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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…

 

Year 7

Spring Term 2

Being an effective orator

“Can a speech change the world?”

In this unit, we will explore some important seminal and modern speeches to understand the power that words can have in shaping attitudes, politics and actions.  This is so that students can:

 

  • Write an effective persuasive piece using appropriate techniques
  • Deliver a persuasive speech

 

Year 8

Spoken Language: British Legacies

“What does “being successful” mean in modern Britain?”

In this unit, we will learn about how Britain has evolved over time (cultures, traditions, influences, history-makers, events, legacies), looking at key people from across time and cultures.  We will consider the shared and different experiences that make up the people of Britain and what makes it ‘Great’.  This so that students can:

  • Infer and decode texts
  • Write argumentatively about a ‘Great Briton’
  • Deliver a convincing and powerful persuasive speech

Year 9

Poetry: Love and Relationships

 

“What does ‘love’ mean and how do poets reveal their attitudes to it?”

In this unit, we will take a thematic approach to reading poetry, getting students used to the notion of a ‘poetry collection’ which will be a key feature of their GCSE studies.  Students will begin to master the art of comparison and consider how different writers convey similar concepts, looking closely at language and structural features. This is so that students can:

  • Write about poetic technique and intention across a theme (reading)
  • Write transformatively from the perspective of a voice from the poems

 

 

Year 10

Spring Term 1

 

Writers’ Viewpoints & Perspectives

& Spoken Language

Language Paper 2

Spoken Assessment Piece

Linked to the requirements of Section A of Language Paper 2 (see above), students will study:

  • The difference between a viewpoint and perspective, and how they are conveyed in non-fiction writing.
  • Exploration of what constitutes a concise summary – with clarity and inference.
  • Analysing language at word and sentence level, considering the purposeful choices writers have made to convey their own views.
  • Students need to know how a non-fiction extract varies in comparison to a fiction extract and how this impacts the way in which it is analysed/appraised.
  • Students will consider how they best make insightful comparisons across texts, contrasting methods used and opinions conveyed.
  • The difference between and variations between different forms of genre for non-fiction writing. The choice of genre will include: high quality journalism, articles, reports, essays, travel writing, accounts, letters, diaries, autobiography and biographical passages or other appropriate non-fiction and literary non-fiction forms.
  • Within these text types, we will look at how writers construct their views in an organized way and how different methods are adopted to shape views.
  • Alongside reading non-fiction texts, students will look at how they write their own, suited to purpose, audience and format.
  • They will need to plan ideas, consider how they are best organized and construct their own viewpoint. Technical accuracy and proof reading of ideas is crucial.

 

Linked to the requirements of the Spoken Assessment, students will study:

  • How to write for purpose and audience; they will plan, write and deliver their own speech to their peers.
  • 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.

 

Year 11

 

Revision Season:

  • Language Paper 2 revision
  • Literature:  Power & Conflict Poetry

 

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.

 

Year 13

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.

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

Our Values

LIMITLESS POTENTIAL 
We can achieve so much more than we think we can

INTENTIONAL EXCELLENCE

Success doesn’t happen by mistake

MUTUAL RESPECT

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important

GENUINE INTEGRITY

Honesty and doing the right thing are what really counts

AMAZING GRACE

Life is better with fresh starts and second chances