English

Our Year 7, 8 and 9 curriculums encourage students to engage with a range of texts around our big themes whilst building students’ key English skills in reading, writing and speaking. In Year 7, students explore texts from a range of different voices and cultures. In Year 8, they explore the treatment of those within society who might be marginalised or outcast. In Year 9, students explore social and political issues (past and present) which impact writers. During this year, we also develop students' understanding of how historical context helps us to interpret a writer’s aims and purposes (a key skill for GCSE study). Across Year 7, 8 and 9, students also develop their writing skills around these key themes.

In Year 10, students begin studying the content for their GCSEs in English Language and English Literature. Year 10 focuses on building the key writing skills needed for the English Language qualification and the key knowledge of texts needed for GCSE English Literature. Year 11 covers the key skills needed for the English Language reading questions and developing students’ exam technique for the literature exams. In Year 12, students can choose English Language and English Literature A Levels for further study.

Descriptive writing – based on images from around the world. Building the ability to use vocabulary to create tone and use a range of descriptive techniques.

Reading Boy Everywhere (by A. M. Dassu), a novel about the journey of a refugee from Syria to the UK. Working on students’ understanding of a writer’s intentions and how a novel is structured.

Writing letters to give our views – giving our views on issues in the local area. Students will develop their ability to write appropriately for a letter, use persuasive techniques and a range of sentences and punctuation to impact their reader.

Poetry from around the world – reading and analysing a range of poems from different poets, building language analysis skills.

Narrative writing – exploring the development of character and narrative arc.

Year 8 Topics (the treatment of marginalised groups in society).

Reading Frankenstein (the play version adapted by Phillip Pullman) to explore the themes of good vs evil and how outcasts are treated (understanding the writer’s messages about the consequences of this).

Having a voice (speech writing) - building students’ ability to write persuasively, structure a speech and to have confidence in presenting.

Reading Of Mice and Men (by John Steinbeck) to explore the treatment of various marginalised groups in 1930s America. Also developing skills around language analysis.

Romeo and Juliet (play by William Shakespeare) - exploring the themes of family conflict, loyalty and love. Also giving a chance to write descriptively about Shakespeare’s theatre - The Globe.

Reading Frankenstein (the play version adapted by Phillip Pullman) to explore the themes of good vs evil and how outcasts are treated (understanding the writer’s messages about the consequences of this).  

Having a voice (speech writing) - building students’ ability to write persuasively, structure a speech and to have confidence in presenting.  

Reading Of Mice and Men (by John Steinbeck) to explore the treatment of various marginalised groups in 1930s America. Also developing skills around language analysis.  

Romeo and Juliet (play by William Shakespeare) - exploring the themes of family conflict, loyalty and love. Also giving a chance to write descriptively about Shakespeare’s theatre, The Globe.  

Descriptive writing – based on images of Victorian society. Building the ability to use vocabulary to create tone, use a range of descriptive techniques, use sentences and punctuation to impact the reader. This topic will also introduce students to life in Victorian Britain, which will be useful for studying A Christmas Carol in Year 10.

Understanding writers' social and political influences (non-fiction reading based on political resistance). Working on students’ ability to read more challenging non-fiction texts and compare the writer’s intentions and views in each.

Social, political and cultural poetry from around the world - reading and analysing a range of poems from different poets, exploring the context that influenced them. Building language and structure analysis skills.

Writing articles to give our views - What is wrong with society today? Students draw from their experiences to inform their writing of giving their opinion. Building students’ ability to write persuasively, structure an article and use a range of vocabulary.

Reading An Inspector Calls (by J.B. Priestley) - students begin to explore their first GCSE Literature text in the last two terms of Year 9. Further developing key skills around understanding a writer’s messages and the context which inspired them to write. 

Spoken Language presentation – a spoken qualification. Students deliver a five-minute presentation to their class and then answer questions about their topic.

Power and Conflict Poetry – part of AQA English Literature GCSE. 15 poems from a range of poets which explore the themes of power and conflict.

A Christmas Carol (novel by Charles Dickens) - part of AQA English Literature GCSE. Exploring the themes of social responsibility, personal change, poverty vs wealth and greed. Learning how to write extended essays for GCSE literature exams.

Macbeth (play by William Shakespeare) - part of AQA English Literature GCSE. Exploring the themes of power, ambition and guilt. Learning how to write extended essays for GCSE literature exams.

Descriptive writing – part of AQA English Language GCSE.

Persuasive writing (letter/ article/ speech) - part of AQA English Language GCSE.

An introduction to unseen language analysis - part of AQA English Language GCSE. Beginning to explore unseen fiction extracts and consider what techniques the writers have used and the effect they create.

GCSE English Language, Paper 1 – preparing students to answer the questions in this exam paper. In this paper, students are required to read an unseed fiction extract (which they answer four reading questions on) and complete a piece of descriptive or narrative writing.

GCSE English Language, Paper 2 - preparing students to answer the questions in this exam paper. In this paper, students are required to read two unseen non-fiction extracts (which they answer four reading questions on) and complete a piece of persuasive writing.

Unseen poetry - part of AQA English Literature GCSE.  Exploring how to annotate and write an essay about poems students haven’t seen before.

An Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, and Power and Conflict poetry revision – revision of the key GCSE literature texts covered in Year 9 and 10.