Why do we learn English?
Students learn to appreciate a viewpoint and way of framing an idea whilst critiquing and challenging both the ideas and the way in which they are communicated. This approach develops their ability to think imaginatively, widening their horizons, exposing them to new perspectives and fostering their cultural sensitivity and empathy.
Students are taught the skills and knowledge needed to use the written word to communicate in the real world with clarity and conviction.
Head of Department
Ms Hughes
Mr Bennett
Our approach
Each unit of our curriculum is built upon pupils’ development in three strands:
- Skills, both reading and writing
- Knowledge, both literary and contextual
- Character, both ‘empowering knowledge’ beyond the curriculum requirements and pupils’ soft skills.
Skills
- Reading: if our pupils can read with confidence, they will be able to learn and know more, and enjoy the life-changing experience of reading for pleasure. Therefore, to meet this intention, our all-through English curriculum teaches phonics, vocabulary, fluency, retrieval, comprehension and analysis.
- Writing: we believe in the importance of eloquent self-expression in improving pupils’ future opportunities and personal well-being. Therefore, to meet this intention, our all-through English curriculum teaches handwriting, spelling, grammar, punctuation and writing structures for a range of forms.
Knowledge
- Literary: our pupils deserve to critically read and enjoy a broad range of high-quality literature of different genres and diverse authors through fiction and non-fiction.
- Contextual: for true understanding of the texts they read, pupils need knowledge of the historical contexts in which each text was produced.
Character
- Empowering knowledge: learning in English and reading is complemented by the wider curriculum (citizenship, social and natural sciences) where appropriate.
- Soft skills: we value the importance of oracy, discussion and teamwork.
All reading and writing skills, literary and contextual knowledge and character development skills are revisited and built upon each year, forming a spiralised, interwoven curriculum from Nursery – Year 13.
Early years
Pupils develop their reading skills through a clear, systematic phonics programme to teach them the fundamental skill of decoding words to begin to build their reading fluency. In writing lessons, children are immersed in stories and by the end of EYFS, most pupils will be able to form their letters correctly. They will be able to spell some common high frequency words and use phonetically plausible spelling for words using set one sounds in a simple sentence.
Primary
Reading
Reading is the most important skill our pupils will learn at Ark Academy. That is why we place reading at the heart of all we do; teaching reading lessons explicitly and embedding reading into all subjects. Reading widens a pupil’s world, allowing them to imagine and experience the lives, settings and opinions of others which they may not otherwise be exposed to. We therefore recognise that it is crucial for all pupils to master the skills associated with reading in order to be able to access all that our curriculum offers them.
We want pupils to leave Ark Academy Primary as successful, balanced readers. Balanced readers are readers who can accurately decode text, read with fluency and prosody, and fully comprehend the information they are reading across a range of text types and genres. Successful readers will also have a range of strategies that they can employ to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary and texts.
As reading is such an important skill, we want the teaching of reading to be rigorous and thorough so that pupils are able to get the practice they need to master reading, alongside being engaging and enjoyable, so that we foster a love of reading and of reading for pleasure.
Writing
Successful writing is the skill of being able to communicate ideas and thoughts coherently with others through a written form. The aim for all pupils at Ark Academy is that they leave as confident and motivated writers, who are able to write clearly, accurately and coherently.
In order to write successfully, pupils need to develop confidence across two dimensions of writing: transcription and composition. Additionally, pupils need to have a developed understanding of audience and purpose, so they are able to adapt their language and style to suit a range of contexts, audiences and reasons for writing. Finally, as writers, pupils will need to be able to independently plan, edit and evaluate the effectiveness of their own writing.
Reception
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Narrative: Goldilocks and the Three Bears Narrative: Stick man |
Reading: Writing: Narrative: Kipper's Birthday Narrative: Rama and the Demon King Non-fiction: lists and labels |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Narrative: Whatever Next! Narrative: Roaring Rockets |
Reading: Writing: Narrative: Supertato Narrative: Eliot: Midnight Superhero Non-fiction: instructions, designs, lists, plans |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Narrative: Dear Zoo Narrative: The Tiger who came to Tea Acrostic poems Non-fiction: Animal fact files |
Reading: Writing: Narrative: Jack and the Beanstalk Narrative: Jasper's Beanstalk Narrative:Litte Red Hen Non-fiction: 'How to grow a sunflower' instructions Non-fiction: Recount |
Year 1
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Character Description: The Three Little Pigs Auto-Biography: The Name Jar |
Reading: Writing: Setting Description:The Wooden Camel Letter: I Wanna Iguana |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Wishing Tale: Quill Soup Recount: We Have Been on a Trip |
Reading: Writing: Setting Description: Last stop on Market Street Instructions: The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Journey Tale: Katie in London Fact-file: Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Where have you been? |
Reading: Writing: Losing Tale: The Sea Saw Diary Entry: Stella and the Seagull |
Year 2
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Setting Description: King of the Swamp Recount: The King's Hats |
Reading: Writing: |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Journey Tale: The Tunnel Instructions: Seek Puppet Madness |
Reading: Writing: Non-chronological Report: The Big Book of the Blue |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Character Description: Handa's Surprise Letters: Clean up! |
Reading: Writing: Conquering the Monster Tale: Akimbo Adventures Fact File: Akimbo Adventures |
Year 3
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Non-chronological report: Life in the Stone Age |
Reading: Writing: Advert: The BFG |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Newspaper Article |
Reading: Writing: Information Text: Cloud Busting |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Formal Letter of complaint: The Wild Robot |
Reading: Writing: Playscript: The Wild Robot |
Year 4
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Non-Chronological Report: Viking Gods |
Reading: Writing: Speech: Charlotte's Web |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Newspaper Article |
Reading: Writing: Agony Aunt Letter: Krindlekrax |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Diary Entry - The Boy at the Back of the Class |
Reading: Writing: Biography: The Boy at the Back of the Class |
Year 5
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Biography: Alexander the Great |
Reading: Writing: Persuasive leaflet: Holes |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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Reading: Writing: Meeting Tale: Kensuke's Kingdom Newspaper Article |
Reading: Writing: Travel Blog: The Girl Who Stole The Elephant |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: Speech: The Girl who Stole the Elephant |
Reading: Writing: TBC |
Year 6
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: |
Reading: Writing: Non-chronological report: Life in World War Two |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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Reading: Writing: |
Reading: Writing: Non-chronological Report: Circulatory System |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Reading: Writing: |
Reading: Writing: Speech: Wonder |
Secondary
In English, we intend to give students the tools to allow them to participate fully in a democractic society with criticality and thoughtfulness.
In KS3, we focus largely on reading and understanding texts. Students are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary and cultural concepts such as Greek Mythology. They will use these to begin their study of Literature and start understanding how to construct their own responses to texts. Additionally, they will use these to tell their own stories in Creative Writing and to argue in Persuasive Writing.
As students progress into KS4, they begin to be exposed to more complicated concepts around morality and justice. Students will begin to establish more sophisticated opinions and work as they build up to their GCSE exams.
In KS5, students focus purely on Literature and delve into the complexities and nuances of Literature alongside movements such as Romanticism and Feminism. They also get the opportunity to use the NEA to follow their own interests and passions in the subject.
Year 7
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Creative Writing based on Greek Myths | A Christmas Carol |
|
Developing flawed characters who make mistakes Learning how to write tragic endings and happy endings Learning how to craft sentences with various syntax and words choices Students read a variety of Greek Myths in order to see how flawed characters are presented. |
Victorian era: London and society Charles Dickens Explores how Dickens presents Scrooge across the novella with a focus on transformation and redemption. Students learn the structure of PEA paragraphs. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| The art of rhetoric | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
|
Developing persuasive opinion writing that appeals to a readers pathos, ethos and logos Learning how to write introductions, anecdotes, facts and statistics and conclusions Learning how to use persausive methods like rhetorical questions and inclusive pronouns Students read a variety of sources around charity, the welfare state and the living wage to inform their writing. |
Elizabethan era William Shakespeare Explores whether love can do more harm than good, through analysing different relationships within the play. Students study Shakespearen language and language analysis in more depth. A wider variety of characters are considered in this unit. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Poetry | Revision and exams |
|
Modern poetry Poetry focuses on discrimination Explore a variety of poetic methods and perespectives Students explore a variety of types of discrimination from different perspectives and their emotional impact |
Students across the weeks RECAP their units Students are reminded of exam expectations Students receive individual feedback to improve post-examinations Students learn how to apply their knowledge to an exam context |
Year 8
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet | Opinion Writing - Climate Crisis. |
|
How much can you really control your own fate? How can we make ourselves heard when people aren't listening? |
How much can you really control your own fate? How can we make ourselves heard when people aren't listening? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Creative Writing - Gothic | Animal Farm |
|
What matters more: the story, or how you tell it? How can power corrupt individuals? |
|
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
|
Short stories - analysis and writing |
Revision for End of Year Assessments |
| How do authors say a lot with a little? | How do authors say a lot with a little? |
Year 9
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Much Ado About Nothing | Persuasive Writing |
|
How do you find the perfect match? Can we write ourselves into a better world? |
How do you find the perfect match? Can we write ourselves into a better world? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Creative Writing - dystopian fiction. | Small Island |
|
How can power corrupt equality? How can prejudice encroach on our dreams? |
|
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Comparative Poetry | Revision for End of Year Assessments |
|
How can we express the ambiguity of identity? |
How can we express the ambiguity of identity? |
Year 10
| Autumn | |
|---|---|
| Macbeth | Language Paper 1 |
|
How dangerous is ambition? How can we create a world with words? |
How dangerous is ambition? How can we create a world with words? |
| Spring | |
|---|---|
| Poetry Anthology | Language Paper 2 |
|
How do words bring love to life? How can we see the unseen and understand other perspectives? |
How do words bring love to life? How can we see the unseen and understand other perspectives? |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| An Inspector Calls | Revision for End of Year Assessments |
| What is the role of society? | What is the role of society? |
Year 11
| Autumn | |
|---|---|
| Jekyll and Hyde | Revising content for GCSE |
|
Do we all have a dark side? How do we make the most of revision? |
Do we all have a dark side? How do we make the most of revision? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Revising content for GCSE | Revising content for GCSE |
| How do we make the most of revision? | How do we make the most of revision? |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| GCSE exams | GCSE exams |
| How do we make the most of revision? | How do we make the most of revision? |
Sixth form
At Key Stage 5, English Literature is designed to develop the criticality and evaluative skills required for study at university. Students study novels, plays and poetry that offer representations of gender and alterity from the 18th century to the present day and learn to become experts in their contexts and themes. Students direct their own learning through their coursework, demonstrating their passion for reading and eloquence as writers to produce their own evaluative arguments, in preparation for further study at university.
Year 12
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Frankenstein Othello |
Frankenstein Othello |
| Spring | |
|---|---|
|
The Handmaid's Tale A Streetcar Named Desire |
The Handmaid's Tale A Streetcar Named Desire |
| Summer 1 | |
|---|---|
| The NEA | End of Year Revision |
Year 13
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
|
Post-2000 Poetry. Romanticism. |
Post-2000 Poetry. Romanticism. |
| Spring | |
|---|---|
|
Revision |
Revision |
| Summer | |
|---|---|
| External exams | External exams |