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English

 Welcome to the English Department

"After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."  - Philip Pullman

Head of Department:

Mr Molloy

e-mail: rmolloy.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

Introduction

The English curriculum exposes students to a breadth of literature, written by and representing human beings of diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences. These texts enable students to learn about the wider world they live in and the voices of those who inhabit it, deepening their understanding of the richness of the human experience, and challenging them to grapple with big questions about the human condition. Through the power and the magic of words and stories, the English curriculum fosters compassion for and understanding of others, one of the school's character virtues. 

As well as promoting compassion for others, the English curriculum serves as a platform on which our students can explore and express their own identities. The English department recognises the imperative that our students see themselves in the stories and poems they read. Through this, our students learn that they have the right to inhabit literary and narrative space, that their stories are powerful and important, that their voices are worth sharing. Our aim is that English lessons will not only engender compassion for others but will also champion creative self-expression for all of our students. 

By the end of Year 11, we intend that our students are thoughtful, critical readers who can engage sensitively and empathetically with the perspectives of others while able to express themselves clearly and confidently in speech and in writing. 

Key Stage 3

Language & Literature 

We have an exciting KS3 curriculum which empowers our students to understand the world and their place in it. Our KS3 curriculum immerses students in the joy of story-telling from William Shakespeare to Lorraine Hansberry and from Charles Dickens to Manjeet Mann. We foster a love of reading through timetabled reading lessons in both the library and the classroom, and we offer students opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes and in a variety of styles and voices. The spoken word is at the heart of the KS3 curriculum; all students are encouraged to express their opinions and articulate their identities both verbally and in writing, and all students are afforded opportunities to speak on subjects which matter to them in formal and informal contexts. 

Year 7

Year 7 begins with ʻMyths and Folk Talesʼ, a unit which encourages students to engage creatively and analytically with some of the foundational narratives of Western civilisation. Students move on to a poetry unit, learning about the form, engaging with key poetic terms and concepts, and reading a diverse range of poems on the themes of childhood and growing up. A term is then devoted to William Shakespeare’s great discourse on justice and mercy, ‘The Merchant of Venice’. The year ends with a dual focus – the study of a modern novel, Renee Watson’s beautiful journey into family history, ‘Some Places More Than Others’ – and the Ignite project which challenges every student in the year group to write, learn, and perform their own speech. 

Autumn Spring Summer
Myths and Folk tales 

‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare

 

Modern novel: ‘Some Places More Than Others’ by Renee Watson 

Ignite Speech Project 

An Introduction to Poetry 

Knowledge Organisers

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KS3 Assessment:

Students complete a range of formative and summative assessments over the course of the academic year; these inform the two progress checks in the school’s assessment calendar. These assessments test the knowledge and skills taught as part of the curriculum and encourage students to revisit and revise key terms and concepts. 

Year 8

Year 8 begins with an introduction to the Gothic genre which paves the way for the study of one of the most celebrated and influential works of English literature, Charles Dickensʼ classic tale of redemption and compassion, ʻA Christmas Carolʼ. In the spring term students practise personal and empathetic writing inspired by a selection of extracts from extraordinary true stories by authors such as Solomon Northup, Malcolm X, and Maya Angelou as well as studying a variety of poems by, amongst others, Imtiaz Dharker, Raymond Antrobus, and Natalie Diaz. The year concludes with Lorraine Hansberryʼs ʻA Raisin in the Sunʼ, a classic drama about an African American family's hopes and dreams in 1950s Chicago and the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. Students are also given another opportunity to write, learn, and perform their own speech in the summer term. 

Autumn Spring Summer

Introduction to the Gothic 

‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens 

Extraordinary True Stories 

Voices from Across the Globe: Poetry Unit 

Modern Play: ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ by Lorraine Hansberry 

Ignite Speech Project 

Knowledge Organisers:

You have not allowed cookies and this content may contain cookies.

If you would like to view this content please

KS3 Assessment:

Students complete a range of formative and summative assessments over the course of the academic year; these inform the two progress checks in the school’s assessment calendar. These assessments test the knowledge and skills taught as part of the curriculum and encourage students to revisit and revise key terms and concepts. 

Year 9

Year 9 begins with the study of Manjeet Mann’s award-winning contemporary verse novel, ‘The Crossing’. Students move on to the study of poetry, focusing on a selection of modern and traditional sonnets and dramatic monologues, before tackling William Shakespeareʼs ʻOthelloʼ, a tragedy about race, deception and jealousy. Following this, students develop their creative writing practice alongside the study of a range of acclaimed short stories, before finishing Key Stage 3 with a non-fiction unit entitled ‘Sensational Victorians’. This unit primes students for the demands of non-fiction study at Key Stage 4 while providing them with the opportunity to produce their own pieces of sensational writing. 

Autumn Spring Summer

‘The Crossing’ by Manjeet Mann 

‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare

Modern Short Stories and Creative Writing

Poetry: Sonnets and Dramatic Monologues 

 

Sensational Victorians 

KS3 Assessment:

Students complete a range of formative and summative assessments over the course of the academic year; these inform the two progress checks in the school’s assessment calendar. These assessments test the knowledge and skills taught as part of the curriculum and encourage students to revisit and revise key terms and concepts. 

Key Stage 4

Over the course of Years 10 and 11, students tackle aspects of the English Language and English Literature GCSE courses. We follow the AQA specification for English Literature and the Eduqas specification for English Language.  

Year 10

Autumn Spring Summer

‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare 

AQA Poetry Anthology 

19th-century novel – ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by RL Stevenson or ‘Sign of Four’ by Arthur Conan Doyle

Spoken Language preparation

Preparation for Eduqas English Language Component 1 

Preparation for Eduqas English Language Component 1 

‘An Inspector Calls’ by JB Priestley 

Preparation for Eduqas Component 2 

KS4 Assessment:

Students take two GCSEs in English – Language and Literature. Both courses are assessed through terminal examination. Practice examinations for both courses are completed in the Summer Term of Year 10, while students complete a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the year. 

Examination Board :

AQA English Literature

Eduqas English Language

Useful Reading Material:

‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare 

Macbeth: York Notes for GCSE (9-1) 

‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley 

An Inspector Calls: York Notes for GCSE (9-1) 

‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson  

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: York Notes for GCSE (9-1) 

‘Sign of Four’ by Arthur Conan Doyle 

Sign of Four: York Notes for GCSE (9-1) 

AQA Power and Conflict Anthology (printed by the exam board and provided by the school) 

New GCSE English Literature AQA Poetry Guide: Power & Conflict Anthology - for the Grade 9-1 Course Paperback 

Year 11

Students take two GCSEs in English – Language and Literature. Both courses are assessed through terminal examination. Practice examinations for both courses are completed in the Autumn Term of Year 11, while students complete a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the year.  

GCSE English Language

Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose writing     

1 hour 45 mins Exam (40%) 

Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing 

2-hour Exam     (60%) 

Component 3: Spoken Language Non-exam Assessment (Unweighted) 

GCSE English Literature

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel 

1 hour 45 mins Exam (40%) 

Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry 

2 hour 15 mins Exam (60%) 

Examination Board :

AQA English Literature

Eduqas English Language

Course Specification:

Eduqas C700QSL English Language

AQA 8702 English Literature

Qualification obtained:

GCSE English Language

GCSE English Literature

Useful Reading Material:

‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley

An Inspector Calls: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (The Penguin English Library) by Robert Louis Stevenson 

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)

AQA Power and Conflict Anthology (printed by the exam board and provided by the school)

New GCSE English Literature AQA Poetry Guide: Power & Conflict Anthology - for the Grade 9-1 Course Paperback

Additional Information