ENGLISH

OVERARCHING CURRICULUM INTENT

 

The rich diversity of the community at Preston Manor means that in the English department we are passionate about offering a broad and balanced curriculum that strives to challenge all students and provide them with high aspirations. In the English department, we hope to encourage curiosity and debate, whilst also being designed to support all students in becoming effective communicators, critical thinkers, and creative writers. During English lessons, students should learn to develop their understanding of the world in which they live through a curriculum of rich literature and a wide range of perspectives. We hope that students will see themselves and others reflected in the texts they read and see how they may grow as both readers and writers through the experiences they have in the classroom. 

 

In studying English at Preston Manor, students are able to develop skills to be literate for life; to be interested in language and culture as a shifting concept; to understand the significance of others’ narratives as well as their own. English students at Preston Manor are challenged to appreciate the diversity of experience as the building blocks of great literature. They will begin to understand the complex relationship between reading and writing. They will have opportunities to reflect upon the relationships they form with literary canon and its role in constructing a British identity. They will also encounter texts that challenge this notion and read texts from a range of international writers. It is through these discussions, experiences and ideas that students write about that we hope our students will become confident writers of their own stories and active citizens of the world. 

KS3 ENGLISH - Focus is to develop literary appreciation

At KS3 pupils will:

• develop an appreciation and love of reading and understand increasingly challenging texts  
• read critically 
• across all texts
•   write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information 
•  plan, draft, edit and proof-read their writing  consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary from KS2  
• speak confidently and effectively 

KS4 ENGLISH - Focus is to develop literary perspective

At KS4 pupils will:

• read and appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage 
• understand and critically evaluate texts  
• make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these  
• write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information  
• make notes, draft and write, including using information provided by others  
• revise, edit and proof-read their writing consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary from KS3, using it to show effectiveness in texts they read/write  
• Speak confidently, audibly and effectively. 

KS5 ENGLISH - Focus is to develop a literary and theoretical exploration of...

At KS5 pupils will:

• Study literature and language over time and analyse texts critically 
•  Compare critical theories and issues surrounding different texts/discourses  
• Understand and incorporate into written work, high level subject terminology. 
• Be confident and sophisticated in essay writing skills and the use of technical accuracy  
• Have an appreciation and be able to write at length about attitudes to texts and changes over time
• Have a deep understanding of contextual knowledge, which should be an integral skill