Purpose

The Key Stage 3 English curriculum aims to foster a love of reading through exciting texts (including poetry, prose, drama and media) that also allow students to practise the writing skills required for GCSE English Language and Literature, and to encourage empathy and open students' eyes to range of cultures and backgrounds. We also develop students' oracy skills through presentations, classroom discussions and peer assessment. Feedback is designed to help students identify areas of improvement (such as spelling and grammar, critical thinking, essay structure etc) and to gain greater confidence in expressing their ideas though the written word.

Content

The Year 9 English curriculum lays the foundations for GCSE study by exposing students to a wide range of powerful texts and nurturing their skills and independence.

Students will continue to develop their love of reading through thought-provoking literature and explore dramatic methods and social themes in modern drama, and will enhance their oracy skills by critically evaluating the value of texts through discussion and develop their skills in critical analysis by studying representations of women in nineteenth-century literature, alongside exploring the historical context of the time.

Through the study of powerful poems on the theme of conflict, students will analyse how writers convey layers of meaning in poetry. Additionally, they will have opportunities to write creatively and empathetically, adopting the perspectives of individual characters.