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
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&2
An Introduction to stories
The New World – Patrick Ness
Reading
Transition assessment
Analytical essay
Spring Term 1&2
War and conflict
Private Peaceful – Michael Morpurgo
Oracy
Persuasive speech
Summer Term 1
Shakespeare
Comedy
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Reading
Analytical essay
Summer Term 2
The Hero’s Journey
Selected extracts: Beowulf, Theseus & The Minotaur (and many more)
Writing
Narrative and descriptive 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
Inspire, engage and excite – Key Idea – CONFLICT
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
Writing
Analytical Writing
Poetry Writing
Autumn Term 2
Morals in 19th Century writing
Reading
Analytical essay
Spring Term 1&2
Dystopian Fiction
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Reading and Writing
Narrative and descriptive writing
Summer Term 1
Shakespeare
Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Reading
Analytical essay
Summer Term 2
Introduction to Gothic Literature
Frankenstein, Dracula (and many more)
Oracy
Oral presentation
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
Consolidate, challenge and build – Key Idea – MESSAGE AND VOICE
Consolidate, challenge and build
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 (Reading, Writing, Oracy and Accuracy) and should understand what skills 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 viewpoint in 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
Selection of traditional and contemporary poetry
Reading
Analytical essay
Lit – Paper 1
Autumn Term 2
Express Yourself (The Art of Rhetoric)
Selection of non-fiction texts and speeches
Writing
Newspaper article
Spring Term 1&2
Tragedy Plays
A View From The Bridge – Arthur Miller
Analytical Writing
Narrative writing (short story)/Script Writing
Summer Term 1
Shakespeare – Comedy
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Analytical Writing/Review Writing
Summer Term 2
Preparing for GCSE Study
Recall, recap, reflection.
Cluster 1 Conflict Poetry
Oracy
Oral presentation (Dramatic reading or prepared questions)
Spoken Language
Enrichment/Extracurricular
Whole school oracy event, Revision workshops, Youth Speaks competition, Poetry by Heart competition, Year group reading challenge, Trip – conflict poetry
KS4
Explore, equip and excel
Key Idea – APPEARANCE VS REALITY
In Year 10 and Year 11, students will be studying the AQA English Language and Literature GCSE syllabus.
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.
KS4 Set Texts:
- Shakespeare: Macbeth
- 19th Century Novel: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
- Post 1914 Prose Fiction and Drama: An Inspector Calls – J.B. Priestley
- Poetry Anthology: Power and Conflict
KS4
Explore, equip and excel
Key Idea – APPEARANCE VS REALITY
In Year 10 and Year 11, students will be studying the AQA English Language and Literature GCSE syllabus.
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.
KS4 Set Texts:
- Shakespeare: Macbeth
- 19th Century Novel: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
- Post 1914 Prose Fiction and Drama: An Inspector Calls – J.B. Priestley
- Poetry Anthology: Power and Conflict