English
GCSE Results 2022
English | English Literature | |
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9 - 7 | 15.6% | 12.6% |
9 - 5 | 53.7% | 52.4% |
9 - 4 | 72.7% | 70.6% |
9 - 1 | 98.3% | 97.8% |
2023/2024 Teaching staff: Mrs S Henden, Mr S Herbert, Mr I MacDonald, Miss F Bennett, Mrs E Edlin, Miss S Foster, Miss J Farley, Mrs C Sullivan, Miss A Badshah, Ms S Felston and Miss S Gibbons.
Follow us on X (twitter) @OakwoodEnglish
Oakwood School – Curriculum Overview
Faculty | English |
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Head of Faculty | Mrs S Henden |
Statement of Intent | The English Department is a successful and forward thinking department, characterised by a strong sense of collaboration and enthusiasm for our subject and our pupils. In our department, we strive to foster a love of language and literature in our pupils. We aim to develop pupils' ability to communicate effectively in a wide range of contexts; to enable pupils to use accurate Standard English and develop an interest in the richness of the English language in its various forms. We endeavour to give pupils the opportunity to read texts by contemporary authors and also those celebrated within our literary heritage and through this, we encourage a love of reading and literature within the school community. In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, we have redesigned our curriculum to ensure that all pupils are able to achieve highly and become well-rounded individuals. |
Statement of Implementation |
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | Rationale |
Year 7 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Dracula: Drama Text | Spring 1 – Poems that get you talking. | Private Peaceful | Our ethos within the department is to engage, inspire and develop a love of learning within our students – this is our mission in Year 7 and something I feel we achieve. We start Year 7 with a gothic play as this immediately hooks the students into our curriculum – they enjoy learning how to read a play and being able to take on the role of different characters; it enables them to work together to bring the play to life. With this unit, we are focusing on retrieving basic skills which are focused on in KS2 and ensuring they are embedded into our students. We also introduce the GCSE 40 marker question for English Language but by focusing this on a gothic story, it is fun and accessible. We then move onto looking at poetry; the aim of this unit is to explore big and perhaps difficult topics such as writing from different cultures, historical racism and bullying. We are covering important EDI topics whilst also allowing our students to look at poetry, poetic devices and get a feel for the unseen poetry unit included in the literature GCSE. We look at a range of Shakespeare texts in Year 7 with the main aim of getting students used to understanding and comprehending Shakespearean language which they will need for their GCSEs. They enjoy this unit and looking at all the different and unique characters that Shakespeare has provided. We finish in Year 7 by reading the novel Private Peaceful. We truly believe that we should allow the students at least one opportunity of reading a whole book in school (which we also provide in our allocated reading lessons). The book is enjoyable and accessible to students whilst also featuring challenging language and topics. Through this book we look at male vulnerability, loss of parents which is essential for some of our students to explore and acceptable of learning difficulties. We have built a curriculum which ensures our ethos whilst embedding the GCSE skills needed. |
Content covered
| -Reading and studying a play. -Gothic genre to help with Language Question 5 for GCSE. -Learning how to write WHAT HOW WHY paragraphs. -Language Paper 2 Q5 transactional writing. -Soliloquies and their purpose. -Figurative language. -Pathetic fallacy. -Sentence structures. -Paragraphing. -Creative writing | Spring 1: -Poetic devices. -WHAT HOW WHY paragraphs. -GCSE style questioning. -Annotations. -Structure. -Extended metaphors. Spring 2: -Shakespearean language. -Punctuation. -Shakespearean context. -Trochaic Tetrameter. -Transactional Writing. -Persuasive Devices. | -Reading a whole novel. -WW1 context. -Symbolism. -Tense. -Themes. -Characterisation. -Inference. - Foreshadowing. - WHAT HOW WHY paragraphs and how to develop. - Transactional writing.
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Assessment
| Baseline Test and Language Paper 1 Question 5 | Drop Everything and Write (Poetry – Lang Paper 1 Q5) and a Literature Shakespeare Assessment. | Drop Everything and Write (Lang Paper 1 Q5) and EOY core exam – Language Paper 1 complete paper. | ||
Literacy focus
| Reading of a play, reading with animation and reading comprehension. | Reading and understanding unseen poems, responding to techniques used by poets. Reading and understanding Shakespearean language – inference skills and characterisation. | Reading of a whole novel, linking to context of WW1, characterisation, comprehension, inference and persuasion. | ||
Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Inclusivity and acceptance. | Diverse poets, subjects and hard-hitting issues explored. Right and wrong. Gender inequalities and ethics. | Vulnerability of male characters/loss of a parent/learning difficulty. | ||
National Curriculum links / GCSE connections | Connects with Language Paper 1 Question 5 assessment wise and Literature with the play element. | Language Paper Q5, Literature Paper 2 Unseen Poetry and Literature Paper 1 Shakespeare. | Language Paper 1 and Literature Paper 2 Modern Text/Paper 1 Novel. |
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | Rationale |
Year 8 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Autumn 1 – Dystopian Fiction: Language Skills Autumn 2 – Romeo and Juliet: Extract Study. | Spring 1 – To Kill a Mockingbird Spring 2 – Poetry Through the Ages | Noughts and Crosses | The aim of Year 8, is to build upon and develop the crucial skills covered in Year 7. We start to look at a different genre at the beginning of Year 8 with dystopian literature to ensure our student’s can access a wide range of texts and our focus here is mainly on the GCSE English Language Paper 1 skills. We then develop the Year 7 Shakespeare unit but introducing one whole Shakespearean play which is Romeo and Juliet. This allows students to build upon the skills they learnt in Year 7 and once again test their understanding of Shakespearean language. They are then also introduced to literature GCSE style questions. Romeo and Juliet covers topics such as relationships (which is fundamental as at this age they are now exploring more complex relationships) and suicide – which we then build upon later. To Kill a Mockingbird allows us to develop our exploration of racism whilst also introducing PSHE focuses such as rape. This allows for appropriate and important discussions. We focus here on transactional writing as the GCSE element. We then once again focus on developing skills taught in Year 7 by looking at another poetry unit. This poetry unit extends the students’ knowledge by now looking at different forms, eras and context within poetry – enabling students to feel prepared for the AQA power and conflict and unseen poetry units later on. We finish Year 8 by reading and exploring the Noughts and Crosses novel – once again providing students with the opportunity of reading an enjoyable whilst complex and challenging novel. This topic develops the exploration of racism from different perspectives, suicide, sexual relationships, consent and extremism. Our aim is to develop the skills/GCSE content learnt and covered in Year 7 whilst continuing to discuss necessary EDI topics and ensuring we have well-rounded and kind students. |
Content covered
| Autumn 1: -Inference and deduction. -Conventions. -New genre. -What Language Paper 1 requires and the different types of questions. -Analysis -Structure/structural devices. Autumn 2: -Focus on one Shakespearean text and the language used. -Author’s intentions. -Comprehension. -Gender. -GCSE literature question.
| Spring 1: -DAFORREST and transactional writing. -Summarising. -Exploding quotations. -Social and Historical context. -Denotation and connotation. Spring 2: -Historical development of poetry. -Poetic forms. -Effect on reader. -Poetic structure. -Context on the various poetic eras.
| -Reading of a whole novel. -Tone. -Perspective and changes in perspectives. -Inferences. -Author’s choices of methods/specific language used. -Polysyndeton and anaphora. -Different language devices. -Mental health foundations and suicide prevention links. -Language Paper 1 Question 4. -Analysing structures of an extract.
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Assessment
| Language Paper 1 (Q1-4) and Drop Everything and Write Literature Paper 1. | Language Paper 2 Question 5 and Drop Everything and Write Literature Paper 2 Unseen Poetry. | Drop Everything and Write Language Paper 1 Question 5 and EOY Language Paper 1 exam. | ||
Literacy focus
| Comprehension, introduction of a new genre. Reading and understanding Shakespearean language – inference skills and characterisation. | Linking racism (context) to 1920s America. Reading and understanding song lyrics from the period. Reading and understanding unseen poems, responding to techniques used by poets. | Reading of a whole novel, comprehension, characterisation, inference. | ||
Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Coercive control. Boundaries influencing young relationships, suicide. | Rape, racial injustice, poverty. Religion and religious control. | Racial injustice, suicide, alcoholism, sexual relationships, consent and extremism. | ||
National Curriculum links / GCSE connections | Language Paper 1 and Literature Paper 1 Shakespeare. | Language Paper 2 and Literature Paper 2 Unseen and Comparison. | Language Paper 1 and Literature Paper 1 – Novel. |
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | Rationale |
Year 9 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Autumn 1 – English Language Reading: Paper 1 and 2
Autumn 2 – Non-Fiction Writing (text to be decided) | Spring 1 – Gothic Writing
Spring 2 – Unseen Poetry | Summer 1 and 2 – An Inspector Calls | In Year 9 we begin the study of GCSE texts for students to ensure we have the time to teach each text effectively. At the beginning of Year 9 we introduce the English Language Paper 1 and 2 reading papers to the students. This allows us to develop reading skills which the students previously worked on in Years 7 and 8. The extracts we cover discuss homelessness in the UK in the 19th century and 21st century, which links to the study of ‘An Inspector Calls’. Through this we aim to create morally principled students who understand the importance of community in our school and wider society.
We are in the process of changing our Non-Fiction writing text with the aim to introduce a text to broaden our curriculum so that it is more inclusive of different faiths and sexualities.
We then move on to explore creative writing skills through the study of a gothic film. Throughout the SOW students will develop their understanding of gothic elements which were first introduced in Year 7. The purpose of this SOW is to develop creative writing skills based on the GCSE English Language Paper 1 Question 5 criteria. The second spring term is where we introduce the Unseen Poetry element of the GCSE Literature course. The purpose of this is to build on the knowledge and understanding of poetry from Years 7 and 8 and to also develop key essay skills needed for the GCSE exams. We deliberately study Unseen Poetry before the Power and Conflict poetry anthology as it allows us to introduce key poetic terms which we can return to later on in Year 10. We study a range of culturally diverse topics through our Unseen Poetry element to ensure that we have well-rounded, kind, compassionate students. In the summer term we focus on ‘An Inspector Calls’ exploring key themes such as societal class systems and socialism v capitalism as well as gender roles. |
Content covered
| Autumn 1: - Comprehension - Retrieve information - Decoding strategies - Inference and deduction - Explain and comment on writer’s use of language/structure/ perspective and purpose
Autumn 2: - Using persuasive devices for effect - Adapting writing for specific forms - Adapting writing for different audiences - Developing SPaG - Knowledge recall | Spring 1: - Writing imaginatively - Organising and sequencing ideas effectively - Constructing and using cohesive paragraphs Spring 2: - Understanding meaning through studying poetry - Developing alternative interpretations and single word analysis - Developing knowledge of poetic terminology (language and structural) | Summer term: Reading GCSE text and developing the following:
- Social and historical context in relation to the text - Playwright’s background, purpose and intentions - Understanding of plot - Understanding of characters - Understanding and analysing literary terms - Effect on audience - Essay writing skills - Knowledge recall | ||
Assessment
| Mini assessments English Language P2 Q5 | DEAW P1Q5 Lit P2 Unseen Poetry
| DEAW AIC assessment
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Literacy focus | Fiction/non-fiction extracts Non-fiction book | Gothic extracts Poetry | AIC | ||
Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| Homelessness in the UK; Muslim faith; LGBTQ+ experience | Themes of isolation and loneliness in Coraline; moving home; relationship with parents; the human experience.
| Class system, capitalism v socialism, role of women in society, wider societal issues such as poverty and homelessness. | ||
National Curriculum links / GCSE connections | English Language Paper 1 and 2
| English Language Paper 1 English Literature Paper 2 | English Literature Paper 2 |
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| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | Rationale |
Year 10 | Topic Area/Key Question
| A Christmas Carol
| Finish ACC
P&C poetry Humanity vs Place | P&C Humanity vs Power | Macbeth | Macbeth | Revision, Retrieval and Roll Over (English Language revision) | In Year 10 our students will develop their GCSE study through the exploration of key literature texts. Students will develop skills based on the assessment objectives for their GCSE exams and will learn how to apply these to writing effective essays at GCSE level. A Christmas Carol is a text which is inclusive to all of our students and is an effective way to introduce them to the study of English Literature in Year 10. We will then study Power and Conflict poetry in clusters based on themes. This will help the students learn the poems and simplify the comparisons they can make. Allowing two half-terms to study Macbeth means that we can go into detail with a text that students find challenging. We have introduced a revision and retrieval element at the end of Year 10 to allow students to recap what they have learnt since the beginning of Year 9. This will help their ability to recall important information going into Year 11. We will use this opportunity to recap key English Language skills.
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Content covered
| Reading a novel. Essay writing skills. Social and historical context. Understanding a novel. Author’s intentions. Language devices/themes etc. | Reading poetry. Analysing poetry Poetic devices. Comparing poems based on themes. Essay writing skills. GCSE assessment objectives. | Reading poetry. Analysing poetry Poetic devices. Comparing poems based on themes. Essay writing skills. GCSE assessment objectives. | Reading a play. Essay writing skills. Social and historical context. Understanding a novel. Author’s intentions. Language devices/themes etc. | Reading a play. Essay writing skills. Social and historical context. Understanding a novel. Author’s intentions. Language devices/themes etc. | Recapping key skills from Year 9, especially English Language skills. Revising and developing key content for GCSE study. | ||
Assessment
| Marked DEAW | ACC GCSE essay | Marked DEAW poetry comparison | DEAW – debate focus | DEAW – literature essay focus | Mock exams – Language PAPER 1; Literature PAPER 1 | ||
Literacy focus
| Studying a novel | Studying poetry | Studying poetry | Studying a play | Studying a play | Lit and Lang recap | ||
Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
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Links to GCSE syllabus /AO | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | Lang and Lit skills | ||
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| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | Rationale |
Year 11 | Topic Area/Key Question
| Power & Conflict Poetry: Humanity vs Trauma | Power & Conflict Poetry: Humanity vs Trauma | Spoken Language GCSE Assessment
GCSE Revision | GCSE Revision | GCSE Revision | N/A | In Year 11 our students will build on their GCSE knowledge through the continued exploration of key literature texts and language skills. Students will continue to develop skills based on the assessment objectives for their GCSE exams and will learn how to apply these to writing effective essays at GCSE level. Students will complete our poetry study but looking at our final cluster (cluster 3) of poems from their GCSE Poetry Anthology, following a recall and retrieval study of their previous two clusters. Once all our key texts and skills have been studied (usually by Christmas), we will then focus on GCSE revision in class and also their Spoken Language presentations. Class revision will be teacher led and individual class focused – allowing the class teacher to support their students in the specific areas where they, as a class, feel they need the most focus. The Spoken Language will involve writing a speech on a particular topic and then performing that speech in class, answering questions posed by their peers at the end. The Spoken Language assessment is a compulsory requirement of the AQA English Language GCSE and it is a requirement that all students are filmed. Please be assured that these are kept stored in a safe location and are not viewed by anyone but the class teachers and the exam board. They will sit mock exams for all four of their summer papers throughout the year. In November they will sit a mock exam in English Language Paper 2 and English Literature Paper 2 (An Inspector Calls, Power and Conflict Poetry, Unseen Poetry). In February, they will sit a mock exam in English Language Paper 1 and English Literature Paper 1 (Macbeth and A Christmas Carol). |
Content covered
| Reading poetry. Analysing poetry Poetic devices. Comparing poems based on themes. Essay writing skills. GCSE assessment objectives | Reading poetry. Analysing poetry Poetic devices. Comparing poems based on themes. Essay writing skills. GCSE assessment objectives | Speech writing and performance. As part of the GCSE syllabus students must complete a Spoken Language oral assessment. This is required to be filmed at the request of the exam board.
Class teachers will also begin to undertake in class revision in areas of the GCSE curriculum where they feel their classes need support. | Class teachers will continue to undertake in class revision in areas of the GCSE curriculum where they feel their classes need support. | Class teachers will continue to undertake in class revision in areas of the GCSE curriculum where they feel their classes need support. | N/A | ||
Assessment
| DEAW (Poetry comparison) | Mock exams (Language PAPER 2 and Literature PAPER 2) | DEAW | Mock exams (Language PAPER 1 and Literature PAPER 1) | N//A | N/A | ||
Literacy focus
| Studying Poetry | Studying Poetry | Revising a play, a novel or poetry. | Revising a play, a novel or poetry. | N//A | N/A | ||
Opportunities (links to careers/EDI/PSHCE)
| N/A | N/A | ||||||
Links to GCSE syllabus /AO | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | GCSE text. Essay focus on AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 | ALL | ALL | N/A | N/A |
Subject Documents |
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Introduction to GCSE English |
Curriculum Overview 2021/22 |
KS3 2021 |
KS4 2021 |