English

Year 7

• Autumn 1: Class reader – Reading activities based on a class novel. Pupils will focus on character, plot and themes.
• Autumn 2: The Spy Who learnt English – Spy machine they design and present to class.
• Spring 1: Poetry – choice of different themes and anthologies
• Spring 2: Shakespeare – Shocking Shakespeare – context of Shakespeare and life and study the drama of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
• Summer: Animation – Creative unit to end the year looking at the history and process of animations.
  

Year 8

• Autumn 1: Class reader “Point Blanc”– Reading activities on a class novel. Pupils will focus on character, plot and themes.
• Autumn 2: Debate – Argue and Persuade activities to improve the students Speaking and Listening assessment skills.
• Spring 1: Media – Celebrity Magazines and chat shows (research and creative unit)
• Spring 2: Poetry – Focus on the different styles of poems. Analyse and then create poetry.
• Summer: Shakespeare – Studying ‘The Tempest’ and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. Students will complete a production of a modern version of ‘The Tempest’.
  

Year 9

• Autumn 1: Prose Study - 1,000 words - Examine how your chosen novelist presents a particular character. You also need to complete a S&L activity e.g. class discussion, delivery of script etc.
• Autumn 2: Writing and reading Units/Write an e-mail; article; letter; diary entry and any others you feel are relevant to your study.
• Spring 1: Choose a cluster of poems and compare the themes in them. Focus on annotations of the 5 bullet points as GCSE:Content; ideas; atmosphere; how it’s written and personal response.
  
• Spring 2: Controlled assessment - One hour, marked out of 20, with 14 marks for content and organisation and 6 marks for sentence structure, punctuation and spelling. Choose ONE from the five tasks:
  • The scene in a busy supermarket
  • The scene in a railway or bus station
  • The scene at a funfair
  • The scene on a beach in the summer
  • The scene in a playground at the beginning of the morning.

• Summer: Shakespeare play - Focus on character and relationships, themes, structure and idea of conflict.
• Summer 2: Controlled assessment - One hour, marked out of 20, with 14 marks for content and organisation and 6 marks for sentence structure, punctuation and spelling.
• Choose ONE from the following five tasks;
  • The Test,
  • Appearing on stage,
  • Write a story beginning with the words:
    > "She realised it was a mistake as soon as she turned the corner" or,
    > "only my Mum could embarrass me like that! Hero".
    

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GCSE - Year 10 and 11

English Language (One GCSE) // 60% Controlled Assessment (Completed in school, under exam conditions) 40% External Assessment

Brief Information

• Unit 1: Studying written language and reading Non-fiction texts.
• Unit 2: Using written language and writing for different audience/purposes.
• Unit 3.0: Studying Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck).
• Unit 3.1: Write a piece of Description based on one of the five titles.
• Unit 3.2: Write a piece of Narrative based on one of the five titles.
• Unit 4.0: Studying Spoken Language – How is language affected by context and audience?
• Unit 4.1: Three speaking and listening tasks.
  

Exam or CA

• Unit 1: 1 hour exam 20% // January of Year 11
• Unit 2: 1 hour exam 20% // June of Year 11
• Unit 3.0: 2 hour Controlled Assessment 15% // Year 10
• Unit 3.1: 1 hour Controlled Assessment 7.5% // End of Year 9
• Unit 3.2: 1 hour Controlled Assessment 7.5% // End of Year 9
• Unit 4.0: 2 hour Controlled Assessment 10% // Year 10
• Unit 4.1: Controlled Assessment 20% // Year 10 and 11

English Literature (One GCSE) // 25% Controlled Assessment (Completed in school, under exam conditions) 75% External Assessment.

• Unit 1: Studying Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) and Contemporary poetry.
• Unit 2b: Lord of the Flies (William Golding) Blood Brothers (Willy Russell).
• Unit 3: Shakespeare and poetry (e.g. 15 lessons on Shakespeare, 6/7 lessons to explore the poems and link to Shakespeare – Poems are fairly short. CA lasts 4hours which will run over 5 lessons).
  

Exam or CA

• Unit 1: 2 hour exam 35% Year 11
  
• Unit 2b: 2 hour Exam 40% Year 11
• Unit 3: 4 hour Controlled Assessment 25% End of Year 10
  

Progression
These courses will develop the students’ ability to read, write and speak under a range of circumstances. Both Language and Literature GCSEs are a necessary requirement now for almost all career sectors and success in which will determine where the student will go after the age of 16. Most colleges/employers will require at least a grade ‘C’ or above in English to offer positions for further progression.

Homework
Students can expect one piece of homework per week which will address the key skills required for either the examination or the controlled assessment. The nature of controlled assessments will mean that students will be able to practice the skills required to complete a formally set assignment but will write the essay under controlled conditions.