English
at Bishop Perowne Church of England College
Intent
In English our intent is to inspire a love of reading and literature.
We build our curriculum on four pillars: reading, writing, speaking and oracy, so that pupils can effectively communicate in any form. Each year, these pillars are returned to in order to build knowledge and skill in each over time, adding both breadth and depth to pupils’ understanding.
Key Stages 3 & 4
KS3
At Key Stage 3, we follow a knowledge-rich, thematic spiral curriculum, where pupils study novels, plays, poems and a range of non-fiction related to a theme, using literature as a springboard for creative and transactional writing.
We cover the entirety of the KS3 National Curriculum, then go beyond what is required, broadening pupils’ access to a wide range of literature and media.
Our text choices range from Shakespearean classics, such as Romeo and Juliet, to modern children’s literature, including The Hunger Games and Noughts & Crosses. We believe in sharing diverse texts that reflect our modern society, such as Malorie Blackman’s Boys Don’t Cry, alongside poetry from the British canon and around the globe.
KS4
At Key Stage 4, the four pillars of reading, writing, speaking and oracy provide a strong foundation for the successful study of the AQA specification, preparing students for two GCSEs: English Language and English Literature. For Literature, students study a Shakespearean play, a modern drama, a novel and an anthology of poetry. For Language, students explore a range of creative fiction and develop writing to express a viewpoint.
Students also complete a Spoken Language non-examined assessment on a topic of their choice.
Assessment & Lessons
In a typical English lesson, students’ understanding and knowledge is regularly checked using show me boards.
Students will work on developing their writing with a range of creative and analytical written tasks, and a clear focus on building key vocabulary and literacy is embedded into all our schemes of work.
Additionally, in every classroom you will find plenty of oracy discussion tasks and debates about interpretations of the texts being read to really foster that love of reading which is so important to us here at Bishops!
Students are formally assessed in KS3 on analytical and creative skills in their twice-annual examinations, with regular in-class marked pieces providing key feedback and allowing all pupils to thoroughly practice the skills and recall the knowledge needed to be successful in their formal examinations.
Enrichment & Co-curricular
In English, we offer opportunities for all pupils to watch live performances of plays they have studied, as well as offering enrichment days at the Hive and participation in a poetry workshop with Birmingham’s Giovanni ‘Spoz’ Esposito.
We run external trips and visits ranging from theatre visits to trips to local newspaper offices.
Our in-school Book club is a popular choice at KS3 and offers pupils the opportunity to discuss their reading with peers.
Finally, we run several creative writing projects and competitions throughout the year and have seen much success with pupils’ work being published externally after being entered in nationwide contests.
