English

At Key Stage 3 (Years 7 & 8) students will work through a curriculum designed to develop their reading, writing and analytical skills. Year 7 are taught within Horizons and follow schemes in Topic (based around English, History, RE and Geography). Year 8 have three lessons a week of English and one lesson a week of Literacy. The schemes of learning include:

• Reading Fiction (Year 7 – Skellig, Year 8 – Raven’s Gate)
• Drama (Year 7 – The Terrible Fate of Humpty Dumpty, Year 8 – An Introduction to Shakespeare)
• Writing Fiction (Year 7 – Gothic Fiction, Year 8 – Spy Fiction)
• Writing About War (Year 8 – analysing poetry, speeches, fiction extracts and articles)
• Analysis of Twentieth Century fiction extracts (Year 8)

  At Key Stage 4 (Years 9-11) the students will develop the required skills to approach IGCSE exams in English Language and English Literature with confidence. The schemes of learning include:

• The Right to Be (Year 9 – analysing poetry, speeches, fiction extracts and articles on human and civil rights)
• Reading Fiction (Year 9 – To Kill a Mockingbird/Animal Farm/Stone Cold, Year 11 – Of Mice and Men)
• Drama (Year 9 – Much Ado About Nothing, Year 10 – Macbeth, Year 11 – An Inspector Calls)
• Poetry analysis (Years 10/11) based on the Edexcel Anthology.

  Instruction uses a thematic approach as this makes the learning of English more intrinsically motivating for students, as well as integrating language development with humanities and other subject domains. A range of active learning methods (e.g., discussion, debate, peer-tutoring and assessment) are employed in conjunction with structured language assignments to develop student understanding and competence. An emphasis is also placed on developing critical thinking skills (e.g., analysis, comparison and contrast, inference and interpretation, evaluation) and creative expression.   Students are supported to overcome barriers and succeed through appropriate in-class intervention and wider programmes of support.