Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Year 7

Studying the novel

• Aims to foster pupils’ enthusiasm and enjoyment of contemporary literature and encourage pupils to begin to take a more critical status. As well as developing key reading skills that underpin their development in English, pupils explore various aspects of the novel: the characters, narrative voice, structure and writer’s style. Pupils take part in a range of activities that enhance their understanding of the novel, and then develop their own personal response to the text. The final outcome of the unit is a review of the novel.

Film Study

• Unit is based on the short film ‘Bush Bikes’ and aims to develop pupils’ understanding of how meaning is created in both moving image, and print-based texts. Pupils read the film closely, making inferences and developing ideas about the film-maker’s intentions. They consider the different elements of the film language that are used to construct meaning, and then apply these to their own idea for a story. Pupils then consider the parallels between the elements of film language, and different literary and linguistic techniques used in print-based narratives, and then apply these in their own writing.

Media and Advertising

• Design a magazine advert.
• Presentations for a board meeting. (Powerpoint)
• Persuasive devices – selling the unsellable. Radio advert.
• Analyse a TV advert.
• Storyboard for a TV advert.
• Drama – TV advert (Video performances)

Persuasive Writing

• Unit helps to develop non-fiction writing skills with a particular focus on writing to persuade and advise. Pupils have the opportunity to move from speaking and listening to writing. Research skills are also refined as pupils access information about subjects of interest to their age group.

Poetry – An introduction to form and style

• Unit aims to introduce pupils to a wide and varied range of poetic forms from authors writing both pre and post 1914. Pupils will begin to understand and use a range of technical terminology and to access poetry through a variety of approaches, especially through speaking and listening activities in a supportive environment.

Speaking and Listening – Developing communication skills.

• Unit briefly introduces some of the techniques of dialogic talk. It is designed to ensure pupils have the confidence to express their views and to listen to the views of others in a challenging and stimulating environment. Speaking and listening are given equal status.

Macbeth

• Unit ensures access to Shakespeare’s language and themes in a lively and varied way. Pupils have the opportunity to engage with a substantial text from the literary heritage. They also respond in a range of forms.

Information and Language

• Reminds pupils of features of information and explanation texts. Pupils reflect on and write about changes in childhood over the last century and explain what they would include in a time capsule that represents modern childhood. Unit concentrates on developing pupils’ use of complex sentences and effective ways of structuring paragraphs.

Stories from other Cultures

• Focuses on racism. Debate and discursive essay

Year 8

Studying the novel

• The unit equips pupils with the skills and technical language they need to read, and write about, fiction texts during KS3 and in preparation for GCSE. It is also enables pupils to engage in a variety of ways with an exciting and challenging text.

Writing Non-Fiction

• This unit aims to encourage pupils to become critical readers of non-fiction and media texts, and to develop their understanding of the language and structural choices writers make, thereby developing their own ability to choose and adapt what they say and write in ways appropriate to different situations.

Exploring the concept of Literary Heritage / Gothic Horror

• This unit aims to introduce pupils to a range of texts that enable them to explore the concept of literary heritage. Pupils access short extracts and ‘tasters’ of texts that are significant within literary history, and have kept their appeal over the years. Texts have been chosen either because they represent ‘firsts’ (e.g. first widely printed literature, or first science fiction) or because they have influenced culture and thinking. Pupils start by considering the place of literature in our society, and finish by deciding which current novels should be included in the children’s ‘canon’.

Research Skills and Speaking and Listening

• This unit develops the idea that English is vital for communicating with others in school and in the wider world. The development of key skills in speaking, listening and reading are all linked to a real-life, engaging context and will be understood by pupils as being skills to enable them to participate in society and employment. Pupils learn to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others confidently and effectively. Pupils also learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of non-fiction and media texts. Pupils can choose and adapt what they say in different situations, supporting the acquisition of Functional Skills at Level 1.

Writing Skills

• The unit proves to pupils that they are all writers. It gives them the skills to write with increasing confidence and authority to create fiction, drama and poetry that also consider the needs of the reader. A crucial aspect of the unit is writing for pleasure.

Poetry

• The aim of this unit is to develop pupils’ ability to speculate, hypothesise and explore ideas through talk with each other. Pupils are encouraged to develop the speaking and listening skills that will be pivotal in developing their thinking across the curriculum. A range of poems about animals are used as the stimulus for pupils’ thinking, and it is hoped that as a result of the unit, pupils will also become more confident in developing a personal response to poetry.

Shakespeare

• Romeo and Juliet
• Much Ado About Nothing

Optional Tests