EnglishHead of Department:
None
Effort and Attainment grids can be found in the Download Centre.
Curriculum Overview
Over the course of Key Stage 3 (yr 7-9) pupils will develop their skills in:Writing
• About the texts they have read
• Accounts of personal experiences
• Imaginative stories
• Poetry
• Letters
• Scripts
• Expressing opinions
• Conveying information eg. guides or directions
• For different audiences eg. designing adverts
Reading
• Books of their own choice
• Shared class novels
• Poetry
• Play scripts
• Non-fiction
• Each other’s work
• Media / Multi-Modal Text
• Each other’s work
• Media / Multi-Modal Text
Pupils will regularly read silently, read aloud and begin to develop their own reading preferences. They will learn to ask questions of a text and go beyond the literal meaning. They will also learn the skills of scanning for information, and selecting appropriate information for particular tasks, as will as using reference tools such as dictionaries and thesaurus.
Speaking and Listening
Pupils will talk and listen:
• in various situations
• to the whole class
• in smaller groups
• in pairs
Pupils will learn to have confidence in speaking in front of their peers and to cooperate in groups or in pairs. They will be taught the importance of listening and how that can facilitate productive discussion. Pupils will talk about their reading and writing, as all the areas of English interact with each other, and will be involved in debates.
Year 7
Native / Near-Native Programme
In Year 7 pupils encounter a range of skills that are linked to and developed from their experience of Key Stage 2. They experience a varied programme designed to provide a foundation for their secondary English studies. They meet a range of challenging fiction and non-fiction texts. Materials are chosen for their cultural suitability and range of difficulty. They are asked to recognise implicit meaning and writers’ opinions select and explain material from a reading passage. They demonstrate understanding of features of narrative and non-narrative texts and poems by explaining and developing them in their own discussion and writing. They comment on a writer’s use of language. In their writing they experiment with a variety of forms, including informing, entertaining, persuading and describing. Additionally, there is a focus on spelling, vocabulary and grammar as pupils are encouraged to use more sophisticated grammatical structures and subject terminology.
English as a Second Language Programme
In Year 7 Pupils Study the course International English 1 or Move Ahead 1. The long term objective of this course is to prepare pupils for the IGCSE English as a Second Language Programme. A variety of engaging and relevant topics are studied, including My New Life, My People, My Body, My World, My Style, and My Future(International English); Language Variety, Communication Space, Sports and the Environment (Move Ahead). Under the umbrella of these topic titles, discrete, yet interconnected units are studied, comprising development and assessment of the four key skills in language acquisition: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
Here is an overview of the skills covered in Year 7:
- Topic- based vocabulary building and pronunciation
- Speaking in a variety of different contexts and situations, such as short presentations, pair role plays and class discussion answering questions appropriately
- Reading comprehension of short texts including narrative, information, autobiography and information texts
- Listening to authentic texts, for example dialogues, short speeches and interviews and responding to them
- Core grammar revision and development of past and present tenses, parts of speech, conditionals, syntax and sequencing, sentence types, active and passive
- Developing skills in constructing and writing a variety of texts, including autobiography, email, letters, posters, leaflets, essays
Year 8
Native / Near-Native Programme
In Year 8, in addition to consolidation of the work achieved in Year 7, the aim of this year is to encourage pupils to become increasingly independent and self-aware as learners. They read an increasingly wide range of prose, poetry and drama and to comment with understanding and greater assurance of the main features, including the structure, of each genre. They understand vocabulary and comment on a writer’s use of language, such as informal or formal style, or the choice of words to create character. They recognise implied meaning, such as the expression of opinion, the inference of character, the meaning contained in an image, or ironic effect. They write and speak in an increasingly sophisticated range of forms, for a variety of audiences and aim for security in their spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Engish as a Second Language Programme
In Year 8 Pupils Study the course International English 2 or Move Ahead 2. The long term objective of this course is to prepare pupils for the IGCSE English as a Second Language Programme. A variety of engaging and relevant topics are studied, including Mystery and Imagination, Music and Sounds, Media and Communication, Resources, The Brain and Society (International English); Schools, Other Countries, Jobs, Crime and The Brain (Move Ahead). Under the umbrella of these topic titles, discrete, yet interconnected units are studied, comprising development and assessment of the four key skills in language acquisition: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
In addition to the skills covered in Year 7, in Year 8 pupils are exposed to the following:
- Extended topic- based vocabulary building and spelling strategies and etymology
- Speaking in a greater variety of different contexts and situations, both formal and informal, individual and in groups
- Reading comprehension of longer texts, including letters, information texts including graphic material, technical and scientific articles and narrative
- Listening to authentic texts, for example announcements, description and reports and responding in a variety of formats
- Further grammar revision and development of tense use and sequencing, phrasal verbs, prepositions, relative clauses, primary and modal auxiliary verbs, synonyms, conjunctions, formal and informal language
- Developing skills in constructing and writing a variety of texts, including narrative, description, formal statements, opinion and speeches, articles and structured essays
Year 9
Native / Near-Native Programme
In Year 9 the focus is very much on preparation for the IGCSE courses. Pupils demonstrate analytical skill in their reading of a variety of texts and greater maturity in their range and style of writing. Pupils are expected to demonstrate sensitivity to audience and purpose, by employing a range of registers and subject-specific techniques. They take the lead in discussion and give independent presentations. They are encouraged to consolidate their knowledge of spelling; punctuation and grammar extend their range of language and grammatical structures and use them appropriately.
English as a Second Language Programme
In Year 9 Pupils Study the course International English 3 or Move Ahead 3. The long term objective of this course is to prepare pupils for the IGCSE English as a Second Language Programme. In Year 9 pupils engage with topical issues and more demanding language skills in preparation for the IGCSE English as a Second Language course. A variety of engaging and relevant topics are studied, including Education, The World, The Natural World, The Arts, History and Science and Technology (International English); The Future, Animals, Money, Personality and Global Citizenship (Move Ahead). Under the umbrella of these topic titles, discrete, yet interconnected units are studied, comprising development and assessment of the four key skills in language acquisition: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
In addition to the skills covered in Year 7 and 8, in Year 9 pupils improve their skills in:
- More sophisticated forms of expression, including the use of figurative language and idioms
- Speaking in a variety of different contexts and situations, both formal and informal, including debate, formal presentations, persuasive speeches
- Developing research and presentation skills and their views on international events
- Reading comprehension of more complex texts including biography; transcripts of speeches; multi-modal texts, tables and charts and a range of articles
- Listening to authentic texts, for example radio programmes, weather reports, interviews and debates; and listening for specific information and inference; responding in a range of formats
- More advanced grammatical constructions, including an awareness of audience and register in writing, word order, sequencing tenses, phrasal verbs, complex sentences and direct and reported speech
- Extending skills in constructing and writing a variety of more complex texts, including poetry, summary, reviews, argument, reports and web pages
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