English – Vision

Reading Intent

At Heyford Park School we believe that reading is an essential life skill and we are committed to enabling our children to become lifelong readers. Reading is a skill that enables children to develop their learning across the wider curriculum and lays the foundations for success in future lines of study and employment. We have high expectations of all children and we encourage children to challenge themselves, persevere and pursue success, always ‘reaching for the stars’. We pride ourselves on our creative learning environment and classroom displays. At the heart of our strategy is our drive to foster a love of reading, enriching children’s learning through carefully designed teaching activities that utilise imaginative stories and thought provoking texts.

Writing Intent

At Heyford Park Primary we believe that writing is an essential skill and that we must overcome any barriers that prevent children from becoming confident writers. We aim to help our children develop these skills in the following ways:

• introducing and deconstructing a wide variety of model texts, covering a variety of genres

• by exposing and highlighting higher level vocabulary

• giving children opportunities to write for an authentic purpose

• ensuring children have opportunities to talk about and plan their writing

• a solid understanding of grammar and ability to use it for effect

• giving children opportunity to evaluate, revise and edit their own work as well as offer feedback on the work of their peers

• to be able to spell, not only the prescribed spelling words but also beyond, through delivery of the ‘Sounds and Syllables’ curriculum and methodology.

• take pride in their work and its presentation, including their handwriting We believe that these steps will provide children with the building blocks needed for successful writing at secondary school and beyond.

KS1 and KS2

Click here to read the KS1 and KS2 Primary English Curriculum

KS3 The topics we study are:

Year 7

-Legends and myths

-Victorian literature: Black Beauty

-Children: comparing texts

-Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

-Modern text: Poppies/ Free!

-Poetry from various cultures

Year 8

-Victorian Literature: Frankenstein

-Nature: analysing structure of texts

-Shakespeare: Much Ado about Nothing

-Modern text: Of Mice and Men

-Poetry from WW1

-Subverted fairytales

Year 9

-Poetry about love and relationships

-Victorian literature: A Christmas Carol

-Horror genre: Stephen King extracts

-Modern text: Lord of the Flies

-Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

-Spoken language: speech writing

KS4 English Language and English Literature

GCSE

Examination Board:

AQA

Assessment:

100% Examination

GCSE English Language

Paper 1 = 50% of the overall GCSE – 80 marks – 1 hour 45 minutes

Section A: Students will answer 4 questions on a literary fiction Text. These questions will increase in difficulty and length.

Section B: Students will answer one extended writing question in which they will be asked to DESCRIBE or NARRATE. 40% of this mark will be awarded for technical accuracy.

Paper 2 = 50% of the overall GCSE – 80 marks – 1 hour 45 minutes

Section A: Students will answer 4 questions on a literary fiction Text (pre 1900) AND a literary nonâ€Âfiction text.

Section B: Students will answer one extended writing question in which they will be asked to write PRESENTING A VIEWPOINT. Again 40% of this mark will be awarded for technical accuracy.

GCSE English Literature

Paper 1 = 40% of the overall GCSE – 64 marks – 1 hour 45 minutes

Section A: Students will answer a question on an extract from Romeo and Juliet OR Macbeth by William Shakespeare. They will need to refer to the whole play and also to the context in which it was written.

Section B: Students will answer a question on an extract from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. They will need to refer to the whole novella and also to the context in which it was written.

Paper 2 = 60% of the overall GCSE – 96 marks – 2 hours 15 minutes

Section A: Students will answer one essay question out of a choice of 2 on An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley.

Section B Students will answer a comparative question on one named poem (printed on paper) and one other poem of their choice taken from the Power and Conflict OR Love and Relationships poetry cluster.

Section C: Students will answer one question on an Unseen Poem and then one question comparing this poem to a second unseen poem which is thematically linked.

English Language and English Literature will provide you with a wide range of experiences to improve your communication skills and your ability to read for meaning. Through the active study and analysis of fiction and non - fiction texts, you will learn how to decode messages from the writer and understand how language influences us as readers. You will study a variety of texts which include a modern play or novel, a wealth of literature from different times and cultures and a range of poems.

The GCSE specifications have changed quite dramatically in English over the last couple of years. Both English Language and Literature qualifications are comprised of 100% examination assessment.

The value of English Language and English Literature (Career Pathways)

A new grade 5 (old grade C) in English is often the minimum requirement for many employers and college courses.