At Sprowston Community Academy we recognise that as well as being a subject in its own right, English provides children access to the whole curriculum, underpins all learning and is essential in school and beyond. We aim for our students to develop critical awareness, the ability to craft their writing, an appreciation of literature, and the confidence to articulate their ideas in order to serve them in their academic, professional and personal lives during and beyond their studies.Our curriculum is underpinned by the belief that, besides the strive for successful exam results (and the ensuing opportunities for our students), English as a subject should:
As English teachers, we are unapologetically ambitious with the challenge and support in every English lesson: every learner has the right to make progress. Students will become more empathic and tolerant through encountering a range of challenging texts that allow them to think beyond their own time and place. The novels, plays, poems and non-fiction texts that we teach will also be inclusive of both diverse cultures and voices, and the English literary heritage, representing the best of what has been written in previous centuries.
In year 7, students of English are immersed in a wide history of literature ranging from Greek myths and ancient fables, Shakespearean tragedies and comedies, to modern novels and poems. Throughout their guided exploration of literature forms, focus is placed on how words can inform, empower, control, inspire and evoke an endless range of emotions. Emphasis is placed on characters and settings, understanding how precise vocabulary choices and crafted sentence structures, impacts the success of their writing, and those of others.
Building on this core knowledge of the English language in year 7, our year 8 students explore the complexities of genres and stereotypes. They will understand how writer’s construct texts to force readers to consider contextual conflicts, through both narrative and character development. Students will replicate these structures and harness the ability to use repeated motifs or conventions that bring whole texts together to achieve provocative responses from readers and audiences.
The origins of literary concepts are developed in year 9, alongside the mastery of language and rhetoric. With this knowledge of the English language, students are able to use and apply this content to discuss controversial issues around literary presentations of racism, gender roles, immigration and politics. Bringing together their knowledge and appreciation of vocabulary, sentence and structure choices, students will create a writer’s voice that intertwines their own values and beliefs with the typical genres and narrative conventions which they have studied over the past two years.
As students continue to study literature and non-fiction texts in year 10 and 11, they will have the cultural awareness and academic understanding to critique and evaluate the intentions and successes of writers which they engage with. As writers themselves, their voices will be enhanced by this in-depth knowledge of figurative and rhetorical language that can be used to persuade and intrigue readers through a variety of writing stimuli.
Assessment within English is structured around diagnostic assessment and responsive teaching: without response to assessment, the task wastes both student and teacher time. Assessment should always allow for targeted adjustment and student action which overcomes the lack of knowledge or weakness in applying the assessed skill. Twice a half-term, a sample of the class will have an extended piece of work scrutinised using the English class sample marbooks. This will diagnose whole-class issues within the SOW and allow for adjustments to be made in future lessons. Class sample markbooks are also collected once a half-term by the Curriculum Leader. A summary of weaknesses across the key stages is collated and shared with teachers to allow them to respond to recurring misconceptions and ensure these don’t continue throughout the students’ academic journey. Students receive a marking sticker that identifies strengths and targets, along with next steps that focus on both planning and approaching extended written responses, but also the focus for the rewriting of the assessment. These targets are recorded in a, English Student Target Tracking Sheet - this is kept in the front of students books and acts as a personalised set of targets that can be used against future extended writing tasks.
Within KS4 and KS5, the AQA grade boundaries are used to ensure consistent rewarding of levels. This is also used for moderation of assessments, especially with the mock examinations.