English

Curriculum Intent

The students will be immersed in a range of engaging literature spanning from pre-20th Century Classics to a diverse range of contemporary texts which explore a range of pertinent issues in today’s society (such as racial and gender inequalities). These texts, both fiction and non-fiction, will serve as a platform to enhance our students’ cultural capital. Through their studies, they will explore and analyse a breadth of perspectives and diversities which will support not only their academic progress but also allow them to engage with wider opportunities.

These can include author visits, creative writing workshops, competitions, drama and experiencing live productions at the theatre and in house.

In addition to the National Curriculum aims, our ambitious curriculum for English Language and Literature at DSTC is designed to:

Broaden horizons through diverse literature: To immerse students in a rich range of classic and contemporary texts that challenge perspectives and build cultural capital.
Analyse and engage with modern issues: To develop the critical thinking skills needed to explore pertinent societal themes, including gender and racial inequalities.
Foster creativity and cultural experience: To inspire academic progress and personal growth through live performance, creative workshops, and professional author engagement.

Complementary Subjects:

ICE
History
Geography
Media
Film studies
RE

KS3

KS4

KS5

KS3

Building upon their learning from Key Stage 2, our students will deepen their understanding of authorial intent, the writer’s craft, relevant historicism, contextual influences and technical accuracy to appreciate and inspire purposeful writing, encouraging students to foster their own creative style. These five elements are revisited, throughout their curriculum journey, to enable students to appreciate the nuances of an author’s work and how this mastery will support their own creative works.

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 7

Theme: Fantasy
Narrative writing and narrative poetry

A booklet of fantasy extracts (including extracts from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’; ‘Divergent’ and ‘The Hobbit’).

7EN6: Cole’s Kingdom.

Skills: Creative writing skills and reading for meaning.

Autumn 1 - baseline test (creative writing skills).

Theme: Fantasy

Narrative writing and narrative poetry

A booklet of fantasy extracts (including extracts from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’; ‘Divergent’ and ‘The Hobbit’).

7EN6: Cole’s Kingdom

Skills: Creative writing skills and reading for meaning.

Assessment: Creative writing based on 5 book titles.

Film studies unit - a taster for the GCSE Film Studies course.

Theme: Fantasy novel

7En1-7En4: Alice in Wonderland

7En5 & 7En6: Frankenstein - the play adaptation.

7EN6: an abridged version of Treasure Island

8En6:Tulip Touch

Skills: Reading skills - understanding plot, characters and relationships.

Assessment: A letter from the point of view of a character from the book or the play.

Theme: Fantasy novel

7En1-7En4: Alice in Wonderland

7En5 & 7En6: Frankenstein - the play adaptation.

7EN6 an abridged version of Treasure Island

8En6:Tulip Touch

Skills: Reading skills - language analysis.

Assessment: Analysing an extract from the story.

Theme: Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Skills: Reading skills - understanding plot, characters and relationships.

Theme: Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Skills: Reading skills - language analysis.

Combined reading and writing assessment.

Section A: Reading - comprehension questions and language analysis based on an extract from the play/

Section B: Writing - creative writing based on an image.

Year 8

Theme: Contemporary prose

Roll of Thunder

Hear My Cry

Chinese

Cinderella

Wonder

Tulip Touch

Skills: Reading skills - understanding plot, characters and relationships.

Assessment:Diary entry from the point of view of a character from the book.

Theme: Contemporary prose

Roll of Thunder

Hear My Cry

Chinese

Cinderella

Wonder

Tulip Touch

Skills: Reading skills - language analysis.

Assessment: Analysing an extract from the story.

Theme: Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing

Skills: Reading skills - understanding plot, characters and relationships.

Assessment: Analysing an extract from the play.

Theme: Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing

Skills: Reading skills - language analysis.

Assessment: Writing a letter from the point of view of a character.

Theme: Identity, personal conflict and war

Pomes: Futility, Belfast Confetti, The Right Word & Still I Rise.

Skills: Understanding poetry.

Theme: Identity, personal conflict and war

Pomes: Futility, Belfast Confetti, The Right Word & Still I Rise.

Skills: Analysing poetry.

Combined reading and writing assessment.

Section A: Reading - comprehension questions and language analysis based on an extract from the play/

Section B: Writing - creative writing based on an image.

Year 9

Dystopian novel

EN1 and EN2 - The Day of the Triffids or Never Let Me Go

EN3 and EN4 - The Hunger Games or Uglies

EN5 and EN6 - The Boy in The Tower

Dystopian novel

EN1 and EN2 - The Day of the Triffids or Never Let Me Go

EN3 and EN4 - The Hunger Games or Uglies

EN5 and EN6 - The Boy in The Tower

Gothic Literature

EN1 - 4 various extracts from gothic novels and gothic poetry.

EN5 and EN6 - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Play

Gothic Literature

EN1 - 4 various extracts from gothic novels and gothic poetry.

EN5 and EN6 - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Play. Once finished extracts from gothic novels.

Historical fiction

EN1 - 4 - The Crucible/Pygmalion

EN5 and EN6 - Witch Child

Historical fiction

EN1 - 4 - The Crucible/Pygmalion

EN5 and EN6 - Witch Child

A love of English, both the spoken and the written word, is an element which underpins the design of our curriculum. Our teachers strive to foster an enthusiasm for reading and support this via suggested reading lists, the use of the SPARX reader in library lessons and having an awareness of literary events that are celebrated in the United Kingdom such as World Book day. Within Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), our students will delve into a range of texts, as suggested by the National Curriculum, which serve as an introduction to the content of KS4, or a development, to the forms they have encountered during Key Stage 2. The purpose is to develop any initial skills and enhance their understanding of a text as a holistic piece. Students will study a breadth of authors and topics to nurture a critical mind (supported by the use of Thinking Hard strategies) and hone their literacy skills. We provide a range of culturally rich stimuli encompassing both British, American and worldwide authors to support our students in finding their place amongst our society and extending their cultural understanding of other countries and societies.

Further Reading/Resources:

Please add some details here for ideas for further reading resources.

A link to the Key Stage 3 Assessment booklet will also be made available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/123xs-90-wrFkLEok25bzfypxToGwtM5m

KS4

As our students enter into Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11), they will continue to study many well-loved Classics, as well as emerging literature, to support them in their journey towards critical thinking. Amongst these, our students will read for meaning the following texts: Shakespeare’s Macbeth, An Inspector Calls, either: A Christmas Carol, The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or A Sign of Four, an Anthology of Power and Conflict Poetry and a range of unseen poetry to prepare them for their English Literature exams. The messages of these texts transcend time and therefore provide our students with relevant and moral messages and work to support the wider, complimentary curriculum.

Our students will also study a myriad of fiction and non-fiction texts to solidify their knowledge and to help them prepare for their English language exams. Students will practise comprehension and writing for different audiences and purposes. In addition to this, students will prepare and deliver a speech based on a topic they feel passionate about to a selected audience. All preparation is supported by intervention, homework, retrieval activities and self reflection. We follow the AQA exam board.

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 10

Literature Paper 2

An Inspector Calls/A Taste of Honey

Language Paper 1 Q1-4

Literature Paper 2

An Inspector Calls/A Taste of Honey. Power and Conflict Poetry (Ozymandias, London, The Prelude, My Last Duchess, The Charge of the Light Brigade)

Language Paper 1 Q1-4 & Q5

Literature Paper 1

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or A Christmas Carol or A Sign of Four

Language Paper 1 Q5

Literature Paper 1

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or A Christmas Carol or A Sign of Four

Language Paper 2 Q1-4

Literature Paper 2 Power and Conflict Poetry

Exposure

Storm on the Island

Bayonet Charge

Remains

Unseen Poetry

Language Paper 2 Q5 & WTM

Literature Paper 2 Power and Conflict Poetry

Remaining poems
Poppies
War Photographer
Tissue
The Emigree
Checking Out Me History
Kamikaze

Spoken Language

Year 11

Literature Paper 1

Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet

Language Paper 2 WTM

Literature Paper 1

Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet

Language Paper 1 WTM

Literature Paper 1

Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet

PPE Reflection MIB focus Paper 1.

Mastering skills for Language Paper 1 & 2

Literature Revision Paper 1 and 2

Unseen Poetry

Revisiting Paper 2 in preparation for PPE 2.

Literature Revision Paper 1 and 2

PPE Reflection MIB focus Paper 2.

Mastering skills for Language Paper 1 & 2

Final Exams

Further Reading/Resources:

Mr Bruff revision videos

BBC bitesize
Sparks notes
SPARX reader
Physics and Maths Tutor revision sheets
Please also see the attached reading list - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/123xs-90-wrFkLEok25bzfypxToGwtM5m
Please add some details here for ideas for further reading resources.
A link to the Year 9 Options booklet will also be made available here.

KS5

Our passion and challenge aims to encourage a students' inquisitiveness and thirst for knowledge in order to ensure that the love of learning stays with them throughout their journey in education and in later life. Altogether, our curriculum prepares our students for an aspirational Post-16 career path studying English Literature at A Level. This will enable them to study either English Language or Literature, Educational Studies, Journalism and degrees that require skills such as good communication, effective research and analytical thinking at university or enter careers in publishing, copywriting, journalism and communications.

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 12