English
Curriculum Intent - English:
In KS3, our intention is to promote students’ voices and give them tools to express their views appropriately. We have chosen texts that represent a broad canon of literature across time and genre: they initially focus on personal growth and identity and move towards texts that explore and challenge the world around us. Students will develop a sense of voice, an interest in the wider world and an awareness of the cultural capital available.
They are encouraged to understand the methods writers use for different purposes and encouraged to be creative and write in different forms so that they can improve their command of spelling and grammar, preparing them for employability skills such as effective communication, writing accurately and expressing themselves creatively through nonfiction and fiction texts.
Through these texts, students will discuss and analyse social, moral, cultural and spiritual ideas, use their imagination creatively and study the viewpoints of others on topical issues.
During the study of their texts, students will develop their reading skills, stretch and challenge their ability to analyse different texts and genres. At the highest level, students also develop the more complex evaluation skills as well as using evidence and theory to support sustained arguments. They are encouraged to think critically and evaluate others’ opinions as well as undertaking independent research.
English Curriculum Overview
| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Year 7 |
Grammar bootcamp: a recap of the grammar and sentence basics Prose text: Treasure Island |
Non-fiction writing: ambition and resilience (including autobiography writing from Malala Yousafzai and Martin Luther King; news articles about Rashford and ‘the boy in the tent’) Poetry: individual voices (poetry anthology including ‘Sonnet 130’, Plath, Armitage, Atwood) |
Narrative verse text: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight |
|
Year 8 |
Grammar bootcamp: a recap of the grammar and sentence basics Drama text: The Tempest Poetry: your place in the world (poetry anthology including Wordsworth, Arnold, Duffy, Hughes) |
Prose text: The Odyssey |
Diverse Voices: extracts that explore ableism, racism and living in diverse environment. Non-fiction reading: travel and adventure (anthology including diary extracts from Mallory, Dickens, Bird and travel writing/journalism about exploring different areas of the world) |
|
Year 9 |
Grammar bootcamp: a recap of the grammar and sentence basics Prose text: Animal Farm Poetry: identity and voice (poetry anthology including Angelou, Nichols, Rossetti, Dharker) |
Drama text: Romeo and Juliet |
Modern drama text: The Crucible Non-fiction reading: fighting injustice (articles and letters about modern concerns, e.g. AI, climate change, social media) Spoken language endorsement: writing and performing individual speeches about a topic of the students’ choice. |
|
Year 10 |
Pre-1914 prose: A Christmas Carol Modern drama: An Inspector Calls |
An Inspector Calls – continued Shakespeare drama text: Macbeth |
Poetry: Power and Conflict Language paper 1: exploring fiction extracts for language and structure. |
|
Year 11 |
Language paper 1 Revision of Macbeth and A Christmas Carol |
Language paper 2 Revision of An Inspector Calls and poetry anthology/unseen |
Revision of all exam topics and skills. |
|
Year 12 |
Literature: Social and Political Protest: The Kite Runner, The Handmaid’s Tale Songs of Innocence and Experience (Blake) Language: Basics of word classes and grammar Representation of different groups in Text analysis |
Paper 2: Unseen Practice Aspects of Tragedy:
Accent and dialect Language across time Political correctness |
Aspects of Tragedy:
NEA: Language investigation and interventions Introduction to child language acquisition |
|
Year 13 |
Literature: Independent Study: Prose and Poetry coursework Language: Technology and occupation |
Mock Revision |
Tutor Reading Programme
Our Tutor Reading Programme aims to promote the passion for reading as well as have a positive impact on students' reading ages, in line with the school’s aim to have all students achieve a reading age that exceeds their biological age by the time they finish Year 11.
The programme runs for students from Year 7-10 and enables them to access a broad range of texts that allow them to experience the depth and complexity of our language through a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction texts. The books have been carefully selected to challenge students' thinking and address key points in history as well as contemporary issues in society, explored through a range of narratives. The books have also been chosen with Liskeard school’s values in mind, promoting courage, resilience, and kindness throughout. Students value the core message of kindness in R. J Palacio’s 'Wonder' and are left in awe of Malala Yousafzai resilience in 'I am Malala'. Many books in the programme have won literary awards and are regarded as modern-day classics – such as Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses.
As tutors are the ones reading, the programme meets our aim of ‘inclusivity to all’ with no expectation for students to read - only to listen, absorb and enjoy. This also means that tutors are able to supplement the texts with valuable context, drawing on cross-curricular links, building on students’ cultural capital and encouraging stimulating discussion that supports in the delivery of PSHE.
Tutor Reading Programme Book List:
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Year 7 / 8: |
Year 9 / 10: |
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KS3 Knowledge Organisers
Year 8
KS4 Knowledge Organisers
KS5 Knowledge Organisers