KEY STAGE 3 ENGLISH - Fortis Academy

KEY STAGE 3 - ENGLISH

“Aspiration for All”

At its heart, English provides aspirations for all learners: it

fosters intellectual curiosity, cultural awareness, and

linguistic competency. Appreciation of English Literature

offers students the experiences, viewpoints, and ideas to

become well-rounded and critical individuals, whereas

English Language offers the means by which students can

become effective communicators and function successfully

within society.

Through an ambitious, exciting, knowledge-rich and carefully

sequenced curriculum, the English team at Fortis Academy

strive to unlock potential, to inspire a love of learning, to

ignite a passion for the subject. We aim for excellence in all

areas and continuously endeavour to advance our expertise.

Students develop as independent, resilient and thoughtful

learners, but more importantly as life-long learners that

possess the self-belief and skills required to fulfil their

potential.

DEPARTMENT VISION:

ENGLISH ‘Aspiration for All’

ENGLISH

Overview:

Home Learning

in KS3

Home learning is an integral part of the success of a student. It is

proven that students who complete quality home learning are able

to make significantly more progress than students who fail to com-

plete home learning. One of the key skills that is developed through

the home learning set within our curriculum is the ability to work

independently. This will enable all students to achieve greater suc-

cess in their final examinations. Students can be supported with

their home learning in school by attending clubs and support ses-

sions.

All the home learning set at Fortis Academy is based on students de-

veloping the key skills of Literacy, Numeracy, Team Work, Problem

Solving, Communication and Positivity which they will focus on in all

subjects. There are three types of home learning tasks set.

• Research Tasks – This means students will need to prepare for

the learning that will take place in their next lesson. They might

be asked to create a presentation or make notes on something

that they are given to read. This will help to improve their literacy

skills and give them an opportunity to read a wide range of differ-

ent texts.

• Respond Tasks – They will be expected to respond to questions

about the work they have completed in lessons or the prepara-

tion they completed before the lesson. It might be an online quiz

or they might create revision materials which will help support

their learning.

• Review Tasks – These tasks will test their evaluative skills. They

may be asked to evaluate their work or the work of others and

discuss how to improve their work next time.

The class teacher will set the task and give a deadline which must be

recorded in the knowledge organiser. Please ensure that all home

learning is completed by the deadline set.

Students who achieve an effort grade of good or outstanding for the

effort they put into their home learning will be rewarded with re-

wards points. Completion is essential for students to be included in

any rewards or enrichment trips this year.

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Curriculum Implementation:

Year 7 What we expect students to know and have explored by the end of Year 7…

Whilst developing their ability to read critically, students will al-so gain a wide range of knowledge of texts (exploring aspects of genre, plot and characterisation), as well as the influence of contextual factors on the content and focus of texts. Students must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading.

Core skills in reading and writing will be developed through the study of literature, writing, grammar and reading for pleasure.

Students that are excelling in Year 7 will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

• Fiction and poetry analysis – give an explained response to a question, reference key quotations from a text, identify ex-plicit and some implicit meaning, recall events of a text in chronological order, begin to use subject terminology with some accuracy, zoom in on key words and comment on their effect, show an awareness of context and its effect.

• Narrative writing – include appropriate ideas, develop ideas in places, mostly use a single viewpoint, create a sustained sense of suitable character, shape and develop writing.

• Spelling, punctuation and grammar – use a variety of sen-tence types, a range of connectives and sentence openers; use basic punctuation accurately, including the accurate use of commas in most cases; use paragraphs clearly and use connectives to link ideas in and between paragraphs; choose vocabulary that is reasonably wide, for effect in many cases; spell accurately with some understandable mistakes.

ENGLISH


Year 7 Texts studied in Year 7 include –

• Dickens’ Oliver Twist – Students will study this classic novel in the Autumn Term, exploring what life was like in Victorian London. Through the study of ‘Oliver Twist’, students will de-velop their knowledge of Victorian crime and punishment; the form of a novel; archetypal characters such as Bill Sikes, Fagin, the Artful Dodger and Oliver; as well as the concept of morality.

• Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Students will study this Shakespeare play in the Spring Term, exploring what life was like in Elizabethan England. Through the study of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, important concepts of dra-ma are introduced: the difference between when a play is set (Ancient Greece) and when it was written (Elizabethan England); the use of speech to reveal character and plot; as well as key vocabulary such as severe, chaos, conflict, unre-quited love and soliloquy.

• Poetry Anthology – Students will study a range of poetry in the Summer Term, representing different time periods, con-texts and poets. Students will develop their knowledge of poetic structures, the use of metaphor and poetic forms. The poems selected exemplify the key concept of literal and met-aphorical language (e.g. ‘The Tyger’ by Blake exemplifies the beauty and power of the tiger/fire).

Mastery Curriculum - Thematic Links:

Autumn: PIONEERING - Pupils be introduced to Charles Dickens

as a ‘pioneer’ of his time as well as other notable pioneers /

philanthropists of the 19th century (e.g. Thomas Barnardo).

Spring: MYSTERY - Pupils will explore the mystery and difficul-

ties of love, the mystery of magic and the supernatural, as well

as the mystery of dreams and the passage of time in dreams.

Summer: THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE - Pupils will engage

with ideas surrounding the importance of curiosity in today’s

world, linked to ‘The Tyger’, as well as the similarities/

differences between ideas expressed in the poems and their rel-

evance in the modern world.

ENGLISH

Cross-Curricular Links:

Year 7 • History – living conditions in the Victorian and Elizabethan

eras.

• Drama – text based exploration/character study; perfor-mance work that could be showcased.

• Science – ‘potion making’.

• Religious Studies – morality and decision making; the influ-ence of religion.

Career Links and Enrichment Opportunities:

Enrichment opportunities often depend on availability and are therefore subject to change. However, students in every year group will be given the opportunity to participate in at least one enrichment opportunity each year.

Possible enrichment opportunities for students in Year 7 in-clude:

• Trips to Stratford-Upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s birth-place.

• Trips to the theatre to watch live performances of ‘Oliver Twist’/’A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

• Verse speaking competitions (as part of mini-school champi-onships)/Poetry By Heart (National competition).

• Rewards afternoon for consistent effort across the academic year.

Useful Websites to Support Independent Study:

• BBC Bitesize website - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z3kw2hv

• BBC Teach on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KN50fal7f45fx2DqG7ttg

• IXL website - https://uk.ixl.com/

ENGLISH






• Non-fiction/fiction and drama analysis – give an insightful response to a question; select relevant and succinct evi-dence from a text; analyse plot and its meaning; accurately use some subject-specific terminology in analysis of a text; recognise some effects of the writers’ choice on readers/audiences; analyse and consider different connotations of word choices.

• Narrative writing – develop ideas imaginatively in places; make some use of thought-provoking techniques; use a clear viewpoint and begin to develop changes in tone; sustain a believable and relevant character; purposefully shape and develop writing.

• Spelling, punctuation and grammar – control a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences for effect; use connectives and varied sentence openers to create variety and effect; use punctuation consistently throughout work; use paragraphing to create effect and to fit the purpose, such as tension, pace or surprise; select vocabulary for effect and to suit the audience and purpose of work; use vocabu-lary ambitiously, although not always accurately; spell accu-rately with only some errors when using extremely ambi-tious vocabulary .

ENGLISH



• Either Shakespeare’s Othello or The Tempest – Students will study one of these Shakespeare plays in the Autumn Term. Through the study of Shakespeare, challenging concepts are built upon, including attitudes towards race and religion in the Elizabethan era; colonialism, linked to the study of The Tempest; as well as key vocabulary such as soliloquy, protag-onist/antagonist, conspiracy, tragedy and Machiavellian.

• Chris Priestley’s Mister Creecher - Students will study a nov-el in the Spring Term. Pupils will develop their knowledge of authors and their influences; recurring imagery and symbol-ism within a novel; as well as key concepts such as morality, friendship and betrayal.

• Either Doctor Faustus or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Students will study modern drama in the Summer Term. Through the study of modern drama, students will begin to develop their understanding of important ideas that will be built upon in KS4 such as Christian beliefs and ideals, the conflict between Medieval and Renaissance values and duality.


Autumn: PIONEERING - Pupils will be introduced to Shake-

speare’s pioneering viewpoints surrounding the individual and

their society.

Spring: MYSTERY - Pupils will explore the mystery of Mister

Creecher; the mystery of the monster and his place within socie-

ty; as well as how writers create mystery and suspense within

their writing.


with ideas surrounding the importance of morality in today’s

world; complex decision making, linked to the study of Doctor

Faustus; the dangers of scientific discovery, linked to Dr Jekyll

and Mr Hyde; as well as the importance of creativity and innova-

tion in the modern world.

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Year 8 • History – the Elizabethan era and colonialism.

• Drama – text based exploration/character study; perfor-mance work that could be showcased.

• Personal Development/Edge – ethical questions/politics.

• Religious Studies – morality and decision making; the influ-ence of religion; the seven deadly sins and the heavenly vir-tues.




• Trips to Stratford-Upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s birth-place.

• Shakespeare workshops provided by the Young Shakespeare Company.

• A trip to Barry Island (used as a stimulus for students’ own creative writing).






ENGLISH






• Fiction, poetry and drama analysis – give a sustained and insightful response to a question; embed quotations confi-dently from different parts of a text; analyse plot and struc-ture across a variety of texts; accurately use a range of sub-ject-specific terminology in analysis of a text; evaluate the effects of writers’ choice on readers/audiences; provide a personal response when commenting on the effects of writ-ers’ methods; explore how historical conventions impact texts.

• Narrative writing – use a controlled, thought-provoking vari-ety of language techniques; write imaginatively and inter-estingly; maintain a convincing viewpoint and voice through-out; create and sustain a detailed and developed sense of character; purposefully and imaginatively shape and develop writing.

• Spelling, punctuation and grammar – use sentences to cre-ate effect and control the reader’s response; increasingly use a range of complex sentence structures; use a range of punc-tuation to control the reader’s response and create effect; controlled use of paragraphs for effect; use vocabulary con-sistently, imaginatively and effectively that is ambitious and powerful; select vocabulary to suit purpose and audience; spelling is consistently correct, including irregular words.

ENGLISH



• Poetry Anthology – In the Autumn Term, students will study a range of poems that are designed to be compared, building on their understanding of the poetry genre that began in Year 7. The key themes of love, relationships, nature and identity are introduced, linked to the themes explored at GCSE. By studying a range of unseen poems, students will develop confidence in exploring metaphorical language, writers’ intentions, ambiguity, structure and form.

• Short Story Anthology - Students will be exposed to a breadth of literature in the Spring Term through their study of short stories. The short stories chosen aim to inspire a love of reading, developing students’ own imaginative writing as they gain an insight into how narratives are shaped.

• Orwell’s Animal Farm – In the Summer Term, students will study this engaging, challenging and influential novel, explor-ing complex concepts such as tyranny, exploitation and satire.


Autumn: PIONEERING - Pupils will be introduced to a range of

poets and pioneering viewpoints that challenge notions sur-

rounding: identity; societal norms; the influence of class, sexual-

ity, religion and gender.

Spring: MYSTERY - Through their work on short stories, stu-

dents will be given the opportunity to produce their own crea-

tive writing set in mysterious settings, engaging readers through

plot twists, unusual characters, unexpected openings and end-

ings.


with a range of contemporary authors, considering how they

view the world in which we live. These perspectives will span a

range of cultures, considering Claudette William’s views on edu-

cation, as well as Helen Dunmore’s views on identity.

ENGLISH


Year 9 • History – changing societal expectations and attitudes; ty-

rannical leaders and the exploitation of human power; the Russian Revolution of 1917.

• Drama – creating suspense in a dramatic piece and writing .

• Personal Development/Edge – ethical questions/politics.

• Religious Studies – morality and decision making.




• Trip to Warwick Castle (used as a stimulus for students’ own creative writing).






• Spark Notes (Animal Farm) - https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm/

• Mr Bruff on Youtube (for support with short stories taken from the ‘Telling Tales’ anthology).

Documents

KEY STAGE 3 ENGLISH - Fortis Academy