English
KS3
KS3 Curriculum Intent and Rational
The Church Stretton English curriculum consolidates and builds on the range of skills and knowledge developed at KS2. By the end of KS3, they will know more about the foundational texts in literature, will be able to remember more about English Literature’s social and historical context and will be able to do more creative and critical writing. Students will study the foundational texts of English Literature. Having a strong understanding of the text’s context, plot, purpose and author enables them to make connections and solidify their understanding.
Creativity and originality emerge from a deep understanding of a subject’s foundations. By studying grammar and writing in isolation, also supported by dedicated schemes of work, students gain the foundational knowledge from which creativity can emerge. This enables students to compose multi-faceted narratives, articles and essays.
Students need explicit instruction in high-utility tier-2 vocabulary to make them better readers. If students know more words, they will be able to understand and access more literary texts and more challenging texts across the curriculum and be able to do more with them.
Importantly, the content and knowledge are connected so that students form a firm foundation of literary and linguistic knowledge that enables them to read and write accurately and critically as they move into KS4.
The Church Stretton English curriculum consolidates and builds on the range of skills and knowledge developed at KS2. By the end of KS3, they will know more about the foundational texts in literature, will be able to remember more about English Literature’s social and historical context and will be able to do more creative and critical writing. Students will study the foundational texts of English Literature. Having a strong understanding of the text’s context, plot, purpose and author enables them to make connections and solidify their understanding.
Creativity and originality emerge from a deep understanding of a subject’s foundations. By studying grammar and writing in isolation, also supported by dedicated schemes of work, students gain the foundational knowledge from which creativity can emerge. This enables students to compose multi-faceted narratives, articles and essays.
Students need explicit instruction in high-utility tier-2 vocabulary to make them better readers. If students know more words, they will be able to understand and access more literary texts and more challenging texts across the curriculum and be able to do more with them.
Importantly, the content and knowledge are connected so that students form a firm foundation of literary and linguistic knowledge that enables them to read and write accurately and critically as they move into KS4.
The principles of English Mastery and how they are delivered
We have designed the programme so that students graduate Year 9 as confident and literate readers and critical and accurate writers. By the end of key stage 3 they will; know and remember more about the foundational texts in literature and social and historical context from the Literary Heritage units; be able to write more accurately and do more with this knowledge from Mastery Writing and explicit tier-2 vocabulary instruction; and be more confident and eager readers from our Reading for Pleasure strand which is the glue that unites Literary Heritage and Mastery Writing.
Extra-Curricular Offer
The Department will also seek out English Enrichment activities, such as trips to see live theatre productions, cinema showings and other opportunities where they arise.
How to support your child
We are sure that you already do many of these things to support your child but here is a useful reminder for you to refer to:
- Encourage wider reading and try to ensure that they have a reading book for school which is appropriate for their age and ability.
- Ask them questions about the book they are reading and share your own reading experience with them.
- During their homework, encourage your child to carefully proof-read their work; reading out loud might help them to pick up mistakes.
Documents
Resources
KS4
Information
English follows the AQA English Language (8700) and English Literature (8702) GCSE. This represents two separate GCSEs
The English Language Syllabus consists of two papers. Paper 1 Creative Reading and Writing and Paper 2 Different Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives.
It is 100% exam based and will produce a GCSE grade (1-9 – 9 being the highest).
It tests the students ability to:
- Understand implied meaning and read inference.
- To summarise.
- To comment on writer’s use of language and structure.
- To compare different texts.
- To evaluate texts.
The English Literature Syllabus (8702) consists of two papers:
- Paper 1: Shakespeare and the Nineteenth Century Novel
- Paper 2: A Modern text and AQAs Anthology of poems – Power and Conflict and Unseen Poetry.
How to support your child
We are sure that you already do many of these things to support your child but here is a useful reminder for you to refer to:
- Encourage wider reading
- Ask them what they have learnt today
- Help them to structure revision for tests and assessments
- Make good use of BBC Bitesize
- Purchase texts which can be annotated
- Purchase revision guides
Documents
- The benefits of reading
- Supporting a child who finds reading difficult
- Finding reading materials for your child
Web Links
Make good use of the web-links and revision guides.
Additional Reading
They may find the Oxford AQA English Language textbooks useful.
However these additional classic texts would support their Literature study.
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
- Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
- David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
- Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson
- Lord of the Flies – William Golding
- Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
- Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Colour Purple – Alice Walker