English

In English lessons our aim is for pupils to develop effective written and spoken communication skills for a range of purposes and audiences. A genre of writing is studied across 3 weeks with lessons coherently sequenced so that learnt skills can be applied in a final written outcome. The outcome that pupils work towards across the unit is usually linked to the set text studied in Reading so that pupils’ depth of understanding can be meaningfully applied.

This sequence of learning across a unit takes place in 3 phases: immersion, practice, application. In the immersion phase, pupils are exposed to texts of the particular genre so that pupils can understand the specific language, structure and grammatical features. The practice phase allows pupils to develop writing skills and grammatical understanding that relate to the genre. In the application phase, pupils plan, write, edit and redraft a final written outcome. Pupils are encouraged to develop their creativity in crafting original pieces of writing, and develop self-awareness through editing and improving their own work. Once per half term pupils publish one of their final outcomes for a specific purpose.