English
Curriculum Statements/Topics for English
Below is a description of the work pupils have been doing in their English lessons this year.
Year 7
In year 7 pupils develop their skills in reading, writing and speaking and listening. Pupils study a number of non fiction texts as well as two novels including 'Holes' by Louis Sacher. They will look at a selection of poetry from T.S. Eliot and Blake and study the play script of ‘Flour Babies’.
All pupils in year 7 write their autobiography and create a review of an imagined pop group. Pupils look at the way language is used to create specific effects or is produced for a specific purpose and create their own examples.
Speaking and listening is an integral part of every English lesson and pupils will regularly have the opportunity to talk in pairs, small groups or as part of a whole class. Pupils are regularly assessed and given feedback and praise within English lessons. Key pieces of work are marked with a National Curriculum Level and pupils are informed of ways in which to improve the standard of their work.
Year 8
In year 8 pupils continue to develop their skills in reading, writing and speaking and listening. We encourage independent learning and value originality and creativity. The year begins with a review of language variety and skills. Pupils look at media texts and create their own examples. All pupils in year 8 will create a variety of written pieces using the KS3 writing triplets. Pupils also study a number of non-fiction texts as well as two novels from a selection which includes ‘Unique’ and ‘Gulf’. They will explore a selection of poetry from different cultures and consider the techniques which writer’s use. Speaking and listening is an integral part of every English lesson and pupils will regularly have the opportunity to talk in pairs, small groups or as part of a whole class. Pupils are regularly assessed and given feedback and key pieces of work are marked with a National Curriculum Level and pupils are informed of ways in which to improve the standard of their work.
Year 9
Year 9 sees the conclusion of Key Stage 3 and prepares pupils for the demands of Key Stage 4 and GCSE. In the first half term pupils study a novel - either 'Stone Cold' by Robert Swindells. In the second half of this term pupils begin study of 'The Tempest' by William Shakespeare. Over the course of the spring term pupils develop their skills of analysis through a series of reading activities and spend time working on writing skills and speaking and listening tasks. In the summer term pupils begin the GCSE and produce a piece of original writing which will be their first piece of GCSE coursework.
Year 10
In Year 10 pupils complete all of the GCSE coursework assignments. These include the study of Shakespeare's ‘Romeo and Juliet', a variety of pre 1914 prose texts, original writing and an exploration of a media text, which are worth 20% of their GCSE mark. During Year 10 pupils will also be assessed on their speaking and listening skills and this too contributes towards their final GCSE mark. Pupils also begin preparation for the GCSE examination, and focus on developing their reading and writing skills as well as embarking upon the study of poetry from different cultures.
At the beginning of Year 11, pupils will sit a GCSE mock examination and continue to develop the skills required for the GCSE examination.
Those pupils following the alternative curriculum have been developing their reading and writing skills by looking at a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts.
Year 11
In year 11 pupils study a number of topics in English. These include the study of non-fiction and media text types as well writing for a specific purpose and audience. In addition to this, they will also study a collection of poems from other cultures in preparation for their GCSE examination in the autumn term. Pupils who do not reach their aspirational target in November will have aspects of the course re-taught and the opportunity to sit the examination again in June.¶ ¶
For English Literature pupils will complete their final piece of coursework - the study of the play 'An Inspector Calls' by JB Priestly. Pupils will also study a novel; either 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck or 'To Kill A Mocking Bird' by Harper Lee in preparation for their examination. In addition to this pupils will study a collection of pre 1914 poems and compare them with contemporary collections by the authors Duffy and Armitage this too will be examined in the summer term.¶
War Poetry - 'Charge of the Light Brigade', poetry of WW1¶
'Saving Private Ryan' leading to personal writing on 'My Proudest moment' or 'My Saddest Moment'¶
Examination Preparation for the entry level literacy paper and the on-line literacy test.¶
Sixth Form - English Lit
Students study a theme: 'The Struggle for Identity in Modern Literature'. This is assessed by means of two units. Unit One, 'Texts in Context', is assessed by a written 2 hour exam, which comprises 60% of the total AS grade. Unit Two, 'Creative Study', is assessed through a course work folder containing two pieces of writing comprising 2000-2500 words in total, which accounts for the remaining 40% of the AS grade. Students will study 6 chosen texts; 2 prose, 2 drama and 2 novels. The expectation is that they will also do their own wider reading to enrich their understanding of the key theme.
Or
Students will prepare for a paper which will contain unprepared passages for close study, comparison and critical commentary on the theme of 'Love through the Ages'. This is assessed by means of two units. Unit 3, 'Reading for Meaning', is assessed by a written 2 hour 30 minutes exam, which comprises 60% of the total A2 marks. Unit 4, 'Extended Essay and Shakespeare' Study, is assessed through course work and involves the study of three texts including Shakespeare. This accounts for the remaining 40% of the marks for A2.
Sixth Form – Literature and Language
AS Unit 1 - Exploring Voices in Speech and Writing. In this unit students learn how to analyse a range of spoken and written texts; explore the differences between spoken language and writing, examine the way writers create and use voice in literature, and study a modern novel. The unit is assessed by an examination.
AS Unit 2 - Creating Texts. This is a coursework unit in which students use their reading in a single topic area as stimulus to produce a coursework folder of 2000- 2500 words, which consists of a text for a reading audience, a text for a listening audience and a detailed evaluative commentary for each text they have produced.
A2 Unit 4 Text Transformations: For this coursework unit students are required to choose a work of any genre and transform it into a different genre or for a different purpose. They are then required to complete a detailed evaluative commentary. Students are entered for this module in January of Year 13.
A2 Unit 5 - Talk in Life and Literature. For this unit students study a drama text, "Schol for Scandal" by Sheridan and compare two extracts from it in the examination. They also compare two extracts which contain examples of talk; one will be a transcript and one an extract from a work of Literature.
In the Synoptic Unit 6 students bring together all the skills, concepts and approaches to Language and Literature that have been studied during the course. Assessment is via an open text examination. Students are given a booklet of thematically linked resources to study and research one week before the examination, which they then use to write an analytical response to both prepared and unseen texts as well as a commentary upon their analysis.