English KS3 2022-2023

KS3 English The KS3 curriculum supports students in becoming articulate, creative, and discerning students of English and also thoughtful and compassionate young people well-equipped for later life. In lesson, they engage with: seminal modern classics in appreciation of their own and others’ cultural heritage; canonical texts from Britain's literary heritage; and engage with recent breakthrough texts that push the limits of literature. Students develop their understanding of contextual influence upon literature to heighten their social awareness, engaging with concepts and issues such as race, class, and gender. Developing skills of interpretation and analysis enables them to become enquiring and critical thinkers that read for both knowledge and pleasure.

The English curriculum cultivates their skill-set and imagination in writing, enabling students to develop a critical understanding of the craft of writing and its impact and how to shape their writing for different contexts and purposes. Students are encouraged to articulate and defend their own ideas in non-fiction writing and also to engage and convince an audience in fiction writing. In both contexts, students develop a precise control of grammar and become equipped with an expansive vocabulary as they become confident and competent communicators.

The development of skills and the opportunity for growth remain at the core of the KS3 curriculum; units of study are designed to enable students to learn how to self-reflect, how to develop an understanding of their own strengths and targets, and to know how to act on both.

Overview The Year 7 English programme is designed to introduce students to the challenge and rigour they will experience in their study of English at BRGS whilst ensuring a smooth transition from KS2. The year begins with a study of ‘Myths and Legends’, a unit that equips students with an understanding of the importance of genre and time period with a particular focus on creative writing skills, building on their creative work from primary school. The skills studied here are then echoed at the beginning of Year Eight, as students study another range of extracts; this time with a focus on War and Conflicts.

Their Year Seven journey continues as students go on to develop their

analytical skills through the study of a novel in ‘Literature and Identity’. They engage with the concept of identity at the heart of a chosen class text (which is currently A Monster Calls) and develop their understanding of literary craft. Students will study another modern novel in Year Eight and in Year Nine when they will study a seminal British classic.

Having honed their skills of both reading and writing, students go on to explore the increasingly popular dystopian genre, developing their understanding of literary tropes and themes in preparation for their end of year assessment. Students study extracts from a selection of dystopian texts, employing and perfecting skills of interpretation and analysis and also creating their own dystopian worlds in their writing. These skills are built upon in Year Eight when students study genre again, but this time they take an in-depth dive into the Gothic.

Lastly, students study their first ‘Lenses of Literature’ unit. These units introduce students to the skill of looking at a text through a particular lens (such as a feminist reading or a socio-cultural approach). In Year Seven students study a range of poetry from a diverse range of voices. They will then return to their ‘Lenses of Literature’ studies again in Year Eight through a study of a novel and a Shakespeare play.

Throughout the year, emphasis will be placed on students’ technical accuracy, with a focus on vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and academic expression.

How Parents Can Help Foster a love of reading at home, and support children in writing often and accurately (reviewing, for example, vocabulary choices, spelling, and sentencing).

Equipment Whilst there is no requirement to purchase equipment for the course (any novels studied will be collected from the school library), it is helpful for students to have access to a thesaurus, dictionary, and grammar reference handbook. Oxford and CGP publications are popular choices.

Additional The most effective and fulfilling way for students to improve their control and understanding of English is to read avidly. Please encourage your child to read widely for both information and pleasure.