What valuable knowledge can I expect my child to gain?
Department Vision Statement
KS3
Our KS3 curriculum builds on the knowledge and skills acquired at KS2, providing students with opportunities to further develop as confident, empathetic and critical readers and writers. Across KS3, students can explore a wide range of varied and challenging texts - both fiction and non-fiction - in the pursuit of developing a lifelong appreciation of reading. Through the written word, students will critically evaluate the key messages, morals and behaviours presented to them by a number of renowned writers, allowing them to develop a wider appreciation of their own identity and their sense of place in the world. Building in writing for a variety of purposes and audiences, students can practice refining their drafting skills, developing their resilience in writing at length, ultimately crafting writing which is sophisticated and engaging. Being exposed to an increasingly wide breadth of vocabulary and grammar, their understanding of grammatical terms in use will enable them to confidently critique other writers’ work, as well as applying the skills to their own writing. Classroom discussion and debate will enable students to develop speaking and listening skills, thereby promoting confidence and allowing students to communicate their ideas and emotions to others. By the end of KS3, students will have built a solid foundation on which to continue their learning journey with confidence on the way to becoming active members of the school community and beyond.
Exam Group Vision
Our curriculum beyond KS3 continues to broaden students’ experiences of a range of high quality and challenging texts, refining and honing their skills so that they are able to craft texts which meet the needs of specific audiences and purposes. They will further develop their critical thinking skills to enable them to play an active part in wider society. Students will develop their written communication and organisational skills which will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities in examinations. They will be taught to write formal, academic essays as well as imaginative writing. Throughout the curriculum we will promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, with a heavy focus on developing tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary.
Year Group | Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
Y7 | Modern Drama: Dracula
19th Century Text: A Christmas Carol | 19th Century Text: A Christmas Carol
Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Short Stories: Myths and Legends
Poetry: Past and Present |
Home Learning: | Weekly Sparx Reader | Weekly Sparx Reader | Weekly Sparx Reader |
Y8 | Dystopian Fiction: Hunger Games
Modern Fiction: Lord of the Flies | Modern Fiction: Lord of the Flies
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet | Non-Fiction: Female Voices
Poetry and Prose: Diverse Texts |
Home Learning: | Weekly Sparx Reader | Weekly Sparx Reader | Weekly Sparx Reader |
Y9 | Modern Fiction: Animal Farm
Science Fiction: Short Stories | Modern Drama: Blood Brothers
Poetry Past and Present: Unseen Poetry | 19th Century Fiction: Gothic Fiction
Speaking and Listening |
Home Learning: | Weekly Sparx Reader | Weekly Sparx Reader | Weekly Sparx Reader |
Y10 | Literature Paper 2: An Inspector Calls Paper 1: Frankenstein
Language Paper 1: Reading Skills and Creative Writing | Literature Paper 1: Frankenstein Paper 2: Power and Conflict Poetry
Language Paper 2: Reading Skills and Persuasive Writing | Literature Paper 2 Conflict Poetry Revision of covered texts
Language Revision of both papers |
Home Learning: | Weekly Sparx Reader and Revision Activities | Weekly Sparx Reader and Revision Activities | Weekly Sparx Reader and Revision Activities |
Y11 | Literature Paper 1: Macbeth Paper 2: Unseen poetry
Language Paper 1 and Paper 2 Recap | Literature Paper 1: Macbeth
Language Revision of Papers | Literature Paper 1 and 2 Revision
Language Revision of Papers |
Home Learning: | Weekly Revision Activities | Weekly Revision Activities | Weekly Revision Activities |
English Language
Y12 | Paper 1: Text Variations and Representations
Paper 2: Language Diversity – Gender and Social Groups | Paper 1: Text Variations and Representations
Paper 2: Language Diversity- Occupation and Power & Region | NEA: Original Writing and Commentary
Paper 2: Language Diversity- Ethnicity
NEA: Language Investigation |
Home Learning: | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks |
Y13 | NEA: Commentary
Paper 1: CLA Spoken NEA: Language Investigation
Paper 2: Language Change | Paper 1: CLA Written
Paper 2: World Englishes/ Language Discourses | Paper 1 Revision
Paper 2 Revision |
Home Learning: | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks |
English Literature
Y12 | Paper 1: Introduction to ‘Love Through the Ages’, Othello and unseen Poetry
Paper 2: Introduction to ‘Modern Literature’ and Feminine Gospels | Paper 1: Othello, Pre-1900 Poetry and Unseen Poetry
Paper 2: Streetcar | Paper 1: Pre-1900 Poetry
NEA: Independent Critical Study Paper 2: Unseen Prose
NEA: Independent Critical Study |
Home Learning: | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks |
Y13 | Paper 1: Pre-1900 Poetry, Wuthering Heights and Unseen Prose
Paper 2: Handmaid’s Tale | Paper 1: Wuthering Heights and Unseen Prose
Paper 2: Handmaid’s Tale and Streetcar Comparison
| Paper 1 Revision
Paper 2 Revision |
Home Learning: | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks |
English Language and Literature
Y12 | Paper 1: Paris Anthology
Paper 2: Handmaid’s Tale | Paper 1: John Donne Poetry
Paper 2: Handmaid’s Tale and Streetcar | Paper 1: Paris Anthology
NEA: Making Connections
Paper 2: Streetcar |
Home Learning: | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks |
Y13 | Paper 1: Paris Anthology
NEA: Making Connections
Paper 2: Gatsby and Recreative Writing | Paper 1: Paris Anthology and revision for Paper 1
Paper 2: Gatsby, Recreative Writing and revision for Paper 2 | Paper 1 Revision
Paper 2 Revision |
Home Learning: | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks | Independent Learning Journal and directed tasks |
Meet the Team
Mrs S Mann
Curriculum Area Leader: English
Mrs S Pearce
Second in Department
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