English

TERM 1

 

Introductions, Language Analysis, Non-Fiction Writing and the Older Text Anthology:

Year 7 begins the term with our Introductions module, which helps students settle into life at Grace through three key assessments of writing, reading and speaking and listening. After this, they use non-fiction persuasive texts to develop a range of reading skills.

 

Topics Include:

• Autobiographies and biographies
• Presentations about their passion
• Analysing Language

 

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Extracting information from a text
• Understanding writer’s purpose in a text
• Developing empathy skills
• Developing planning and drafting skills
• Developing speaking and listening confidence
• Understanding ‘hidden information’ (subtext) in more difficult texts
• Giving a personal opinion about a text with reasons backed up

 

Creative Writing:

In the second half-term, students write their own stories, developing their ability to write creatively as well as their literacy skills. After half-term, students read an entire novel as a class and look at analysing language.

 

Topics Include:

• Planning a short story in response to a range of titles
• Second short story that improves on the first
• Examples of the novel include ‘The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas’ and ‘Room 13’
• Learning about plot, themes, character development

Key Skills Developed:

• Developing use of sentences, such as the Alan Peat sentences
• Developing use of language devices, such as metaphors, similes, personification
• Word choice for effect
• Effective punctuation
• Creation of tension
• Delay of information
• Making time jumps
• Effective description of setting, character and emotion
• Tone of narrator (voice and viewpoint).
• Work on tenses
• Using textual references to support the comments made about texts
• Understanding subtext
• Identifying the writer’s purpose/intentions
• Giving a personal opinion about a text
• Developing essay style responses

 

TERM 2

The Novel and Poetry

The Novel

Students study ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ examining characters and themes, writing a Literature essay.

Topics Include:

• Contexts of Autism and attitudes towards neurodivergence
• Presentation of characters
• Presentation of themes
• Writers’ intent
• Essay writing 

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying and explaining effects of devices and techniques used by writers (such as similes, metaphors)
• Understanding the writer’s intention in a text
• Commenting on social and historical context of a text
• Compassion and Empathy

Poetry

Students to learn how to annotate a poem, how to apply context to a text, how to comment on the effect of specific language choices and literary devices, and how to write an essay on a poem.

Topics Include:

• Different poems from cultures around the world, specifically focussing on poetry about and by refugees.

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying and explaining effects of devices and techniques used by writers (such as similes, metaphors)
• Identifying structural features
• Key poetry terms

TERM 3

A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Non Fiction Writing:

 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

To start the summer term off, students look at Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Pupils will be studying extracts of the play to develop their understanding of Develop familiarity with the play and Shakespeare’s use of comedy.

Topics Include:

• History of the Elizabethan era
• History of Shakespeare
• Extracts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Essay writing

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying and explaining effects of devices and techniques used by writers (such as similes, metaphors)
• Understanding the writer’s intention in a text
• Commenting on social and historical context of a text

Non Fiction Writing

In the final half term, students study Non-fiction writing (with topics that support PHSE and Ethos teaching),  learning the key skills they need to write a range of texts for different purposes, building on skills developed at primary school.

 

Topics Include:

• Writing Letters
• Writing Articles
• Writing Speeches

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Working out the PAF of a task
• Using DEAF techniques to develop a paragraph
• Using AAFORREST devices to create tone
• Using correct styles and layouts for different tasks 

TERM 1

War Poetry and the Novel:

Students start the year with a scheme of WW1 Poetry, which helps pupils develop their appreciation of poetry. Pupils then write a range of stories to develop the readers.

War Poetry

Topics Include:

• Range of poems covered, such as ‘Who’s For the Game?’, ‘My Boy Jack’ and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Using textual references to support the comments about texts
• Understanding subtext in more difficult texts
• Commenting on writer’s use of language
• Commenting on use of structure and form
• Writing on writer’s viewpoints and organisation
• Evaluating texts
• Comparing ideas and perspectives across multiple texts
• Understanding relationship between context and text

 

The Novel

Students study 'The Bone Sparrow' examining characters and themes, writing a Literature essay.

Topics Include:

• Contexts of Australian immigration policy
• Presentation of characters
• Presentation of themes
• Writer's intent
• Essay writing

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying and explaining effects of devices and techniques used by writers
• Understanding the writer's intention in a text
• Commenting on social and historical context of a text
• Compassion and Empathy

 

TERM 2

Reading Scheme and Creative Writing:

Reading Scheme

Students develop an understanding of the key reading skills required to succeed in English. The focus of the scheme is to secure and develop inference, analysis and evaluation skills.

Topics Include:

• Looking at a range of fiction reading extracts
• Learning to think line an expert
• Practising a variety of questions in response to text

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Skim and scan the text to find specific details
• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying the effects of devices and techniques used by the writer
• Identifying the writer’s purposes and intentions

 

Creative Writing

Topics Include:

• Planning a short story in response to a range of titles

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Developing use of sentences, such as the Alan Peat sentences
• Developing use of language devices, such as metaphors, similes, personification
• Word choice for effect
• Effective punctuation
• Creation of tension
• Delay of information
• Making time jumps
• Effective description of setting, character and emotion
• Tone of narrator (voice and viewpoint)
• Work on tenses

 

TERM 3

Shakespeare – Macbeth and Non-Fiction Writing

Macbeth

Topics Include:

• History of the Elizabethan era
• History of Shakespeare
• Extracts from Hamlet
• Essay Writing

Key skills being developed:

• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying and explaining effects of devices and techniques used by writers (such as similes, metaphors)
• Understanding the writer’s intention in a text
• Commenting on social and historical context of a text

Key skills being developed:

• Relevant contexts
• Decoding vocabulary
• Extract analysis
• Language analysis
• Presentation of characters
• How to write Literature essays
• Key subject terminology for effective analysis

 

Non-Fiction Writing

In the final half term, students study Non-fiction writing (with topics that support PHSE and Ethos teaching), learning the key skills they need to write a range of texts for different purposes, building on skills developed in year 8.

Topics Include:

• Writing Letters
• Writing Articles
• Writing Speeches

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Working out the PAF of a task
• Using DEAF techniques to develop a paragraph
• Using AAFORREST devices to create tone
• Using correct styles and layouts for different tasks 

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title: The Novel & Non-Fiction Reading

The Novel

Students read George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'

 

Topics Include:

• Relevant context – Capitalism, Socialism, Class – useful for AIC exam text
• Decoding of difficult vocabulary
• Extract Analysis
• Language Analysis – focus on rhetoric devices of writers
• Presentation of characters
• Writing a theme essay - with context embedded into the response

Reading Scheme

Students develop an understanding of the key regarding skills required to succeed in English. The focus of the scheme is to secure and develop inference, analysis and evaluation skills.

Topics Include:

• Looking at a range on non-fiction readings extracts
• Learning to think like an expert
• Practising a variety of questions in response to the text

 

Key Skills Being Developed:

• Skim and scan the text to find specific details 
• Identifying specific words and phrases and explaining how they create meaning and impact the reader
• Identifying the effects of devices and techniques used by the writer
• Making links and comparisons between texts
• Identifying the writer's purposes and intentions

 

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title: Non-Fiction Writing and Poetry

Non-Fiction Writing

In the final half term, students study Non-fiction writing (with topics that support PSHE and ETHOS teaching), learning the key skills they need to write a range of texts for different purposes, building on skills developed in year 7.

Topics Include:

• Writing Letters
• Writing Articles
• Writing Speeches

Key skills being developed:

• Working out the PAF of a task
• Using DEAF techniques to develop a paragraph
• Using AAFORREST devises to create tone
• Using correct styles and layouts for different tasks
• Fully embed the PAF, PLAN, DEAF, LINKS approach.
• Teach tone – what is appropriate and how to create it

 

Poetry

Students study a range of poetry in linked pairs, analysing the meaning created by the words and making links between them. 

Topics Include:

• Love poems
• War poems
• Nature poems
• Place poems

Key skills being developed:

• Annotation of poems
• How to write an essay on the poems
• Poetic devices and impact in the poems
• Contexts of the poems
• Links and comparisons

TERM 3

Unit(s) Title: Hamlet and Creative Writing

Hamlet

Topics Include:

• History of the Elizabethan era
• History of Shakespeare
• Extracts from Macbeth
• Essay writing

Key skills being developed:

• Relevant contexts
• Decoding vocabulary
• Extract analysis
• Language analysis
• Presentation of characters
• How to write Literature essays
• Key subject terminology for effective analysis

 

Creative Writing

Topics Include:

• Planning a short story in response to a range of titles

Key skills being developed:

• Developing use of sentences, such as the Alan Peat sentences
• Developing use of language devices, such as metaphors, similes and personification
• Word choice for effect
• Effective punctuation
• Creation of tension
• Delay of information
• Making time jumps
• Effective description of setting, character and emotion
• Tone of narrator (voice and viewpoint)
• Work on tenses

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title: An Inspector Calls and A Christmas Carol

Topics Include:

• An Inspector Calls
• A Christmas 

Key skills being developed:

• Relevant contexts
• Decoding vocabulary
• Extract analysis
• Language analysis
• Presentation of characters
• How to write theme essays
• Key subject terminology for effective analysis
• Key vocabulary for high level responses

 

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title: Romeo and Juliet

In this term students will be preparing for their English Literature GCSE, Component 1 exam, section A. In the first half of the term they will read and study the play, and in the second half term, student swill move on to focus on how to approach and improve responses to exam-style questions on the text.

Topics Include:

• Plot of 'Romeo and Juliet'
• Character studies
• Analysis of themes and wider ideas

Key skills being developed:

• Relevant contexts - patriarchal societies, Elizabethan period
• Decoding of Shakespearean vocabulary
• Extract analysis
• Language analysis
• Presentation of characters
• How to write theme essays
• Key subject terminology for effective analysis
• Key vocabulary for high level responses

TERM 3

Unit(s) Title:  Creative Writing

Topics Include:

• Planning a short story in response to a range of title

Key skills being developed:

• Developing use of sentences, such as the Alan Peat sentences
• Developing use of language devices, such as metaphors, similes and personification
• Word choice for effect
• Effective punctuation
• Creation of tension
• Delay of information
• Making time jumps
• Effective description of setting, character and emotion
• Tone of narrator (voice and viewpoint)
• Work on tenses

Speaking and Listening

Students prepare and deliver a Speaking and Listening Presentation

 

Unseen Poetry

Students learn to respond to unseen poetry, developing analytical skills and essay writing.

 

Mock Exams

Students sit full Literature Mock Exams.

 

TERM 1 - Part 1

Unit Title(s): Poetry Anthology & Romeo and Juliet Revision and Fiction Language Papers

In this first half of the term students will be preparing for their English Literature GCSE, Component 1 exam, section B. Students will read and study all of the poems in the Eduqas poetry anthology, learning how to analyse and compare poems in response to a range of exam style questions: love, power, time, place, war, loss, gender, suffering and nature.

Topics Include:

• Learning key contextual information for each poem in the anthology e.g. Romanticism, WW1, Victorian London etc.
• Biographical information for each featured poet
• Analysis of themes and wider ideas explored in the anthology
• Revision of Component 1 Reading and Writing skills (fiction-extract analysis and creative writing)
• Revision of Component 2 Reading and Writing skills (non-fiction - article analysis and non-fiction writing styles)

Key skills being developed:

• Relevant contexts 
• Decoding of difficult vocabulary
• Language analysis - specific focus on writer's use of poetic devices
• Comparison of poems - themes, styles, language and structure
• Key subject terminology for effective analysis
• Exam practice: completing numerous paired analyses of poems on a variety of themes
• Revision of core language reading skills: retrieval, inference, analysis, evaluation and comparison
• Revision of all core writing styles: creative writing, letters, speeches, articles, reviews, reports

 

TERM 1 - Part 2

Unit Title(s): Non-Fiction and Writing, and Revisions of Literature Paper 2

Key skills being developed:

• How to evaluate
• How to compare
• Reading for meaning
• Language analysis
• Analysis of the writer's craft
• Fully embed the PAF, PLAN, DEAF and LINKS approaches
• Tech Tone - what is appropriate and how to create it

 

TERM 2 & 3

Revision of all units/components:

In this term, students will be revising all topics and components for both GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature.

Topics Include:

• English Language Component 1 – fiction reading and writing
• English Language Component 2 – non-fiction reading and writing
• English Literature Component 1 – Shakespeare and Poetry Anthology
• English Literature Component 2 – ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and unseen poetry.

Key skills being developed:

• Revision of core language reading skills: retrieval, inference, analysis, evaluation and comparison.
• Revision of PAF, PLAN, DEAF and LINKS approach for reading questions.
• Revision of all core writing styles: creative writing, letters, speeches, articles, reviews, reports.
• Revision of how to improve writing through the use of sentences for effect, word choice, setting and character descriptions, use of tone, tenses and basic literacy skills.
• Relevant contexts, plots, characters, themes for all literature texts.
• Language analysis.
• Key subject terminology for effective analysis
• Exam practice: how to approach and improve responses.