KEY STAGE 3 ENGLISH

In English we return to the same skills again and again, but we are clear that how we want our students to make progress from when they join us in Year 7. As part of our curriculum mapping process, we pulled these ideas together in order to share our vision of what we hope students will master by the end of each year.

Overview of student progress years 7 - 9

The Key Stage 3 curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, both for pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn: they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
   

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AT KS3
 

READING:  We want our students to be able to make an informed personal response to any text, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and to be able to evaluate these. We aim for them to develop their independence when responding to texts (both studied and unseen): they need to be able to infer, comment on, explain, analyse, evaluate and compare.  Through our vocabulary work, we hope students are able to pinpoint and explore challenging conceptual ideas, as well as talk and write about texts critically, using a sophisticated, academic style when appropriate.

Develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently through:

• reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including in particular whole books, short stories, poems and plays with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods, forms and authors, including high-quality works from English literature, both pre-1914 and contemporary, including prose, poetry and drama; Shakespeare (2 plays) and seminal world literature
• choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment
• rereading books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons

Understand increasingly challenging texts through:

• learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries
• making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
• knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension
• checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense

Read critically through:

• knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
• recognising a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used
• studying setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these
• understanding how the work of dramatists is communicated effectively through performance and how alternative staging allows for different interpretations of a play
• making critical comparisons across texts
• studying a range of authors, including at least 2 authors in depth each year
   

WRITING: We want our students to know and understand a variety of genres and the appropriate grammar and methods to construct these texts convincingly. It is important students are able to apply this knowledge and these key skills independently in a variety of context across a range of text types.  Students must be able to adapt and subvert texts; plan, draft, edit and proof read their writing; develop their vocabulary to be convincing and sophisticated.

Write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

• writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including: well-structured formal expository and narrative essays; stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing; notes and polished scripts for talks and presentations and a range of other narrative and non-narrative texts, including arguments, and personal and formal letters
• summarising and organising material, and supporting ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail
• applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form
• drawing on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing

Plan, draft, edit and proofread through:

• considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended
• amending the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness
• paying attention to accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling; applying the spelling patterns and rules
   

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: Over the past 5 years, we have focused significantly on the importance of vocabulary, as a whole school and within the English department. We use a wide range of strategies, including one of our home-learning platforms (Readingwise) to develop vocabulary competence amongst our young people.

Consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

• extending and applying the grammatical knowledge and analyse more challenging texts
• studying the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read
• drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects
• knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English
• using Standard English confidently in their own writing and speech
• discussing reading, writing and spoken language with precise and confident use of linguistic and literary terminology
   

SPEAKING:  We are passionate about helping students to realise the power of their individual voice as an advocate for change in the world and a skill which is vital in our day to day personal and working lives. Students have to be able to formulate, develop and articulate ideas with increasing confidence, fluency and sophistication in a range of contexts, knowing when it is important to use standard English and more formal vocabulary and structures. We promote high-quality speaking through performance, frequent discussion and debate, and presenting ideas in the format of a speech.

Speak confidently and effectively, including through:

• using Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion
• giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point
• participating in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate languages and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact

KEY STAGE 4 ENGLISH

ENGLISH IN YEAR 9 AT ST PETER’S

In Year 9 we begin our GCSE English Language and Literature course. This year will cover all the key skills and text types that students will face in their GCSEs, as well as studying some of the literature texts which will be examined at the end of the course.

In English Language there are no set GCSE texts, but students will face unseen texts from the 19^th Century, 20^th Century and 21^st Century. These texts will be both fiction and non-fiction. Students will also have to write creatively and be able to write texts which present a viewpoint for specific purposes and audiences.

In Literature, we will be training Year 9s to approach literature texts in preparation for their GCSE Literature exams and they will study some of their GCSE literature texts, including their 19^th Century Novel, a Modern Text and some poetry.

The course outlines will help you understand the types of texts and the exam structure faced in both the English Language and English Literature exams.

ENGLISH IN YEAR 10 AND 11

By the time our students reach Year 10 and 11, we hope they have mastered many of the essential skills to be successful in their GCSEs, and have encountered the full range of text types (fiction and nonfiction, written and spoken, British and multi-cultured, modern and from the literary heritage) that they will meet during their GCSE courses. We still want our final years to be engaging and exciting in English, and through our established pedagogical approaches, and carefully selected texts and topics, we hope our young people leave St Peter’s with a love of literature and language, as well as a strong understanding of how a writer or speaker (in any genre) creates impact through careful crafting. In terms of preparing for the final exams, we have developed a clear 4 step approach to all questions across the two subjects, which we rehearse in a variety of ways within the classroom and as part of our home learning.

The Key Stage 4 curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

Students at St Peter’s study English Language and English Literature and follow the AQA specification.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AT KEY STAGE 4

READING:  We want our students to be able to make an informed personal response to any text, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and to be able to evaluate these. We aim for them to develop their independence when responding to texts (both studied and unseen): they need to be able to infer, comment on, explain, analyse, evaluate and compare.  Through our vocabulary work, we hope students are able to pinpoint and explore challenging conceptual ideas, as well as talk and write about texts critically, using a sophisticated, academic style when appropriate.

Read and appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage through:

• reading a wide range of high-quality, challenging, classic literature and extended literary non-fiction, such as essays, reviews and journalism. This writing should include whole texts and range across:
  • at least one play by Shakespeare
  • works from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries
  • poetry since 1789, including representative Romantic poetry  

• re-reading literature and other writing as a basis for making comparisons
• choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment

Understand and critically evaluate texts through:

• reading in different ways for different purposes, summarising and synthesising ideas and information, and evaluating their usefulness for particular purposes
• drawing on knowledge of the purpose, audience for and context of the writing, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation
• identifying and interpreting themes, ideas and information
• exploring aspects of plot, characterisation, events and settings, the relationships between them and their effects
• seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence
• distinguishing between statements that are supported by evidence and those that are not, and identifying bias and misuse of evidence
• analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact
• making critical comparisons, referring to the contexts, themes, characterisation, style and literary quality of texts, and drawing on knowledge and skills from wider reading

WRITING: We want our students to know and understand a variety of genres and the appropriate grammar and methods to construct these texts convincingly. It is important students are able to apply this knowledge and these key skills independently in a variety of context across a range of text types.  Students must be able to adapt and subvert texts; plan, draft, edit and proof read their writing; develop their vocabulary to be convincing and sophisticated.

Write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

• adapting their writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences: to describe, narrate, explain, instruct, give and respond to information, and argue
• selecting and organising ideas, facts and key points, and citing evidence, details and quotation effectively and pertinently for support and emphasis
• selecting, and using judiciously, vocabulary, grammar, form, and structural and organisational features, including rhetorical devices, to reflect audience, purpose and context, and using Standard English where appropriate

Make notes, draft and write, including using information provided by others [e.g. writing a letter from key points provided; drawing on and using information from a presentation]

Revise, edit and proof-read through:

• reflecting on whether their draft achieves the intended impact
• restructuring their writing, and amending its grammar and vocabulary to improve coherence, consistency, clarity and overall effectiveness
• paying attention to the accuracy and effectiveness of grammar, punctuation and spelling

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: Over the past 5 years, we have focused significantly on the importance of vocabulary, as a whole school and within the English department. We use a wide range of strategies, including one of our home-learning platforms (Readingwise) to develop vocabulary competence amongst our young people.

Consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

• studying their effectiveness and impact in the texts they read
• drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects
• analysing some of the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English
• using linguistic and literary terminology accurately and confidently in discussing reading, writing and spoken language
   

SPEAKING:  We are passionate about helping students to realise the power of their individual voice as an advocate for change in the world and a skill which is vital in our day to day personal and working lives. Students have to be able to formulate, develop and articulate ideas with increasing confidence, fluency and sophistication in a range of contexts, knowing when it is important to use standard English and more formal vocabulary and structures. We promote high-quality speaking through performance, frequent discussion and debate, and presenting ideas in the format of a speech. As the GCSE Spoken Language Endorsement we ask students to write and present a TEDTalk style speech, enabling student to really find their voice, their passion and speak out about something they feel will make a positive difference within the world.

Speak confidently, audibly and effectively, including through:

• using Standard English when the context and audience require it
• working effectively in groups of different sizes and taking on required roles, including leading and managing discussions, involving others productively, reviewing and summarising, and contributing to meeting goals/deadlines
• listening to and building on the contributions of others, asking questions to clarify and inform, and challenging courteously when necessary
• planning for different purposes and audiences, including selecting and organising information and ideas effectively and persuasively for formal spoken presentations and debates
• listening and responding in a variety of different contexts, both formal and informal, and evaluating content, viewpoints, evidence and aspects of presentation
• improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AQA: COURSE OUTLINE

GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE: COURSE OUTLINE

ASSESSMENT IN ENGLISH

Students will often be asked to complete a ‘cold task’ at the beginning of a unit, which we use to identify the most important teaching points for the coming unit of learning for the cohort, each class and for individual pupils. One of the most effective ways we assess in English, is day-to-day within the classroom by monitoring responses and offering live feedback. Part way through each unit (mid-cycle), students will complete a mini-assessment which clearly helps students move towards the final outcome, and ensures teachers understand the most important teaching points going forwards. All units have a clearly identified final outcome, which can be linked to our core curriculum strands so it is clear how they fit into the bigger learning journey from Year 7 to Year 11, as well as subsidiary strands, to ensure breadth of coverage and repeated rehearsal of key skills in new contexts as they progress in English at St Peter’s.

GROUPING IN ENGLISH

Grouping in each year group varies for English, and is very much based on individual cohorts. We understand that grouping can be is important to students, parents and staff, and we use our knowledge of effective practice, drawing on research, as well as our understanding of the needs and mix within a cohort, when making grouping decisions. We aim to stretch and challenge all our students, in every group, and are always developing our practice to ensure all students are supported to make excellent progress.

Year 7

Groups are currently in tutor groups, which are completely mixed ability. We will monitor the progress of the cohort and decide before the end of Autumn term if we will regroup students. In each population (w, x and y) there is either one smaller English group or DELL provision, specifically to support students who have identified literacy needs.

Year 8

In year 8 this year we have a higher attaining group in each population, and two mixed middle groups. Within each mixed group there will be some high attaining students and some students who will need specific support from the teacher. In each population (w, x and y) there is either one smaller English group or DELL provision, specifically to support students who have identified literacy needs.

Year 9

This year in Year 9, we have one higher attaining group in each population (P and Q) and 4 mixed middle groups. This structure was decided in response to the current cohort and their needs. Within each mixed group there will be some high attaining students and some students who will need specific support from the teacher. There is one smaller provision in the Q population, the DELL group, specifically designed to support students who have identified literacy needs.

Year 10

This year in Year 10 we have we have two higher attaining group in each population (P and Q) and 2 mixed middle groups and one slightly smaller group for students who will most benefit from some extra teacher support working towards their GCSE English Language and Literature exams. Within each mixed group there will be some high attaining students and some students who will need specific support from the teacher. There is one further smaller provision in the Q population, the DELL group, specifically designed to support students who have identified literacy needs.

Year 11

This year in Year 11 we have we have two higher attaining group in each population (P and Q) and 2 mixed middle groups and one slightly smaller group for students who find aspects of English difficult. Within each mixed group there will be some high attaining students and some students who will need specific support from the teacher. There is one further smaller provision in the Q population, the DELL group, specifically designed to support students who have identified literacy needs.

HOME LEARNING IN ENGLISH

We set weekly homework for all year groups in English which are specifically designed to deepen understanding of key texts, practice key skill in writings, increase a range of reading skills and expand students’ vocabulary proficiency.

STAFFING IN ENGLISH

• Kathy Hamilton – Subject Learning Leader
• Rebekah Mardall – English Lead Practitioner
• Alison McDowall – Second in Department
• Lyndsay Kennett – Department Lead for developing metacognition and creative writing
• Camilla Simpson – Subject Lead for Media and Media teacher, English teacher
• Gemma Pragnell - English teacher
• Caroline Harding - English teacher
• Molly Seymour - English teacher
• Vicky Ovens - English teacher
• Miriam Pannell - English teacher
• Ellie Richards - English teacher
• Linda Wright - English and DELL teacher
• Kate Amphlett - English teacher
• Alexander Davies - English teacher
• Peter Adler - English teacher