English

All Key Stage 3 pupils follow a bespoke programme of study tailored to their individual needs in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum. Care is taken to address any gaps in learning from Key Stage 2 and to help prepare pupils for their GCSE studies at Key Stage 4.

Pupils are encouraged to develop their reading skills through the study of different forms and genres. Novels such as ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, ‘Stone Cold’, ‘Trash’,‘The Woman In Black’ and ‘Of Mice and Men’ form part of our teaching pathway; poetry and Shakespeare are also studied, as well as a range of non-fiction texts.

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We also encourage pupils to pursue their own independent reading for pleasure and to develop their cross-curricular knowledge based on their own areas of interest. Pupils are taught to develop their comprehension skills, how to analyse the writer’s use of language and structure through studying characters, themes and setting and how to write a literary essay in response to an exam style question.

 

Pupils are encouraged to develop their writing skills through focusing on writing in different forms, writing for different purposes and writing for different audiences. Emphasis is placed on the importance of building skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar as well as planning and drafting. Different topics of study include ‘Adventure!’; ‘Dystopia’ and ‘Myths and Legends’.

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Accreditation:

Accreditation is available to Year 9 students through the AQA Silver Step Up To English Entry Level Certificate which helps to prepare pupils for their GCSE studies.

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Pupils complete three question papers within the classroom which test their reading and writing skills. Pupils will also complete two Speaking and Listening tasks as part of the assessment.

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Helpful link: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/elc/step-up-to-english-5970

 

Homework:

As each pupil follows a programme of study carefully tailored to their individual needs, homework is set which focuses on developing skills in the topic area under consideration as and when needed.