English

  • Mrs Fernandez-Arias – Head of Faculty
  • Mrs Abel – Associate Head of Faculty
  • Mr Mayell – Deputy Headteacher and Teacher of English
  • Mrs Jackson – Director of Literacy
  • Miss Marlowe – Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator
  • Miss Corrigan – Teacher of English
  • Mrs Shareef – Teacher of English
  • Mr Clays-Jones – Teacher of English
  • Mr Palmer – Teacher of English
  • Miss Hudson – Teacher of English
  • Miss Hughes – English focused Higher Level Teaching Assistant
  • Mrs Van Hessing – Literacy and Numeracy Specialist
  • Mr Clare – Literacy Teaching Assistant

Key Stage 3

Throughout Key Stage 3, students will study a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. They are encouraged to plan, draft and present a range of writing suitable for different purposes and audiences. They also complete a range of speaking and listening activities. Assessment is completed in line with the National Curriculum framework, using the APP model (in short a student is ‘levelled’ through an accumulation of different tasks with different assessment foci.

Year 7

Year 7 Term 1 

Mini Sagas Students re-visit core grammar and writing skills from KS2 sentence types, punctuation, conjunctions. Taught using familiar terminology from KS2 to ensure smooth transition to KS3. Skills for Writing Unit 1(Alter Egos) This unit of work focuses on analysing a variety of extracts that demonstrate key writing skills including creating voice, imagery, description, detail, tension, pace, vocabulary and punctuation. Students will study and then apply new writing skills. Writing assessment is to write an extract from a novel describing the transformation of a character into his/her alter ego.

The Other Side of Truth Students will study a full contemporary novel, exploring key themes, ideas, characters, structure, language and settings. Students are to develop their skills from the KS2 ‘3 mark questions’ by being introduced to the PEE structure response. Alongside reading skills, students are to continue to develop creative writing skills, with writing tasks created around the novel. Assessment – Reading Response questions on an unseen text.

Term 2

Identity and Poetry Students will study a range of poems along the theme of identity, exploring language, structure and ideas. Assessment on an unseen poem.

Action Adventure! Students will study a range of non fiction texts around the theme of Action and Adventure – exploring text types and writer’s methods. Students will also practise writing a range of non-fiction text types.

Term 3 Action Adventure! Students will study a range of non fiction texts around the theme of Action and Adventure – exploring text types and writer’s methods. Students will also practise writing a range of non-fiction text types. Formal non fiction reading and writing assessment.

Gothic Short Stories Students will read The Monkey’s Paw and The Signalman, studying themes, character, setting and language. Students will also explore the gothic narrative poem and have opportunities for creative writing.

Year 8

Term 1

Reading Response Structures (short story) This unit focuses on building core reading skills through the reading of either ‘The Man with the Yellow Face’ by Horowitz or ‘There will come Soft Rains’ by Bradbury. Students will study extracts from the short story, focusing on character, language, structure and comprehension. They will learn how to structure a detailed reading response.

Skills for Writing – Spy Fiction: This unit of work focuses on building and developing creative writing skills. Students will study extracts from the novel, focusing on building description and manipulating sentences and structures for effect. Students will apply learning to their own creative writing.

19th century context & Oliver Twist This unit of work focuses on studying the context of 19th century literature, leading on to the study of Dickens ‘Oliver Twist.’ Students will explore key themes, ideas, characters, language, structure and settings. Formal reading assessment on an unseen extract from ‘Oliver Twist.’

Term 2

Investigate! Students will explore a range of non-fiction texts in the context of conducting an investigation in role. Students will apply new learning to writing non-fiction. Formal assessment of non-fiction writing.

Romeo & Juliet: This unit will focus on students being introduced to the main themes; the plot and events of the play; the characters and their relationships; the structure of the play; and the context of the time period and how this directly impacts on all of the above. Students will make reading responses to extracts from the play in the anthology, centred around the theme of ‘conflict; this will include an expository essay response to a question and a class debate – students will prepare notes and a polished script in preparation for the debate.

Term 3 Science Fiction Reading Unit Students will study a range of extracts from the science fiction genre including War of the Worlds, Lord of the Flies, Brave New World, Farenheit 451, Students will revisit reading skills learned in their first unit of Year 7 and develop skills to analyse effectiveness of writer’s methods. Students will also revisit and develop skills for writing – writing creatively in the science fiction genre. Formal reading and writing assessment on an unseen extract and creative writing task.

Noughts and Crosses Playscript: This unit of work focuses on the analysis, rehearsal and performance of a playscript. Students will study themes, ideas, characters, language, structure and setting and will perform in their own interpretation in role.

Year 9

Term 1

Utopia and Dystopia: In this unit, students will explore the dystopian genre of fiction,exploring a range of fictional texts including extracts from 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World, The Hunger Games and Gone. Students will explore how writers use language and structure for effect (such as pace, fear and impact) before using their skills to write their own dystopian creative writing. Formal reading assessment on an unseen extract and writing assessment on an imaginative writing task.

Othello: This unit will focus on students being introduced to the main themes; the plot and events of the play; the characters and their relationships; the structure of the play; and the context of the time period and how this directly impacts on all of the above. Students will make reading responses to extracts from the play in the anthology, centred around the theme of ‘conflict; this will include an expository essay response to a question and a class debate – students will prepare notes and a polished script in preparation for the debate.

Term 2

Anthology Love & Relationships Poetry: Students will develop analytical and comparative skills in this unit of work, centred around poems on Love and Relationships (Love’s Philosophy, Sonnet 29, Follower, Before you were Mine, Climbing my Grandfather, Mother Any Distance). Formal assessment on a comparative poetry question.

Disaster! (Term 2-3): This unit of work focuses on studying a range of modern and 19th century non-fiction and fiction texts and extracts under the theme of ‘Disaster.’ Students will need to respond in terms of form, purpose, genre, language and audience in their reading responses. Formal assessment on unseen non-fiction reading and creative non-fiction writing task.

Term 3

American Literature – Students will study either To Kill a Mockingbird or Of Mice and Men. Students will read and study the whole text – exploring context, themes, plot and characters. Students will gain a full understanding of the integral contextual climate of the novel, thus exploring issues such as racism, prejudice and poverty.

Unseen Poetry Students to develop skills required for unseen texts and to build on skills learnt in Poetry Anthology Unit

Key Stage 4 : GCSE English Language & English Literature

All students will follow two courses:

  • English Language
  • English Literature

An outline of the courses are shown below and full details/support materials can be found at: www.aqa.org.uk
Specification at a glance:

English Literature

Assessments

All assessments are compulsory
All assessments are closed book: any stimulus materials required will be provided as part of the assessment

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel

What’s assessed
Shakespeare
The 19th-century novel

How it’s Accessed
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
64 marks
40% of GCSE

Paper 2: modern texts and poetry

What’s assessed
modern texts
Poetry
Unseen poetry

How it’s Accessed
written exam: 2 hour 15 minutes
96 marks
60% of GCSE

English Language

Assessments

All texts in the examination will be unseen.

Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

What’s assessed
Section A: Reading

One literature fiction text
Section B: Writing
Description or narrative writing

Accessed
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
80 marks
50% of GCSE

Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoint and Perspectives

What’s assessed
Section A: Reading

one non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text
Section B: Writing
writing to present a viewpoint

Accessed
written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
80% marks
50% of GCSE

Non-examination Assessment:Spoken Language

What’s assessed
(AO7-AO9)

presenting
responding to questions and feedback
use of standard

Accessed
teacher set throughout course
marked by teacher
separate endorsement (0% weighting of GCSE)