English

Powerful Knowledge

The KS3 curriculum is designed to introduce students to the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful at GCSE. It allows students to read widely for pleasure across a range of genres in prose, poetry and drama. It gives them an introduction to the 19th century, the chance to develop a personal response to a range of different poems and to develop their writing styles to fit a range of purposes.

Students study selected texts from the following topics

War

Sherlock Holmes - Detective Fiction

Modern day texts set in the 19th Century

Three full Shakespeare texts

Poetry from other cultures

Gothic Literature

Introduction to Chaucer

Narrative and transactional writing

Animal Farm  - George Orwell

They also develop their writing skills both in narrative fiction and transactional non fiction.

Key skills which students begin to develop during KS3 English are:

To  read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading

To  read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas

To develop the habit of reading widely and often 

To appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage 

To write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English 

To acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms to allow for response, analysis and evaluation of the texts studied.

To understand and use terminology in context

These skills are transferable and needed to be successful rather than having textual knowledge at KS3

Students are taught to consider and evaluate the importance of wider contextual issues relating to the writers’ lives, social and historical background and literary period and genre in preparation for contextual based questions at GCSE

For all texts, students learn about the writers’ intentions and how their choices of structure, form and language encode these intentions for the reader.

Much of the knowledge and the skills needed to be successful in English are taught in the form of a spiral curriculum with each year building on existing knowledge whilst applying it to increasingly more complex texts moving towards GCSE.

Literacy

Reading, writing and speaking and listening are at the heart of all teaching and learning of English. The curriculum allows opportunities for students to be introduced to a range of language throughout the ages in preparation for their GCSE course. Topics are grouped thematically and allow students to explore Shakespeare and 19th Century texts at KS3

Teachers support students with their literacy by allowing supported reading, group activities and discussions as well as modelling fluent and expressive reading and decoding.  

Students are exposed to archaic and challenging vocabulary in 19th century texts. Teachers support students to use  different morphological and contextual clues to promote greater reading fluency and confidence.

Marking and feedback includes FIT tasks to be set to encourage students to develop and expand their critical and analytical vocabulary and be able to express their arguments and interpretations in a more nuanced manner.

School Context

Students in KS3 are developing the knowledge and skills to be able to work towards the Eduqas English Literature and Language GCSEs in KS4. Staff are now predominantly familiar with the new specification since the reform of the qualification.

Examinations are completed at the end of each year.

Students at Stowupland also take reading age assessments 3 times a year so that progress can be monitored and are enrolled onto Bedrock Learning in an effort to improve their vocabulary.

Assessment

Students complete either a reading based or writing based assessment condition completed under timed conditions per half term during KS3. This is formally assessed and feedback is provided. Question types try to mimic the knowledge needed at GCSE without being too exam focused so students are getting into the habit of answering questions in an appropriate manner.

Students also sit end of year examinations which assess  literature and language skills.

Careers

Teachers stress the importance of English as being beneficial for all roles of work. This is further reinforced at GCSE. Students are aware of the need to be able to read and write to a high standard as well as communicate effectively if they would like to enter the world of work.

The idea of staying to 6th form is embedded throughout KS3.

Powerful Knowledge

The KS3 curriculum is designed to introduce students to the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful at GCSE. It allows students to read widely for pleasure across a range of genres in prose, poetry and drama. It gives them an introduction to the 19th century, the chance to develop a personal response to a range of different poems and to develop their writing styles to fit a range of purposes.

Students study selected texts from the following topics

War

Sherlock Holmes - Detective Fiction

Modern day texts set in the 19th Century

Two full Shakespeare texts

Poetry from other cultures

Heroes and Villains

American Novella

Gothic Literature

They also develop their writing skills both in narrative fiction and transactional non fiction.

Key skills which students begin to develop during KS3 English are:

To  read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading

To  read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas

To develop the habit of reading widely and often 

To appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage 

To write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English 

To acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms to allow for response, analysis and evaluation of the texts studied.

To understand and use terminology in context

These skills are transferable and needed to be successful rather than having textual knowledge at KS3

Students are taught to consider and evaluate the importance of wider contextual issues relating to the writers’ lives, social and historical background and literary period and genre in preparation for contextual based questions at GCSE

For all texts, students learn about the writers’ intentions and how their choices of structure, form and language encode these intentions for the reader.

Much of the knowledge and the skills needed to be successful in English are taught in the form of a spiral curriculum with each year building on existing knowledge whilst applying it to increasingly more complex texts moving towards GCSE.

Literacy

Reading, writing and speaking and listening are at the heart of all teaching and learning of English. The curriculum allows opportunities for students to be introduced to a range of language throughout the ages in preparation for their GCSE course. Topics are grouped thematically and allow students to explore Shakespeare and 19th Century texts at KS3.

Teachers support students with their literacy by allowing supported reading, group activities and discussions as well as modelling fluent and expressive reading and decoding.  

Students are exposed to archaic and challenging vocabulary in these texts. Teachers support students to use  different morphological and contextual clues to promote greater reading fluency and confidence.

Marking and feedback includes FIT tasks to be set to encourage students to develop and expand their critical and analytical vocabulary and be able to express their arguments and interpretations in a more nuanced manner.

School Context

Students in KS3 are developing the knowledge and skills to be able to work towards the Eduqas English Literature and Language GCSEs in KS4. Staff are now predominantly familiar with the new specification since the reform of the qualification.

Examinations are completed at the end of year.

Students at Stowupland also take reading age assessments 3 times a year so that progress can be monitored and are enrolled onto Bedrock Learning in an effort to improve their vocabulary

There is a high degree of cultural capital in the study of GCSE Literature as so much prominence is given to the position of canonical texts and writers and their place in the literary landscape. Reading such texts provides students with an insight into the great writers of the past. Where possible, study of set texts is enriched by theatre visits and other cultural visits such as to The Globe.

Assessment

Students complete either a reading based or writing based assessment condition completed under timed conditions per half term during KS3. This is formally assessed and feedback is provided. Question types try to mimic the knowledge needed at GCSE without being too exam focused so students are getting into the habit of answering questions in an appropriate manner.

Students also sit end of year examinations which look at literature and language skills.

Careers

Teachers stress the importance of English as being beneficial for all roles of work. This is further reinforced at GCSE. Students are aware of the need to be able to read and write to a high standard as well as communicate effectively if they would like to enter the world of work.

The idea of staying to 6th form is embedded throughout KS3.