English
Intent Statement
“There are certain emotions in your body that not even your best friend can sympathize with, but you will find the […] right book, and it will understand you.“
– Bjork
Reading is shown to make us happier (New Yorker), more empathetic (Comer Kidd and Castano 2013), and more focussed (The Book Buff). The effects of reading are legion, as are the reasons: for knowledge, entertainment, catharsis, to name a few. If reading is not a cornerstone of a good life, it is certainly a component of living a more enriched existence. At Orange Tree we will draw from a range of texts so students can feel the entire benefit of reading, fostering a personal relationship with letters that will help them connect to a much wider world. Not only does reading connect us to the world outside, but the world inside, as we find texts that understand us, help us understand ourselves, and galvanise who we are, and students will be surrounded by relevant texts.
Through developing our students as readers, we are also developing them as writers, as their tastes as readers will come to inform their voice as writers. Students will continually be supported with their writing by guided practise using authentic texts, and experimenting with techniques, in a creative manner: picking the ones that work for them. This will support their ability to communicate with the world, which will enrich so much of their future lives.
At Orange Tree we hope students leave with English not merely as a resource, but as an ally in their journey through life.
Curriculum
We provide a wide and varied English curriculum across all key stages, introducing pupils to quality literature including a range of poetry, prose, and drama. We also seek to foster an enjoyment of reading. Resources will be drawn from curriculum modules, and sources relevant to the students.
Reading will be at the cornerstone of our curriculum, building the other skills of writing, and speaking and listening around them.
Our aim is to inspire and motivate pupils, providing appropriate stretch and challenge, and all English staff have high expectations whilst meeting the individual needs of their pupils’ mental health challenges.
We aim to provide pupils with a solid foundation on which to build their futures, and effectively equip them with the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to reintegrate and be successful in an increasingly demanding world.
At GCSE, we will be following a curriculum based on the AQA exams.
KS3
Students are taught English in mixed ability key stage groups and have 4 x 50-minute lessons per week.
We read and study a range of texts across Key Stage 3 that aim to give pupils the necessary skills to move confidently into Key Stage 4. Students will be presented with texts that will prepare them for KS4, but also drawing from a range of sources, that will expose students to new things, but also that will be relevant to them.
KS4
In Years 10 and 11, students are taught in mixed ability key stage groups for English. GCSE students will have 5 x 50 minutes lessons per week. We follow the AQA GCSE syllabus for both Language and Literature and the course includes a variety of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose and drama. Our set texts include: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Power and Conflict poetry from the AQA anthology and either Macbeth.
Building cultural capital
Through English we can bring a wealth of cultural capital into young people’s lives, some of the ways in which we will do this:
- Sessions run by visiting authors
- Visits to theatres, such as the globe
- Creative writing workshops
- Watching plays together
- Creating an annual whole school magazine
- Promoting external writing competitions such as the BBC Young Writers’ Award
- Celebrating World Book Day as a school