English

Intent

At the heart of our English curriculum is the belief that language and literature empower students – as thinkers, creators, and members of a diverse and ever-changing world. Our intent is to develop confident, critical readers, and articulate, thoughtful writers, who are well-prepared for academic success and life beyond school.

We aim to ignite a lifelong passion for reading, writing and communication by exposing students to a rich, inclusive and challenging curriculum. Through a carefully sequenced journey from Year 7 to Year 11, students explore a wide range of texts, voices, and genres that develop both cultural awareness and personal identity.

In Year 7, our intent is to foster curiosity, imagination, and early critical thinking while developing confidence with foundational literary and writing skills. Students begin by stepping into the world of Myths and Legends, exploring the foundations of storytelling and archetypes. They then study The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Play Version), learning to consider narrative perspective, dramatic structure, and neurodiversity. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream introduces students to comedy, language play and the magic of the stage. A unit of non-fiction empowers students to express ideas clearly, and a Dystopian Literature module encourages critical thinking about society and power.

In Year 8, our intent is to develop emotional intelligence, critical reading of social and historical context, and appreciation for a broad range of voices and experiences. Students begin with Gothic Literature, focusing on atmosphere, characterisation and tension. In Cultural Poetry, students explore global and diverse voices, enhancing empathy and cultural awareness. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet introduces students to tragedy, conflict, and dramatic irony, building on earlier Shakespearean study. The Women in Literature unit focuses on female voices and representation across time and genre. The year closes with Refugee Boy, allowing students to explore themes of identity, displacement and belonging.

In Year 9, our intent is to sharpen expression, explore real-world issues, and create confident, analytical and creative communicators ready for KS4 study. Travel Writing offers creative and informative writing practice while encouraging observation and voice. The Hate U Give introduces mature themes of race, justice and activism, preparing students for the moral and thematic challenges of KS4. Blood Brothers bridges KS3 and KS4 with its engaging dramatic form and exploration of class, fate, and family. A dedicated unit on Non-Fiction Reading and Writing ensures students can confidently analyse and craft texts for different purposes. Finally, a focused introduction to Unseen Poetry builds interpretive confidence and prepares students for GCSE assessment style.

At KS4, our intent is to ensure all students leave with powerful knowledge, clear communication skills, and a deep understanding of how language shapes the world. Students follow the AQA English Language and Literature GCSEs, deepening their ability to analyse, evaluate, compare, and express complex ideas. The study of core texts – Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, An Inspector Calls and the Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology – equips students with historical, cultural, and political understanding while developing high-level reading and writing skills.

Literature study teaches students to engage with big ideas such as ambition, injustice, social responsibility and resilience. Language study enhances communication, creativity and real-world writing, preparing students for a broad range of post-16 pathways. Throughout the curriculum, students develop independent interpretations, critical voice, and the ability to engage with challenging texts with confidence and maturity.

Overall, our curriculum is built to:

Empower students to succeed academically, socially, and personally.

Inspire a love of reading and writing

Develop critical, independent thinkers

Represent a wide range of cultures, identities, and experiences

Provide students with the tools to express themselves with clarity and confidence

Implementation

Our English curriculum is implemented through carefully sequenced units that are planned with purpose, progression, and accessibility in mind. It is underpinned by the belief that all students, regardless of background, deserve access to challenging, diverse, and enriching texts that build both knowledge and skills over time.  

Each year builds upon the last, revisiting and deepening key concepts (e.g. theme, context). Texts are selected to gradually increase in complexity while introducing students to a variety of forms, genres and perspectives. Core skills, such as inference, analysis, evaluation, comparison and crafting writing, are repeated and refined across years and units.

Literature and Language are taught in interconnected ways, with creative writing tasks inspired by literary texts, and reading non-fiction texts linked to key themes studied in literature.

Across all years, students encounter a rich range of voices – from canonical figures like Shakespeare and Dickens to modern and global writers like Angie Thomas, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Imtiaz Dharker. Context is carefully woven into lessons, so students understand not just the “what” of texts, but the “why”, encouraging depth, empathy, and cultural awareness.

Lessons are grounded in explicit instruction, modelling, and scaffolded practice. Formative assessment is used regularly to identify gaps, inform teaching, and support student progress. Summative assessments are structured to mirror GCSE question types from Year 7 onwards, supporting students’ confidence and familiarity with exam-style responses.

Impact

By the end of KS4, our students will have developed into articulate communicators, critical readers and thoughtful interpreters, independent thinkers, and successful learners.

Students can express themselves with clarity, accuracy, and confidence, both in writing and speech. They can argue, persuade, narrate, describe, and explain with an awareness of audience, purpose, and tone.

Students can read and understand a wide range of texts, analysing language, structure, and form in length. They can make insightful connections between texts, ideas, and the wider world, showing independence of thought.

Students leave us with the cultural capital and critical skills to navigate the modern world – ready for further education and life beyond school. They can challenge assumptions, recognise bias, and ask important questions about society, identity, and justice. They are also fully prepared for the demands of A-level, apprenticeships, or vocational routes.

Year 7 English Curriculum

Click on the button below to view the Year 7 English Curriculum:

Year 8 English Curriculum

Click on the button below to view the Year 8 English Curriculum

Year 9 English Curriculum

Click on the button below to view the Year 9 Curriculum:

Year 10 English Curriculum

Click on the button below to view the Year 10 English Curriculum:

Year 11 English Curriculum

Click on the button to view the Year 11 English Curriculum: