CURRICULUM
English
English Curriculum Intent
English enables our students to appreciate the power and impact of both language and literature. A broad and diverse range of experiences supports students in generating informed opinions about the world around them and equips them to communicate their thoughts and perspectives in an effective and appropriate manner. They develop their voice and an appreciation of how this can be used to influence people and instigate change within society.
ENGLISH STRANDS
Textual Analysis
This strand is a combination of the different methods used to understand and interpret texts, looking at literal and deeper meaning. Across the three years of Key Stage 3, students will develop skills that allow them to:
- Analyse language at a word level before developing alternative interpretations and perspectives in response to texts. Students will also analyse the impact of vocabulary used to present character and setting whilst creating perceptive responses.
- Find meaning from multiple texts including biographies and speeches, considering the writer’s intentions. This will allow them to respond to a variety of ideas.
- Form opinions on the choices made by writers across a variety of texts to build an effective line of argument and develop alternative perspectives on biased writing.
- Analyse the structure and construction of different texts and media including poetry, graphic novels and online literature. This includes physical and visual structure, but also structure of plot, characters and arguments.
This strand is a term that consolidates the method of imparting or exchanging information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Across the three years of Key Stage 3, students will develop skills that allow them to:
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- Develop their use of vocabulary and word choices to manipulate the reader and create specific effects, resulting in the ability to create a deeper or implied meaning.
- Consider their sentence construction including punctuation, sentence types and the order of words used to engage and affect readers.
- Confidently use a range of persuasive language devices for a specific effect and to influence audiences. This will include the use a range of devices which are suitable for different genres, audiences and purposes.
Make use of different structural devices when creating poetry, verse and short stories.
Communication
In Key Stage 3, our English curriculum is constructed around three hinge texts each year. These hinge texts are the focal point for a whole term, giving students the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of a range of literature which becomes increasingly challenging across the three years. These hinge texts are supported by extracts from other connected literature, poetry and non-fiction to encourage students to deepen their understanding of the themes and contexts that they will be discussing and analysing in lessons.
Year 7
Boy 87
Year 7 students start the year by reading and exploring the novel Boy 87 by Ele Fountain; a novel which illuminates the realities of life as a refugee and explores ideas about the power of kindness and the strength of the human spirit. Students will have opportunities for creative and discursive writing whilst developing their analytical writing to deepen their connection between English and the wider world
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Macbeth
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Many of our year 7s arrive having had some exposure to Macbeth at Primary - by taking a familiar plot and introducing students to the rewarding process of analysing Shakespeare’s language, students develop their application of key skills to a more challenging text. Those who haven’t been exposed to Macbeth benefit from the accessibility that comes with its universal themes: ambition, power, flawed heroes and are able to become familiar with a Shakespearian Tragedy.
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Masque of the Red Death
Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe. For the final text of the year, we look at gothic Victorian fiction for the first time. This increases the challenge again in terms of the themes and ideas of Victorian prose, as well as exposing students to a range of vocabulary options that will bolster their personal vocabulary banks. By exposing pupils to Victorian literature so early, pupils are able to experiment with reading strategies that will set them up for success throughout their school career and beyond.
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Year 8
I am Malala
I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. While students are exposed to Non-Fiction throughout the year 7 schemes, fiction has so far taken centre stage. To that end, beginning with IAM exposes students to a new mode of writing (Memoir). Exploring IAM allows for ample interaction with vast and varied culture and allows opportunities to understand the power of words, still developing the crucial empathy skills we have been building in Y7.
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Animal Farm
Animal Farm by George Orwell. Animal Farm provides a contrast in style and genre to IAM, whilst developing thematic links back to the first text of the year in terms of oppression and power. It is a shift in perspective from the impact and effect of oppression to examining the root causes and offers students an opportunity to get to grips with the idea of allegory and metaphor as a tool to explore real world ideas and thinking.
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Noughts and Crosses
A modern play allows pupils to understand the form of plays to a greater extent. The maturity expected to tackle NC ramps up from the maturity expectations of Y7, allowing pupils to begin forming their own opinions. Having addressed ideas of race to some extent during the Face scheme, this really puts the important learning points to the forefront and paves the way for an in depth look at racial inequality in the following scheme in y9 (LWD)
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Year 9
Long Way Down
Students start year 9 by applying the skills they have developed in Year 7 and 8 to completely new genres. Long Way Down is a novel written in lyrical, poetic verse which exposes students to a new way of reading. The novel develops student thinking from the end of Year 8 as it continues to explore ideas around social inequality and coupled with Hidden, a graphic novel about the persecution of Jewish people in Paris, we continue to have meaningful conversations all the while developing the fundamental English skills.
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Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. Having studied Macbeth in previous years, students will be familiar with Shakespearean language and the format of a tragedy and will be able to start applying more in-depth analysis to this new play. Students will be encouraged to engage with surrounding mythologies and will be exposed to feminist interpretations, all furthering the application of their English skills to more challenging ideas and readying them for their later study of Romeo and Juliet.
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Frankenstein
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Students finish off their Key Stage 3 English study by looking at a classic, challenging text. The preparation throughout the KS3 curriculum, means that students can engage in high level analysis, multiple interpretations and can use their knowledge of Gothic Victorian conventions from their study of Masque of the Red Death. The novel exposes students to the 19th Century British context that will be essential to their GCSE literature study.
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Year 10
A Christmas Carol, Language reading skills, GCSE Anthology Poetry & Narrative/Descriptive writing
Students will read, discuss and analyse the classic Dickens novel A Christmas Carol; giving them opportunities to explore themes of Christmas, redemption and social injustice. They will then continue to develop their language analysis skills by critically exploring the meaning and purpose behind the writer’s methods across a range of fiction & non-fiction texts. Year
10 students will then continue with the reading and analysis of the third group of Anthology poems. They will closely explore themes of identity, the power of nature and the impact of conflict. They will conclude the year by further developing how to apply both language and structural features to a wide range of narrative & descriptive writing.
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GCSE Anthology Poetry, language reading skills, An Inspector Calls & Narrative Writing
Year 10 students start with the reading and analysis of the first group of Anthology poems. They will closely explore themes of identity, the power of nature and the impact of conflict. Y10 will then Consolidate their language analysis skills from key stage 3 by critically exploring the meaning behind the writer’s use of language across a range of texts. Social responsibility, age, gender & class; These are just a few of the thought-provoking themes that students will explore as they read, discuss and analyse J. B. Priestley’s 1947 classic: An Inspector Calls. Refining their ability to communicate imaginatively with an audience, students will then learn how to apply both language and structural features to a wide range of narrative writing opportunities.
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Romeo & Juliet, GCSE Anthology Poetry, Language reading skills & Discursive writing
Students will read, perform and analyse the classic Shakespeare play Romeo & Juliet; giving them opportunities to explore themes of love, generational divide, violence and the inevitability of fate. Year 10 students will then continue with the reading and analysis of the second group of Anthology poems. They will closely explore themes of identity, the power of nature and the impact of conflict. Y10 will then continue to develop their language analysis skills by critically exploring the meaning behind the writer’s use of language and structure across a range of fiction & non-fiction texts. Re-focusing on their ability to communicate effectively with an audience, students will then learn how to apply both language and structural features to a wide range of discursive writing opportunities.
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Year 11
Language and Literature skills revision & exam preparation (including a full series mock exam
During this term, students will revisit and revise each element of the English Language and English Literature courses in preparation for the November mock exams. Lessons will be tailored to meet the needs of each individual group to allow students to continue to develop and refine the knowledge and skills acquired throughout Y10. This term is also an opportunity for students to perfect their academic approach to analytical writing in order to demonstrate their expertise across English language and literature.
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Essay Construction & exam preparation (including a full series mock exam)
Students will use their revision notes from the pre-mock scheme before Christmas to develop their essay writing skills across all literature texts. This is an opportunity to connect each skill across the entire literature content and instil a sense of analytical freedom. The focus will then shift back to English language revision to ensure that students are fully prepared for the second full series mock exam.
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Final exam revision
Students will refine their application of the AQA GCSE skills to ensure that they are fully prepared to sit their GSCE examinations. This will be delivered through a bespoke tailored programme of lessons designed to support the needs of the students in each group.
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