Curriculum – English

Curriculum Aims

English Department Curriculum Aims 2026

● To foster a love of reading, both in class and at home, through an adaptive, inclusive curriculum that is deliberately sequenced to build knowledge cumulatively, increase challenge over time, and ensure that all learners—including those from disadvantaged backgrounds—can access and enjoy a rich reading experience.

● To equip students with the skills to write in a wide range of forms and for diverse audiences, supported by a well‑structured curriculum that revisits, strengthens and deepens key knowledge, providing high‑quality models and adaptive teaching so every learner can succeed regardless of starting point.

● To develop accuracy, independence and creativity in writing through responsive, adaptive instruction that removes barriers to success, with spaced practice, interleaving and regular retrieval opportunities enabling students—especially those facing socio‑economic disadvantage—to retain and apply knowledge over time.

● To build students’ appreciation of cultural, social and historical contexts, recognising their influence on literature and communication, and to strengthen cultural capital through a deliberately and coherently sequenced curriculum (using texts from both the literary canon and a rich, cultural spectrum of literature) that connects prior learning to new ideas, and broadens horizons for learners in a disadvantaged community.

● To nurture confident, articulate speakers who can express thoughtful, reasoned viewpoints with mutual respect, supported by structured and adaptive oracy opportunities that develop cumulative speaking and listening skills year by year.

● To embed the school’s core values within all areas of the English curriculum, ensuring that every student—including those with additional needs—can understand, access and embody these values through meaningful, well‑scaffolded learning experiences.

● To secure strong and improving GCSE outcomes by delivering an ambitious, coherently sequenced curriculum where knowledge is regularly revisited, applied and deepened, supported by targeted interventions .

● To establish the value and relevance of English in the wider world, helping students understand how literacy, critical thinking and communication are essential for future study, employment and civic participation. Our curriculum also aims to prepare students for both the wider curriculum and the wider world through explicit teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary; through the exploration of vocabulary in the context of engaging and meaningful texts, students will develop a broad and rich vocabulary to enable success both educationally and beyond.

Year 7

Intent 1

To build on prior learning from primary school through a well‑sequenced curriculum that introduces core English knowledge in manageable steps, ensuring all students—particularly those with additional barriers to learning—can make strong progress through adaptive teaching and accessible challenge.

Intent 2

To nurture creativity and imagination through inclusive reading and writing opportunities that connect to prior knowledge and gradually build complexity, ensuring cumulative development in both fiction and non‑fiction.

Intent 3

To help students understand the purpose and relevance of English by making clear how Year 7 learning lays foundations for later study, communication skills, employability and confident participation in the wider world, including through the explicit teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary to begin to develop a broad and rich vocabulary.

Year 8

Intent 1

To broaden students’ experience of diverse texts through a sequenced curriculum that intentionally builds on Year 7 reading knowledge, strengthening cultural understanding, and ensuring high challenge is accessible through adaptive teaching.

Intent 2

To deepen sophistication in reading and writing by making explicit connections to prior units, cultural contexts and the school’s core values, ensuring that knowledge is revisited, strengthened and retained.

Intent 3

To expand students’ speaking and listening skills through structured, adaptive oracy work that builds cumulatively on earlier communication skills and enables every learner to participate confidently.

Intent 4

To strengthen students’ understanding of how English connects to future pathways by emphasising how language shapes identity, relationships, society and future opportunities, including through the explicit teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary to begin to widen and strengthen a broad and rich vocabulary.

Year 9

Intent 1

To consolidate and extend learning from Years 7 and 8 through a carefully sequenced bridging curriculum into GCSE, allowing students to build independence, creativity and confidence while accessing high challenge through adaptive teaching.

Intent 2

To enhance students’ understanding of audience and purpose by revisiting and applying previously learned skills in new contexts, enabling thoughtful, deliberate and increasingly sophisticated communication.

Intent 3

To ensure students recognise the growing relevance of their English skills by explicitly connecting their learning and vocabulary acquisition to the wider world, helping students understand how literacy and communication are essential for future study, employment and civic participation.

Years 10 & 11

Intent 1

To engage with increasingly complex texts through a GCSE curriculum sequenced to build cumulatively on Key Stage 3 knowledge, ensuring all students—particularly those with additional barriers to learning—are supported by adaptive teaching to access high‑level analytical work.

Intent 2

To refine writing so that students achieve fluency, sophistication and accuracy through repeated practice, interleaving of key skills, and structured retrieval tasks that secure long‑term retention.

Intent 3

To embed a strong culture of retrieval and interleaving so that knowledge remains secure, becomes transferable and can be confidently applied in examination and wider contexts, with additional scaffolding provided where needed.

Intent 4

To reinforce how GCSE English supports students’ futures by making explicit the value of critical thinking, a wide vocabulary, interpretation, analytical writing and communication for academic study, employment and life beyond school.

Year 11 (Additional Aim)

Intent 1

To secure and refine the essential knowledge and skills required for GCSE success through targeted adaptive support, while maintaining students’ appreciation for the breadth, creativity and cultural richness of English as a discipline.

Knowledge & Skills

Year 7 English Curriculum: Knowledge and Skills Progression by Unit

Unit 1: Journeys

Curriculum Purpose

This transition unit consolidates and extends Key Stage 2 grammar, punctuation and writing knowledge, ensuring students establish secure foundations for Key Stage 3 English.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

The difference between simple, compound and complex sentences.
The four sentence types:
- Declarative
- Interrogative
- Imperative
- Exclamative
Core grammatical terminology:
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Conjunctions
Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
Relative clauses.
Adverbial clauses and fronted adverbials (ISPACED).
Parenthesis.
Dialogue conventions.
Accurate punctuation including:
- Full stops
- Commas
- Inverted commas
- Question marks
- Exclamation marks
- Parentheses
How language and imagery can be deliberately chosen to create effects and communicate messages.

Skills Developed

Students can:

Construct grammatically accurate simple, compound and complex sentences.
Use coordinating conjunctions effectively.
Use subordinating conjunctions to create sophisticated complex sentences.
Identify and use relative clauses.
Identify and use adverbial clauses and fronted adverbials.
Manipulate clause order for effect.
Use parenthesis accurately.
Write dialogue using correct conventions.
Select appropriate sentence types for purpose and audience.
Apply accurate punctuation.
Spell increasingly challenging vocabulary accurately.
Use language and imagery intentionally for effect.

Unit 2: Alter Egos

Curriculum Purpose

Students develop descriptive and narrative writing skills while learning how writers use language to create characters, settings and atmosphere.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Key terminology used when studying texts.
Narrative perspective:
- First person
- Third person
Language features including:
- Simile
- Metaphor
- Personification
- Onomatopoeia
- Imperatives
- Intensifiers
- Repetition
- Pathetic fallacy

Expanded noun phrases.
Pre- and post-modification.
Adverbial phrases.
Prepositional phrases.
Present participles.

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Identify a wide range of language features.
Use subject terminology accurately.
Select relevant textual evidence.
Explain the effects of language and structural choices.

Writing

Students can:

Produce detailed descriptions.
Use expanded noun phrases effectively.
Use imagery including similes, metaphors and personification.
Use ambitious vocabulary for effect.
Vary sentence lengths to control pace and tension.
Use a variety of sentence structures.
Employ imperative verbs effectively.
Write from different narrative perspectives.
Use powerful verbs and present participles to create vivid imagery.
Use fronted adverbials fluently.
Apply intensifiers, repetition and synonyms for emphasis.
Use accurate spelling and punctuation.

Unit 3: The Other Side of Truth

Curriculum Purpose

Students study a complete contemporary novel, developing analytical reading skills while exploring themes, context, character and social issues.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Features of novel study.
Characterisation.
Theme.
Context.
Setting.
Narrative structure.
Language features including:
- Metaphor
- Simile
- Personification
- Symbolism
- Juxtaposition
- Pathetic fallacy
- Oxymoron
- Onomatopoeia
- Emotive language
- Repetition

Structural features including:

Chronological structure.
Flashbacks.
Narrative hooks.
Repetition.
Withholding information.
Sequencing of events.
Manipulation of time.

Skills Developed

Reading Strategies

Students can:

Skim and scan effectively.
Read between the lines.
Make inferences.
Ask questions of a text.
Select evidence accurately and judiciously.

Reading Analysis

Students can:

Retrieve information.
Demonstrate secure comprehension.
Analyse language choices.
Analyse structural choices.
Explore themes and symbolism
Explain the writer’s intentions.
Write extended analytical responses using evidence and explanation.

Writing

Students can:

Plan detailed responses.
Use sophisticated vocabulary.
Apply a range of language features effectively.
Construct complex sentences.
Use fronted adverbials confidently.
Write accurately using a full range of punctuation.
Spell increasingly challenging vocabulary correctly.

Unit 4: Poetry – Identity

Curriculum Purpose

Students explore how poets present identity, culture, heritage, individuality and belonging through language, structure and viewpoint.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Poetry terminology:
- Stanza
- Verse
- Rhyme
- Rhythm
The concept of identity.
How identity can be shaped by:
- Heritage
- Family
- Culture
- Environment
- Individual experiences

Students study:

Unrelated Incidents
The British
Still I Rise
Island Man
Half-Caste
Let America Be America Again
The Hill We Climb

Language and structural features include:

Metaphor
Imagery
Juxtaposition
Onomatopoeia
Anaphora
Interrogatives
Imperatives
Pronouns
Semantic fields
Dialect
Structural shifts
Asides and brackets

Spoken language features:

Intonation
Pace
Pauses
Gesture

Skills Developed

Students can:

Identify a poet’s viewpoint.
Explore how language communicates ideas and opinions.
Select relevant quotations.
Analyse language and structural features.
Explore the impact of juxtaposition.
Evaluate a poet’s message across an entire poem.
Explain how structural shifts emphasise key ideas.
Discuss identity and representation critically.

Unit 5: Action Adventure

Curriculum Purpose

Students explore a range of non-fiction texts and develop the ability to write effectively for different audiences and purposes.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

The purpose of non-fiction writing:
- Inform
- Explain
- Argue
- Persuade

Text types studied:

Articles
Speeches
Advertisements
Travel brochures
Websites
Biographical writing
Autobiographical writing

Non-fiction terminology:

Direct address
Fact
Opinion
Rhetorical question
Exaggeration
Emotive language
Statistics
Triplets
Audience
Tone
Authenticity

Skills Developed

Students can:

Identify non-fiction features.
Analyse how writers influence readers.
Write for specific audiences and purposes.
Construct persuasive arguments.
Use DAFOREST techniques effectively.
Organise writing into purposeful paragraphs.
Select vocabulary carefully.
Use punctuation for effect.
Apply non-fiction conventions appropriately.
Produce speeches, articles and persuasive texts.

Unit 6: Gothic

Curriculum Purpose

Students are introduced to conventions of Gothic literature and explore how writers create tension, suspense, mystery and atmosphere.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Core Gothic conventions.
Gothic settings and character archetypes.
Methods used to create suspense and tension.
Features of Gothic language and atmosphere.

Skills Developed

Students can:

Identify Gothic conventions in texts.
Analyse language used to create atmosphere.
Explore themes of fear, mystery and the supernatural.
Apply Gothic conventions in their own writing.
Use descriptive language to create suspense and mood.

Unit 7: Dracula (Playscript and Drama)

Curriculum Purpose

Students study drama through performance and textual analysis, developing speaking, listening and interpretative skills.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

The plot of Dracula.
Key characters.
Major themes.
Context of the play.
How the playwright presents themes and ideas.
Stage directions and dramatic conventions.

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Skim and scan texts.
Make inferences.
Read between the lines.
Select evidence accurately.
Analyse character and theme.

Drama and Performance

Students can:

Use intonation effectively.
Control volume and pace.
Use gesture and facial expression.
Interpret stage directions.
Demonstrate empathy through performance.
Create freeze frames.
Re-enact scenes.
Devise original scenes.
Express ideas confidently through drama activities.

Analytical Skills

Students can:

Select textual evidence.
Analyse character development.
Explore themes and context.
Explain dramatic effects and audience response.

Whole-Year Knowledge and Skills Development

Reading

By the end of Year 7 students can:

Identify and analyse language and structural features in a range of texts.
Retrieve information and make increasingly secure inferences.
Use relevant textual evidence to support ideas.
Explore themes, characters, settings and viewpoints.
Explain how writers create effects and communicate meaning.
Read critically across fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama.

Writing

By the end of Year 7, students can:

Write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes.
Produce descriptive, narrative, analytical and persuasive writing.
Construct accurate simple, compound and complex sentences.
Use a range of language devices for effect.
Select vocabulary carefully to engage readers.
Apply punctuation and spelling with increasing accuracy.
Organise writing into coherent paragraphs and extended responses.

Literature

Students develop understanding of:
Contemporary fiction and novel study.
Poetry exploring identity, culture and belonging.
Gothic literature and its conventions.
Drama through the study and performance of playscripts.
Characterisation, theme, setting and narrative structure.
Writer’s and poet’s viewpoints, messages and intentions.
Language, structure and context across a range of texts.

Oracy

Students can:
Participate confidently in discussion and collaborative learning.
Present ideas and interpretations clearly.
Support opinions with evidence from texts.
Develop performance skills through drama activities.
Use intonation, pace, volume, gesture and facial expression effectively.
Adapt spoken language to audience, purpose and context.
Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

Throughout all units, students continue to develop:

Secure understanding of word classes and sentence structures.
Accurate use of simple, compound and complex sentences.
Control of clauses, conjunctions and fronted adverbials.
Accurate spelling strategies and vocabulary development.
Editing and proofreading skills.
Correct use of punctuation, including dialogue punctuation and parenthesis.
Technical and subject-specific vocabulary.

End of Year 7 Impact

By the end of Year 7, students have developed secure foundations in grammar, reading, writing, literary analysis, spoken language and drama. They can read critically, write accurately for a range of purposes, analyse writers’ methods using subject terminology, and communicate ideas confidently through discussion, performance and extended written responses.

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Year 8 English Curriculum: Knowledge and Skills Progression by Unit

Unit 1: The Man with the Yellow Face (Short Story Study)

Curriculum Purpose

Students build on Year 7 reading and analytical skills through the study of a contemporary short story. The unit develops students’ ability to analyse language, structure and writer’s methods while introducing more sophisticated literary concepts and extended analytical writing.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Key terminology used in literary analysis.
The conventions of short story writing.
The six-part story structure.
Themes, ideas and context within a literary text.
Narrative and descriptive writing conventions.

Language features:

Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Pathetic fallacy
Onomatopoeia
Emotive language
Expanded noun phrases

Structural features:

Chronology and flashback
Narrative hooks
Withholding information
Repetition
Sentence variation
Sequencing of events
Foreshadowing

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Retrieve and interpret information.
Make inferences and deductions.
Select evidence accurately and judiciously.
Explain the effects of language and structural choices.
Explore symbolism, themes and deeper meanings.

Reading Strategies

Students can:

Skim and scan effectively.
Read between the lines.
Ask questions of texts.
Read backwards to trace ideas and patterns.
Construct extended analytical responses using evidence and explanation.

Writing

Students can:

Plan and structure developed responses.
Use increasingly sophisticated vocabulary.
Apply a range of language features in narrative and descriptive writing.
Spell increasingly complex vocabulary accurately.

Unit 2: Spies – Skills for Writing

Curriculum Purpose

Students explore the conventions of spy fiction and develop their ability to craft engaging narrative writing. The unit focuses on how writers create tension, suspense and compelling characters.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Conventions of spy fiction, including:
- Villains
- Surveillance
- Codes
- Gadgets
- Hacking
- Secrets
- Deception
- Disguises
Narrative structure:
- Exposition
- Conflict
- Climax
- Resolution
Narrative viewpoints.
Structural techniques:
- Flashbacks
- Cyclical structure
Methods for creating tension and pace.
Dialogue punctuation rules.
Sentence openings and sentence variety.

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Select and synthesise evidence from different texts.
Identify explicit and implicit meaning.
Analyse how language and structure influence readers.

Writing

Students can:

Plan stories using clear narrative structures.
Craft engaging openings.
Create convincing characters.
Develop tension and suspense.
Use minor sentences effectively.
Manipulate pace through paragraphing and verb choice.
Adapt tone, style and register for audience and purpose.
Use ambitious vocabulary and varied sentence structures.
Apply accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Unit 3: Animal Farm

Curriculum Purpose

Students study a modern literary classic, exploring literature as a reflection of historical, political and social ideas. The unit develops critical thinking, contextual understanding and analytical writing.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

The plot of Animal Farm.
Key characters and events.
Major themes:
- Power
- Corruption
- Equality
- Control
- Tyranny
- Greed
- Totalitarianism
The Russian Revolution.
Key historical figures and events.
Orwell’s political purpose and intentions.
How literature can communicate social and political criticism.

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Analyse language and writer’s methods.
Make inferences and deductions.
Select evidence judiciously.
Explore themes and symbolism.
Consider the writer’s viewpoints and intentions.
Make links between text and context.

Critical Thinking

Students can:

Evaluate ideas and interpretations.
Explore wider political and social issues.
Develop independent responses to literature.

Writing

Students can:

Plan developed analytical responses.
Use increasingly sophisticated vocabulary.
Write creatively using literary techniques.
Apply a full range of punctuation accurately.
Write monologues using:
- First-person narration
- Emotive language
- Powerful verbs
- Effective description
Write persuasive speeches using DAFOREST techniques.
Spell complex vocabulary accurately.

Unit 4: Romeo and Juliet

Curriculum Purpose

Students study Shakespeare through the central theme of conflict, developing understanding of dramatic methods, context and literary analysis. The unit also develops formal speaking and debating skills.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

The plot of Romeo and Juliet.
Key characters and relationships.
Major themes:
- Conflict
- Honour
- Fate
- Love
- Gender roles
Elizabethan context:
- Patriarchal society
- Religion
- Expectations of women
- Family honour

Dramatic terminology:

Prologue
Tragedy
Dramatic irony
Soliloquy

Structural features:

Sonnet form
Foreshadowing
Tension and suspense
Climax
Setting and atmosphere
Pathetic fallacy

Language features:

Simile
Metaphor
Juxtaposition
Emotive language
Repetition

Debate conventions:

House motions
Persuasive techniques
Presentational voice
DAFOREST techniques

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Retrieve information.
Infer meaning.
Apply contextual knowledge.
Select evidence effectively.
Analyse language and dramatic methods.
Analyse structural features within a play.

Speaking and Listening

Students can:

Participate in structured debate.
Present arguments confidently.
Support viewpoints with evidence.
Use quotations and contextual knowledge.
Adapt spoken language for formal audiences.

Analytical Writing

Students can:

Construct extended responses.
Analyse language and structure in detail.
Explore themes and context critically.

Unit 5: Science Fiction

Curriculum Purpose

Students explore the science fiction genre, its conventions and its role in exploring social, political and philosophical ideas. Students also develop analytical and creative writing skills within the genre.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Genre Knowledge

Science fiction
Speculative fiction
Dystopian fiction
Afrofuturism
Gothic influences
Horror influences

Key concepts:

Time travel
Artificial intelligence
Robotics
Space exploration
Colonialism and empire
Genetic engineering
Parallel worlds
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic societies

Key texts include:

Frankenstein
The War of the Worlds
The Time Machine
A Sound of Thunder
Binti
Vaster Than Empires and More Slow

Language and structural features:

Allegory
Metaphor
Personification
Foreshadowing
Focus and focus shift
Cyclical structure

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Respond to analytical questions.
Select evidence effectively.
Analyse language, structure and genre conventions.
Explore social, historical and cultural contexts.
Understand allegorical meanings and subtext.

Vocabulary Development

Students can:

Apply etymological and morphological knowledge.
Infer meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary.
Understand specialist genre terminology.

Writing

Students can:

Write extended creative responses.
Apply science fiction conventions effectively.
Emulate established writers’ styles.
Develop original speculative ideas.

Oracy

Students can:

Participate in paired discussions.
Contribute to group discussions.
Engage in formal debate.
Articulate ideas clearly and persuasively.

Unit 6: Noughts and Crosses (Playscript)

Curriculum Purpose

Students study drama through a contemporary text that explores discrimination, justice, morality and social inequality. The unit develops literary analysis, dramatic interpretation and collaborative learning.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Plot and characterisation.
Themes including:
- Discrimination
- Justice
- Equality
- Morality
- Law
- Power
Historical and social context.
The relationship between actor, audience and playwright.
How dramatic texts communicate ideas and messages.

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Analyse plot, character and theme.
Apply contextual understanding.
Interpret writer’s intentions.
Construct analytical responses using textual evidence.

Drama

Students can:

Explore characterisation through performance.
Interpret dramatic meaning.
Work effectively with scripts.
Explore audience response.

Collaborative Learning

Students can:

Work productively in pairs and groups.
Discuss interpretations.
Develop and refine ideas collaboratively.

Analysis

Students can:

Use analytical frameworks such as PEEEWEL.
Interpret character motivations.
Explore themes critically.
Evaluate writer’s methods and intentions.

Whole-Year Knowledge and Skills Development

Reading

By the end of Year 8, students can:

Retrieve, infer and evaluate information.
Analyse language, structure and genre.
Select evidence judiciously.
Consider the writer’s purpose and intention.
Apply contextual understanding to interpretation.
Write increasingly sophisticated analytical responses.

Writing

By the end of Year 8, students can:

Write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences.
Produce narrative, descriptive, analytical and persuasive writing.
Use sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structures.
Control structure, pace and tone.
Apply a full range of punctuation accurately.

Oracy

By the end of Year 8, students can:

Participate confidently in discussion and debate.
Present ideas formally and informally.
Support arguments with evidence.
Adapt spoken language to audience and purpose.

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

Throughout all units, students revisit and secure:

Accurate spelling strategies.
Sentence construction.
Punctuation for accuracy and effect.
Technical vocabulary.
Editing and proofreading skills.

End of Year 8 Impact

By the end of Year 8, students read increasingly challenging texts with confidence and critical awareness. They can analyse language, structure, genre and context in detail, construct developed analytical responses, write creatively and persuasively for a range of audiences, and communicate ideas effectively through discussion, performance and debate. Students are well prepared for the greater conceptual and analytical demands of Year 9 and the transition towards GCSE study.

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Year 9 English Curriculum: Knowledge and Skills Progression by Unit

Curriculum Overview

Year 9 serves as a bridge between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Students encounter increasingly challenging literary texts, develop sophisticated analytical responses, explore contextual influences in greater depth, and refine their ability to write for a range of purposes, audiences and forms. Across the year, students are introduced to many of the concepts, skills and approaches required for GCSE English Language and English Literature.

Unit 1: Utopia and Dystopia (Non-Fiction Reading and Creative Writing)

Curriculum Purpose

Students explore the concepts of utopian and dystopian societies whilst developing advanced narrative and descriptive writing skills. The unit introduces GCSE-style analysis of language and structure and encourages students to embed genre conventions into their own writing.

Knowledge Acquired

Writing Knowledge

Students learn:

Strategies for planning narrative and descriptive writing.
Narrative structures including:
- Opening
- Complication
- Crisis
- Resolution
Methods for creating cohesion between ideas.
Paragraphing for organisation and effect.
Register and tone.
A wide range of sentence forms and structures.
Accurate use of punctuation:
- Full stops
- Commas
- Semicolons
- Colons
- Dashes
- Parentheses
- Exclamation marks
- Question marks

Reading Knowledge

Students learn:

The concepts of utopia and dystopia.
Conventions of dystopian fiction.
How writers create imagined societies to comment on real-world issues.
A broad range of language and structural techniques.

Skills Developed

Writing

Students can:

Plan developed narrative and descriptive responses.
Structure writing effectively.
Embed dystopian conventions into original writing.
Use sophisticated vocabulary deliberately.
Manipulate tone and atmosphere.
Apply language features for effect.
Use a full range of punctuation accurately.

Reading

Students can:

Evaluate interpretations and viewpoints.
Analyse language and structure in detail.
Select evidence judiciously.
Explain the effects of writer’s choices.
Use increasingly sophisticated subject terminology.

Unit 2: Othello

Curriculum Purpose

Students study Shakespeare’s tragedy through the lenses of character, conflict, race, gender and manipulation. The unit develops GCSE-style literary analysis and introduces students to key dramatic and tragic concepts.

Knowledge Acquired

Literary Knowledge

Students learn:

The plot and structure of Othello.
Shakespeare’s presentation of:
- Jealousy
- Deception
- Loyalty
- Race
- Gender
- Power

Contextual Knowledge

Students learn:

The social and historical context of Venice.
Attitudes towards race in the early seventeenth century.
Gender expectations and misogyny.
Shakespeare’s dramatic purposes and audience expectations.

Aristotle’s Tragic Theory

Students learn:

Protagonist
Hamartia
Peripeteia
Anagnorisis
Catastrophe
Catharsis

Language and Structural Features

Students learn:

Dramatic irony
Soliloquy
In media res
Foreshadowing
Pathos
Biblical allusion
Anaphora
Irony
Metaphor
Simile
Personification
Paradox
Triplets

Skills Developed

Students can:

Respond precisely to analytical questions.
Select evidence judiciously.
Analyse language, form and structure.
Explore character development.
Track themes across an entire play.
Integrate contextual understanding into responses.
Develop extended analytical essays.
Make sophisticated inferences from textual evidence.

Unit 3: Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology

Curriculum Purpose

Students explore how poets present love, family and relationships through language, form, structure and context. This unit introduces comparative poetry analysis in preparation for GCSE Literature.

Knowledge Acquired

Poetry Knowledge

Students learn:

Stanza
Verse
Rhyme
Rhythm
Metre
Pace
Repetition
Anaphora

Advanced Poetic Forms

Students learn:

Traditional sonnet
Petrarchan sonnet

Language Features

Students learn:

Metaphor
Symbolism
Imagery
Direct address
Personification
Assonance
Onomatopoeia
Caesura
Enjambment
Oxymoron
Colloquialism
Juxtaposition
Extended metaphor

Contextual Knowledge

Students explore:

Romanticism
Victorian values
Family relationships
Generational change
Personal identity
Cultural influences on relationships

Skills Developed

Students can:

Identify poetic viewpoints.
Explore how poets communicate emotions.
Analyse language and imagery.
Explore structural methods.
Evaluate a poet’s message.
Select and integrate quotations effectively.

Comparative Analysis

Students can:

Compare themes across poems.
Compare writers’ methods.
Compare contextual influences.
Explore similarities and differences in meaning.
Draw supported conclusions.

Unit 4: Issues That Matter (Transactional Writing)

Curriculum Purpose

Students develop persuasive and argumentative writing skills through contemporary issues and debates. The unit strengthens students’ ability to communicate clearly and effectively for different audiences and purposes.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

Purpose, Audience, Form and Tone (PAFT).
Conventions of:
- Speeches
- Articles
- Letters
Register and tone.
Persuasive techniques.
Features of effective non-fiction writing.

Grammar and Writing Knowledge

Students revisit:

Complex sentence structures.
Paragraph organisation.
Cohesion between ideas.
Sophisticated vocabulary.
Subject-specific terminology.
Full punctuation range:
- Full stops
- Commas
- Semicolons
- Colons
- Dashes
- Exclamation marks

Skills Developed

Students can:

Write effectively to argue and persuade.
Adapt language to audience and purpose.
Organise extended responses coherently.
Analyse how writers influence readers.
Use sophisticated subject terminology.
Construct convincing arguments.
Develop sustained viewpoints.
Use rhetorical devices effectively.

Unit 5: Of Mice and Men

Curriculum Purpose

Students study a complete twentieth-century novel whilst developing understanding of how literature reflects social, political and historical contexts. Students deepen their analytical writing and essay skills.

Knowledge Acquired

Literary Knowledge

Students learn:

The plot of Of Mice and Men.
Key characters and relationships.
Major themes:
- Friendship
- Loneliness
- Dreams
- Poverty
- Prejudice
- Power

Contextual Knowledge

Students learn:

The Great Depression.
Economic hardship in 1930s America.
Racism and segregation.
Misogyny.
Social inequality.
The American Dream.

Writer’s Craft

Students learn:

Steinbeck’s methods and intentions.
Characterisation techniques.
Symbolism.
Narrative structure.

Skills Developed

Reading

Students can:

Analyse language and structure.
Explore writer’s viewpoints.
Evaluate contextual influences.
Make sophisticated inferences.
Select evidence judiciously.

Essay Writing

Students can:

Plan developed literary essays.
Construct analytical arguments.
Integrate context effectively.
Explore the writer’s intentions.
Develop critical interpretations.

Creative Writing

Students can:

Write monologues.
Write diary entries.
Use first-person narration effectively.
Employ emotive language and description.

Unit 6: DNA

Curriculum Purpose

Students study contemporary drama through exploration of morality, responsibility and group behaviour. The unit combines literary analysis with performance and spoken language development.

Knowledge Acquired

Students learn:

The plot of DNA.
Key characters.
Major themes:
- Morality
- Responsibility
- Leadership
- Peer pressure
- Guilt
- Justice
Social and contextual influences within the play.
The playwright’s intentions.

Dramatic Techniques

Students learn:

In media res
Monologue
Monosyllabic speech
Stage directions
Characterisation

Skills Developed

Reading and Analysis

Students can:

Analyse character development.
Explore themes and context.
Select relevant evidence.
Make supported inferences.
Interpret writer’s intentions.

Drama and Oracy

Students can:

Use intonation effectively.
Control pace, tone and volume.
Use gesture and facial expression purposefully.
Perform scenes confidently.
Create freeze frames.
Re-enact and adapt scenes.
Express ideas thoughtfully through performance.

Reading Strategies

Students continue to develop:

Skimming and scanning.
Inference.
Evidence selection.
Reading between the lines.
Questioning texts critically.

Whole-Year Knowledge and Skills Development

Reading

By the end of Year 9, students can:

Analyse language, form and structure confidently.
Evaluate interpretations and viewpoints.
Compare texts and ideas.
Integrate contextual understanding.
Construct developed analytical arguments.
Explore a writer’s intentions critically.

Writing

By the end of Year 9, students can:

Write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes.
Produce sophisticated narrative, descriptive and transactional writing.
Control tone, register and structure.
Use ambitious vocabulary and varied sentence forms.
Apply a full range of punctuation accurately.

Literature

Students develop understanding of:

Shakespearean tragedy.
Modern drama.
Nineteenth and twentieth-century literature.
Poetry comparison.
Contextual influences on texts.
Writer’s viewpoints and intentions.

Oracy

Students can:

Participate confidently in discussion and performance.
Present arguments clearly.
Support interpretations with evidence.
Adapt spoken language to audience and purpose.

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

Throughout all units, students continue to develop:

Accurate spelling strategies.
Editing and proofreading skills.
Secure grammatical control.
Technical and subject-specific vocabulary.
Accurate punctuation for effect and precision.

End of Year 9 Impact

By the end of Year 9, students demonstrate many of the foundational skills required for GCSE English Language and English Literature. They can analyse increasingly complex texts independently, compare ideas across texts, construct developed essays using evidence and context, write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, and communicate sophisticated interpretations through both writing and discussion. Students enter Key Stage 4 with secure analytical, literary and communication skills and an understanding of how writers shape meaning through language, form, structure and context.

KS4 – Years 10 & 11. AQA GCSE English Language: Knowledge Acquired and Skills Developed

Through the study of AQA GCSE English Language, students develop a secure understanding of how language is used to communicate ideas, perspectives and information across a range of literary and non-fiction texts from the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They gain knowledge of writers’ methods, including language choices, structural features and rhetorical techniques, and understand how these are shaped by purpose, audience and context.

Students learn how texts are constructed to influence, inform, entertain and persuade. They develop knowledge of genre conventions and recognise how writers adapt their craft to achieve particular effects. Through engagement with a diverse range of texts, students build cultural capital, broaden their vocabulary and deepen their understanding of different experiences, viewpoints and social issues.

The curriculum develops students’ analytical reading skills, enabling them to:

Retrieve and interpret explicit and implicit information.
Make supported inferences from texts.
Analyse language and structural choices.
Evaluate writers’ viewpoints, methods and effectiveness.
Compare ideas, perspectives and techniques across texts.
Select and integrate relevant textual evidence to support interpretations.

In writing, students develop the ability to:

Adapt tone, style and register for different audiences and purposes.
Communicate clearly, accurately and imaginatively.
Construct coherent and effective narratives and descriptions.
Develop logical arguments and persuasive viewpoints.
Organise ideas using appropriate structural features.
Use a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures for effect.

Students also acquire essential technical knowledge and skills, including:

Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Secure sentence construction and control.
Effective proofreading and editing techniques.
Application of Standard English where appropriate.

Oracy is embedded throughout the curriculum, enabling pupils to articulate ideas, justify interpretations, respond to others’ viewpoints and present information confidently. These experiences strengthen communication skills that support learning across the curriculum and prepare students for further study, employment and active participation in society.

By the end of the course, students are equipped to read critically, think independently, communicate effectively and engage thoughtfully with the world around them. The curriculum develops both academic literacy and the transferable skills required for success in further education, training and future careers.

KS4 – Years 10 & 11. AQA GCSE English Literature: Knowledge Acquired and Skills Developed Through the study of AQA GCSE English Literature, students develop a rich understanding of significant literary works from different historical periods, exploring how writers reflect, challenge and shape the societies in which they write. Through the close study of An Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth and the Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology, students acquire substantial knowledge of literary traditions, cultural contexts and enduring human concerns.

Students gain detailed knowledge of plot, characterisation, themes and settings across a range of genres, including drama, prose and poetry. They develop an understanding of how literature reflects changing social, moral and political values and how texts continue to resonate with contemporary audiences.

Through the study of Macbeth, students explore themes of ambition, power, guilt, loyalty, fate and the abuse of authority. They develop knowledge of Shakespearean tragedy, Jacobean beliefs, kingship, the supernatural and the social and political context of early seventeenth-century England.

Through A Christmas Carol, students examine themes of social responsibility, redemption, poverty, wealth and compassion. They develop understanding of Victorian society, attitudes towards social inequality and Charles Dickens’ role as a social critic seeking reform through literature.

Through An Inspector Calls, students investigate themes of responsibility, class, gender, generational conflict and social justice. They develop knowledge of early twentieth-century British society, the impact of the World Wars, and the contrasting political and social values that informed J. B. Priestley’s writing.

Through the Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology, students explore diverse perspectives on war, identity, authority, memory, nature and human experience. They gain understanding of how poets from different periods and backgrounds use language, structure and form to communicate powerful ideas and emotions, while developing awareness of historical events and cultural experiences that shape poetic expression.

The curriculum develops disciplinary knowledge of literary study by enabling students to:

Understand how writers craft meaning through language, structure and form.
Recognise and analyse literary methods and their effects.
Explore multiple interpretations of texts and characters.
Understand the relationship between texts and their historical, social and cultural contexts.
Identify thematic connections across texts and genres.
Appreciate the development and conventions of literary traditions.

Students develop sophisticated analytical and evaluative skills, including:

Evaluating alternative viewpoints and interpretations.

Constructing informed, critical and personal responses to literature.

Selecting and integrating precise textual references to support interpretations.

Analysing the impact of literary techniques and authorial choices.

Comparing themes, ideas and methods across poems and texts.

Developing conceptual arguments supported by evidence.

The curriculum also strengthens academic writing by enabling students to:

Write coherent and well-structured analytical essays.
Use subject-specific literary terminology accurately and confidently.
Develop sustained lines of argument.
Communicate complex ideas with precision and clarity.
Organise evidence effectively to support critical judgements.

Beyond examination outcomes, the study of English Literature develops empathy, cultural awareness and critical thinking. Students engage with diverse experiences, perspectives and ethical questions, encouraging reflection on society, human behaviour and their place within the wider world.

By the end of the course, students possess a secure understanding of major literary texts, the ability to think critically and independently about literature, and the analytical, evaluative and communication skills necessary for success in further education and future employment.

Sequence

Year 7 curriculum
	½ term 1	½ term 2	½ term 3	½ term 4	½ term 5	½ term 6
Topic	Journeys and Alter Egos: Creative and Imaginative Fictional Writing	‘The Other Side of Truth’ by Beverley Naidoo: Study of a novel	Identity and Poetry: A study of a range of poems on the theme of identity	Action Adventure: Creative and imaginative non-fictional writing	Action Adventure continued	The Gothic: Study of 19th century and modern short stories from the gothic genre and Dracula: The study of a playscript
Year 8 curriculum
	½ term 1	½ term 2	½ term 3	½ term 4	½ term 5	½ term 6
Topic	Short Stories: Study of a short story and Spies: Creative and Imaginative Fictional Writing	‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell: Study of a novel	‘Romeo and Juliet’: Study of the Shakespeare play (including non-fiction writing)	‘Romeo and Juliet’: Study of the Shakespeare play (including non-fiction writing)	Science Fiction: A study of a range of texts and imaginative creative writing in the science fiction genre	Science Fiction and ‘Noughts and Crosses’: The study of a playscript
Year 9 curriculum
	½ term 1	½ term 2	½ term 3	½ term 4	½ term 5	½ term 6
Topic	Dystopia: A study of a range of texts from the Dystopian genre and creative, imaginative writing in the same style	‘Othello’: Study of the Shakespeare play	Love Poetry: A study of a range of poems on the theme of the many forms of love	Issues that Matter Creative and imaginative non-fictional writing	‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck: The study of a novel	‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck and ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly: the study of a playscript

Reading Lessons In addition to the topics outlined above, your child will also have a one hour reading

lesson every week. In this lesson, students will partake in shared reading in a lesson designed to foster a love of reading and engagement with full novels.

Examples of novels your child might read:

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Holes by Louis Sachar

The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Day of the Triffids by John WyndhamThe Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

KS4

Details of specification

Exam Board: AQA English Language: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/specifications/AQA-8700-SP-2015.PDF English Literature: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/specifications/AQA-8702-SP-2015.PDF Your child will study two separate GCSEs: English Language and English Literature The two-year course is assessed by AQA through 4 exams at the end of year 11 and graded using the 1-9 system. In year 10, students will be assessed 3 times (Test 1,Test 2 & a Pre-Public Examination). In year 11, students will sit 2 PPEs. Additionally, for English Language, there is an NEA spoken language component. Students must prepare and deliver a presentation to their teacher in year 11 which will be graded using the following criteria: Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail.

Year 10 curriculum
	½ term 1	½ term 2	½ term 3	½ term 4	½ term 5	½ term 6
English Language Topic	Language Paper 1: Creative Writing (Fiction)	Language Paper 1: Section A (Reading)		Language Paper 2: Sections A & B (Reading and Nonfiction Writing)
English Literature Topic	An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley	A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens		Power & Conflict Poetry Anthology

Year 11 curriculum
	½ term 1	½ term 2	½ term 3	½ term 4	½ term 5	½ term 6
English Language Topic	Language Paper 1: Sections A & B (Reading and Fiction Writing) Revision		Language Paper 2: Sections A & B (Reading and Nonfiction Writing) Revision		GCSE Exams
English Literature Topic	Macbeth by William Shakespeare An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley & A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Revision			Unseen Poetry Power & Conflict Poetry Anthology Revision	GCSE Exams

Life Skills

English & RSHE Integration The English curriculum is deliberately designed to support students’ personal development alongside academic progress, ensuring that key Relationships, Sex and Health Education

(RSHE) themes are revisited and deepened across Key Stages 3 and 4. Through a carefully sequenced range of literary texts and thematic units, students explore complex ideas around relationships, identity, power, responsibility and wellbeing, enabling them to make informed, reflective judgements about the world around them.

Across Years 7 to 11, RSHE concepts are embedded through high-quality texts rather than taught in isolation. For example, early study of novels such as Noughts & Crosses introduces students to themes of family, inequality and belonging, prompting discussion about how relationships shape identity and life chances. This is developed further through thematic units such as Love and Relationships, where students explicitly explore healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics, including trust, respect and emotional influence.

As students progress, texts such as DNA provide a more challenging exploration of peer pressure, coercion and moral responsibility, allowing pupils to consider how individuals can be influenced by group dynamics and the consequences of failing to seek help. Similarly, exposure to a wide range of poetry and non-fiction texts enables students to engage with issues such as mental health, conflict, power, and social justice, fostering empathy and critical awareness.

The curriculum is sequenced so that students move from recognising and describing relationships in Key Stage 3, to analysing, evaluating and questioning them in greater depth at Key Stage 4. Opportunities for discussion, debate and extended writing are integral, ensuring that students can articulate their views clearly while considering alternative perspectives. This approach also supports the development of oracy, literacy and critical thinking, which are essential for both academic success and personal development.

Importantly, the curriculum also provides regular opportunities for students to consider risk, safety and support systems, including how to recognise unsafe situations, evaluate trust, and understand where to seek help. These themes are explored both explicitly, within targeted units, and implicitly, through the study of character, narrative and context.

Overall, the English curriculum makes a significant contribution to RSHE by enabling students to engage meaningfully with real-world issues through literature. It ensures that pupils develop not only as readers and writers, but as thoughtful, informed and resilient individuals, prepared for the complexities of modern life.

English & Health Education

The English curriculum contributes meaningfully to Health Education by providing students with regular opportunities to explore themes linked to emotional wellbeing, resilience, identity, relationships, risk and personal safety through literature, discussion and reflective writing. Across Key Stages 3 and 4, students engage with a broad range of texts and topics which encourage them to consider both their own wellbeing and the experiences of others in a thoughtful, age-appropriate and critically informed way. A central strength of the English curriculum is its ability to develop emotional literacy and communication. Through discussion, analytical writing and oracy, students are encouraged

to articulate emotions accurately and sensitively, using increasingly sophisticated vocabulary to explore characters, relationships and experiences. Texts such as Noughts & Crosses, DNA and The Other Side of Truth provide rich opportunities to explore anxiety, fear, belonging, isolation, trauma and peer influence, helping students to understand that emotional challenges are a normal part of life and that seeking support is both appropriate and important.

The curriculum also supports students in understanding how relationships, peer pressure and social environments can influence wellbeing and personal safety. In DNA, for example, students examine the dangers of coercion, herd mentality and moral compromise, while thematic units focused on relationships and conflict encourage students to reflect on trust, empathy, decision-making and responsible behaviour. These discussions help students to recognise unsafe situations, evaluate risk and understand the importance of trusted support networks.

Health Education themes linked to online behaviour and media literacy are also explored through analysis of non-fiction, dystopian fiction and contemporary texts. Students are encouraged to think critically about misinformation, influence, identity and representation, including how individuals and societies can be shaped by media, propaganda and social pressure. Through these opportunities, students develop critical thinking skills which support safe and responsible engagement both online and offline.

The curriculum further contributes to wellbeing by promoting confidence, participation and connection with others. Collaborative discussion, debate and presentation activities — particularly through oracy — help students develop self-confidence, resilience and communication skills, while also reinforcing the importance of respectful relationships and community participation. Students learn that happiness, wellbeing and personal growth are closely linked to positive relationships, inclusion and meaningful engagement with others.

Many texts studied across the curriculum also provide opportunities to discuss wider social and health-related issues, including discrimination, conflict, violence and exploitation, in a safe and carefully managed environment. Through guided discussion and critical analysis, students are encouraged to consider consequences, challenge harmful behaviours and develop empathy and social awareness.

Overall, the English curriculum supports Health Education by helping students to become emotionally literate, reflective and resilient young people who are increasingly able to communicate effectively, manage relationships thoughtfully and make informed decisions about their wellbeing and safety.

Audit-Style Summary of Health Education Coverage in English

Health Education Theme	Examples of English Curriculum Coverage
Talking about emotions accurately and sensitively	Analytical discussion, reflective writing, Oracy Project and character analysis
Mental wellbeing and emotional literacy	Noughts & Crosses, DNA, The Other Side of Truth

Relationships, belonging and loneliness	Thematic relationship units, character study and collaborative discussion
Anxiety, pressure and coping with challenges	DNA, conflict texts and exploration of peer influence
Identifying unsafe situations and seeking help	DNA, relationship-focused texts and safeguarding-related discussion
Critical evaluation of online/media influence	Dystopian fiction, non-fiction texts and media analysis
Harmful online behaviours and misinformation	Sci-Fi, Utopia and Dystopia, persuasive and media texts
Peer influence and personal safety	DNA, conflict poetry and thematic discussion
Respectful communication and relationships	Debate, collaborative learning and structured oracy
Confidence, participation and resilience	Oracy, presentations, discussion and evaluative writing
Empathy and understanding of others’ experiences	Diverse literary voices, multicultural texts and social themes
Recognising discrimination, exploitation and harmful behaviour	Noughts & Crosses, Power and Conflict Anthology, social justice themes

English & Citizenship

The English curriculum makes a significant contribution to the delivery of Citizenship education by enabling students to explore political, social and moral issues through literature, non-fiction and structured discussion. Across Key Stages 3 and 4, students encounter a broad range of texts and themes which develop their understanding of democracy, justice, equality, identity, rights and social responsibility, while also encouraging them to become thoughtful, informed and articulate members of society.

Students regularly engage with texts that examine how societies are organised and how individuals and groups interact with systems of power. Units such as Sci-Fi, Utopia and Dystopia and Of Mice and Men encourage students to consider themes including freedom, authoritarianism, inequality and the relationship between citizens and the state. Through these texts, students explore how political systems influence people’s lives and how individuals can challenge injustice or contribute to social change.

Texts such as The Other Side of Truth develop students’ understanding of democracy, political instability, freedom of expression and the experiences of those affected by conflict and oppression. Similarly, Noughts & Crosses allows students to critically examine discrimination, prejudice and institutional inequality, prompting reflection on fairness, human rights and social justice.

Citizenship themes are also embedded through the study of literature which explores responsibility, morality and community. In An Inspector Calls and A Christmas Carol, students examine social responsibility, class inequality and the moral obligation individuals have towards others. These texts encourage students to reflect on the impact of individual choices and the importance of contributing positively to society.

The curriculum also promotes active citizenship through regular opportunities for discussion, debate and oracy. Oracy, alongside collaborative classroom practice, enables students to develop the confidence to express opinions, justify viewpoints with evidence and engage respectfully with differing perspectives. In doing so, students develop the communication and critical thinking skills necessary for participation in democratic society.

Poetry and thematic units, including the Power and Conflict Anthology, further deepen students’ understanding of identity, diversity, conflict and international issues. Through the exploration of different voices, experiences and cultures, students develop empathy, mutual respect and a greater awareness of the wider world and Britain’s place within it.

Overall, the English curriculum supports Citizenship education by helping students to understand complex social and political issues through the lens of literature and language. It ensures that pupils are not only academically successful, but also increasingly informed, reflective and socially responsible young people who are prepared to participate positively in modern British society.

Audit-Style Summary of Citizenship Coverage in English

Citizenship Theme	Examples of English Curriculum Coverage
Democracy and political systems	Sci-Fi, Utopia and Dystopia, Of Mice and Men, The Other Side of Truth
The role of citizens, Parliament and power	Debate, persuasive writing, dystopian fiction and social commentary
Freedom, rights and liberty	The Other Side of Truth, Noughts & Crosses, dystopian literature
Justice, laws and consequences	Noughts & Crosses, An Inspector Calls, moral decision-making in fiction
Human rights and equality	Noughts & Crosses, Power and Conflict Anthology, diverse literary voices
Diversity and mutual respect	Multicultural texts, poetry and discussion-based learning
Active citizenship and community contribution	Oracy, collaborative discussion, persuasive speaking and debate
Local, national and international issues	Power and Conflict Anthology, Of Mice and Men, non-fiction and media texts

Critical evaluation of society and institutions	Dystopian fiction, social criticism and thematic literary analysis
Participation in discussion and democratic dialogue	Structured oracy, debate and evaluative writing across all year groups

English & British Values

The English curriculum plays an important role in promoting British Values by enabling students to explore complex moral, social and cultural issues through literature, discussion and critical analysis. Across Key Stages 3 and 4, students engage with a diverse range of texts which encourage them to reflect on themes such as democracy, justice, equality, individual liberty, tolerance, responsibility and the rule of law.

Through carefully sequenced units of study, students develop the confidence to express ideas, justify opinions and participate respectfully in discussion and debate. Opportunities for oracy, analytical writing and collaborative learning help students to develop self-confidence, resilience and self-awareness while learning to listen to and value differing viewpoints. Oracy in particular supports students in becoming articulate and respectful communicators who are able to engage positively with others.

A number of texts across the curriculum encourage students to explore moral responsibility, the consequences of actions and the distinction between right and wrong. In An Inspector Calls, students examine social responsibility, accountability and the impact of individual behaviour on wider society, while DNA explores peer pressure, moral compromise and the consequences of poor decision-making. Through these discussions, students are encouraged to reflect on personal responsibility and the importance of acting with integrity and empathy.

The curriculum also promotes understanding and respect for diversity, equality and different cultural traditions. Texts such as Noughts & Crosses challenge students to consider prejudice, discrimination and institutional inequality, encouraging reflection on fairness, tolerance and respect for others. Similarly, The Other Side of Truth provides insight into democracy, freedom and the experiences of refugees and displaced individuals, helping students to develop empathy and appreciation for different cultures, beliefs and lived experiences.

Themes linked to democracy, power and the role of institutions are explored through units such as Sci-Fi, Utopia and Dystopia, Of Mice and Men and the Power and Conflict Anthology. These texts encourage students to consider how societies are organised, how laws and systems can protect or oppress citizens, and how individuals can influence change. Students are encouraged to think critically about power, justice and the role of public institutions within society. British Values are also embedded through everyday classroom practice. Students are expected to participate respectfully in discussion, challenge ideas appropriately and support the rights of others to hold different opinions and beliefs. Through exposure to a broad and diverse literary canon, students develop tolerance, mutual respect and an understanding of the importance of challenging discrimination and prejudice in all its forms.

Overall, the English curriculum contributes strongly to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by helping them to become thoughtful, informed and respectful young people who are prepared to participate positively in life in modern Britain.

Audit-Style Summary of British Values Coverage in English

British Values Theme	Examples of English Curriculum Coverage
Self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence	Debate, presentations, analytical discussion and extended writing
Distinguishing right from wrong	DNA, An Inspector Calls, conflict poetry and moral dilemmas in literature
Accepting responsibility and contributing positively to society	An Inspector Calls, persuasive writing, collaborative learning and discussion
Respect for public institutions and services	The Other Side of Truth, dystopian fiction, political and social themes
Tolerance and harmony between cultures	The Other Side of Truth, diverse poetry and multicultural literature
Respect for other people	Discussion-based learning, collaborative interpretation and empathy through character study
Respect for democracy and democratic processes	Debate, persuasive speaking, dystopian fiction and exploration of power structures
Understanding how citizens influence decision-making	Protest writing, speeches, persuasive writing and social commentary
Rule of law and protection of citizens	Noughts & Crosses, dystopian literature, themes of justice and fairness
Separation of powers and role of institutions	Sci-Fi, Utopia and Dystopia, political themes within literature
Freedom of belief and expression	Exposure to diverse voices, viewpoints and cultural perspectives
Acceptance and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs	Multicultural texts, poetry and exploration of differing perspectives
Identifying and combatting discrimination	Noughts & Crosses, Power and Conflict Anthology, social justice themes

English & SMSC Development

The English curriculum makes a substantial contribution to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development through the study of literature, language and ideas. Across Key Stages 3 and 4, students engage with a diverse and challenging range of texts which encourage reflection, empathy, creativity, critical thinking and understanding of the wider world.

Spiritual development is fostered through opportunities for students to reflect on their own beliefs, values and perspectives while exploring those of others. Through texts such as The Other Side of Truth, Noughts & Crosses and the Power and Conflict Anthology, students consider themes including identity, justice, belonging, conflict and humanity. Students are encouraged to think deeply about the experiences, emotions and motivations of characters and to reflect thoughtfully on their own responses to complex issues. Creative and imaginative engagement with literature also develops students’ curiosity, imagination and enjoyment of learning.

Moral development is embedded throughout the curriculum as students regularly encounter ethical dilemmas, questions of justice and the consequences of human behaviour. In DNA, students explore peer pressure, responsibility and moral compromise, while An Inspector Calls encourages reflection on social responsibility, accountability and inequality. Through discussion, debate and analytical writing, students learn to investigate moral issues critically, consider multiple viewpoints and justify their own opinions using evidence and reasoned argument. These opportunities help students to recognise right and wrong, understand consequences and develop respect for the law and for others.

The English curriculum also contributes strongly to students’ social development. Collaborative discussion, group work and structured oracy activities enable students to develop confidence, communication skills and the ability to work respectfully with others from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Through participation in debate, discussion and shared interpretation of texts, students learn to listen carefully, resolve differences constructively and engage positively with contrasting viewpoints. The curriculum promotes mutual respect, tolerance and understanding, helping students to develop the skills and attitudes needed to participate fully in life in modern Britain.

Cultural development is a significant strength of the curriculum. Students study a wide range of literary voices, genres and traditions which expose them to different cultures, experiences and perspectives from Britain and beyond. Units such as American Literature, Sci-Fi, Utopia and Dystopia and diverse poetry collections encourage students to explore how literature reflects and shapes society, identity and historical change. Through these experiences, students develop appreciation for cultural diversity while also recognising shared human experiences and values across communities.

The curriculum also provides opportunities for students to engage with artistic and cultural expression through creative writing, spoken language and performance. Students are encouraged to respond positively to literary, dramatic and cultural experiences, developing both cultural awareness and personal confidence.

Overall, the English curriculum supports SMSC development by helping students to become reflective, empathetic and socially aware individuals who are increasingly able to understand themselves, respect others and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Audit-Style Summary of SMSC Coverage in English

SMSC Theme	Examples of English Curriculum Coverage
Reflection on beliefs, values and perspectives	Character study, reflective writing and thematic discussion
Respect for different faiths, feelings and values	Diverse literary voices, multicultural texts and discussion-based learning
Curiosity, imagination and enjoyment in learning	Creative writing, literature study and imaginative engagement with texts
Reflection on experiences and identity	The Other Side of Truth, Noughts & Crosses, personal response tasks
Recognising right and wrong	DNA, An Inspector Calls, moral dilemmas in fiction
Understanding consequences of actions	Conflict texts, peer pressure themes and character analysis
Discussion of moral and ethical issues	Debate, evaluative writing and analytical discussion
Social interaction and communication skills	Oracy Project, collaborative learning and group discussion
Respect and tolerance for others	Exploration of prejudice, discrimination and social inequality
Engagement with British Values	Debate, persuasive writing and themes of democracy, justice and equality
Understanding cultural diversity	American Literature, diverse poetry and multicultural texts
Appreciation of shared human experiences	Thematic study of conflict, identity, relationships and community
Participation in artistic and cultural experiences	Drama, performance, spoken language and creative writing

Sample Scheme of Work

English Scheme of Work Download