Key Stage Three:
English challenges students to be imaginative, analytical and thoughtful. The key stage three curriculum is designed to inspire students to be creative and inquisitive, whilst equipping them with life-long reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. These are taught through varied and challenging texts which encourage an appreciation of literature from a variety of angles. Each text provokes intellectual debates about social, moral, spiritual, cultural and emotional issues, allowing students to develop and question these areas of their own character in a safe environment.
Years 7 and 8 study texts chronologically to understand the progression of the English language. They begin with the Medieval text Beowulf before reading Chaucer, Shakespeare, poetry by Romantic, Victorian and modern poets; and nineteenth/early twentieth century novels. Initially, the focus is on understanding and responding to these complex texts, but students will advance to analysing linguistic and structural choices made by a writer. Students also explore the context surrounding texts so that they can respond in an increasingly critical way to the themes and ideas.
Using their literary study as a foundation, students are taught to write original and coherent pieces for different audiences and purposes, including to describe, narrate, persuade, argue and advise. They have regular opportunities to improve their spelling, punctuation and grammar and time is dedicated to strengthening their creative and academic vocabulary.