English

Language

Language is the roadmap of a culture. It tells you where its people came from and where they are going’

Rita Mae Brown

Literature

‘Books Are A Uniquely Portable Magic’

Stephen King

Year 7

The Rationale

To build on the core skills of English learned in primary school. To learn to question, analyse and evaluate what writers do and to be able to develop their own ideas and interpretations of a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts. To support these ideas with evidence securely grounded in the text. The thematic link between all units of work in Year 7 is nature, the environment and the natural world. We want students to learn to appreciate the world they inhabit and to consider how the natural world has been framed in novels, poetry and newspaper articles. We also want students to take this learning forward into their own creative writing to use language to build narratives and characters from their own imaginations.

Autumn Term 1Autumn Term 2Spring Half Term 3Spring Half Term 4Summer Term 5Summer Term 6
Curriculum KnowledgeTransition Unit – The Lost Words

Students will study a range of texts focused on nature. The students will study Robert Macfarlane’s The Lost Words, leading to an understanding of the history of the English language through vocabulary. They will also consider the concept of rewilding. They will develop their understanding of key components of poetry.
Class Novel

Students will have the opportunity to study a complete novel, read with the whole class. They will develop their understanding of key components of any literary novel: character, plot, setting, narrative voice, themes, language, structure, context etc.
The Natural World

Students develop their base knowledge skills in reading and writing, fiction and nonfiction, which they were introduced to in the Transition Unit and the Class Novel.
Nature Poetry

Students will be Introduced to poetry focusing on the theme of nature. This SOW will help to encourage an enjoyment of reading poetry. It will focus on understanding meaning in poetry
Gothic Literature

Students will gain an understanding of the main elements of Gothic Literature – genre, language and structure.  They will adapt their own writing and produce writing in the Gothic style. They will be reading a range of 19th century Gothic fiction and identifying typical language, structure, themes, characters and motifs.
ShakespeareIn development
Subject Skills   Building vocabulary

Making inferences and deductions

Analysing writers’ choices of language and structure

Exploring poetic techniques

Teamworking, creative and critical thinking skills

Comparing texts

Peer and self assessment strategies

Explore how to craft a formal letter

Explore how to prepare a speech
Novel openings, first impressions and making predictions

Exploring character creation through short extracts

Tracking character development

Exploring key themes, big ideas and story structure

Exploring extracts from a novel
Developing interpretations of texts 

Supporting ideas with evidence

Using language to build character and narratives

Using language to construct arguments
Developing inferences

Exploring metaphorical language

Investigating how character and narrative are established in poetry
Exploring traditional Gothic features in literary texts with a focus on 19th Century extracts/ stories and modern adaptations of the Gothic genre 

Exploring novel openings, first impressions and making predictions

Creating characters through short extracts

Looking at character development through tracking within a story or extract

Key themes, big ideas and story structure

Appreciation of art linked to the Gothic genre

Narrative and descriptive writing 
Exploration of Shakespeare’s language and method

Mastering interpretations, ideas and using evidence to support them.
How can you help your child engage with the content?Discuss issues around the environment to build their cultural capital. Encourage them to read a variety of books and articles from our library. Walk outside and engage with the environment and the wonders of nature.Discuss the class novel with your son/daughter. Encourage them to read linked novels from our library. Encourage depth and detail when helping them with homework tasks.Encourage your son/daughter to take an interest in environmental issues, building on your discussions from the first unit. Use the environment to help them to connect with nature and inspire creativity in their own writing.Make the reading of poetry part of their reading routine. Encourage them to see poetry as an exciting opportunity to explore feelings and emotions through language.Explore the Gothic through reading and films together. Encourage them to dip in and out of the texts on our recommended reading/viewing lists. 
Curriculum Opportunities      An author visit from Danny Rurlander.A visit to Dove Cottage in Grasmere. A visit to see a Shakespeare play, depending on programmes in local theatres.

Year 8

The Rationale

To encourage students to find their own place and their own voice in the world by exploring current issues around social justice and prejudice in society. We want students to become independent and free thinkers and to never stop questioning the structures of power in society. The students should come to explore their place in society and reflect on how others experience the world differently from themselves. This thematic link will act as a springboard to developing their skills of inference, analysis and evaluation. They will explore a wide variety of writers’ viewpoints and perspectives and how these are achieved through methods of language and structure. Students will also build on their own creative writing skills to respond to social issues from racism to linguistic prejudice.

Autumn Term 1Autumn Term 2Spring Half Term 3Spring Half Term 4Summer Term 5Summer Term 6
Curriculum contentClass Novel

Students will have the opportunity to study a complete novel, read with the whole class. They will develop their understanding of key components of any literary novel: character, plot, setting, narrative voice, themes, language, structure, context etc.
How We Treat Others

Students will explore and experience extracts from 19th-century fiction, classic poetry, and non-fiction from  the 19th century and the present day. These mirror the kinds of texts students will meet at Key Stage 4. The  extracts step up in word count and complexity across the three years of Key Stage 3 to gradually build reading  stamina. 
Social Justice

Students will have the opportunity to explore a range of texts dealing with the theme of social justice. These will explore world issues including racism, sexism, bullying, othering, rebellion, morality, dissent and repression. They will have the opportunity to consider a variety of viewpoints in relation to social issues and to form their own through discussion and creative writing.
Shakespeare

Students will have the opportunity to explore a range of Shakespeare texts dealing with the themes of prejudice, gender representation and colonialism. They will have the opportunity to consider a variety of viewpoints in relation to these social issues and to appreciate the context in which Shakespeare was writing and how this may have led to negative representations of minority groups. They will also develop their skills of empathy by writing from their own and characters’ point of view. They will also have the opportunity to build on their learning about Shakespeare’s world, life and work from Year 7.
Growing Up

Students will explore and experience extracts from 19th-century fiction, classic poetry, and non-fiction from  the 19th century and the present day. These mirror the kinds of texts students will meet at Key Stage 4. The  extracts step up in word count and complexity across the three years of Key Stage 3 to  gradually build reading  stamina. As well as being skills-rich, the projects are also knowledge-rich. The lessons encourage students to think  critically and make meaningful links between texts, and to compare present-day experiences to those in the  past, via thoughtful questioning and opportunities for exploration.
Critical Language Awareness

 In development
Key Skills    Explore novel openings, first impressions and making predictions

Explore character creation

Track character development

Explore narrative viewpoint/point of view

Explore key themes, big ideas and story structure 

Explore extracts from a novel

Study relevant social and historical context 
Develop skills of inference

Interpreting characters

Develop understanding of structure and sequence of poetry

Develop understanding of writer’s choices

Develop understanding of ideas in poetry

Develop understanding of writer’s intention

Develop creative writing

Plan and write first-person narrative

Develop comprehension

Develop empathy and understanding

Develop understanding of persuasive language

Writing of a speech 
Recognise bias and objectivity.

Comparing fiction and non-fiction.

Recognise how texts are shaped by the technology they use. 

Identify implied and explicit meanings.

Commentary and description in narrative.

Figurative language in conveying a sense of character and setting through analysis of fiction, non-fiction and creative writing. 
Build on their historical knowledge about Shakespeare’s life using research, comprehension and interpretation skills.  

Explore a variety of Shakespeare texts in order to explore representations of minority groups.

Recognise how texts are shaped by the contexts in which they are produced and received.

Identify the ways implied and explicit meanings are conveyed in different texts.

Develop the use of persuasive, argumentative and discursive style by writing to present a viewpoint. 
Comprehension of a 19th-century fiction text

Inference and deduction to explore character

How language choices add to characterisation and meaning

How poets uses language features

Secure use of the WHW method when exploring poetry

Recognise features of first-person and autobiographical writing Use those features in their own writing

Discuss ideas about anti-social behaviour in the 19th century

Comprehension of a 19th-century non-fiction text

Understand writer’s use of language techniques to  sensationalise their writing and express a viewpoint

Understand writers’ key ideas

Explore and comment on writers’ point of view Techniques of a persuasive speech

Write an op-ed for a magazine, arguing both sides of a topic
 
How can you engage with your child?Discuss issues around the novel they’re reading to build their cultural capital. Encourage them to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books and articles from our library, which are topic related. Research the historical background to the novel together to get a deeper understanding of the issues.Continue to encourage reading at home. Discuss some of the issues around prejudice with your child and talk about key moments in history, which will illuminate the texts they are studying.Discuss and research black British History together, including our involvement in the slave trade and the Windrush migration/scandal. Look at news stories surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, Feminism and LGTBQ+ rights.Encourage students to engage with film versions of Shakespeare plays, watch them together. Engage with online resources RSC and Shakespeare’s Globe to encourage deeper learning of Shakespeare’s plays and language.Check your child’s homework and bookwork to ensure they’re achieving sufficient depth in response to the texts they’re studying. Read the texts aloud with your child and clarify/research unfamiliar vocabulary. 
Curriculum Opportunities Sponsored rough sleepChristmas Food Bank collectionLGBTQ Club (JWr)   

Year 9

The Rationale

In Year 9 the students make advancements in terms of complexity. The theme for the year is conflict and this is explored through a variety of exciting and enriching units of work. We give the students the opportunity to explore conflict on a number of levels from global and local conflict to personal and inner conflict. We want students once again to step into others’ shoes and develop their ways of seeing the world. Through the exploration of complex and rewarding texts, students use the topic to refine their skills of reading and writing in preparation for GCSE.

Autumn Term 1Autumn Term 2Spring Half Term 3Spring Half Term 4Summer Term 5Summer Term 6
Curriculum contentAttitudes to War

Students explore a range of literary fiction and non-fiction with a focus on war before crafting a written piece of their own. This unit gives pupils the opportunity to express their own attitudes and viewpoints in written form. Texts will include a wide range of types/styles – poetry, song lyrics, novel extracts, news reports, letters, diary entries, advertisements, interviews and even propaganda.
Shakespeare

Students experience a full Shakespeare play before encountering one at GCSE. This unit is designed to allow the students to enjoy the experience of a full Shakespeare play. Students will increase their familiarity and confidence with Shakespeare’s use of language, typical characters and dramatic methods.
The Great American Story

Students study a complete American novel or drama, read with the whole class. The texts are all American Literature as it will be their last opportunity to study any literature other than English. They will develop their understanding of key components of any literary novel: character, plot, setting, narrative voice, themes, language, structure, context etc.
The Great American Story

A continuation of Spring Half Term 3. The students use the whole term to reflect the time taken to thoroughly explore the text at a precise analytical level.
Crime and Punishment

Students explore extracts from 19th-century fiction, classic poetry, and non-fiction from  the 19th century and the present day. These mirror the kinds of texts students will meet at Key Stage 4. The  extracts step up in word count and complexity across the three years of Key Stage 3 to gradually build reading  stamina. The text-based work also steps up in terms of skills to introduce and embed clear methods for comprehension  work (AO1 at GCSE) and clear approaches for analysing language and structure (AO2 at GCSE).The lessons encourage students to think critically and make links between texts, and to compare present-day experiences to those in the past, via thoughtful questioning.
Crime and Detective Fiction

An understanding of the main elements of Detective Literature – genre, language and structure.  An improvement in descriptive writing skills and use of detective fiction features. An ability to adapt their own writing and produce writing in this style. To be able to read a range of 19th century and modern detective fiction and identify typical language, structure, themes, characters and motifs.
Key Skills   Study fiction and non-fiction

Identify viewpoints and attitudes towards war.

Understanding contextual knowledge of war and attitudes to war

Research specific conflicts/wars
Exploration of Shakespeare’s plays

Read a complete Shakespeare play – any play can be chosen apart from plays named on the AQA GCSE specification

Understanding of dramatic plot and characterisation

Linguistic, structural and thematic analysis skills

Explore a range of contexts appropriate to the specific play

Explore key themes and big ideas found in Shakespeare’s plays
Novel openings, first impressions and making predictions for prose

Exploring character creation through short extractsTracking character development

Dramatic devices, staging, props, entrances and exits etc for drama

Exploring key themes, big ideas and story structure

Exploring key quotations relevant to character/theme

Study of relevant social and historical context
 Understand 19th-century fiction

Explore characters’ thoughts and feelings

Explore a 19th-century text  Critical evaluation of a text

Secure use of the WHW method when exploring poetry

Evaluate poets’ point of view Identify and analyse language and structure

Understand conventions of crime and detective fiction

Structure, plan and write crime fiction 

Exploration of ideas and attitudes in 19th-century non-fiction texts

Consider how ideas and attitudes are presented

Exploration of ideas in 19th-century non-fiction texts

Comprehension skills

Understand writers’ viewpoint

Comparative response

Secure conventions of arguing a case
Exploring: conventions of crime/detective fiction & development of conventions in different eras

Typical 
Novel openings, first impressions and making predictions

Typical 
Characterisation & narrative voice/perspective 

Creation of stock characters

Story openings

Descriptive techniques

Sentence construction & variation 
How can you engage with your child?Discuss the history of war in the UK. Discuss attitudes to war and read a variety of news reporting about war. Watch age appropriate war movies and TV programmes.Discuss the play with your son/daughter. Discuss inner conflicts and moral dilemmas experienced by characters.Read around the novel with your son/daughter. Research the historical context around the text. Discuss the text and other novels/plays by the author.Watch various film versions of the text and discuss the differences and how well they capture the characters, plot and theme.Discuss moral implications of social issues around crime. Explore texts together through homework.Read around the genre by exploring the reading list of modern and classic examples of crime fiction.
Curriculum Opportunities     Possible theatre visit or film performanceTheatre visit/Film