KS3 English

Introduction:

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is designed to broaden students’ knowledge of literary genres, historical contexts and contemporary issues, as well as develop reading, writing and speaking skills.

Both reading and writing skills are developed through the exploration of contexts, ideas and texts from the Renaissance, Victorian and Romantic periods and genres such as mythology, tragedy and dystopian fiction. Students will also study the following novels in full: Animal Farm, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece and Of Mice and Men. Students will further develop their understanding of fiction through the exploration of character archetypes and the creation of ‘voice’ in poetry, and Non-fiction through the themes of gender, prejudice and discrimination and Aristotle’s rhetoric.

Speaking and listening skills are also developed across Key Stage 3. Students will learn how to craft speeches for particular audiences and purposes; be given opportunities to participate in debates and present ideas and arguments to an audience.

Homework and learning beyond the classroom:

Students in Year 7 and 8 should to expect to receive two pieces of homework per week, one of which will be a reading homework. We ask that parents/carers monitor their child’s reading and regularly sign their Reading Log.

Accelerated Reader is an online tool that allows your child to select challenging and entertaining reads. The programme offers quizzes on each book so that teachers can monitor your child’s reading progress. Lexia is an online tool offered to selected students, where data suggests they would benefit from further phonics teaching.

Students in Year 9 should expect to receive one piece of written homework per week.

Extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities

• Bookworms club
• Literacy challenge club
• Breakfast and book clubs
• Theatre trips / performances from visiting companies