Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

The programme of study in English follows the literacy strategy and focuses on the students’ progress and attainment in Reading Skills, Writing Skills, Speaking and Listening and Drama.

We teach in form groups and all the students meet a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts arranged in cycles to meet the various learning objectives.

In Year 7, examples of class texts are: Skellig by David Almond, Holes by Louis Sachar, poetry by John Agard, the play about slavery, Anansi, Mama Yankee’s Life Machine, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales-selected characters and extracts from Shakespeare. Non-fiction texts feature strongly.

Such texts form the basis for activities involving all the skills mentioned above, including students’ own found texts and research on sites such as Learnnewsdesk.

The year begins with a scheme on Language Variety and there are opportunities throughout the year for students to produce their own, creative pieces as well as writing in particular forms.

Assessment: all students produce assessed units of work (one per term/6), in which the teacher and student set targets, students peer and self assess and the teacher gives a summative NC level. Students have an at-a-glance pyramid of the levels, so that they know where they are placed on the skills’ hierarchy and what they need to do to make progress.

Extension work: all students are expected to have their own choice of reading material on the go. They keep a log and share recommendations with others. Reading time and time for talking about books is set aside in lessons and extends to form time. Reading is achieving and we celebrate reading for pleasure.

Students reporters interview visitors on Open Evening and can write up their reports for this website.

Enrichment: one of the popular enrichment activities for Year 7 is a day based on the New Zealand film, Whale Rider. The focus is enjoyment of film as visual storytelling, as a text about Maori culture and the theme of leadership.

In Year 8, the range of texts includes: Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells, OiwelI’s Animal Farm, Traditional and contemporary ballads and Diaries (Pepys, Clark et a!).

Assessment for learning continues, as described above.

Extension work : Year 8 students are active members of the Drama and Drama

Tech clubs. Groups of Year 8s worked on the feature animation, Belleville

Rendezvous, looking at visual characterisation and development in the film.

Enrichment : Year 8s have gone to The National Theatre, to see War Horse, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s novel. Students researched the production design and prepared for the visit with some WWI context.

In January, the writer Joe Craig visits the school and Year 8 students are reading his latest novel, Sabotage, so that they can ask him questions about his character, Jimmy Coates.

In Year 9, classes may study The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Sherlock Holmes’ stories, An Inspector Calls, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and the Shakespeare play selected for the SAT, Much Ado About Nothing.

Extension work : students work in groups to research a publication and produce their own magazines, using IT skills and learning about editorial controls and decisions.

Enrichment : the MOPA theatre company comes into school in February, 2008 to present a highly dynamic and interactive workshop on the set scenes from Much Ado... These help the students to prepare for the SATs in May.

After the SATs, Year 9s will formally begin Key Stage 4 and the GSCE units for English and English Literature.