English Department
Curriculum Overview
Year 4
Autumn Term
Title: Instructions
Focus: Read & write a selection of instructions
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Written instructions
Title: Novel
Focus: Reading, writing a story, using paragraphs
Duration: 4 weeks
Outcome: Creative Story Writing Assessment
Title: Play script
Focus: Reading, performing and writing a play script (Toad of Toad Hall script available)
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Speaking & Listening Assessment
Title: Newspapers
Focus: Learn facts and opinions via newspapers
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Produce own newspaper front page
Spring Term
Title: Poetry (combine term 1 & 2 ideas)
Focus: Reading and writing poetry, focus on language
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Write own poetry & Speaking & Listening assessment
Title: Non-Chronological Reports
Focus: Research for report writing
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Non-chronological report
Title: Settings & Descriptions in Stories
Focus: Reading a variety of stories with different settings and descriptions
Duration: 4 weeks
Outcome: Creative Writing Assessment
Title: Explanations
Focus:
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Write own explanation
Summer Term
Title: Stories from other cultures
Focus: Reading
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Write own short story
Title: Arguments
Focus: Learn about written arguments
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Write own argument -
Non-fiction writing assessment
Title: Poetry
Focus: Rhyme, rhythm etc
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Writing poetry
Title: Persuasion texts and advertisements
Focus: Persuasive language
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Written persuasion and advert
Year 5
Autumn Term
Title: Stories (including different genres)
Focus: Reading a selection of stories and completing a creative writing task (RJ)
Duration: 4 weeks
Outcome: Creative Story Writing
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Title: Recounts
Focus: Read examples of realistic recounts and write own
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Recount writing assessment
Title: Drama - Play script or Poetry
Focus: To read and write own play script (RJ)
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Speaking & Listening Assessment, in groups
Title: Instructions
Focus: Read, write and evaluate instructions
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Instruction writing assessment
Spring Term
Title: Myths, Legends & Fables
Focus: Read a selection of myths, legends and fables and write own (RJ)
Duration: 4 weeks
Outcome: Creative Writing Assessment of Fable
Title: Explanations
Focus: Read explanations and write own
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Written explanation
Title: Drama - Play script or Poetry
Focus: Read a selection of narrative poems and produce own for class anthology
(RJ)
Duration: 2½ - 3 weeks
Outcome: Poetry writing
Title: Novel
Focus: Read novel and compare to film (RJ)
Duration: 3½ weeks
Outcome: Creative writing of a new scene or character
Summer Term
Title: Texts from different cultures
Focus: Reading a variety of texts from other cultures, and practising exam skills (RJ)
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Reading Exam Skills
Title: Persuasion
Focus: Reading and writing persuasion texts
Including note-taking & research
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Persuasive Writing Assessment
Title: Classic Literature
Focus: Increase pupils' enthusiasm for classic literature (RJ)
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Speaking & Listening Assessment of ‘The Highwayman', individually
Title: Letters - Real & Imaginary
Focus: To read & write a variety of letters
Including note-taking & research
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Formal & informal letters written in role
Year 6
Autumn Term
Title: Novel Study: Kensuke's Kingdom
Focus: Recount
Duration: 3 weeks themed unit
Outcome: Log book entry - recount writing & Kensuke's letter assessments
Title: Novel study: Kensuke's Kingdom
Focus: Reading novel
Duration: 3 weeks themed unit
Outcome: Empathetic response, including Speaking & listening individual assessment
Title: Poetry
Focus: A variety of poetry styles & techniques
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Poetry Comparison
Title: Mid-year assessments
Focus: Introduction Sats & exams
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Familiarity with format & exam results
________________________________________
Title: Christmas week
Focus: Christmas Texts
Duration: 1 week
Outcome: Understanding of a variety of Christmas texts
Spring Term
Title: Detective Fiction
Focus: Story writing techniques
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Story Writing assessment
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Title: Arguments & Persuasion
Focus: Persuasive techniques
Duration: 1 or 2 weeks
Outcome: Persuasive Writing assessment
Title: Non-Chronological Reports
Focus: Reading an example & writing own
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: To research and write a non-chronological report
Title: SATS preparation
Focus: Exam technique
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Familiarity with format
____________________________________
Title: Discussion
Focus: Discussion writing
Duration: 1 or 2 weeks
Outcome: Writing of discussion text, including formal & impersonal language
___________________________________
Title: Classic Author Study: Kipling
Focus: Studying poems and stories
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Creative writing assessment of own ‘Just So story'
Summer Term
Title: Drama - Frankenstein
Focus: Understanding a classic story
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Speaking & Listening group assessment
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Title: Sats Preparation
Focus: Exam technique
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Familiarity with format
Title: End of year assessments
Focus: SATS
Duration: 1 week
Outcome: N.C. Levels
Title: "Boy" by Roald Dahl
Focus: Autobiography
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Autobiography writing
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Title: Kevin Crossley-Holland
Focus: One author's style
Duration: 1½ weeks
Outcome: Comparison summary
_____________________________________
Title: Newspapers
Focus: Style of newspaper genre
Duration: 1½ weeks
Outcome: Newspaper article
Year 7
Autumn Term
Title: Narrative Texts
Focus: Reading skills
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Reading assessment - R AF2&3
Title: Persuade, Argue & Advise
Focus: Purpose, audience & style of different
texts
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Persuasive speech Wr. AF 1,3,6&7 & Argument leaflet Wr. AF1,2&4
Title: Language Investigation &
Introduction to Shakespeare
Focus: Language change over time & reading for meaning
Duration: 3 weeks
Spring Term
Title: Novel Study: Feather Boy (or another title as appropriate)
Focus: Author's Craft
Duration: 4 weeks
Outcome: Learn PEE & Character study
Reading Assessment all AFs
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Title: Describe, Inform & Explain
Focus: Creative writing
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Creative descriptive writing assessment Wr. AF1,3,5&7
Title: Poetry
Focus: Understanding and analysis
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Essay on Ted Hughes - Reading assessment R AF2,3&5
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Title: Review, Analyse & Comment
Focus: Film review
Duration: 1 or 3 weeks
Outcome: Film review writing assessment Wr. AF2,3,4&6
Title: Story Telling & Writing
Focus: Story Techniques
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Speaking & Listening assessment individually & Wr. AF5 via Sp&L
________________________________
Title: Introduction to CE English
Focus: CE Papers One (A) and Two (B)
Duration: 1 week
Outcome: Exam results
Summer Term
Title: Traditional Tales
Focus: Subversion of conventions
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Updated traditional tale writing assessment Wr. AF1,5&6
Title: Exam Revision
Focus: Familiarity with CE papers
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Exam results
Title: 20th Century Drama
Focus: Flour Babies - Anne Fine
Duration: 3 Weeks
Outcome: Speaking & Listening Assessment in groups
Title: Young Children's Fiction
Focus: Language Devices
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Original Young Children's Fiction writing assessment all Wr. AFs
Year 8 Common Entrance
Autumn Term
Title: Dracula & Vlad, Impact English
Focus: Creative writing
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Story Writing Assessment (Use CE Creative Writing Criteria) Include HoftheB R Comprehension
Title: Poetry, Developing Poetry Skills
Focus: Poetry Analysis
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Critical response skills poetry assess The Listeners R Comp & Born Yesterday R Comp
Title: Get Real non-fiction 2nd WW
Focus: Non-fiction texts - incl GCSE books
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Debating essay on war theme (Use CE writing criteria) Includes NF Reading Comp
Title: PEE Practise
Focus: To learn how to use PEE
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: PEE structure
Title: Introduction to CE English
Focus: CE English apers One & Two
(all sections of both papers - own
choice of literature for Paper Two)
Duration: 1 week
Outcome: Mock exam results
Spring Term
Title: Novel Study
Focus: Author's Craft & link to 2nd WW
Duration: 6 weeks
Outcome: Prepared literature response for CE English Paper Two (A) and creative writing (Use CE Essay Writing Criteria and Creative Writing Criteria)
Title: Get Real non-fiction Crime
Focus: Non-fiction texts - incl GCSE bks
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Discussion essay (Use CE Creative Writing Criteria) Includes a NF Reading Comp
Title: Poetry, Developing Poetry Skills
Focus: Poetry Analysis
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Understanding of CE Paper 2 (B) Includes Poetry Reading Comp
Title: Introduction to CE English
Focus: CE English Papers One & Two (all sections, including prepared literature response on set text for PapSummer Term
Title: Short Story & Description Writing
Focus: Creative Writing Revision
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Short Story and Description (Use CE Creative Writing Criteria)
Title: Poetry, Developing Poetry Skills
Focus: Poetry Comparison Revision
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Critical comparison - Includes a Poetry Reading Comp
Title: Non-Fiction Texts
Focus: Exam Revision
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Non-Fiction Reading Comp
Title: Stone Cold or Our Day Out
Focus: Reading for pleasure
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Empathy skills & a group speaking & listening project
Title: Novel
Focus: Exam Revision (summer)
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Essay - Use CE Essay Writing Criteria
Year 8 Scholarship
Autumn Term
Title: Dracula & Vlad, Impact English
Focus: Creative writing
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Story Writing Assessment (Use CE Creative Writing Criteria) Include HoftheB R Comprehension
_________________________________________
Title: Developing Poetry Skills pp52-60
Focus: Poetry Analysis
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Critical response skills poetry assess The Listeners R Comp & Born Yesterday R Comp
Title: Get Real non-fiction 2nd WW (tbc)
Focus: Non-fiction texts - incl GCSE books
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Debating essay on war theme Includes NF Reading Comp
Title: The Withered Arm
Focus: Familiarity with older texts for scholars
Duration: 3-4 weeks
Outcome: Critical analysis reading assessment via essay - use essay criteria
Ongoing weekly scholarship booster lessons on Thursdays to build up familiarity with a range of authors, genres and texts. Practise of higher level scholarship skills.
Spring Term
Title: Novel Study
Focus: Author's Craft
Duration: 6 weeks
Outcome: Sch. prep
Title: Get Real non-fiction Crime (tbc)
Focus: Non-fiction texts - incl GCSE bks
Lit thro texts p138-43
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Discussion essay (Use Creative Writing Criteria) Includes a NF Reading Comp
Title: Developing Poetry Skills p97-106
Focus: Poetry Analysis
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Understanding of Sch Paper
Title: Introduction to Sch English
Focus: Sch English Paper
Duration: 1 week
Outcome: Mock exam results
Ongoing weekly scholarship booster lessons on Thursdays to build up familiarity with a range of authors, genres and texts. Practise of higher level scholarship skills.
Summer Term
Title: Short Story & Description Writing
Focus: Creative Writing Revision
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Short Story and Description (Use Creative Writing Criteria)
Title: Poetry, Developing Poetry Skills
Focus: Poetry Comparison
Duration: 3 weeks
Outcome: Critical comparison
Title: Stone Cold or Our Day Out
Focus: Reading for pleasure
Duration: 2 weeks
Outcome: Empathy skills & a group speaking & listening project
