We follow the English Mastery curriculum that teaches students the knowledge and skills necessary to read for meaning and thus develop a love of words that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Students engage with a range of challenging texts from our rich literary heritage along with modern texts from a range of diverse writers. Through exploring the ethical issues raised in literary texts, we are able to support their spiritual development. Students are able to make links between the text and the context in which it was written.
Students learn that when written communication is accurate, clear and thoughtfully constructed, they can influence others.
Students learn to actively listen and understand how to use spoken language with confidence. Our classrooms are rich in oracy, where every child responds thoughtfully, and in full sentences using Standard English. Our young people engage in healthy debate and foster respect for others’ beliefs. Ultimately, success in English means students in Hastings will contribute to their communities and be successful, happy and highly employable.
As a Church School, in every lesson, we teach trust, gratitude and courage, making our department a happy place to learn and work.
We follow a clear seven-year plan which outlines the department’s central aims and rationale for choices of content and application. There are 6 ‘Big Ideas’ that form the strands across the Key Stages:
- Comprehension and thematic analysis;
- Structural conventions
- Language analysis
- Vocabulary
- Analytical Composition
- Writing
The ‘big ideas’ map students’ progression over the entire seven years and this is how we know and assess that students are making progress through the curriculum. This map gives the department a clear vision for success and aligns members of staff in carrying out the curriculum aims. It is coherently planned to build on knowledge from Primary school and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.
Setting in English: On entry, students are set in mixed-ability groups. We use KS2 baseline and NGRT data to refine the setting after baseline assessments in the Autumn term. At KS4, students are set using KS2 data and teacher assessment.
At KS3, students receive high-quality English Mastery lessons, studying English 5 x lessons a week. In year 7, this compromises of 3 x Literary Heritage lessons, 1 x Grammar lesson and 1x Reading for pleasure lesson. In years 7 and 8, this compromises of 3x Literary Heritage lessons and 2x Grammar lessons. At KS4 and KS5, experienced teachers plan lessons with expert subject knowledge. At GCSE Year 10, students study 4 x lessons a week: 2 x AQA English Language and 2 x English Literature. In Year 11, students study English 5 x lessons a week: 3 x AQA GCSE English Literature; 2 x AQA English Language. At KS5, students study English x 5 lessons a week.