Year 8 English Curriculum Outline Autumn Term In the first half term, pupils will study gothic fiction from the 18th and 19th Centuries and consolidate reading and writing skills. In the second half-term, pupils will explore classic and contemporary poetry. The units will provide them with opportunities to develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently. Pupils will learn new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries. The units of work will provide opportunities for pupils to:  Check their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense  Comment on how figurative language presents meaning  Comment on how vocabulary choice presents meaning  Comment on how grammar presents meaning  Comment on how text structure presents meaning  Comment on how organisational features present meaning  Recognise a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used  Study setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these  Make inferences and referring to evidence in the text  Make critical comparisons across texts Through library lessons, they will be encouraged to choose and read books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment. Pupils will also be encouraged to re-read books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons. During the course of the Autumn Term, pupils are provided will opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences. There are two assessed pieces of writing. The first is a gothic story and the second is a formal essay. Pupils will be taught to summarise and organise material, and support ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail. They will be encouraged to apply their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and to draw on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing. Through redrafting their work, they will edit and proof-read and consider how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended. They will be encouraged to amend the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness. Pupils will be expected to use Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion. They will give short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas. Pupils will participate in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said. They will improvise, rehearse and perform play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning.

Related Weblinks Poems, reviews, interviews and competitions www.childrenspoetrybookshelf.co.uk/ Read, write and share stories online www.wattpad.com Vocabulary building www.thesaurus.com

Enrichment Outlines Poetical features – Pupils find out the meanings of a variety of poetical terms and present their findings. Investigating the Gothic genre.

Extra – Curricular Opportunities An opportunity to watch a workshop production about the war poets, in school.

Spring Term In this term they will study a Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This will be followed by an examination preparation unit in which they will consolidate their reading and understanding and practice writing for different purposes and audiences. Pupils will be able to develop an understanding of how the work of dramatists is communicated effectively through performance and how alternative staging allows for different interpretations of a play. Pupils will learn new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries. The units of work will provide opportunities for pupils to:  Check their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense  Comment on how figurative language presents meaning  Comment on how vocabulary choice presents meaning  Comment on how grammar presents meaning  Comment on how text structure presents meaning  Comment on how organisational features present meaning  Recognise a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used  Study setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these  Make inferences and referring to evidence in the text  Make critical comparisons across texts

Through library lessons, they will be encouraged to choose and read books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment. Pupils will also be encouraged to re-read books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons. During the course of the Spring Term, pupils are provided will opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Pupils will be taught to summarise and organise material, and support ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail. They will be encouraged to apply their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and to draw on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing. Through redrafting their work, they will edit and proof-read and consider how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended. They will be encouraged to amend the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness. Pupils will be expected to use Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion. They will give short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas. Pupils will participate in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said. They will improvise, rehearse and perform play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning.

Related Weblinks Links to Shakespeare websites via the English page on the Learning Platfrom The official website for Shakespeare’s Globe www.shakespeares-globe.org Content on Shakespeare from around the BBC and beyond www.bbc.co.uk/topics/shakespeare

Enrichment Outlines All you ever needed to know about Shakespeare – an informative and persuasive text about the life and times of William Shakespeare Revision and Practice Papers

Extra – Curricular Opportunities Exploring the history of The Globe Theatre and Shakespeare’s London Exploring the associations between Shakespeare and Stratford-Upon-Avon

Summer term After a series of lessons on revision skills, pupils will take their KS3 examinations. For the remainder of the Summer Term, pupils will undertake a transition unit about Spoken Language. This unit of work is completed on arrival at Harlington Upper School and it will provide pupils with opportunities to learn new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries. The units of work will provide opportunities for pupils to:  Check their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense  Comment on how figurative language presents meaning  Comment on how vocabulary choice presents meaning  Comment on how grammar presents meaning  Comment on how text structure presents meaning  Comment on how organisational features present meaning  Recognise a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used  Study setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these  Make inferences and referring to evidence in the text  Make critical comparisons across texts Through library lessons, they will be encouraged to choose and read books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment. Pupils will also be encouraged to re-read books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons. During the course of the Summer Term, pupils are provided will opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Pupils will be taught to summarise and organise material, and support ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail. They will be encouraged to apply their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and to draw on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing. Through redrafting their work, they will edit and proof-read and consider how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended. They will be encouraged to amend the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness. Pupils will be expected to use Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion. They will give short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas. Pupils will participate in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said. They will improvise, rehearse and perform play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning.

Enrichment Outlines Planning and preparing a class talk which informs and persuades the audience.

Extra – Curricular Opportunities On the Summer Term Academic Induction Day, pupils from feeder schools will present their findings to others at the Upper School. Groups of pupils from each class will have selected their aspect of spoken language for study.

Personal Learning and Thinking Skills in English The curriculum opportunities section includes the need to provide contexts that will help pupils develop their independence in reading and writing.

Creative thinkers The key concept of creativity puts creative thinking at the heart of the curriculum for English. It emphasises extending young people's ability to use imagination, make fresh connections and use creative approaches in a range of different contexts. The curriculum for English encourages creative thinkers who can generate ideas and explore possibilities, connect their own and other people's ideas and experiences in inventive ways, and try out alternatives and new solutions. The key concept of competence and the key processes for speaking and listening and writing, with their focus on adaptability and the ability to make informed choices about effective ways to communicate, require creative thinkers who can adapt ideas as circumstances change.

Team workers The key processes section for speaking and listening provides strong opportunities for pupils to develop as team workers. Here pupils are required to ‘take different roles in organising, planning and sustaining talk in groups’ and ‘make different kinds of relevant contributions in groups, responding appropriately to others…’ Peer assessment and guided reading activities will also develop pupils’ ability to work effectively in teams.

Self-managers Work in English gives pupils the chance to organise themselves and show personal responsibility, perseverance, initiative, creativity and enterprise with a commitment to learning and self-improvement. There is scope in many activities such as researching an extended piece of writing or preparing an individual presentation or group performance for pupils to organise their time and resources, prioritise their actions, and anticipate, take and manage risks. They can be encouraged to actively embrace change, respond positively to new priorities, cope with challenges and look for new opportunities.

Effective participators English offers many opportunities for pupils to contribute to presentations, debates, discussions and drama activities and to engage actively with texts and issues that affect them and those around them. The focus on evaluating their own and other people's performances and writing in the curriculum opportunities section encourages pupils to participate in helping others progress. The speaking and listening key processes make explicit reference to the listening and negotiation skills essential for effective participation such as ‘listen and respond constructively to others, taking different views into account and modifying their own views in the light of what others say’.

Reflective learners The programme of study for English provides opportunities for pupils to become reflective learners by helping them develop their evaluative skills. The curriculum opportunities for speaking and listening and writing emphasise the need for pupils to evaluate and respond to their own and other people's performances or writing. Pupils can apply this evaluation to assess their own strengths and weaknesses, setting themselves realistic goals with criteria for success. The importance of planning, drafting, editing, proofreading and self-evaluation is also highlighted in the key processes for writing.