English

Curriculum Subjects

English

See our English Curriculum below at Bentley Wood for KS3, KS4 and KS5

KS3 | English

Year 7 and 8

Course Aims:

We aim to ensure that our Key Stage 3 English curriculum enables all students to enjoy literature and gain an awareness and appreciation of classic texts.  Throughout Key Stage 3, students will be given opportunities to develop as enthusiastic critical readers and enhance their written expression.

One Year 7 lesson a week is timetabled as a regular literacy lesson; it is used to focus on enhancing literacy skills, comprehension and technical accuracy in writing, which will support students in their GCSE studies of all writing-based subjects.

We expect all students to be reading regularly and have a recommended ’16 reads before 16’ book list to promote this throughout the year and request that parents support this at home.

 Course Content:

 

Unit Year 7 Year 8
Unit 1 Autobiography unit: students will explore language and stylistic features through a range of autobiographical and biographical texts.  Students will learn to write for a particular audience and purpose. Shakespeare Study: ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’  Students focus on exploring features of the play in greater depth as well as analysing language and how it presents meaning in a text.
Unit 2 Novel: ‘A Monster Calls.’ Students read a whole text and will focus on themes and characters. Novel: Animal Farm.  Students will closely analyse the characters and theme.  They will also look at the significance of wider social contexts.
Unit 3 Love Poetry: this is an introduction to poetry. Students will study a variety of poems to understand the different stylistic approaches. Romantic Poetry: students will analyse closely a range of Romantic poetry and contexts alongside examples of protest poetry from different cultures.
Unit 4 Diverse Fiction: students will develop empathy and awareness of issues regarding representation and identity through a range of fiction extracts. Non-Fiction: students will learn to understanding the key methods of rhetoric; to be able to interrogate the use of rhetorical use of language and to apply in their own writing.
Unit 5 Narrative writing- retelling stories.  Introducing the oral tradition of storytelling in cultures.
Students will explore a variety of forms of writing through the exploration of myths, legends and fairy tales in different cultures.
Original and empathetic writing: students will explore a range of original and plausible stories and then craft their own stories.
Unit 6 Shakespeare: Students will learn about the influence of historical events and social conventions on Shakespeare and will read and discuss key scenes from AMSND Drama: Blood Brothers. Students will closely analyse characters and themes.  They will also look at the significance of wider social contexts.

Enrichment:

  • Young Writers competitions
  • Film Club
  • Slam Poetry
  • World Book Day (co-run by the library)

Key Stage 4 & 5 / Career Progression:

English underpins every subject in the curriculum and is therefore central to every possible career.  Those who study English will find careers in management, public relations, the media, publishing, Law, Politics and teaching.

Reading:

  1. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
  2. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
  3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  4. Drawing a Veil by Lari Don
  5. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
  6. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  7. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
  8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  9. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  11. Wonder by R.J Palacio
  12. Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson
  13. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  14. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
  15. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Also see unit book recommendations.

Year 9

Course Aims:

The Year 9 curriculum provides a broad and knowledge-rich curriculum to students.  We aim to ensure that our Year 9 curriculum enables all students to enjoy literature and gain an awareness and appreciation of classic texts.  Throughout Year 9, students will be given opportunities to develop as enthusiastic critical readers and enhance their written expression in preparation for the GCSE course.

Course Content:

 

Unit Year 9
Unit 1 Novel: students will read and discuss the impact of social and historical contexts on the characters.  They will explore the effects of discrimination/ alienation.
Unit 2 War Poetry: students will study a range of poems from different poets across a range of time periods responding to warfare.
Unit 3 20th Century Drama: Pygmalion.  Students will read a drama text with discussion on key linguistics ideas presented in the play, depiction of class and status/identity in the Edwardian era.
Unit 4 Non-Fiction: Genres over Time.  Students will be introduced to 19th Century non-fiction writing and the key linguistic and stylistic features of the time.
Unit 5  Gothic Narrative: students will study closely specific generic conventions through a variety of 19th and 20th century texts. Students will produce their own Gothic writing.
Unit 6 Tragedy & Shakespeare.  Students will be introduced to the features of tragedy, including study of Ancient Greek and Roman origins.  They will study a range of Shakespeare extracts, grouped by thematic aspects of Shakespearian tragedy.

Enrichment:

  • Young Writers competitions
  • Film Club
  • Slam Poetry
  • World Book Day (co-run by the library)
  • The Student View -journalism project

Key Stage 4 & 5 / Career Progression:

English underpins every subject in the curriculum and is therefore central to every possible career.  Those who study English will find careers in management, public relations, the media, publishing, Law, Politics and teaching.

Recommended Reading:

  1. Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray
  2. The Balloon Thief Aneesa Marufu
  3. The Gifts That Bind Us by Caroline O’Donoghue
  4. Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
  5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  6. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
  7. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  9. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  11. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  12. The Ivory Key Akshaya Raman
  13. As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow Zoulfa Katouh

Also see unit book recommendations.

 

 

 

 

 

KS4 | English Language

“A book is simply the container of an idea like
a bottle; what is inside the book is what matters.”

                                                           Author: Angela Carter

Examining Board: Eduqas

 Aim of the Course

The course aims to develop the students’ abilities to communicate effectively in speech and writing, and to listen with understanding.  It should also enable them to be enthusiastic, responsive and knowledgeable readers.

There are three key areas of English Language: Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing.

 Speaking and Listening:

Students will: present and listen to information and ideas; respond appropriately to others; make effective contributions, use creative approaches to exploring questions, solving problems and developing ideas; participate in a range of real-life contexts in and beyond the classroom, adapting talk to situation and audience; select and use a range of techniques and creative approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues in scripted and improvised work.

 Reading:

Students will study how meaning is constructed through words, sentences and whole texts, including multimodal texts and at least one extended text, exploring language variation. They will evaluate the ways in which texts may be interpreted differently according to the perspective of the reader.

 Writing:

Written work will require students to write accurately and fluently, choosing content and adapting style and language to a wide range of forms, media, contexts, audiences and purposes.

Content:

Paper 1:  20th Century Literature Reading Study and Creative Writing
Paper 2: 19th and 20th Century Non-Fiction Reading Study and Transactional/ Persuasive Writing
Paper 3: Spoken Language Non-Exam Assessment

 Content:

Paper 1:   20th Century Literature Reading Study and Creative Prose Writing

Reading: this section will test through structured questions the reading of an unseen extract from one 20th century literary prose text (about 60-100 lines).

Prose Writing: this section will test creative prose writing through one task from a  choice of four titles giving opportunities for writing to describe and narrate, and imaginative and creative use of language.

Paper 2:   19th and 20th Century Non-Fiction Reading Study and Transactional/Persuasive Writing

Reading: this section will test through structured questions and reading of two high-quality unseen non-fiction texts (about 900-1200 words in total), one from the 19th century, the other from the 21st century. Non-fiction texts may include, but will not be limited to: letters, extracts from autobiographies or biographies, diaries, reports, articles and digital and multi-modal texts of various kinds from newspapers and magazines, and the internet.

Writing: this section will test transactional, persuasive and/or discursive writing through two equally weighted compulsory tasks.  There will be opportunities to write for a range of audiences and purposes, adapting style to form and to real-life contexts, for example, letters, articles, reviews, speeches and reports.

Paper 3: Spoken Language (Non-exam Assessment)

Students will be required to complete one formal presentation or speech on any topic which interests them. They will also be assessed on their responses to questions and feedback following the presentation or speech. Standard English should be a feature of all parts of the students’ work in this component.

Recommended Reading

  • Notes from a Small Island – Bill Bryson
  • Bill Bryson, Notes from a Big Country (and other travel books) – An American’s very funny perspective on Britain and British culture.
  • Bear Grylls, Mud, Sweat and Tears – The autobiography of the famous adventurer/risk taker.
  • I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
  • “Dreams from my Father”- Barrack Obama

Enrichment:

  • ‘An Inspector Calls’ Playhouse Theatre
  • Globe Players Performance: ‘Macbeth’, ‘An Inspector Calls’
  • Jack Petchey Speak Out challenge
  • Carnegie Book Club (co-run by the library)
  • Literary Week (co-run by the library)
  • World Book Day (co-run by the library)
  • Young Writers Competition
  • Slam Poetry Club
  • Creative Writing Club

Revision Books:

KS4 | English Literature

“A good book is an event in my life.”  Stendhal ‘The Red and the Black’

The Eduqas GCSE in English literature encourages learners to develop knowledge and skills in reading, writing and critical thinking. It provides learners with opportunities to read widely for pleasure across a range of high-quality texts in the genres of prose, poetry and drama.

Examining Board: Eduqas

 Aim of Course

This course will enable students to explore their literary interests and to be enthusiastic, responsive and knowledgeable readers. Students will develop an understanding of the ways in which literature is rich and influential.

Content

The content of this course will consist of poetry, prose and drama, including a play by Shakespeare. A minimum of six texts will be studied, comprising:

  • Texts from English, Welsh or Irish literary heritage
  • Texts from different cultures and traditions
  • Texts by contemporary writers

Students will:

  • Develop and sustain independent interpretations of whole texts, supporting them with detailed textual references
  • Analyse connections between texts, comparing features and qualities that connect and contrast the presentation of themes, characters and settings
  • Analyse the impact of style, language, structure and form
  • Relate texts to their social and historical contexts and to the literary traditions of which they are a part
  • Understand how texts from the literary heritage have been influential and significant over time

Content:

Paper 1: Shakespeare and Poetry
Paper 2:  Post 1914 Drama, 19th Century Prose and Unseen Poetry

Paper 1:  Shakespeare and Poetry

Shakespeare:  Macbeth

This section allows students to study one Shakespeare play: ‘Macbeth.’  Students will need to show their knowledge of dramatic techniques and demonstrate their understanding of plot, characterisation, events and key themes; they will need to analyse language, structure and form closely in order to engage critically with the play.

Poetry from 1789 to the present day

Students will have the opportunity to show their knowledge and understanding of the poems and the relationships between them and the contexts in which they were written.  The anthology covers a range of poetry and is designed to introduce students to the rich heritage of poetry across centuries as well as illustrating how poets explore similar themes in different ways.

 Paper 2: Post 1914 Drama, 19th Century Prose and Unseen Poetry

Post 1914 Drama

Students will study ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B Priestley. Students will have the opportunity to show their knowledge and understanding of dramatic techniques; the writer’s use of language, structure and form and show an understanding of key themes, characters and ideas within the text.

 19th Century Prose

Students will study ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of context of the novel, the language, structure and form of the text and key themes, characters and ideas within the text.

Unseen Poetry

Students will study a range of unseen poems from the 20th and/or 21st centuries.   They will have the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the poems and key ideas of each poem, and the poets’ use of language, structure and form.

Recommended Reading

  • A Thousand Splendid Suns/The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
  • Nineteen Eighty-Four -George Orwell
  • Pride and Prejudice -Jane Austen
  • Behind the Ice House – Emma Fine
  • To Kill a Mocking Bird- Harper Lee
  • Great Expectations- Charles Dickens
  • Wuthering Heights
  • 19th Century short stories

Enrichment:

  • Globe Players Performance
  • Jack Petchey Speak Out challenge
  • Theatre trips, author/poet/play performances and Literary competitions throughout the year.

Revision Book:

  • An Inspector Calls: York Notes for GCSE (9-1) Study Book (Revise + Test Books available)
  • Globe Education Shakespeare: Macbeth for WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature
  • Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: York Notes for GCSE Study Book (Revise + Test Books available)

Key Stage 5 Progression/ Career Prospects

A Level English Literature is offered in the Sixth Form at Bentley Wood. English Literature is considered to be very important for a number of careers:

  • Media and journalism careers
  • Theatre
  • Publishing careers
  • Teaching and academic careers
  • Advertising, marketing and PR careers
  • Law
  • Politics
  • All careers
KS5 | English Literature

Is English Literature the subject for you?

If you enjoy reading and want to study a wide range of literature from past and present, then this is the course for you. There will be plenty of opportunities to discuss texts at length and read the views of others, before arriving at your own conclusions about characters, themes and the writer’s craft. You will be encouraged to think for yourself, to use textual evidence to support your ideas and to evaluate contextual significance.

Course content

Students will study a combination of novels, drama texts including Shakespeare, and poetry, learning to engage creatively and apply their knowledge of literary analysis in discussions and in writing. Texts will cover a wide range of periods from pre-1900 right up to the 21st Century. Lessons will vary, incorporating group and class discussions, presentations, group drama performances, analysis of DVDs based on texts, as well as study days and theatre visits as appropriate.

Methods of study

Most assessment is through examination, but there is a coursework element analysing and comparing novels from different time periods.

How will it be examined?

AS qualification will not count towards the final grade of an A Level and be a separate qualification in its own right (Linear).

Career opportunities

Students with AS or Advanced GCE English Literature have a wide range of possible career and higher education opportunities. You will learn and use a wide variety of transferable skills during the course. These include writing for a variety of purposes, expressing informed and independent opinions and identifying key links between different parts of the subject. These skills are in demand from employers, universities and colleges and are also valuable in their own right. In particular, the qualification can lead to opportunities in a variety of areas such as journalism, writing, teaching, the media or law.