English
Overview
English is a core subject and is at the very heart of our students’ achievement and progress at Villiers. In English lessons, students learn to express their ideas, to tell stories, to read for pleasure and to analyse a wide variety of texts. Ultimately, English leads to two GCSEs that are vital for entry into Further and Higher education. A-Level English offers a pathway to top universities and careers in fields as diverse as Law, Medicine, Architecture and Education.
Key Stage 3
At Key stage 3 pupils are introduced to the wide range of texts and skills that constitute English. They have a chance to write creatively and develop an academic voice for critical and analytical writing. They read texts from many genres and historical periods. They emerge at the end of Year 9 ready for the challenge of GCSE.
KS3
Weekly Programme of Lessons:
Year 7:
Write like a Poet: Students engage with an anthology of poems and short stories that examine culture and identity. Students then write their own poems to produce the Y7 Poetry Anthology: ‘Culture and Identity’. Students perform these poems at assembly and multi-cultural evening.
- Read like an Author: Students read full novels that explore ‘coming-of-age’ and the challenges faced by young people across time and a range of contexts. Students also study a range of texts that delve into the Literary Heritage and introduce students to great British writers from the 17th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century and the 21st
- Write like an Author: Narrative and non-fiction writing, to develop their own voice and fluency
- Thematic schemes of learning which cultivate opportunities for enrichment and creativity in reading, writing and spoken language, while taking a blended approach to teaching of skills for Literature and Language.
Year 8:
- Read like an Academic: Pupils examine a range of fiction and drama from the vast, Literary Heritage: Shakespeare, Gothic Fiction and poetry from across time, along with modern fiction relating to film.
- Write like and Author: Narrative and descriptive writing across a range of form and genre.
- Write like a Journalist and Speak like a Scholar: Non-fiction writing to develop their own voice and fluency across a range of written and spoken forms: journalism articles, speeches, debates, letters and blogs.
- Bringing English to Life: Performance poetry to develop their spoken language skills and ability to apply the.
Year 9
Students explore a range of texts from across the Literary Heritage designed to bridge their learning journey from KS3 to KS4. Texts are similar to those that students will study at GCSE, but are not taught as or in the style of GCSE texts.
- Read like an Academic: Pupils examine a range of fiction and drama from the vast, Literary Heritage: Shakespeare, Gothic Fiction, Dystopian fiction and poetry from across a range of contexts/
- Write like and Author: Narrative and descriptive writing across a range of form and genre – students are taught to mirror the skills, style and form of the writers that they are studying.
- Write like a Journalist and Speak like a Scholar: Non-fiction writing to develop their own voice and fluency across a range of written and spoken forms: journalism articles, speeches, debates, letters and blogs.
KS3 List of Texts
These are some of the texts that students explore across KS3, but the list is not limited to this.
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KS3 Curriculum Book List – 3 lessons per week |
KS3 Class Readers Reciprocal Reading for Enjoyment – 1 lesson per week |
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Private Peaceful- Michael Morpugo A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness Villiers’ Anthology of Culture and Identity Poetry Villiers’ Anthology of Archetypal Shakespearean Characters Roald Dahl’s Selected Stories and Revolting Rhymes Villiers’ Anthology of Poetry: Dracula –Bram Stoker ‘Red Room’ – H.G Wells Tell-Tale Heart’ - Edgar Allan Poe ‘Frankenstein’ – Mary Shelley ‘Wonder’ –RJ Palacio ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’– William Shakespeare ‘The Crucible – Arthur Millar Noughts and Crosses- Malorie Blackman A Christmas Carol– Charles Dickens Animal Farm – George Orwell Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare
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The Colour Purple – Alice Walker To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee The Book Thief – Makus Zusak Lord of the Flies – William Goulding Hard Choices – Carole Hayman The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins Life of Pi – Y Martel
Face – Benjamin Zephaniah War Horse – Michael Morpurgo Pigeon English – Stephen Kelman Lord of the Flies – William Goulding Out of the Shadows – Jason Wallace My Name is Mina – David Almond The Giver – Lois Lowry Coram Boy – Jamila Gavin The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins Benjamin Zephaniah – Refugee Boy Frozen Charlotte – Alex Bell There’s A Boy in The Girl’s Bathroom – Louis Sachar
Goodnight Mr Tom The Twits - Roald Dahl Stone Cold – Robert Swindells Matilda – Roald Dahl Fantastic Mr Fox – Roald Dahl Goldfish Boy – Lisa Thompson
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Study at Home for KS3
Students are set regular homework at KS3 and, importantly, are encouraged to read independently and track their progress through Accelerated Reader.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 students study for GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature. These are essential qualifications for entry to Further and Higher Education, and they test the full range of students’ ability to read independently, identify concepts, write critically and be creative.
GCSE English Language
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Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
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Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
GCSE English Literature
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Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century Novel
Macbeth
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
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Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry
An Inspector Calls
Power and Conflict from the AQA Anthology
Key Stage 5
We offer A-Level English Literature, which is a core academic subject and a challenging and well-respected qualification for university entry. Recently our students have gone on to study at Warwick, Leeds and Nottingham.
A-Level English Literature is academically demanding, and offers students the opportunity to read widely and analytically and to elevate their critical thinking to university level. It is the ideal course for students who love literature and learning about history and culture outside of their own experience.
We currently study:
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Hamlet
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Poetry by Christina Rossetti
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The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
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The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
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A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
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A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
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Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
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The World’s Wife by Carol-Ann Duffy
Exam board: OCR
Accelerated Reader
At Villiers all KS3 students have started to use the Accelerated Reader programme, to develop their reading skills and ability, which will continue into the next academic year. All students have Accelerated Reader logins a book level range and are expected to borrow Accelerated Reader books from the school library. Fortnightly library lessons support quizzing, book selection and reading skills.
