English

Our Vision:
“To challenge our students to become open-minded, creative and articulate thinkers who love to read, write and explore the world around them.”

English is taught by:

Aim: 

Our aim throughout the English curriculum is to challenge our students to become open-minded, creative and articulate thinkers who love to read, write and explore the world around them. We ensure our students feel empowered and enriched to become exemplary citizens of the wider community. At KS4, we also aim to prepare students thoroughly for the  AQA GCSE examination by gaining the ability to analyse a wide range of texts and understand character, theme, language and structure. Our students will also be able to comment on features used by a writer and analyse them in detail, exploring the effect of language choices using literary terminology. Students will be required to write in a variety of styles, using a high level of grammar, accurate spelling, a variety of different punctuation types, and demonstrating a wide and sophisticated vocabulary. We want our students to develop independence in both analysing texts and in their writing so that they think like writers and apply this in their examination answers. 

Where will it take me? 

Studying English will open doors to a variety of aspirational career opportunities, from publishing to banking, from business to medicine, to name but a few. It will broaden your horizons and realise your potential.  English enables you to articulate yourself, both in speech and writing, which is something all employers value.  Students who read widely are able to understand how texts work and therefore develop the necessary skills for academic writing at ‘A’ level and beyond.   The majority of college courses and apprenticeship providers will ask pupils to have a grade 4  or 5 in GCSE English Language; A-Level courses will expect even higher grades than this. Employers also recognise that GCSE English is a measure of how well pupils can read and write. 

What will I learn? 

KS3: English KS3 LTP with Threshold concepts

In English, we have adopted a thematic approach to our curriculum in order to ensure that students have the opportunity to develop their understanding of complex concepts and their cultural awareness. Within each theme, students will have the opportunity to study a range of text types, experiment with their own writing and discuss their own personal views and ideas. Each unit has been thoughtfully created to build on students’ prior knowledge and support them as they approach KS4 and life beyond school. 

Year 7

The texts we study at KS3 encourage our students at Little Ilford School to transition from primary to secondary successfully and also explore the issues that young learners are facing in our communities today. Year 7 students are deliberately taken on a journey of discovery through a range of novels, poetry and writing including travel writing, Gothic writing and writing for purposes.

Year 8

In Year 8 students will study 19th Century literature, with a specific focus on Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Through the study of this canonical text, students will delve into the Victorian world, exploring complex ideas around gender, justice and inequality. They will also explore rich language and literacy conventions through the study of Shakespeare and a range of mythical texts.  In addition to this, students also write for a range of genres, looking at descriptive and transactional writing.

Year 9

In year 9, students are encouraged to become critical thinkers, reading inspiring and thought provoking texts, including Frankenstein, A View from the Bridge, and Shakespeare’s Othello. Like they did in Year 7 and 8, students will continue to delve into poetry, contemporary short stories and speeches. They will be encouraged to evaluate existing texts, whilst also building their own confidence to write creatively and persuasively. This year forms a foundation to GCSE, where key pieces of context and wider texts are discovered and students are assessed using the GCSE criteria.

KS4 

KS4: KS4 overview 2022-23

All students study the AQA specification for the English Language. 

Link to AQA: English

Our KS4 English curriculum is designed to offer our students a breadth of experience in developing their spiritual, moral, social and cultural growth. We facilitate this through the different texts across centuries. We ensure that learning at KS4 is not just about exam skills but also about  fostering a love of the subject and nurturing our students’ passion for the subject to extend into KS5, if they choose to do so.

Students will develop examination skills through the following topics:

* Reading non-fiction texts

* Reading fiction texts

* Structuring an argument: speech and writing

* Descriptive or creative writing

* Effective reading and writing, including SPaG

What homework can I expect? 

Teachers set homework on a weekly basis, using SMHW and Google classroom.  We aim to create independent learners through the use of additional reading, revision and resources on Google classroom.  Students may be asked to undertake any of the following: learning spellings and quotations, quizzes, grammar exercises, knowledge tests, creating knowledge organisers and revision resources, taking practice papers, GCSE questions and project-based research. Home learning is used to encourage a cohesive and collaborative learning culture. 

Additional Requirements 

To improve your English, you are expected to read regularly and actively use the wealth of reading material available in our library. Students at LIS are fortunate to be able to borrow up to six texts. We provide a variety of enrichment activities, from opportunities to see plays in and out of school, working with professional writers and poets and revision-based ‘Glitter’ sessions.  

English Literature -  Link to AQA: Literature

All students study the AQA specification for English Literature. 

Students will develop examination skills through the following topics:

* Macbeth

* A Christmas Carol

* An Inspector Calls

* Relationship poetry cluster - AQA anthology

* A range of unseen poetry

What homework can I expect? 

Teachers set homework on a weekly basis, using SMHW and Google classroom.  We aim to create independent learners through the use of additional reading and revision and resources on Google classroom.  Students may be asked to undertake any of the following: learning spellings and quotations, quizzes, grammar exercises, knowledge tests, creating knowledge organisers and revision resources, taking practice papers, GCSE questions and project based research. 

Useful books to purchase

• CGP AQA Anthology on poetry- Love and Relationships cluster: The poetry guide

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

• Macbeth by William Shakespeare

• An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley

• CGP GCSE English Language & Literature- Grade 1-9 Workbook

• Hodder Education: SUCCESS- AQA GCSE English Language: Get the Grade

• Cambridge publications: Student workbook for ‘Macbeth’, ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Poetry’.

• York Notes on Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, An Inspector Calls & Poetry

Please contact your child’s English teacher or Ms Gera or Ms Jahan if you have any queries regarding the curriculum.