Curriculum Allocation
English is taught for five 100 minute lessons per fortnight.
Curriculum Period 1:
Curriculum content
Topic 1: Creative Reading
Students learn about different ways in which they can extract meaning from a piece of fiction. This will include work on comprehension, selecting information, linguistic analysis, structural analysis and the ability to bring all of these elements together in order to justify an opinion.
Topic 2: Of Mice and Men
Students read John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' and cover key aspects such as character, plot, setting and context. Students will learn about how the novella creates a microcosm of life in 1930's America and how John Steinbeck uses this platform to comment on race, gender and social class at this point in history.
Topic 3: Creative Writing
Students learn about a range of different methods which help to develop the skill of producing original writing. Students will look at key concepts and writing skills, how to zoom in on detail and how to employ figurative language to achieve impact. This unit of work is designed to boost both confidence and skill when producing fiction.
Topic 4: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students will read William Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and learn about how Shakespeare creates meaning through his wonderfully rich and complex use of language. Students will look at the conventions of a play, presentation of characters and how the genre of comedy is created.
Assessment
Students will sit a 1 hour assessment which will refer to topics 1-4.
Curriculum Period 2:
Curriculum content
Topic 5: Non-Fiction
In this unit, students will learn about non-fiction text types and the rhetorical devices which writers employ in order to persuade and argue their ideas to a reader. Students will both analyse and create non-fiction writing in order to understand how writers influence their reader and to practise employing similar techniques.
Topic 6: The Speckled Band
Students will read Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Speckled Band' and look at how the detective fiction genre is brought to life through its most famous character: Sherlock Holmes. Students will analyse how the narrative structure, detailed description and interesting characterisation entertain a reader with mystery and suspense.
Topic 7: SLE Presentation
A short unit of work in which students will learn about, plan, rehearse and deliver a 5 minute presentation which will be part of their GCSE in English Language.
Topic 8: Conflict Poetry
Students will study a range of poetry selected from the AQA 'Power and Conflict' poetry anthology. Whilst working their way though a selection of poetry, students will learn about poetic technique, structure and form whilst also drawing comparisons between the cluster of poems studied.
Assessment
Students will sit a 1 hour assessment which will refer to topics 5-8.
Curriculum Period 3:
Curriculum content
Topic 9: GCSE Transition
Students will prepare for GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature through a series of lessons geared towards the challenges that await next year. Students will also complete their Spoken Language Endorsement which involves delivering a short presentation - this will count towards GCSE English Language.
Subject advice and guidance
If you need any further guidance then please contact your child’s teacher via email:
p.lovatt@endon.shaw-education.org.uk
s.townend@endon.shaw-education.org.uk
b.moston@endon.shaw-education.org.uk
a.payandee@endon.shaw-education.org.uk
a.kelly@endon.shaw-education.org.uk
r.cook@endon.shaw-education.org.uk