English

Intent

The English Department aims to nurture students into independent and critical thinkers who can confidently interpret, analyse, and respond to the world around them. We are committed to developing students’ fluency in reading and writing so that they can communicate effectively and creatively in a range of contexts.

Our curriculum is designed to foster a lifelong love of reading by exposing students to a rich variety of text types, voices, and perspectives. Reading for pleasure is encouraged both within lessons and beyond the classroom. Learners also have a timetabled reading lesson in an IT suite where they engage with the Sparx Reader programme as part of our whole-school approach to developing literacy and improving reading. In addition, students are encouraged to pursue wider academic reading to support and extend their understanding of the content and themes studied within and across units of work.

We seek to create meaningful cross-curricular links that connect English to wider areas of study, helping students deepen their world knowledge and recognise the relevance of Language and Literature across disciplines. We also provide opportunities for students to engage with the world through multiple forms of communication—spoken, written, and digital—so that they can express themselves with confidence, empathy, and purpose.

Our lessons are thoughtfully planned to be adaptable and accessible for all learners. We recognise the diverse needs of students in mixed-ability classrooms and are dedicated to ensuring that every individual is engaged, enthused, and supported to achieve their full potential. Through a supportive and stimulating learning environment, we aim to empower all students to become articulate, reflective, and active participants in their communities and beyond.

Teachers regularly monitor students’ work across lessons to check understanding, ensuring that learning is responsive and progress is sustained. Students are taught to become effective self- and peer-assessors through extensive modelling and scaffolding of good practice, enabling them to take increasing ownership of their learning. Each term, students complete a summative assessment at Key Stage 3 or a mock examination task at Key Stage 4 to evaluate progress, address misconceptions, and inform next steps for improvement and progression.

In Years 7 and 9, students are timetabled for 4 double lessons across a fortnight (4 x 100mins). In Year 8, students are timetabled for 3 ½ lessons across a fortnight (3x100mins, 1x50mins). At Key Stage 3, students also receive a fortnightly writing lesson that focuses on improving spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as on refining the technical skills required to develop their written work into cohesive, well-crafted pieces.

In Year 10, students have 4 double periods across a fortnight, which increases to 5 in Year 11.

As a department, we actively seek to engage students in a range of extra-curricular activities that enrich their learning and foster creativity. These include creative writing and poetry competitions, the Youth Speaks Rotary competition (where our students have been consecutive trophy winners and finalists), the Young Citizens Mock Trial competition (2024 finalists in our first year of entry), our Reading Partners programme, and theatre visits to experience key texts performed live.