Years 7, 8 and 9.

WHAT IS ENGLISH?

English is a vital way of communicating in school, in public life and internationally.

Literature in English is rich and influential, reflecting the experiences of people from many countries and times.

Our aim is to enthuse pupils about all aspects of speaking and listening, reading and writing whilst building up their skills and understanding. We broadly follow the National Curriculum for English, although the pupils do not sit Key Stage 3 Tests.

Each lesson begins with 10 minutes of silent reading. During this time, your child will be encouraged to develop his or her own interests in reading.

The department is keen to encourage pupils' use of ICT: the use of word processing and desk top publishing is planned into our schemes of work to ensure that all pupils can develop their skills whilst engaged on meaningful tasks.

Homework is designed to reinforce or develop the work which has taken place in the lesson.

Your child will learn

· To speak clearly, fluently and appropriately in different contexts adapting their talk for a range of purposes and audiences
· To listen, understand and respond to others in group discussions
· To read with fluency, accuracy, understanding and enjoyment
· To develop their understanding of fiction, poetry and drama
· To become discriminating, responsive readers who understand layers of meaning
· To develop confidence and skills in writing for a range of purposes and audiences

What will your child study?

YEAR 7 - your child will...
· Read and write poetry, creating a class anthology
· Study a 20th century novel e.g. Skellig by David Almond
· Read and re-write myths and legends
· Read and perform a play script
· Analyse a variety of non-fiction texts

YEAR 8 - your child will...
· Read a variety of short stories and write their own
· Look at ballads and narrative poems
· Read and perform a playscript
· Read a 20th century novel e.g. The Windsinger
· Analyse a variety of non-fiction texts including newspapers
· Explore the spy writing genre

YEAR 9 - your child will...
· Read and watch a play by Shakespeare
· Read a pre 20th century short story
· Study poetry, including the sonnet form
· Read a 20th century novel e.g. 'Animal Farm'
· Analyse a range of non fiction texts including brochures and autobiographies

How will your child be assessed?

· Your child's classwork and homework will be regularly assessed
· Your child will be aware of the criteria against which assessments of their work are made
· Your child will be praised with constructive comment from teachers used at every opportunity

Homework is used to support work done in class.

Your child may be asked to:
· Answer questions
· Read independently
· Complete worksheets
· Learn a few lines of poetry or script
· Do research

What activities will your child take part in?

We arrange theatre visits for each year groups when suitable productions are advertised.
We encourage pupils to enter creative writing competitions.
We participate in the Carnegie Shadowing and pupils review the short listed fiction.