Subjects

 

 

Vision:

Students will encounter the best that has been written and read in order to develop their cultural capital and a passion for English. They will develop confidence and clarity in their communication skills, including: reading, writing and oracy. Students will develop as independent, critical, perceptive and analytical readers, writers, and thinkers who engage with rich and varied forms, genres and cultures of texts. Students will perceptively consider how context informs critical analysis. 

 

Yearly Intent Statements

 

What are the aims of specific stages of the curriculum? 

 

• Year 7: By the end of the year students will have encountered a range of text types: novel, plays, and writing genres, including fiction and non-fiction. They will have learnt to identify quotes in a text to support and develop key ideas. They will learn to use some language terminology to help develop inference. They will begin to develop their understanding of the effect of writers’ linguistic choices. Students will begin to consider the role that context plays on texts and their meaning. They will explore a range of texts from ancient Greece, Jacobean, Victorian to modern literature.These texts are linked thematically by a focus on heroes and its changing definition across time. They will develop their ability to communicate in writing with focus on spelling, punctuation, grammar and appropriate vocabulary choices.

 

• Year 8: By the end of the year students will have encountered a range of text types: novel, play, poetry, writing genres. They will have learnt to make careful choices in their selection of quotes and textual references to support and develop key ideas. They will learn and apply a range of language and structural features using key terms and begin to consider the effect of writers’ choices. Students will explore how context impacts upon texts and their meaning. They will explore a range of texts from the Renaissance, Victorian, early turn of the century, to modern literature. These texts are linked thematically by a focus on gender and its changing presentation across time. They will develop their ability to communicate in writing with a focus on accuracy and clarity of ideas.

 

• Year 9: By the end of the year students will have encountered a range of text types: play, novel, poetry, writing types and genres. This year will prepare them for the key skills at GCSE by focusing on skills of synthesis, summary and comparison. Students will become familiar with GCSE exam question styles and foci. Students will select and identify the best choice of quotes and textual reference; they will use these choices to develop analytical and critical responses which refer to context in their analysis. Students will confidently understand how context informs critical understanding of texts. They will explore a range of texts from Elizabethan, Victorian, World War, to modern literature. These texts are linked thematically by a focus on conflict and its effect across time. Students will write with confidence in a range of forms – they will write with clarity and accuracy. 

 

KS3 Reading Programme: 

• KS3 students will participate in a reading program once a fortnight.They will encounter a range of short stories which are chosen from across the literary canon, genres, genders and ethnicity. These stories have been chosen as the best that has been read and written. These texts will develop students’ awareness of writer’s intent and crafting. They will also develop oracy skills through verbal participation by both reading texts aloud and participating in critical discussions which focus upon developing independent interpretations. Students will also encounter texts which provide them with the tools necessary to access challenging texts as they progress through their education. 

 

• Year 10: By the end of the year students will have a clear understanding of both the English and Literature GCSE requirements. They will have a clear understanding of the key skills and key knowledge. These key skills include: text comprehension, summary, comparison, synthesis, language and structural analysis. Students will be able to write for an audience using vocabulary, punctuation, and text level and whole text structural features in order to engage them fully. Students will have a full appreciation of the context of a text in order to develop critical interpretation and thinking about texts. Students will have encountered both fiction and non fiction texts and genres to extend their breadth of cultural capital to prepare them wider studying of the subject. Students will have learnt some of the core GCSE Literature set texts, which will be complimented by an exploration of a range of theories, perspectives and texts. 

 

• Year 11: By the end of the year students will have a clear understanding of both the English and Literature GCSE requirements. They will have a clear understanding of the key skills and  key knowledge. These key skills include: text comprehension, summary, comparison, synthesis, language and structural analysis. Students will be able to write for an audience varying their use of vocabulary, punctuation, and text level and whole text structural features in order to engage the reader fully. They will learn to write for different audiences and genres of writing. Students will have a full appreciation of the context of a text in order to develop critical interpretation and thinking about texts. Students will learn to write using academic vocabulary to express their ideas fully and critically. Students will have encountered both fiction and non-fiction texts and genres to extend their breadth of cultural capital to prepare them for wider studying of the subject. Students will complete studying their core GCSE Literature set texts which will be complimented by exploration of a range of theories, perspectives and texts. 

 

• Year 12-13: By the end of the year students will have a clear understanding of both the English and Literature A Level requirements. They will have a clear understanding of the key skills and key knowledge. These key skills include: text comprehension, summary, comparison, synthesis, language and structural analysis. Students will be able to write for an audience varying their use of vocabulary, punctuation, and text level and whole text structural features in order to engage the reader fully. They will learn to write for different audiences and genres of writing. Students will have a full appreciation of the context of a text in order to develop critical interpretation and thinking about texts. Students will learn to write using academic vocabulary to express their ideas fully and critically. They will have encountered and engaged with a range of perspectives, theorists and texts. Students will have encountered both fiction and non-fiction texts and genres to extend their breadth of cultural capital to prepare them for their exams and the wider exploration of the subject. 

 

Rationale behind sequencing:

 

An interleaved approach to the curriculum is essential throughout all years. 

 

Year 7 This year is linked thematically by the topic of ‘Heroes’

• A foundation year to build on KS2 learning. 

• Introduces pupils to the key English skills they will encounter throughout the study of English, and across the wider curriculum.

• 1. Novel Unit: starting with a novel in context provides the base for pupils to apply knowledge and skills in a broader, global context as the year progresses. It allows a focus upon developing literacy skills. It introduces the concept of quotations and key language methods

• 2. Heroes of myth and legend: this focus develops students’ awareness of context and how gender is presented, and changes, across time. It develops cultural capital by exploring texts from Cicero to Shakespeare, Beowulf to the Fall of Troy.

• 3. Arthurian Heroes: this develops students’ knowledge of a theme across time. It continues to build upon use of quotations, developing inference and application of methods.  

• 4. Shakespearean Heroes: This unit on Shakespeare develops exposure to both cultural capital and key context necessary as a foundation introduction to this key playwright. It introduces them to difficult vocabulary. It introduces them to different types of heroes: tragic, military and romantic, in context.  

• 5. Dickensian Heroes: this focus develops students’ awareness of context and how gender is presented, and changes, across time. It further develops cultural capital by exploring extracts from A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist to Nicholas Nickleby. 

• 6. Modern Heroes: Finally finishing on modern non-fiction extracts once more to develop critical thinking. It consolidates our understanding of the presentation of heroes across time. It presents modern writing and linguistic methods while developing skills of inference. 

 

Year 8 This year is linked thematically by the theme of gender:

• 1. Gothic fiction: this unit allows students to encounter key Victorian genres of writing – introducing key context ready to build upon during KS4. It also provides key cultural capital and awareness of context. 

• 2. Witchcraft and the Supernatural: this unit examines extracts from across time from the Renaissance notions in Marlowe's' Tragic history of the life and death of Doctor Faustus', to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Miller’s The Crucible. It develops the cultural capital necessary to build upon KS3 into KS4. 

• 3. Love poetry: this unit develops the exploration of gender across time and genre. It explores poems from the 1400s to the modern day. It introduces the genre of poetry and its form, providing an exploration of key methods and their effect. 

• 4. Play study – The Crucible: links thematically to Gothic fiction with its supernatural context. It also develops the importance of context to inform meaning. It introduces the dramatic form and techniques necessary to develop KS4-5 knowledge. 

• 5. Modern novel: a study of a novel develops the key skills of writing and analysis necessary for KS4. This builds on yr7 novel unit skills of inference, methods and context. 

• 6. Gender in the media: finally finishing on modern non-fiction media extracts once more to develop critical thinking. It consolidates our understanding of the presentation of gender across time. It presents modern writing and linguistic/ structural methods while developing skills of inference. 

 

Year 9  This year is linked thematically by the topic of ‘Conflict’ and its effects: 

• This foundation GCSE year introduces many of the key skills and knowledge necessary for KS4 success. 

• 1. Novel study: Of Mice and Men: develops critical analysis and reading based upon key context information. It develops key skills of inference, quotations and methods for effect. 

• 2. Shakespeare: study of Romeo and Juliet - this develops exposure to key Shakespearean texts and contexts developed in yr7 and yr8. It builds upon language analysis, understanding of dramatic form, and the effect of structural and linguistic choices. 

• 3. ‘Tales of Conflict’ – exploration of modern fiction texts to introduce key KS4 skills and knowledge. Focus on analysis of key language and structural skills, critical response, and key writing skills. 

• 4. Introduction to poetry – an exploration of poetry through the ages develops a basis for introducing poetry in KS4. It also develops key unseen poetry skills. Builds upon the poetic form understanding in year 8. 

• 5. Non-fiction ‘children at work’: contextual non-fiction from Victorian to modern day, including the introduction of key non-fiction media texts. This develops non-fiction writing skills. Students will develop the skills of synthesis, comparison and summary. 

 

Year 10

English: focus on a range of fiction and non-fiction extracts whilst developing the core skills of: synthesis, summary, comparison, inference, language and structural analysis. Develop skills of writing both fiction and non-fiction with a focus on accuracy and engagement. 

 

Literature: A focus on developing quote choice, inference and analysis of the effect of writer’s methods. We take a chronological approach by studying Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ first, before studying Stevenson’s ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. These texts are linked by a focus on the tragic hero and the supernatural gothic elements. We then develop skills of analysis through exploration of a range of unseen poetry from across time and ages. We then use these skills to develop interpretation and analysis of poems from the GCSE Poetry anthology. 

 

Year 11

English: focus on a range of fiction and non-fiction extracts whilst developing the core skills of: synthesis, summary, comparison, inference, language and structural analysis. Develop skills of writing both fiction and non-fiction with a focus on accuracy and engagement. 

 

Literature: A focus on developing quote choice, inference and analysis of the effect of writer’s methods. We take a chronological approach by studying Priestly’s ‘An Inspector Calls’. We continue to develop interpretation and analysis of the GCSE core texts exploration of key theories, contexts and perspectives. 

 

Year 12: 

 

English Language: focus on a range of fiction and non-fiction extracts whilst developing the core skills of: synthesis, summary, comparison, inference, language and structural analysis. Develop skills of writing both fiction and non-fiction with a focus on accuracy and engagement. 

English Literature: A focus on developing quote choice, inference and analysis of the effect of writer’s methods. We take a chronological approach by studying a range of texts. We perceptively develop interpretation and analysis of the core texts through exploration of key theories, contexts and perspectives. 

 

Year 13: 

English Language: focus on a range of fiction and non-fiction extracts whilst developing the core skills of: synthesis, summary, comparison, inference, language and structural analysis. Develop skills of writing both fiction and non-fiction with a focus on accuracy and engagement. 

English Literature: A focus on developing quote choice, inference and analysis of the effect of writer’s methods. We take a chronological approach by studying a range of texts. We perceptively develop interpretation, comparison and analysis of the core texts through exploration of key theories, contexts and perspectives.