English

English Language & Literature Curriculum Overview

• Curriculum Aim & Intent

  Aim

  English is both a fundamental skill for communication and a sophisticated tool for imagination, essential for academic success, future careers, and lifelong enrichment through reading. 

  Intent

  At Southmoor, we believe that reading, debate, writing, and literature study help students succeed in the world beyond school and prepare them for adult life with empathy, understanding, and the ability to navigate complexity. Our curriculum is designed to gradually increase in challenge, starting from Key Stage 3 through to Key Stages 4 and 5. Students will engage with a wide range of texts, building their skills, vocabulary, and confidence for independent reading, while expanding their cultural literacy and supporting British values and Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development. 

  Each unit will teach vocabulary and historical context to help students access texts. Where needed, extracts will be provided with clear framing, and students will engage in extended writing, literary analysis, and creative writing, while practicing listening and active reading skills. 

  In lessons, we will use the Frayer model to teach vocabulary, and ‘Think Pair Share’ to encourage oracy. Instant feedback will be given through live marking and mini whiteboards, and ‘heads down hands up’ will help teachers address student needs. Every lesson will follow a Connect, Content, consolidate plan, ensuring focused, knowledge-based teaching. 

  Silent concentration time in each lesson will allow students to demonstrate their learning in a calm and productive environment. 

• Reading

  Reading

  At Key Stage 3, we use the Ark Mastery curriculum, which has carefully chosen reading materials aimed at enriching and exciting students. They regularly read aloud in class, and their fluency and accuracy are monitored. Teachers demonstrate good reading skills by using the right pitch, tone, and pace. Students explore various genres and authors, including complete novels and relevant nonfiction texts to help them understand context. 
   
  In Key Stage 4, we encourage students to appreciate the depth of English literature by reading a diverse selection of classic literature and extended literary nonfiction like essays and journalism. The curriculum includes works such as Macbeth by William Shakespeare and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. We promote re-reading literature for comparison and encourage independent reading for enjoyment. Consistent smart reading practices are used to ensure students’ comprehension and understanding. 
   
  The English department leads the school’s focus on Reading for Pleasure. We provide students with frequent reading opportunities within the English curriculum and promote a love for reading through activities like Book Clubs and celebrations like World Book Day. In Year 7 and 8, there are special weekly reading lessons focusing on enjoyable class novels. We choose contemporary novels relevant to students’ lives. Reading skills are explicitly taught and reinforced throughout the curriculum since good readers tend to achieve better. 
   
  Students struggling with reading below the expected level receive targeted support. Whole class reading support is provided for all students, with teachers modeling good reading methods. Some students receive small group interventions based on their needs, while others may get one-on-one targeted support to work on their specific challenges. 

• Brief Overview of Curriculum Content for Each Term

  	Autumn term	Spring Term	Summer Term
  Yr 7	MORALITY: pupils study texts with a clear moral and protagonists and antagonists.  Oliver Twist by Charles Dicken	MORALITY: pupils study texts with a clear moral and protagonists and antagonists.  A Midsummer’s night’s dream by William Shakespeare	MORALITY: pupils study texts with a clear moral and protagonists and antagonists.  Ancient Tales and Creative Writing with Nature poetry
  Yr 8	DUALITY: pupils explore texts with dual narratives and characters exploring duality of meaning and interpretation:  Sherlock Holmes (Detective fiction) by Arthur Conan Doyle	DUALITY: pupils explore texts with dual narratives and characters exploring duality of meaning and interpretation:  The Tempest by William Shakespeare	DUALITY: pupils explore texts with dual narratives and characters exploring duality of meaning and interpretation:  Animal Farm and rhetoric writing
  Yr 9	MULTIPLICITY: pupils explore texts, narratives and characters with increased difficulty and meaning:  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte	MULTIPLICITY: pupils explore texts, narratives and characters with increased difficulty and meaning:  Small Island by Andrea Levi adapted by Helen Edmundson (Playscript)	MULTIPLICITY: pupils explore texts, narratives and characters with increased difficulty and meaning:  Poetry and Introduction to Macbeth
  Yr 10	GCSE English Literature:  Unseen poetry   Power and Conflict anthology   A Christmas Carol	GCSE English Literature:  Macbeth   An Inspector Calls	GCSE English Language:  Exploring creative fiction and writing  Writer’s viewpoints and perspectives  Spoken language assessment
  Yr 11	Consolidation of Year 10:  English language Paper 1  Macbeth   A Christmas Carol  English language Paper 2  An Inspector Calls  Unseen poetry & Power and Conflict anthology	Preparing for GCSE:  Mock revision of all topics  Mock exams  Mock improvements and consolidation	Preparing for GCSE:  Revision

• How Our Curriculum Caters For SEND Students

  How does our Curriculum cater for students with SEND?

  In English, all SEND pupils will be supported by their teacher who will tailor learning to meet their specific needs and to reflect requirements of individual pupil passports where applicable. To develop confidence in all aspects of English, strategies will be implemented: 

  • Flexible group work 

  • Simplified/adapted resources with different stimulus to aid understanding 

  • Controlled pace of learning 

  • Tasks ‘chunked-down’ as appropriate 

  • Ensuring new ideas, concepts and vocabulary are clearly understood 

  • 1:1 teaching/checking-in throughout the lesson 

  • Seating plans adjusted to meet needs of individual students 

  • Instructions given personally and/or supported by visual prompts or written cues 

  • Written and oral sentence stems given 

  • Models, scaffolding and templates provided 

  • Increased use of visualisers in lessons 

  • Extensive use of mini whiteboards to assess whole class understanding  

  As well as this, our school policies of ‘heads down, hands up’ and ‘think-pair-share’ will develop confidence. All of this will be focussed via individual lessons, one-to-one support and, in some cases, through the Lexia programme. 

• How Our Curriculum Caters For Disadvantaged Students

  How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?

  As a school serving an area with high levels of deprivation, we work tirelessly to raise the attainment for all students and to close any gaps that exist due to social contexts. The deliberate allocation of funding and resources has ensured that attainment gaps are closing in our drive to ensure that all pupils are equally successful when they leave the Academy. 

  In English, each member of staff holds a teaching handbook that identifies disadvantaged pupils. Pupils are placed in the classrooms with careful consideration so that they receive high quality focus and support from staff and peers. In assessment, positive discrimination is used effectively and detailed feedback is written in books. In line with school data drops, work is scrutinised, and disadvantaged pupils are identified and interventions put in place. These include: 1:1, lunchtime revision, bespoke independent work, free revision books and visits. 

• Knowledge Organisers

  • Year 7
  • Year 8
  • Year 9
  • Year 10 & 11

  • • A Mid Summer Night’s Dream Knowledge Organiser

    • Oliver Twist Knowledge Organiser

    • NP Knowledge Organiser

    • Ancient Tales Knowledge Organiser

  • • The Tempest Knowledge Organiser

    • Rhetoric Knowledge Organiser

    • Animal Farm Knowledge Organiser

    • Sherlock Holmes Knowledge Organiser

  • • Jane Eyre Knowledge Organiser

    • Small Island Knowledge Organiser

  • • A Christmas Carol Knowledge Organiser

    • An Inspector Calls Knowledge Organiser

    • Blood Brothers Knowledge Organiser

    • Macbeth Knowledge Organiser

    • Power & Conflict Knowledge Organiser

• Other Related Curriculum Documents

  • English KS3 Ark Academy Master Programme • KS3 English Curriculum Map