English
Why is the subject important?
Our English curriculum at Â鶹ŮÀÉ equips all students with the functional skills needed for later life, whilst nurturing a passion and love of literature from across the world. We work as a team to ensure that our curriculum is tailored and differentiated to meet the needs of our cohort to allow each of our students the opportunity to thrive in English and beyond.
Through the study of English Literature, our students develop a knowledge of and embrace cultural capital through a variety of well-considered texts across the English cannon; students are exposed to a range of contextual backgrounds and momentous historical events. These underpin and explore our core values as a school.
Through the study of English Language, we foster the analytical thinking of our students in order to develop their inquisitive natures which will empower them to criticise the things that they read, see and hear in the modern world. It is our aim to ensure that students have a comprehensive vocabulary to access and articulate challenging ideas. We endeavour to teach students a range of oracy and literacy skills which make them effective communicators across a range of modes and mediums.
Year 7
What will I be studying?
- Gothic
- Romance and Violence
- The story of English
Career LinksÌý
Careers – Career pathways include: drama, performing, the police, detectives, stage director, prop designer, costume designer.
Employability skills – Students will develop the ability to comprehend a variety of writing styles and to critically analyse texts.
How will I be assessed?
There are three assessments over the course of the year. They are broken down into reading and writing sections.
- Assessment 1:Reading and writing Ìýassessment –assessment linked thematically to Gothic and Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener .
- Assessment 2: Reading and writing assessment–assessment linked thematicallyÌýtoÌýShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
- Assessment 3:ÌýReadingÌýassessment –assessmentÌýlinked thematically toÌýThe Story of English.
Knowledge Organisers
- Term 1 –ÌýThe Night Gardener
- Term 2Ìý–ÌýThe Night Gardener
- Term 3Ìý–ÌýRomeo and Juliet
- Term 4 –ÌýRomeo and Juliet
- Term 5 –ÌýThe Story of EnglishÌý
- Term 6Ìý–ÌýThe Story of English
All Knowledge Organisers are based on knowledge of spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, grammar and text types in relation to the class topics.
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- BBC Bitesize – KS3 English:
- Education Quizzes – KS3 English:
- Access the Grammar and Punctuation on GCSE Pod:
- Educake:
Year 8
What will I be studying?Ìý
- Poems of canon, contemporaryÌýand culture
- Social Responsibility
- Civil unrest
Career Links
Careers – Career pathways include: politics, site managing, tradespeople, investigator, speech writer, motivational speaker.
Employability skills – How to use rhetoric devices within non-fiction writing styles such as articles, letters and speeches.
How will I be assessed?
There are three assessments over the course of the year. They are broken down into three reading assessments and three writing assessments.Ìý
- Assessment 1: Reading and writing assessment –assessmentÌýlinkedÌýthematicallyÌýtoÌýwar poetry.
- Assessment 2: Reading and writing assessment – assessmentÌýlinkedÌýthematicallyÌýtoÌýAn Inspector Calls.
- Assessment 3:ÌýReading and writing assessment –Ìýassessment linked thematically to Animal Farm.
Knowledge Organisers
- Term 1 – War Poetry
- Term 2 –ÌýWar extracts
- Term 3 –ÌýAn Inspector Calls
- Term 4 –ÌýAn Inspector CallsÌý
- Term 5 –ÌýAnimal Farm
- Term 6 –ÌýAnimal Farm
All Knowledge Organisers are based on knowledge of spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, grammar and text types in relation to the class topics.
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- BBC Bitesize – KS3 English: Ìý
- The Day: Ìý
- English Learning Council – Grammar:Ìý
- Educake:
Year 9
What will I be studying?
- Civil unrest
- An Introduction to Tragedy, and Shakespeare’sÌýOthello
- Social class
Career Links
Careers – Career pathways include: drama, performing, screenwriting, acting, directing and producing.
Employability skills – Equips students with the empathetic and sympathetic abilities they need to excel in their adult lives.
How will I be assessed?
- Assessment 1:Reading and writing Ìýassessment –assessment linked thematically to civil unrest Ìýand George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
- Assessment 2:Reading and writing Ìýassessment –assessment linked thematically to tragedy in Shakespeare’s Othello
- Assessment 3 :Literature style question based on Willy Rusell’s Blood Brothers.
Knowledge Organisers
- TermÌý1Ìý–ÌýAnimal Farm
- Term 2Ìý–ÌýTransactional writing
- Term 3 –ÌýOthello
- Term 4 –ÌýOthello
- Term 5Ìý– Blood Brothers
- Term 6 –Ìý Blood Brothers
All Knowledge Organisers are based on knowledge of spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, grammar and text types in relation to the class topics.
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- BBC Bitesize: Ìý
- Non-fiction and current issues: Ìý
- Educake:
GCSE English Language
What will I be studying?Ìý
- AQA English Language Paper 1: Explorations in creative writing and reading
- AQA English Language Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
Career Links
Year 10
Careers – Career pathways include: journalism, emergency services, administration, sales, customer service, teaching and hospitality.
Employability skills – The ability to read and write in a variety of registers and make links between texts and the wider world.
Year 11
Careers – Career pathways include: writing, authoring, editor, proofreading, copywriting,
social media content creation and marketing.
Employability skills – Students are developing revision practices and are practicing how to construct convincing arguments, both verbally and in writing.
How will I be assessed?Ìý
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
Section A: Reading
- One literature fiction text
Section B: Writing
- Descriptive or narrative writing
ÌýWritten exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
80 marks
50% of GCSE
Questions:
Reading (40 marks) (25%) – four questions based on one previously unseen fiction text
Writing (40 marks) (25%) – one extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
Section A: Reading
- One non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text
Section B: Writing
- Writing to present a viewpoint
ÌýWritten exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
80 marks
50% of GCSE
Questions:
Reading (40 marks) (25%) – four questions based on two previously unseen non-fiction texts
Writing (40 marks) (25%) – one extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
Non-examination Assessment: Spoken Language
- Presenting
- Responding to questions and feedback
- Use of Standard English
Which examination board am I following?Ìý
Exam Board: AQA
Specification: 8700
Website:
Which websites should I use to support my learning?Ìý
- BBC Bitesize:
- YouTube – Mr Bruff:
- The Day:
- GCSEPod:
- Educake: ÌýÌý
GCSE English Literature
What will I be studying?
- English Literature Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th century novel
- English Literature Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry
Studied Content:
- Macbeth (Shakespeare)
- A Christmas Carol (19th century novel)
- Blood Brothers (Modern text)
- Power and Conflict Poetry (Poetry)
- Unseen Poetry (Unseen)
Career Links
Year 10
Careers – Career pathways include: journalism, emergency services, administration, sales, customer service, teaching and hospitality.
Employability skills – The ability to read and write in a variety of registers and make links between texts and the wider world.
Year 11
Careers – Career pathways include: writing, authoring, editor, proofreading, copywriting, social media content creation and marketing.
Employability skills – Students are developing revision practices and are practicing how to construct convincing arguments, both verbally and in writing.
How will I be assessed?
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th century novel
How it is assessed:
- Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
- 64 marks
- 40% of GCSE
Questions:
Section A: Shakespeare (34 marks): Students will answer one question on their play of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole.
Section B: The 19th century novel (30 marks): Students will answer one question on their novel of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole.
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry
How it is assessed:
- Written exam: 2 hour 15 minutes
- 96 marks
- 60% of GCSE
Questions:
Section A: Modern texts (34 marks): Students will answer one essay question from a choice of two on their studied modern prose or drama text.
Section B: Poetry (30 marks): Students will answer one comparative question on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster.
Section C: Unseen poetry (32 marks): Students will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem.
Which examination board am I following?
Exam Board: AQA
Specification: 8702
Website:
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- BBC Bitesize:
- SparkNotes:
- YouTube – Mr Bruff:
- The Day:
- Educake: ÌýÌý
- GCSEPod:
