English

‘The more that you read, the more that you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go’ - Dr Seuss.

Communication, the ability to connect cohesively and accurately is at the heart of what it means to be human. At Trafalgar School, it is this humanity which runs through the soul of the English curriculum.

Our curriculum is designed around the principle that if you cannot think it, you cannot say it and if you cannot say it, you cannot write it. The explicit teaching of thought process is a key part of our curriculum offer.

Our curriculum is centred around a rich exposure to diverse texts and uses oracy and discussion across all lessons to ensure every child can personally respond to texts we read. Our curriculum structure is planned thematically to ensure students can fully embed prior and new learning by making explicit connections between key concepts, themes, contextual factors and skills, and in turn developing critical and empathetic readers and writers who can confidently and articulately communicate and challenge ideas.

Both the skill and pleasure of reading is prioritised; DEAR time is embedded within all lessons across all year groups and reading intervention is the centre of our key stage three home learning. Our curriculum offer places the utmost importance on breadth of reading to ensure all students are given the opportunity to broaden and enrich their cultural capital. We explore a wide range of challenging and diverse texts which deal with global issues and ask our students to develop their own opinions about the past and modern world.

Cultural Capital is what brings the study of a text to life and we ensure that we offer students a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities.

Our curriculum planning allows students to respond creatively and imaginatively to tasks as well as analytically, and our personalised approach to marking ensures that students are given constructive and meaningful feedback to accelerate progress.

The explicit teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary is embedded throughout our units of study and is used to broaden student knowledge as well as close and surpass vocabulary gaps to ensure socioeconomic equity for all.

Key Stage 3: 

• Text: Once – Morris Gleitzman
• Focus: Creative Writing
• Assessment:
  • Writing task assessed on students’ creative writing skills
  • Students will be given a picture stimulus
• Week beginning: 5th January

• Text: Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman
• Focus: Reading
• Assessment:
  • Extract-based analysis
  • Students will analyse the writer’s use of methods to communicate ideas
  • Responses must include links to the text as a whole
• Week beginning: 5th January

• Topic: Gothic Literature
• Focus: Reading and Writing
• Assessment:
  • Combination of language analysis and a creative/extended writing task
  • Assesses both reading comprehension and writing skills
• Week beginning: 26th January

Key Stage 4:

(AQA) GCSE English Language – AQA | GCSE | English Language | Specification at a glance

(AQA) GCSE English Literature – AQA | GCSE | English Literature | Specification at a glance

• Text: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
• Focus: Literature Paper 1 (A Christmas Carol only)
• Assessment:
  • GCSE-style examination question

• Mocks – Round 2
• Week beginning: 2nd March
• Assessments:
  • Full GCSE English Literature Paper 1
  • Full GCSE English Language Paper 2

Welcome to English at Trafalgar School! 

I am proud to be the Curriculum Leader for English working with a fantastic team of staff to deliver the most enriching, diverse and engaging English curriculum for our students. 

Our team are passionate about the subject of English and we strive to Inspire all our pupils through challenging, engaging and enjoyable learning experiences that maximise progress, achievement and most of all enjoyment.

As per our school values, we believe all students have the right to engage in a diverse English curriculum to shape students into well rounded human beings and global citizens. We believe in the importance of nurturing and caring for our  pupils in an environment that recognises, supports, advises and guides each and every individual to become the best version of themselves. With personalised learning at the core of our curriculum, we ensure that all pupils feel valued and are therefore able to achieve their full potential.

Kirsty Watts (Director of English)  kwatts.trafalgar@salterns.org 

Jodie Leason-Bentley (Second in Department) jleason-bentley.trafalgar@salterns.org  

Lucy Clark lclark.trafalgar@salterns.org

Alexandra Dudman adudman.trafalgar@salterns.org

Sarah Swaffer (Literacy Lead) sswaffer.trafalgar@salterns.org

Miri Fleming mfleming.trafalgar@salterns.org

Sarah Rex srex.trafalgar@salterns.org

Chloe Henshaw chenshaw.trafalgar@salterns.org

Shannon Sawicki ssawicki.trafalgar@salterns.org

Danae Morgan dmorgan.trafalgar@salterns.org

Jacqui Pashby-Taylor jpashby-taylor.trafalgar@salterns.org