English

The intent of the English Curriculum

The KS3 English curriculum at Sir John Leman High School is designed to support all students in developing the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills needed to be successful in school and beyond. The curriculum ensures that students are able to grow into thoughtful readers and skilled writers, and that they have the necessary grounding for the two GCSEs that they will take at KS4. The curriculum covers three key areas:

Reading: students will encouraged to read widely and critically. They will be taught to read for comprehension, to make inferences in texts, to analyse the ways that fiction and non-fiction texts are written, to support their ideas with relevant textual references, and to relate texts to their contexts.

Writing: students will be taught to enjoy crafting their writing for a range of purposes and audiences, to use a variety of structural features and punctuation to manipulate the reader, to use a wide range of vocabulary, and to structure their texts effectively.

Speaking and Listening: students will be taught to speak and listen in a variety of contexts, including formal presentations.

How is the English Curriculum implemented?

Reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills are taught through schemes of work focusing on different topics. Each scheme of work will cover a range of skills, gradually building in complexity as students move through the years. Units may be taught in a different order due to timetable considerations.

Year 7

1) Non-Fiction: students look at biographical and autobiographical writing, and produce their own autobiography.
2) ‘Stormcatchers’ – Tim Bowler: students read a novel, developing their skills of analysis and inference.
3) Poetry: students explore a range of poetic forms
4) Crime Writing: students read a range of short stories and extracts, using these to inspire their own short story entitled ‘The Great Sweet Shop Robbery’.
5) Transactional Writing: students read a range of non-fiction texts and use these to inspire their own writing, developing their ability to write in different forms and for different purposes.
6) Heroes and Villains: students read a range of extracts from classic texts, exploring what makes a ‘hero’ or a ‘villain’ and how these characters are presented.
7) Moving Images: students develop their understanding of how film makers achieve particular responses from audiences, and begin to develop evaluative skills.
8) The Other Side of Truth – Beverley Naidoo: a class novel, through which students consider issues of identity, belonging and justice.
9) David Copperfield: a short introduction to one of Charles Dickens’ classic novels, introducing students to the bildungsroman form.
10) Formal presentations on students’ ‘best ever’ film, book, etc, and on a historical figure of their choice.

Year 8

1) Novel (‘Strange Star’/‘The Lie Tree’): students read a novel, developing their skills of analysis and inference and their understanding of context.
2) The Happiness Project: students study research into what makes us happy, whilst practising key reading and writing skills.
3) Get Into A Book - Students read and analyse the openings of a range of modern teen fiction, exploring how effective that are at engaging the reader.
4) Poetry and Imaginative Writing: students develop their understanding of poetic forms and techniques, using the poems studied as a springboard for producing imaginative writing.
5) ‘Romeo and Juliet’ – William Shakespeare: students study the whole play, exploring plot, character and themes and developing skills of language analysis and inference.
6) Advertising: students study a range of print and moving image adverts, developing their media literacy skills.
7) Occupations: students write for a range of ‘real world’ audiences and purposes.
8) Formal presentations on a historical era of interest, and on an animal

Year 9

1) Transactional Writing: students read a range of non-fiction texts and develop transactional writing skills.
2) Dystopian Fiction: students read a novel alongside extracts from other dystopian texts. They develop their skills of analysis and inference and their ability to write for a range of purposes.
3) Poetry from Different Cultures: students read poetry from a range of cultures, developing their understanding of poetic forms and techniques, developing their understanding of other cultures, and learning to draw comparisons between texts.
4) ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ – William Shakespeare: students study the whole play, focusing on plot, character and theme. This text will be revisited at GCSE.
5) Gothic Reading and Writing: students study a range of gothic extracts, preparing them for the demands of the GCSE course. They practise writing imaginatively.
6) ‘The Woman in Black’ – Susan Hill: students study the novel, focusing on developing their skills of analysis and inference and their ability to relate the text to its context.
7) Non-fiction reading practice: students read a variety of high-quality literary non-fiction and practise responding to it in formal ways.
8) Formal presentations on a scientific invention of their choice, and on a place they’d like to visit.
Curriculum Road Map - English

Curriculum Sequencing Plan - English

The impact of the English Curriculum at the end of Key Stage 3

The Key Stage 3 curriculum is intended to increase students’ confidence, skills and enjoyment of reading, writing, speaking and listening. They develop academic resilience, and are encouraged to cultivate independence in reading and responding to a range of texts, and in writing for a range of purposes and audiences. The curriculum ensures that students develop an appreciation of the power of the written word and a love of reading, and are prepared for the demands of the GCSE English specifications.

How is it assessed?

Classes are organised so that students with similar target levels are working together. Within classes there will be a mix of class, group, pair and individual work.

Most units of work provides at least one opportunity for formal assessment from teachers. Across the year there will be a balance of reading, writing and speaking and listening assessments, prepared in class or as a homework project. Marking criteria will be shared and discussed with groups; a clear grade will be given for assessed work, along with individual targets for improvement. Each student will have a record/target sheet in their book so that progress can be monitored and targets regularly consulted.

Many lessons will provide students with the opportunity to give and receive informal feedback, as well as reflecting on feedback they have been given, both from their teacher and from their peers.

At the end of the year an overall grade for that year will be recorded, based on their work and progress over the year.

How can I help my child?

Good websites:

Other things you can do:

Encourage your child to read a range of fiction and non-fiction regularly for pleasure
Read a range of texts together, and discuss the stories and characters together. Talk through their homework projects and help them manage their time when completing projects
Ask your child about their learning, including any targets or ‘next steps’ they are working on.

Sir John Leman High School and Sixth Form