English Language

If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it is worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for.

- Oscar Wilde

English Language is the vital backbone for all other areas of study in the curriculum. It is an international language, and a GCSE qualification in the subject is a requirement for many careers.

Our English curriculum equips our pupils with the skills to become competent readers, writers and effective communicators. Through the facilitation of discussion and exploration of a variety of engaging texts, we develop and extend our pupils’ prior knowledge and provide them with the key skills needed to be successful at GCSE and beyond. Studying English Language enables pupils to improve their metacognitive abilities and critical thinking skills, which are vital for onward progression.

Pupils will be able to use English in a clear, pragmatic and confident way in the workplace and in social interactions. English Language study is intended to build creativity, imagination, persuasive techniques and a flair for use of the written word, thereby enriching the experience and enjoyment of life.

Believe, Achieve, Exceed:

In English at KS4, our contribution to the BELIEVE curriculum is through exploring SMSC, British Values and careers links through the texts studied and questions posed. Pupils are encouraged to consider different perspectives, viewpoints and experiences through fiction, non-fiction and real-world writing. For example, in creative writing, pupils may examine an image and construct a character’s background story, considering what may have happened to them over their lifetime.

English contributes to the ACHIEVE curriculum by being a core subject. All of our pupils are able to study GCSE English Language and will have the opportunity to achieve accreditation at the end of Year 11.

The study of GCSE English Language contributes to the EXCEED curriculum by giving pupils lifelong skills in communication, reading, writing and understanding of the wider world. This enables pupils to continually enhance and develop their confidence, independence and ability to express themselves clearly.

KS3:

In KS3, our pupils are with us for a 12-week programme. Lessons are engaging and designed to stimulate interest. Our focus is primarily on improving and fostering an enjoyment of reading.

An MMAP priority is to help improve the confidence of pupils who often arrive at MMAP believing their reading skills are poor, when all they may lack is confidence. We encourage pupils to question a text, predict what will happen, clarify what has happened and make links to other texts and the real world. This helps improve pupils’ comprehension, interpretation and metacognitive abilities.

English lessons are made up of four or five different activities designed to improve comprehension and engagement. Differentiation is addressed through scaffolding, targeted questioning and support from teaching assistants. TAs assist learners of lower ability to access the same tasks as the rest of the group where possible, offering support and then gradually withdrawing this as the pupil grows in confidence.

We use this individualised approach to give pupils the knowledge, confidence and skills needed for successful reintegration.

KS4:

In KS4, all pupils study Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language 2.0. The plan below shows the topics studied across Year 10 and Year 11.

The curriculum is designed so that Year 10 builds the key reading and writing skills, while Year 11 applies these skills to exam-style questions, timed practice and final revision.

Across both years, pupils will regularly complete:

Power of 3 retrieval tasks.
Careers questions linked to English skills.
Reading of unseen fiction and non-fiction texts.
Writing for different purposes, forms and audiences.
Think Pink / DIRT improvements.
Timed practice tasks.
Personal target setting.
SPaG development.
Vocabulary building.
GCSE-style assessments.

Year 10

Term	Unit	Focus
1	Creative Writing – Gothic	Pupils explore Gothic conventions, atmosphere, tension, setting and character. They read short Gothic extracts and practise descriptive and narrative writing. The focus is on building confidence with vocabulary, sentence structure, paragraphing, imagery and SPaG.
2	Fiction and Non-Fiction: Reading, Comparison and Writer’s Methods	Pupils develop core reading skills by exploring fiction and non-fiction extracts. They practise retrieval, inference, selecting short quotations, analysing language and structure, comparing viewpoints and evaluating writer impact.
3	Non-Fiction Texts – Jack the Ripper and 19th-Century Crime	Pupils explore Victorian crime, punishment, policing and prisons through 19th-century and modern non-fiction texts. They examine bias, sensationalism, audience, purpose and viewpoint, while developing comparison and evaluation skills.
4	Writing for Purpose, Form and Audience – Ethos, Pathos and Logos	Pupils focus on transactional writing. They practise writing persuasive letters, blogs and articles, using ethos, pathos and logos to develop arguments. They also practise tone, structure, paragraphing, rhetorical questions, repetition, direct address and proofreading.
5	Contemporary Texts	Pupils are introduced to contemporary fiction and literary non-fiction in preparation for Year 11. They explore character, viewpoint, tone, perspective, language, structure and evaluation. Pupils also practise imaginative writing.
6	GCSE Preparation and Skills Consolidation	Pupils revisit key GCSE English Language 2.0 skills before entering Year 11. They revise Paper 1 and Paper 2 question types, Assessment Objectives, reading skills, writing skills, short quotations, PEE paragraphs, timed responses and individual AO gaps. This term prepares pupils for the final GCSE year.

Year 11

Term	Unit	Focus
1	Paper 1 – Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional Writing	Pupils focus on Paper 1 skills. They read 19th-century and modern non-fiction texts, identify explicit and implicit information, analyse language and structure, compare viewpoints, evaluate writer impact and practise transactional writing forms such as articles, letters, speeches and reports.
2	Paper 2 – Contemporary Texts and Imaginative Writing	Pupils focus on Paper 2 skills. They read contemporary fiction and literary non-fiction extracts, analyse language and structure, compare perspectives, evaluate writer impact and practise descriptive and narrative writing.
3	Comparison and Evaluation Mastery	Pupils focus on improving higher-mark reading responses, especially AO3 and AO4. They practise comparing writers’ ideas, viewpoints, tone, language and structure. They also practise evaluating how successful and effective writers are.
4	Writing Accuracy and Exam Technique	Pupils strengthen AO5 and AO6. They revise writing forms, planning, paragraphing, openings, endings, sentence variety, vocabulary, punctuation, proofreading and timed writing. The focus is on improving accuracy and confidence before final revision.
5	Final GCSE Revision and Personalised Intervention	Pupils revise Paper 1 and Paper 2 in preparation for their final GCSE English Language examinations. Lessons target individual gaps using PPE/mock feedback, timed exam questions, walking-talking mocks, DIRT tasks, personalised revision and confidence-building routines.
6	Post-Exam Transition English	After the GCSE examinations, pupils develop real-world English skills for post-16 pathways. This may include formal emails, CV writing, college applications, interview preparation, workplace communication and speaking and listening confidence.

Assessment Objectives

Reading

AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas.
AO2: Analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers.
AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, and how they are presented.
AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support ideas with appropriate textual references.

Writing

AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.
AO6: Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures accurately, with accurate spelling and punctuation.