy/subjects/english/key-stages/key-stage-3
https://teachers.thenational.academy/subjects/english/key-stages/key-stage-4