The English Faculty encompasses students’ study of both English and Modern Foreign Languages.
Please see overview of English Curriculum Plan and Intent for KS3 and KS4 here
In Key Stage Three we build on students’ prior knowledge and skills and help them to develop them further. We introduce them to a range of different text types and genres such as: Poetry, Stories from other cultures, War poetry and Autobiography extracts, Dystopian Fiction and a range of non-fiction texts to explore. These are used to engage students with a wide range of literature that will broaden their knowledge and horizons. As we move through KS3 we aim to equip students with the skills and competencies to enable them to successfully access the content and curriculum at KS4.
Year 7
In Year 7 we build upon some of the reading and writing skills students would have started to develop at KS2. For all students of all abilities to develop reading and writing skills needed within English to enable them to cultivate an appreciation for a range of different texts and be able to explore them from a personal perspective, exploring their own ideas of culture and identity and comparing them to different cultures from around the world through a range of literature. They also explore other genres such as Gothic Literature as well as beginning to explore some of the works by William Shakespeare.
Year 8
In Year 8, we continue to build upon student’s reading, writing and communication skills as well as developing their creativity, analysis, and evaluative skills. Developing their understanding of why context is significant when exploring literature. We explore ideas of war through a range of literary sources such as Novels, WW1 Poetry Autobiographies, Victorian Gothic as well as Shakespeare. Students also develop their own creative writing skills, through a range of different writing techniques and purposes.
Year 9
In Year 9, students develop their reading, writing and communication skills in preparation for the GCSE Language and Literature course. Students explore Dystopian Literature and Victorian Crime writing – examining both fiction and non-fiction texts. They also develop their understanding of Shakespeare’s language, ideas and perspectives.
Students of all abilities will develop the skills they need to read, understand and analyse a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts covering diverse cultures and time periods, as well as writing clearly, coherently, creatively and accurately
Our curriculum provides students with opportunities to engage in conversations discuss and give their opinions about a wide range of issues such as the environment and global issues through their curriculum journey. Students will gain an understanding of, and the skills to manipulate, the language, based on a sound foundation of core grammar and vocabulary.
At KS3, students gain essential skills to communicate with others in a foreign language. They learn the fundamental elements of the language and can explore diverse topics and key grammatical structures through a curriculum that provides the foundations of language early on and then builds both in complexity and range of vocabulary. We interleave and revisit key grammar points and language structures so that students are able to apply the structures they learn to a range of different topics and contexts with increasing complexity.
The Key Stage 3 content has been carefully selected to provide an introduction to and a basis for the themes and grammar knowledge required for further study. With the emphasis on the grammar and language structures, the plan provides opportunities for interleaving and revisiting previous topics in greater depth. The focus has shifted from vocabulary to proficiency and depth of understanding of the language itself. Regular interleaving encourages automatisation of the language, promoting resilience and self-confidence.
We wish to inspire our students to have a curiosity and fascination in discovering the world and its people, deepening their understanding of different cultures and societies. We aim to develop a student’s understanding of the ways in which languages are interconnected and how languages play a part in our daily lives. Students are encouraged to support and respect each other, especially when speaking in the target language.
The curriculum is challenging, and students have regular opportunities to extend their skillset further through access to extension tasks and complex materials such as authentic resources and listening to native speakers. The curriculum continuously develops written, spoken and listening skills which are highly transferrable skills for all careers and other subjects. Students also have opportunities to develop their grammatical knowledge, broaden their vocabulary and deepen their cultural knowledge and understanding.
Year 7
By the end of year 7 they will be able to:
To do this they will cover the following topics:
Year 8
By the end of year 8 they will be built on their prior knowledge and learn how to:
To do this they will cover the following topics:
Year 9
By the end of year 9 they will build on their prior knowledge and learn how to:
To do this they will study the following topics:
We want all French GCSE students to be well equipped to cope with the demands of the GCSE exam. To support students with their learning and prepare them for their exams we teach across four skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking. The KS4 Curriculum is designed to review and extend on students’ knowledge from KS3 and build on this. To do this the curriculum is designed to:
The topics that they will study are:
Theme 1 Identity and culture – Qui suis-je ?
Topic 1 : Me, my family and friends
Topic 2: Technology in everyday life
Topic 3: Free-time activities
Topic 4: Customs and festivals in French-speaking countries
Theme 2: Local, national, international & global areas of interest
Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood & region
Topic 2: Social issues
Topic 3: Global issues
Topic 4: Travel and Tourism
Theme 3: Current and future study and employment
Topic 1: My studies
Topic 2: Life at school / college
Topic 3: Education post -16
Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions.
How will I be assessed?
Over the course of an academic year students will complete a number of formal assessments, these will be used to assess where students are in their learning journey and will prepare them for their exam. The GCSE exam is broken down into four components and each areas tests a different skill.
Paper 1: Listening
Paper 2: Speaking
Paper 3: Reading
Paper 4: Writing