î‚”

Twitter

î‚“

Facebook



Hire Facilities



School Shop

j

English Department

Intent Statement

Daniel 1:17

‘To those four young men, God gave knowledge and understanding of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand the visions and dreams of all kinds.’

This quote from the Book of Daniel, is a reminder to us all as teachers of English, that the study of literature enables our children to have a deeper understanding of themselves, others and the world around them. But it also empowers them to articulate their feelings, emotions and dreams as they grow culturally, intellectually, socially and spiritually into well rounded citizens of society.

Fundamental to the planning of a coherent five-year curriculum, are the choices of literature texts, both fictional and non-fictional, that we make to ensure that the children’s journey is rich, varied, enjoyable and stimulating. We feel strongly that challenging literature should underpin the speaking, listening and writing if engagement and progress is to be made from KS3 to KS4. Our curriculum is designed to integrate and highlight the connectivity of various components of Language and Literature over the 5-year study period. We aim to promote readers as writers and writers as readers. As many educational researchers can vouch, including Hochman in The Writing Revolution, ‘better readers make better writers, make better communicators,’ and, fundamentally, ‘reading elevates their thinking.’

Our overarching intention for the English curriculum programme is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to foster a love of literature. Through a wide study of literature through time, we also aim to provide pupils with an understanding of the of universality of the human condition.

In placing so much value on the literature texts we have chosen for KS3 and KS4, it is worth noting that in adherence to the National Curriculum programme, pupils will be expected to read whole books in depth. ‘Reading at KS3 should be wide, varied and challenging,’ and should include two Shakespeare plays. We have planned a study programme for: ‘The Tempest’ in Year 7; ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in Year 9 and ‘Macbeth’ in Year 10 with appropriate further reading and interleaved activities to support pupils’ understanding. To facilitate a deep understanding of the class novel or play, we have allocated termly units for each text at KS3 and KS4.

The redesign of the curriculum, with a shift of emphasis to a 3 year KS3 National Curriculum, aims to provide the building blocks for KS4. The curriculum content is themed around a selection of literature which is appropriate to the age and interests of the year groups and which becomes increasingly challenging. For example, Year 7 is Childhood Experiences and their Place in the World. Texts range from: Shakespeare’s The Tempest (whole play as stipulated in the NC) and pre-19th Century poetry and short stories to 20/21st century novels. The Year 8 curriculum: Readers and

Writers of the Big Issues introduces pupils to wider social issues of inequality such as racism and sexism in, ‘Of Mice and Men’ for example, and more challenging concepts of social theory. Year 9, The writer’s Role in Society, introduces classic literary philosophy and theories such as Aristotle’s 5 elements of tragedy, Freudian Criticism and religious references, to promote conceptual thinking and a greater understanding of the writer’s role in society and universal themes in literature.

The rationale in reviewing and planning this new KS3 programme is to empower our pupils by making the curriculum steps transparent and sequential. Mary Myatt in The Curriculum stresses the importance of curriculum planning as the, ‘architecture of children’s learning.’ With this also in mind, our intention is to provide facts and knowledge that are woven into the curriculum and interleaved and revised from KS2 to KS3 to KS4 (see Curriculum overview and Journey) alongside carefully planned choices of texts which are interconnected, allowing pupils to cross- reference, widen their views and deepen understanding.

It is our intention to make explicit to pupils from Year 7: what they are studying; why they are studying it and where they are going with their knowledge and understanding. It is important that they understand the big picture and are constantly reminded of the interconnectedness of the units they study and the cross- curricular significance of literature texts and literacy skills. It is crucial that yearly curriculum plans and visual journeys from year 7 -11 are shared with pupils and parents thereby providing them signposts that take them to their post 16 destination.

Critical to the success of the new curriculum is the planning of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary for each unit of work and ultimately this underpins pupil progress and achievement. A robust vocabulary improves all areas of communication: speaking, listening, reading, writing and therefore, our intention is to explicitly teach and promote the use of ambitious vocabulary in these 4 strands building on acquisition at KS2 through to KS4. The National Curriculum stipulates that, ‘Teachers should show pupils how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use figurative language.’

These skills are key to success at KS4 and are at the heart of our subject. Planning for vocabulary growth has been one of the factors that has determined the selection of literary texts we have included at KS3 and 4.

The rationale for curriculum planning in Year 9, ‘The Writer’s Role in Society’ is that it is a transition between KS3 and KS4. At the end of Year 9, we have included opportunities for consolidatory practice of skills developed over the year; refinement of revision techniques; some familiarity of the exam format of GCSE exams and managing of time. However, we have not planned to carry over texts from Year 9 for examinations at KS4 as has been the case this year. Our intention is to have fresh texts which will engage and stimulate, and which will provide a new focus. Crucially, pupils are given the opportunity to study a wider breadth of texts over the 5-year programme.

The curriculum planning at KS4 is underpinned by the AQA assessment objectives for the final exams at GCSE and builds upon those skills and levels of engagement at KS3. Reading and writing opportunities continue to be increasingly sophisticated, allowing pupils to become more independent readers, writers and speakers. As with KS3, the rationale for the choice of texts and the order in which they are studied, is that pupils learn to appreciate the interconnectedness of texts. We have also chosen literature texts from the prescribed AQA list based on what we feel would optimise levels of interest.

Central to the curriculum planning, is our intention is to uphold the Gospel values such as: respect for others; global solidarity; the dignity of each person; the cherishing of the family unit, all of which can be fostered through discussion and debate in the English classroom. The 4 components of English: listening, speaking, reading and writing, when thoughtfully integrated into the curriculum, provide the opportunities for us as English teachers to both nurture our pupils and to model how to be a good person.

Finally, our vision is to ensure that the English curriculum is never static but is organic, drawing upon the wealth of material, current affairs and issues that enters the consciousness of our young people. This year, we have taken into consideration the pupils’ experiences of the Covid 19 pandemic & Black Lives Matter and plan to use these as a stimulus for speaking and listening activities and reading and writing for all Year groups. The intention is threefold: one is to share the experiences in a cathartic way to help pupils deal with mental health issues that will invariably arise from these events, and two, is to address the skills and knowledge gaps (see Curriculum plan MOT of reading & writing skills in the first two weeks of term for all

pupils). Thirdly, we intend to use the pupils’ writing tasks as a baseline assessment for the start of an academic year that has been preceded by significant disruption, thereby giving our pupils targets to build upon.

Our curriculum design is ambitious in its intent, and as English teachers, we are privileged to be in a position not only to equip pupils with essential literacy skills and knowledge, but to help them understand the nuances of language in all it forms and participate as confident and literate members of an ever-changing society.

Explore the English Learning Journey

 

English Language

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT:  Mrs Evans
GCSE EXAM BOARD:  AQA
TEACHERS:

Mrs Evans (Head of Department)
Ms Fannon (Second in Department)
Mr Sharrock (Literacy Coordinator)
Mr Harrington (Assistant Headteacher)
Mrs Cooper (Assistant Headteacher)
Ms Doran
Ms Hitchin
Mr Mallon (Progress Leader Year 7)
Mr Oakley

English Literature

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT:  Mrs Evans
GCSE EXAM BOARD:  AQA
TEACHERS:

Mrs Evans (Head of Department)
Ms Fannon (Second in Department)
Mr Sharrock (Literacy Coordinator)
Mr Harrington (Assistant Headteacher)
Mrs Cooper (Assistant Headteacher)
Ms Doran
Ms Hitchin
Mr Mallon (Progress Leader Year 7)
Mr Oakley

KS4 Course Outline

The new GCSE English course is designed to inspire and motivate students. It equips students with essential reading, writing and communication skills that are required in the work place and in Further Education. Students are taught how to be perceptive and critical judges of writers’ choice of language in fiction and non- fiction including the relatively new emerging language of social media.

The new course is a linear qualification that commences in Year 9 and is examined at the end of Year 11. There is a significant shift away from Controlled Assessment. In order to achieve the award, students must complete both English exams in June in a single year.

Students will also complete a Spoken Language course that is not formally examined. The class teacher will assess this component and students will receive a separate certificate to endorse the standard. 

KS4 Course Outline

The new GCSE English Literature course is designed to encourage students to develop knowledge and critical thinking skills. Through literature, students have a chance to develop culturally and acquire knowledge of the best that has been thought and written.

Studying GCSE English Literature should also encourage students to read widely for pleasure and acquire wide vocabulary.

A greater emphasis has been placed on the study of Shakespeare, the 19th-Century novel and British Literature in this newly revised course.

The course is a linear qualification that commences in Year 9 and is examined at the end of Year 11.

Assessment

Paper 1: Explorations in creative Reading and Writing: 1 hour 45 minutes
50% of GCSE

Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints: 1 hour 45 minutes
50% of GCSE

Assessment

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-Century novel 1 hour 45 minutes
40% of GCSE

Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry 2 hours 15 minutes
60% of GCSE

Higher Education Courses/Careers

Sixth Form: GCE A Level English, English Literature, combined English and Literature and Media Studies.

English and Literature can be studied with a variety of other subjects at university including: History, Politics, Law, and Philosophy.

Careers where this course may be useful are: Journalism, Law, Business, Retail, Marketing, Teaching, and Social Work. It is considered as a generic qualification that is highly regarded for many other career paths.

* All qualifications are subject to change following publication of Key Stage 4 National Curriculum

Higher Education Courses/Careers

Sixth Form: GCE A Level English, English Literature, combined English and Literature and Media Studies

English Literature can be studied with a variety of other subjects at University including: History, Politics, Law, and Philosophy.

Careers where this course may be useful are: Journalism, Law, Business, Retail, Marketing, Teaching, and Social Work. It is considered as a generic qualification that is highly regarded for many other career paths.

* All qualifications are subject to change following publication of Key Stage 4 National Curriculum

Reading List

(Click to Zoom)

Downloads

[mpp-show-gallery id=1583]