English

Year 7

Students start by producing a masterpiece based around short descriptive writing before they move onto an author study such as Roald Dahl. Students also complete a functional writing unit followed by studying a play and then a second author study. Students finish Year 7 reading a novel for pleasure and enjoyment.

Year 8

Students start by producing a masterpiece based around short stories and they will move onto an author study, Benjamin Zephaniah. After Christmas, students complete a functional writing unit followed by ‘All Around the World’, a programme of study that explores other cultures through poetry and prose. Summer term sees the second author study, William Shakespeare, and they finish Year 8 reading a novel for pleasure and enjoyment.

Year 9

Students start by producing a masterpiece based around play scripts. They move onto an author study, Michael Morpurgo, where war poetry and propaganda is explored alongside a Morpurgo novel. After Christmas, students complete a functional writing unit followed by ‘A Question of Leadership’ where the Shakespeare play Macbeth is studied. Summer term sees the second author study, Edgar Allen Poe, and students finish Year 9 reading the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ for pleasure and enjoyment.

Year 10

Students study the following GCSE texts for literature; ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and Poetry. Literature controlled assessments are on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and Wilfred Owen poetry.  English language writing skills are practised throughout the year alongside the texts that are studied. Year 10 finishes by preparing for coursework assignments in Year 11.

Year 11

Students start by writing the first of three English Language coursework pieces – an informative, analytical and/or argumentative assignment; a descriptive or narrative assignment and an analytical assignment responding to a factual piece of writing. When all the written coursework assignments are completed, students complete an individual speaking and listening task. Following this, exam practise starts. A selection of past papers are used for practise and revision. English Literature texts are revisited and revised ready for the literature exams.