English is fundamental to all aspects of life and work. Our daily lives are surrounded by words – written and spoken. Therefore, to survive and thrive, it is vital for all pupils to develop confidence and competence in their ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Added to this, the written word surrounds our lives, from text messages to legal documents that appear in our letter boxes. Therefore, it is crucial for all pupils to develop an understanding of how to read well, with a wide vocabulary and strategies for decoding complex and unfamiliar language.
As said by the Department for Education, ‘English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.’
The overarching aim for English in the National Curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
At Key Stage 3, the National Curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
§ read easily, fluently and with good understanding
§ develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
§ acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
§ appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
§ write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
§ use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
§ are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
Below are some examples of how our curriculum seeks to meet these needs:
Year 7: Our ‘Finding my Voice’ unit uses real world speeches that pupils read for meaning and use as ways to develop their opinions and ways to express them with confidence. These are then delivered to a real audience.
Year 8: Our ‘Reading and Writing the Lakes’ unit explores how the Lake District has been presented in writing, and provides an opportunity for pupils to write about a place.
Year 9: This whole year explores power and protest writing to help our pupils to develop opinions and ways to express them. We seek to support them in overcoming the challenges of reading texts with unfamiliar language and to teach them ways to write about their views in detailed and complex ways. This culminates in them presenting a speech to the class in which they express their opinions on a topic of their choice.