English

Our Curriculum Aims:

English is the oxygen of learning across the whole curriculum. We aim for our students to be:

enthusiastic, swift and critical readers across a wide range of texts, forms, periods and cultures
clear, creative, accurate and effective writers across a wide range of purposes, audiences and forms
confident, articulate and effective speakers across a wide range of contexts and purposes
knowledgeable about British culture, values and literary heritage, and aware and appreciative of different cultures
active, engaged, articulate citizens of a multi-cultural society and enthusiastic lifelong readers and learners

Key Stage Three Curriculum Overview
Throughout KS3 Students will develop the following skills:

Reading and Understanding
Students will read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts from different genres, eras and cultures. The five key skill areas are: synthesizing, selecting; summarising information; analysing language choices; analysing structural choices; comparing texts; evaluating the success of a text.
Writing and Technical Accuracy
Students will plan and produce a wide range of texts, with a variety of purposes, to meet the needs of various audiences. The five key skill areas are: planning interesting and appropriate content; organising a text into logical and effective sections; selecting increasingly mature vocabulary; using a full range of punctuation effectively; spelling accurately.
Speaking and Listening
Students will develop their confidence and fluency in speaking in a range of contexts including ‘real world’ scenarios. The five key skill areas are: using Standard English confidently and accurately; giving an individual presentation; discussing and debating in groups; using language creatively in role-play situations; listening actively and sensitively to others.
	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
HT 1	Life Stories ^BAME Experience and Memoir	Our own lives are the source of some of the greatest stories, funniest episodes and most heart-breaking moments. This LP focuses on the lives of famous people, ordinary people, great heroes, shameful villains – and most importantly our own diverse experiences.	Creative Reading - Fiction Creative Writing Describe-Narrate
HT 2	Fictional Worlds ^BAME The Novel	Studying a novel is a chance to immerse ourselves in a new world of epic characters, vivid settings, challenging themes and gripping action. 2021-2: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros	Literature Novel
HT 3	The Globe ¹⁹⁰⁰ Shakespeare’s World	Shakespeare is a towering figure in English literature and culture. We begin with one of his early plays – a tragic love story about young, reckless love. A chance to explore the Elizabethan period, a golden age for theatre, and the life of one of Britain's national treasures.	Literature Drama
HT 4	Heroes and Villains ¹⁹⁰⁰ Epic Characters	Creating compelling, credible characters is vital to any story. In this LP we study the way great writers introduce characters, describe their appearance, thoughts, actions and back-story to make us sympathise with them. Then we have a go at doing it ourselves.	Creative Writing Describe-Narrate
HT 5	The Launch Marketing and Persuasion	This is a team project to launch a new product – and tests speaking skills. Teamwork, presentation and persuasion are vital here. This a chance for the shy to speak up, for the confident to take the limelight, and for everyone to learn to speak with purpose, power and persuasion.	Speaking Group Presentation
HT 6	Brave New Worlds ¹⁹⁰⁰ Dystopia and science fiction	Science fiction is one of the most popular genres in literature. The world of the future may include exciting technology, disturbing science and nightmarish visions. This creative writing LP offers the chance to read some classics and then create an imaginative 'brave new world'.	Creative Writing Describe-Narrate

Year 8

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
HT 1	Blood and Roses ¹⁹⁰⁰ The Gothic	The darkly beautiful themes in many classic literary texts allow students to explore more mature and challenging ideas, such as paradox, mortality, suspense, hauntings and the unknown.	Creative Reading Fiction Creative Writing Describe-Narrate
HT 2	Fictional Worlds ¹⁹⁰⁰ 19^th Century Novel	Our literary and cultural heritage is rich and diverse. The 19^th Century was key to Britain’s role in the modern world – for better and for worse. This challenging LP offers the chance to read a “classic” and find out more about how language, society and values have changed over time. 2021-22: War of the Worlds by HG Wells	Literature 19 C Novel
HT 3	For God and Country ^{BAME 1900} War and Conflict	War - and the trauma, glory, heroism and patriotism that goes with it – is a dramatic topic for writers. This LP covers wars from many centuries, and writers with a range of viewpoints on war. It culminates in an assessment on two classic war poems.	Literature Poetry
HT 4	Viewpoints Writing to Express Opinions	Building arguments and expressing opinions with control and power is a key life skill - vital in careers such as journalism, politics, law, business and marketing. In this feisty LP, students practise arguing their side of a debate, marshalling their evidence, and writing with impact.	Writing \| Argue-persuade
HT 5	The Debate The Art of Formal Debating	The art of debating is a formal skill involving preparing carefully in a team, crafting cogent arguments, selecting the best evidence, listening attentively to the arguments being put, rebutting the opposition, and fielding questions from the floor. It's a competitive speaking challenge.	Speaking \| Debating
HT 6	Spies and Private Eyes ¹⁹⁰⁰ Crime	Crime and 'true crime' are two of the most popular genres in the world of books and films. The fascination with crime and detection reveals our deep interest in questions of morality, justice, secrecy, and sin. Here we study some classic crime writers – and have a go at writing in the genre.	Writing \| Describe-narrate

Year 9

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
HT 1	Still I Rise ^BAME Protest	The human spirit in the face of oppression and tyranny is an inspirational subject. This LP blends politics, history, struggle, suffering and hope to present students with the very best and worst of the human condition.	Creative Reading Non-fiction Writing from a Viewpoint Argue-Persuade
HT 2	The Mighty Fall ¹⁹⁰⁰ Shakespearean Tragedy	Shakespeare's tragedies are some of the most powerful dramas ever written, offering audiences a glimpse into the human condition that both inspires and devastates. This LP serves useful introduction to 'tragic theory' before GCSE when students study 'Macbeth'.	Literature Drama
HT 3/4	An Inspector Calls Modern Drama	This is the first major GCSE exam text – a modern play that features in Literature Paper 2A. Studying drama is a great way to get students acting, and appreciating the craft of the playwright – the physical possibilities of theatre and the amazing variety of interpretations.	Literature Drama
HT 5	The Speech GCSE Endorsement	The GCSE Spoken Endorsement is de-coupled from GCSE English Language, but is still a valuable qualification, signalling an ability to plan and deliver a 4-5 minute individual speech. This is about hooking an audience, prosecuting an argument, and entertaining along the way.	Speaking Individual Speech
HT 6	Victoriana ¹⁹⁰⁰ 19th Century contexts	A major part of GCSE Language (P2A) and Literature (P1B) is focused on texts written in the 19th Century. This LP introduces students to a range of texts, writers and themes from this era as a way of acclimatising students to texts such as Jekyll and Hyde that are studied for GCSE.	Literary Heritage Reading Classic texts

Key ¹⁹⁰⁰pre-1900 texts

^BAMEBlack and Minority Ethnic authors/texts

What can parents do to support their sons?

Encourage your son to:

read every day across a range of texts such as The Edge Programme, novels, magazines, biographies and newspapers
engage with documentaries, podcasts and radio shows – all useful ways of engaging with language and ideas
read out loud, and encourage him to be a confident, clear reader
enjoy new texts and learn more adventurous vocabulary
talk about current affairs by raising interesting questions from the worlds of politics, sport, culture and the arts
write on a regular basis: diaries, reviews, stories, poetry and lyrics are useful ways of encouraging the habit of writing
visit the theatre, cinema, and cultural events to broaden his cultural and creative development
join the many English extra-curricular activities on offer at school such as debating, performing, and book clubs

A full list of recommended books is available on the school website and via STU_ENGLISH

GCSE Course Followed: English Language and English Literature (Two GCSEs)

Specification: AQA (Syllabus codes: English Language 8700 and English Literature 8702)

Why Study GCSE English and English Literature

Language surrounds, defines and shapes us as individuals, and as a society. Literature in English is rich and influential, reflecting the experiences and creativity of people from many countries and times. This dynamic interplay between language and literature is what makes GCSE English such a diverse and stimulating subject.

In today’s competitive society, it is vital for young people to be confident communicators, skilful readers and effective writers. In English lessons, students develop the ability to express themselves imaginatively in a range of different contexts. They learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as non-fiction and media texts.

English provides the skills that are the cornerstone of a good all-round education and a successful, fulfilling life – communication, creativity and clarity. At the heart of our work is a passionate belief in the power of language, the adventure of literature and the joy of self-expression.

Students will take two GCSEs – English Language and English Literature – taught together as a single course.

English Language (AQA)
Students sit two examinations, each 1 hour 45 minutes long, both of which involve reading and understanding previously unseen non-fiction or fiction material from the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries. There will also be a writing task on each paper. Paper 1 offers a choice of descriptive or narrative writing whilst Paper 2 requires students to present a viewpoint. There is no coursework or controlled assessment. Except for the internally assessed Spoken Language component, all assessment is through examinations taken at the end of Year 11.

English Literature (AQA)
Students sit two examinations – one of 1 hour 45 minutes and the other 2 hours 15 minutes - in which they write about one Shakespeare play, one nineteenth century novel, either a play or a novel written since 1914, and some poetry.

Students who achieve the highest grades and get the most out of their English lessons do the following: read regularly across a range of fiction and non-fiction genres, write regularly for personal enjoyment, participate in discussion and debate, keep up with news and current affairs, visit the cinema and theatre, learn new words and enjoy using the English language.

Recommended reading lists, sample exam papers and study resources are available on STU_English

Key Stage Four Curriculum Overview

Year 10

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
HT 1	Jekyll and Hyde ¹⁹⁰⁰	The 19th Century brought radical change: scientific breakthroughs, industrialisation and significant challenges to established religious ideas from Darwin and Freud's theories. Stevenson's novel is a cunning expose of middle-class hypocrisy as well as a rip-roaring, twisted thriller	Literature P1B
HT 2	Conflict Poetry ^{1900 BAME}	Conflict and war often present us with the very best and worst of human nature. This LP includes soldier's firsthand experiences alongside views of war from family members, trauma victims, those deemed cowards, and even a war photographer.	Literature P2B
HT 3	Creative Reading and Writing	Right at the heart of English is the ability to read, understand, and respond. The LP is about reading fiction swiftly, with perception, and analysing a writer's methods. The writing section is a chance to write fiction with control, accuracy and flair.	Language P1A/B
HT 4	Power Poetry ^{1900 BAME}	Power is central to human relationships and society – the powerful and the powerless. These poems explore repressive governments, megalomaniac emperors, cold aristocrats, as well as awe-inspiring mountains, wild sea storms, beautiful books, and forgotten heroes.	Literature P2B
HT 5	Y10 Trial Exam	Creative Reading and Writing Jekyll and Hyde / Conflict Poetry	Language P1 Literature P1B/2B
HT 6	Reading and Writing from a Viewpoint ¹⁹⁰⁰	English Language P2 is a non-fiction paper. First, reading two texts - one modern and one pre-1900. Summarising, analysing and comparing are the key skills. The writing section involves planning a line of argument, and completing a controlled, accurate, powerful piece of non-fiction.	Language P2A/B

Year 11

	Name of topic	Key Content of the Topic	Assessment points
HT 1	Macbeth ¹⁹⁰⁰	After studying 'Hamlet' in Y9, students have explored some tragic theory, experienced the unique power of Shakespearean tragedy, become familiar with Shakespeare's language and verse, and learnt about his theatre and his age. Time for Macbeth.	Literature P1A
HT 2	Trial Exams	Reading and Writing from a Viewpoint Macbeth / Jekyll and Hyde	Language P2 Literature P1
HT 3	Unseen Poetry ^BAME	After studying 15 'set' poems, the challenge here is to encounter two unseen poems with confidence. Poetry is to be enjoyed and appreciated and the spirit of this LP is to encourage exploration, inference, interpretation and a bold individual response.	Literature P2C
HT 4	Trial Exams	Creative Reading and Writing An Inspector Calls / Power and Conflict Poetry / Unseen Poetry	Language P1 Literature P2
HT 5	Revision	All sections of Language and Literature papers
HT 6	N/A		GCSE exams

Recommended Revision Guides for GCSE

English language
Reading widely across fiction and non-fiction genres is the best way to prepare together with completing past exam papers.

CGP Books: New GCSE English Language AQA Complete Revision & Practice - Grade 9-1 -Revision Book - ISBN-10: 1782944141.

CGP Books: New GCSE English Language AQA Complete Revision & Practice - Grade 9-1 Course - SAMPLE PAPERS - ISBN-10: 1782944125

Office365 STUEnglish carries all revision materials and past papers.

English Literature
Revision guides for set texts will be provided by teachers.

Study notes on classic texts are also available free on-line at sites such as: www.sparknotes.com and www.cliffsnotes.com.

Commercially produced guides by CGP, Cambridge, Collins or Heinemann are useful as long as they are specifically for the AQA specification 8702.

YORK NOTES STUDY GUIDES AND WORKBOOKS:

AN INSPECTOR CALLS ISBN-10: 1447982169 / ISBN-10: 1292100796
JEKYLL AND HYDE ISBN-10: 1447982185 / ISBN-10: 1292138084
MACBETH ISBN-10: 1447982207 / ISBN-10: 1292100818
POWER AND CONFLICT POETRY ISBN-10: 129213805X

Office365 STUEnglish carries all revision materials and past papers.

Support available for GCSE Students

All students in years 10 and 11 are encouraged to see their English teacher at any time if they need guidance or support. STU_English carries a comprehensive range of support materials.