English

Our curriculum is structured to bring about desirable difficulties in the study of English and to ensure that all students have an opportunity to grow a love and enthusiasm for the subject whilst becoming creative thinkers, skilled writers, proficient communicators and confident readers, thereby giving them the strong foundations necessary to succeed at KS3, KS4 and beyond.

Provide an inspiring, diverse and challenging curriculum
Support every student to develop a love of language and literature
Support students to unleash their true potential by enabling them to achieve the very best examination results possible at KS4
Provide regular exposure to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts
Ignite curiosity and a passion for reading
Equip our students with high standards of literacy
Develop critical thinkers
Build cultural capital within our students by ensuring we are teaching texts in context
Deliver a curriculum covering literature from a range of times, cultures and traditions
Help to prepare students for future learning and the world of work
Communicate how language and literature have been and can be a powerful force in the changing world we live in

Year 7

Inspire, engage and excite – Key Idea – Telling Stories

At Katherine Warington School, Year 7 is a time for exploring a range of diverse fiction and narrative texts as means of building confidence in the four key English skills of Reading, Writing, Oracy and Accuracy. Students start and end Year 7 with fantastic reading opportunities which allow them to develop a passion for fiction and narrative and this persistent focus on reading skills creates a strong basis for students to become the creators of their own texts when they explore creative and persuasive writing later in the school year. Our curriculum is structured to bring about desirable difficulties in the study of English and to ensure that all students have an opportunity to grow a love and enthusiasm for the subject whilst becoming creative thinkers, skilled writers, proficient communicators and confident readers, thereby giving them the strong foundations necessary to succeed at KS3, KS4 and beyond.

Autumn Term 1

An Introduction to stories

Writing

Creative descriptive writing

Autumn Term 2 & Spring Term 1

War and conflict literature: Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

Reading

Analytical Writing

Spring Term 2

The power of rhetoric

Writing

Persuasive writing

Summer Term 1

Shakespeare comedy: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Reading

Analytical writing

Summer Term 2

The Hero’s Journey

Writing

Creative narrative writing

Enrichment/Extracurricular

Whole school oracy event, Revision workshops, Read aloud, Youth Speaks competition, Poetry by Heart competition

Big Purple Challenge (Year group reading challenge)
Spooky story competition
Inter-form poetry competition
Anthony Glenn visit – live performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Trip to The Globe

Year 8

Inspire, engage and excite – Key Idea – Conflict in Society

In Year 8, our big picture continues to centre on our four key skills of Reading, Writing, Oracy and Accuracy. English students in Year 8 at Katherine Warington School will progress their study of literature by continuing to read, experience and engage with a wide and exciting range of narrative voices throughout the year.

Our units of study in Year 8 utilise a range of media to maintain a focus on engaging and inspiring students with narratives in film, journalism, novel and play form and we expose students to literature from a wide variety of eras; from Shakespeare to Dickens to 20th Century Dystopian fiction. All units of study give students the opportunity to challenge themselves in a supportive environment, with the ultimate intention of enabling them all to become creative thinkers, skilled writers, proficient communicators and confident readers in their further studies and beyond.

Autumn Term 1

War poetry from around the world

Reading

Analytical writing

Autumn Term 2

Shakespearean Tragedy: Romeo and Juliet

Reading

Analytical writing

Spring Term 1

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Reading

Analytical writing

Spring Term 2

Dystopian fiction

Writing

Creative descriptive writing

Summer Term 1

Gothic literature

Reading

Analytical writing

Summer Term 2

Gothic Literature

Writing

Creative narrative writing

Enrichment/Extracurricular

Whole school oracy event, Revision workshops, Read aloud, Youth Speaks competition, Poetry by Heart competition

Going for Gold Challenge (Year group reading challenge)
Anthony Glenn visit – live performance of Romeo and Juliet
Trip – Creative writing, The Gothic

Year 9

Inspire, engage and excite – Key Idea – Message and Voice

By Year 9 we expect students to have a strong knowledge of their own ability in English. Students will have spent a considerable amount of time by this point reflecting on their performance in key skills and should understand what they need to develop and how. Therefore, consolidating knowledge and skills already developed at KS3 is key to success in Year 9.

Students will also begin to not only engage and enjoy literature but their reading of literature becomes the basis for challenging their ideas and will start to spark interesting debate. A key aspect of the Year 9 curriculum is recognising and identifying viewpoints in texts whilst also being able to communicate your own opinions and ideas articulately. This is why most of our units encourage students to reflect on their own reaction to fiction and non-fiction texts.

In English, Year 9 acts as a bridge to GCSE. Students do not begin looking at GCSE content/texts until the last half term; however the units studied have been created to give ample opportunities to build confidence in some of the most challenging skills in our subject.

Autumn Term 1

Poetry from other cultures

Reading

Analytical Comparative Writing

Autumn Term 2

Shakespearean Comedy: Much Ado About Nothing

Reading

Analytical writing

Spring Term 1 & 2

A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller

Reading

Analytical writing

Summer Term 1

Express Yourself: The Art of Rhetoric

Writing

Persuasive writing

Summer Term 2

Power and Conflict Poetry: Conflict Focus

Reading

Analytical comparative writing

Enrichment/Extracurricular

Whole school oracy event, Revision workshops, Youth Speaks competition, Poetry by Heart competition, Year group reading challenge, Trip – conflict poetry

Year 10

KS4

Inspire, engage and excite – Key Idea – Appearance vs. Reality

English Literature

In English Literature, students will study a wide range of texts including Power and Conflict poetry and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Through the study of each of these texts, students will develop critical and analytical skills, as well as contextual knowledge of the world at different points in time. We will focus on giving our students the core content and knowledge they need in order to develop their own arguments and theories about the texts and will then guide them in how best to structure their ideas through the explicit teaching of writing in different forms and for different purposes.

We will also use the English Literature curriculum to promote high standards of oracy and debate which are vital for all of our students in their pursuit of success.

English Language

In English Language, we will continue to build upon the inference, analysis and summary skills that have been developed throughout the Katherine Warington English curriculum. Students will be exposed to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts and will develop their own abilities as both a creative and persuasive writer. Through the study of this course, students will further develop their ability to read critically and to evaluate pieces of writing as well developing a deeper understanding of how to use language effectively in different situations and for different audiences.

Autumn Term 1

Power and Conflict Poetry: Power

Focus

Literature P2

Autumn Term 2

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Literature P1

Spring Term 1

Places and People

Language P1

Spring Term 2

Writer’s views and perspectives

Language P2

Summer Term 1

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

Literature P2

Summer Term 2

The Power of Language

Language P2 and Speaking & Listening component

Year 11

KS4

Inspire, engage and excite – Key Idea – Appearance vs. Reality

English Literature

We will also use the English Literature curriculum to promote high standards of oracy and debate which are vital for all of our students in their pursuit of success.