Statement of Curriculum Intent

English is the gateway to all learning. It not only enables our students to successfully access all aspects of their education, but offers academic rigour to ensure they are qualified and competent in the knowledge and skills allowing them to become fulfilled, global citizens. As a department we aspire for all of our students to become literary critics and through a range of different texts and media, all students are encouraged to be curious learners empowering them to develop and grow in English.

Students will explore a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts with a range of different viewpoints to develop their understanding of key concepts and ideas, evaluating the effectiveness of the writer’s language and developng their own writing as a result. Through this continual exploration, students will develop their own sense of voice, creating and developing their own perspective on key issues in order to communicate their ideas succinctly and concisely.

This means:

• Exploring a range of different fiction and non-fiction texts throughout the curriculum with different concepts and perspectives.
• Understanding different contexts and how this develops our understanding of texts, thus using this to develop interpretation of writing.
• Developing empathetic skills by looking at a range of viewpoints and key issues.
• Building their own opinions and viewpoints and expressing these views clearly and concisely.
• Being able to communicate their ideas through a range of different mediums with understanding of how different formats can convey views in different ways.
• Continually nourish and develop a curiosity towards different cultures, contexts and perspectives.

Throughout their time at Tomlinscote, students will experience a variety of dramatic performances linked to the texts they are studying; special focus days and extra-curricular opportunities are also celebrated, such as World Book Day, Debate Club, Book Club, creative writing competitions and author visits.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 consolidates the key literacy skills required to succeed in written work, including accurate and varied punctuation, grammatical choices, sentence structures, paragraphing, imagery and vocabulary building.  The aim is to develop students’ ability to write and read a range of texts and understand the key meanings being presented by the writers.  Students are encouraged to select their own methods for idea generation using both prior experience, group sharing and their iPads for inspiration. 

Every year group in Key Stage 3 will read and analyse: a Shakespeare play, a range of novels, poetry and plays, non-fiction opinion articles, historical context research and short stories.

Example texts for Key Stage 3: Romeo and Juliet, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Journey's End, Sherlock Holmes, Of Mice and Men, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Christmas Carol.

Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4 combines the teaching of two separate GCSE subjects: English Language and English Literature, taking the AQA Examination at the end of Year 11.  Students will also complete a Spoken Language component, which awards them a separate certificate.

The focus of the GCSE English Language is on the intended effects created by writers both in fiction and non-fiction texts, taking into account the writers’ relationship to the topic.  Students are trained to gather information, infer meanings and explore language and structure.  50% of the English Language GCSE is based on their writing skills – the accuracy and effectiveness of the way they craft their ideas – and the maturity of those ideas.

GCSE English Literature works on students’ ability to understand a text – its message, context and key themes – and how writers shaped those meanings.  All examinations are closed book, so students must learn their quotations.  Throughout the course, students will study: a Shakespeare text, an anthology of poetry, a 19^th Century text and a play.  Students are taught resilience, essay composition and confidence in developing key analytical points linked to the time period and its beliefs and expectations.

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