Why Teach English?
English is a key skill used in everyday life and effective readers, writers, speakers and listeners can develop their understanding of literary forms, a wider knowledge of the world, show empathy for the human experience enabling positive relationships to develop and language competency. Alongside this, developing a passion for reading high quality literature as well as a deeper understanding of the English language and improved vocabulary will give our students the very best grounding for success post King Edwin.
Curriculum Intent
The starting point for English planning is the National Curriculum to ensure that all statutory aspects are covered. We aim to create confident readers, writers and thinkers who can use language to express themselves and their world around them. Literature and language are at the forefront of our curriculum and we believe that a text-based English Curriculum enables and empowers students to live their best possible lives and prepares them for future steps. Therefore, we make it a priority to build our students’ ability to read and speak confidently whilst also developing their access to and confidence with engaging texts. We believe that all our students deserve access to age-related texts which challenge them.
Curriculum Implementation
- Students will be taught through whole-class interactive teaching, enabling all to master the concepts necessary for the next part of the curriculum sequence. Where necessary 1:1 interventions will be put in place to support the progress of all students.
- In a typical lesson, the teacher interacts with all students and challenges them to recall intended learning through a range of questioning techniques and low-stakes quizzing, clear explanation of new ideas which include modelling and shared practice, enabling learning to become more independent and show an understanding and enjoyment of the processes involved.
- The use of subject specific and ambitious vocabulary allows all pupils to develop their communication skills in both written and oral form.
- Key concepts are taught through high quality texts and revisited regularly to ensure fluency and prevent cognitive overload in working memory and enable students to focus on developing their skills.
Curriculum Impact
- Be able to link English to everyday life
- Develop a fluency with a range of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills
- Develop an understanding and passion for reading high quality literature
- Be able to use a deeper range of vocabulary