Overview

The English Key Stage Three curriculum has been developed to not only prepare students for their studies at Key Stage Four and Five, but also to kindle a love and passion for the subject that will last students a lifetime. Encompassing a huge range of topics and skills, students will be reading classic literature such as Shakespeare to modern classics such as Private Peaceful and Woman in Black. We encourage and enable our students to be critical, creative and conceptual.

KS3 Intent Statement

Cultivate student confidence and enjoyment through a varied and engaging curriculum which allows students to grow as individuals, increase their cultural capital, explore representation, embed key life skills, discover the wider world, and develop an appreciation for the written and spoken word. Provide students with the opportunity to explore a wide range of texts and skills to help with further study in English and the wider curriculum. Prepare students effectively for future learning without limiting their learning to examination preparation, ensuring confidence in analysis, evaluation, examining context, comparison and constructing well-crafted extended writing in a variety of forms. Build on prior learning to revisit and improve skills, allowing for the retrieval and consolidation of previous knowledge. Provide opportunities for students to develop key literacy skills in reading, writing and oracy to advance students’ communication skills for future study and success at KS4 and 5. Promote stretch and challenge through the years to develop critical thinking. Provide regular assessment and targeted feedback to enable student progress. Provide opportunities for extracurricular learning with a focus on developing a passion for English, as well as personalised advice and guidance. 

KS3 Learning Journey

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Overview

The English Language course we study has been designed to inspire and motivate students, providing appropriate stretch and challenge whilst ensuring, as far as possible, that the assessment and texts are accessible to the full range of students.

The specification enables students of all abilities to develop the skills they need to read, understand and analyse a wide range of different texts covering the 19th, 20th and 21st century time periods as well as developing their ability to write clearly, coherently and accurately using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.

KS4 Intent Statement

Provide students with the opportunity to explore a more challenging and focused range of texts and skills to help with further study in English and the wider curriculum. Enable students to become critical consumers of texts, confident communicators, self-reliant independent learners, and socially aware, responsible adults. Prepare students effectively for GCSE examinations through building on prior learning to revisit and improve skills. Promote retrieval of previous knowledge, drawing upon the development of all three literacy strands. Explicitly promote stretch and challenge through the years, underpinning with regular assessment and targeted feedback, as aligned with key learning objectives. Cultivate student confidence and resilience in the subject. Provide opportunities for extracurricular learning with a focus on developing a passion for English, as well as personalised advice and guidance. Extracurricular opportunities enhance the learning experience with a focus on supporting and extending knowledge and skills, as well as personalised advice and guidance. 

Qualification Details

Exam Board: AQA
Qualification Title: English Language
Qualification Specification Code: 8700
Qualification Webpage: Click here to visit the AQA webpage for the specification.

Why should I study this course?

English Language is a mandatory course to study at GCSE because it is crucial for every other subject that you study, and for your career path.
Students will need Grade 4 or above in English Language to continue in further education.

What knowledge and/or skills will I need?

AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas.
Select and synthesise evidence from different texts.

AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views.

AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts.

AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references.

AO5:Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts.

AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

What will I study in this qualification?

How will I be assessed?

Paper 1 (50%): Explorations in creative reading and writing
1hr45
80 marks in total.

The aim of this paper is to engage students in a creative text and inspire them to write creatively themselves by:
• in section A, reading a literature fiction text in order to consider how established writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to capture the interest of readers. This section is worth 40 marks.
• in section B, writing their own creative text, inspired by the topic that they have responded to in section A to demonstrate their narrative and descriptive skills in response to a written prompt, scenario or visual image. This section is worth 40 marks.

Paper 2 (50%): Writer’s viewpoints and perspectives
1hr45
80 marks in total.

The aim of this paper is to develop students’ insights into how writers have particular viewpoints and perspectives on issues or themes that are important to the way we think and live our lives. It will encourage students to demonstrate their skills by:
• in section A, reading two linked sources from different time periods and genres in order to consider how each presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader. This section is worth 40 marks.
• in section B, producing a written text to a specified audience, purpose and form in which they give their own perspective on the theme that has been introduced to them in section A. This section is worth 40 marks.

NEA: Spoken Language Assessment
All students will give a short speech on a topic of their choice, which will be agreed with their class teacher. This will be performed in class and recorded to be sent to the exam board.

This is a marked component and students will receive a grade: fail, pass, merit, distinction, however this does not affect students overall English Language grade.

Possible Career Paths

Writer – Creative writer, travel writer, children’s writer…
Journalist
Careers working within PR, marketing, advertising
Teacher – English Language specialist Linguistic specialist
Translator
Copy-writer
Editor
Solicitor/Lawyer
Graphic Designer
Politician
Brand Consultant
Motivational Speaker
Researcher
Librarian
Jobs within publishing

Overview

Think about all the times you tell someone about something. In effect, you are telling a story. Why do you tell the story in the way you do? What do you keep in and why? What do you leave out and why? This applies not just to the way we tell stories, but how we present our ideas and attitudes. Many factors affect how people tell stories or present their ideas. Building on the knowledge and skills developed in your GCSEs in English Language and English Literature, we will analyse in depth and detail how and why people tell stories – in the broadest sense – by looking at a variety of fictional and non-fictional texts including Shakespeare. You will be expected to engage in a considerable amount of independent reading and be willing to take the initiative when exploring how writers use language to present their ideas and attitudes.

KS5 Intent Statement

Provide students with the opportunity to explore an academic range of texts and skills that will help with careers and higher study in English/Film/ Media and the wider curriculum. Educate students to be able to engage critically with texts on an exploratory and analytical level. Support students in being able to manage time and organisational elements with research, essay writing and extended projects (in particular the NEA). Inspire students to become adults who are curious about the world and willing to challenge ideas. Promote independent learning in the subject area and beyond. Enable students to become sophisticated and effective communicators. Using the curricula, introduce new concepts; build on prior learning to revisit and improve skills; promote the development of all three literacy strands; explicitly promote stretch and challenge through the years. All this is underpinned with personalised assessment and targeted feedback, aligned with key learning objectives. Inspire and enhance student understanding further by offering extra-curricular opportunities, with a focus on extending knowledge and experience, and encouraging personal investigation. Provide personalised advice and guidance to support students’ wider learning and aspirations beyond KS5.

Qualification Details

Exam Board: Edexcel
Qualification Title: English Language and Literature
Qualification Specification Code: 9EL0
Qualification Webpage: Click here to visit the Edexcel webpage for the specification.

Entry Requirements

Standard Sixth Form entry requirements plus a strong enjoyment of independent reading and writing.

What will I study in this qualification?

Possible Career Paths

Apart from degrees in English Literature, and Linguistics, this course will also support your understanding and appreciation of whatever subject you choose to study. Most obviously, the course will suit students interested in pursuing the following careers: the Creative Industries, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, and Journalism. However, the course will develop your ability to write and think with greater understanding – a skill that underpins everything you will do in whatever course or career you choose.