English
Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 - Programme of Study (Years 7, 8 and 9)
Aims and Skills

The Canterbury Tales

There are two groups in years 7 and 8 receiving 5 lessons of English per week. The larger group is a first language group. The smaller group is a second language group for those students whose English has not reached a level of parity with their mother tongue. The intention is for students of this group to obtain a thorough grounding in English that will make them suitable candidates for the external examinations open to first language speakers in Years 9, 11 and 13.

There are two groups in Year 9, receiving 5 lessons of English a week. The larger group study for the SAT test at the end of April up to and including level 7. A smaller group study a more advanced form of English whereby the students are being prepared for the extended level SAT test at the end of April. (Levels 7, 8 and Exceptional performance).

There is not a second language group in Year 9 as this is catered for by 3 lessons of Extra English.

Language

1. Speaking and Listening
2. Reading
3. Writing

In addition to these, it details an element called Language Study: knowledge and understanding of the language itself. The philosophy behind Language Study is that, just as we can more effectively use a tool if we understand it, so we will use our language better and with greater pleasure if we can analyse it, discuss its development and identify its principal features.

The 3 Attainment targets of the National Curriculum are central to both groups in every year. The language Study Component of the National Curriculum is, however, modified for the second language groups in Years 7 and 8 so that they follow a course more suited to their needs.

In Year 9, Language study in the three Attainment Targets is unmodified.

Speaking and Listening

The spoken language is used for:

• Explanation, description and narration.
• Exploration and hypothesis.
• Consideration and reflection.
• Argument, debate and persuasion.
• Thought.
• Analysis.

Pupils will be given the opportunity to contribute talk of various kinds, adapting their speech to suit listeners and activity.

To develop as effective listeners, they will be encouraged to identify main points, tone, implications and other indicators of a speaker's intentions. They will be helped to discover and avoid weakness in argument, such as vagueness or lack of evidence.

Language Study in this Attainment Target includes:

• Changes in words and usage over time.
• The origins of words.
• Attitudes to language use.
• Regional, social and national variation.

Modifications are made for the second language groups of Years 7 and 8. Emphasis is placed on:

• Absolute accuracy in the non-idiomatic spoken word especially verb tenses.
• Sentence patterns and drills
• Oral/Aural comprehension
• Question and answer

Reading

Pupils will read a wide range of literature as well as non-fiction texts and media. The range of literature will cover the three genres: poetry, prose fiction and drama. In addition to the literature of the British Isles, pupils will be introduced to other literatures in the English language.

Some of the reading will be close study work. Independent reading, library use and a culture of literacy will be encouraged.

Pupils will be helped to analyse their reading, to discuss alternative interpretations and to engage with ideas, themes and language. There will be opportunities to read for pleasure and for information. In reading factual and informative texts, work will cover how to select information and to evaluate issues of fact or opinion, bias and objectivity.

Language Study for the first language group in this Attainment Target includes:

• Figurative language, literary techniques and terms.
• The analysis and evaluation of style and suitability.
• The organisation of literary and non-literary texts: for example, the portrayal of character, setting, time shifts etc.

Modifications are made for the second language groups of Years 7 and 8. Emphasis is placed on:

• Simplified class-readers, often a simplified version of that being studied by the first language group in year 7 only.
• Library of simplified literature in Year 7.
• The analysis and evaluation of style and suitability is studied only in Year 8.

Writing

Pupils will be encouraged to write more confidently in a variety of styles and for a range of purposes and readers.

They will be encouraged to write:

• For aesthetic and imaginative purposes.
• To inform, instruct, explain.
• To describe, report, narrate.
• To argue and persuade.
• To review and summarise
• To analyse.

Over the year a wide variety of forms and styles will be taught and practised: among others, this will include letters, chronological accounts, biographies, stories, essays and reports.

Language Study in this Attainment Target includes:

• Spelling and word structure - components such as stem, prefix/suffix etc.
• Sentence structure - parts of speech and their functions, connectives etc.
• Paragraph and whole-text structure.
• Punctuation.
• Dictionaries, thesauruses, style manuals

Modifications are made for the second language groups in years 7 and 8. Emphasis is placed on:

• Formal grammatical exercises
• The use of the grammar/phrases in the creation of paragraphs and more extended writing
• Verb Endings

Resources

For First Language Year 7

Oxford Secondary English 1
This coursebook provides a wide range of readings grouped in themes. These lead on to discussion and writing opportunities.

Class readers also provide further and writing opportunities. Studying a complete work of fiction gives the pupil deeper insight into the organisation of a work of literature. Typical texts used as class readers in Year 7 include:

• Ian Serraillier The Silver Sword
• E. Nesbitt The Railway Children
• J. Steinbeck The Pearl
• J. Bloggs The Borrowers

For Second Language Year 7

Access to English: Getting On (Oxford)
Headway Pre-intermediate

Class readers for second language readers are often simplified versions of the novel being read by first language speakers e.g. The Pearl. At other times short stories are a preferred option. An example is:

• Stan Bairstow The Goalkeepers Revenge

For First Language, Year 8

Oxford Secondary English 2
This coursebook provides a wide range of readings grouped in themes. These lead on to discussion and writing opportunities.

Class readers also provide discussion and writing opportunities. Studying a complete work of fiction gives the pupil deeper insight into the organisation of a work of literature. Typical texts used as class readers in Year 7 include:

• Nina Bawden Carrie's War
• Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• James Vance Marshall Walkabout

For Second Language Year 8

Access to English: Turning Point (Oxford)
Headway Pre-intermediate

Class Readers available are as those for first language English (i.e. not simplified)

For Year 9

Lett's Revision Guide to Key Stage 3
Past Examination papers of the Key Stage 3 Examinations
The Anthology for Key Stage 3

Class readers in Year 9 are always works of fully-fledged literature i.e. not written for junior readers. Typical texts used as class readers in Year 9 include:

• Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart
• William Golding Lord of the Flies
• George Orwell Animal Farm

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Pupils in both groups of every year begin to read the literature of earlier centuries as stipulated for Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum:

• An introductory module on Shakespeare in Year 7 and/or 8. Plays include:
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream
  • Romeo and Juliet.

  In the Year 7 Second language group only the tales with a few quotations will be studied. In the first language group and Year 8, extracts of the plays will be studied as well as the tales. The plays have been rewritten as stories by:

  • Ian Serrailer and Leon Garfield

  In Year 9, a whole Shakespeare play is prescribed. For the Year 2000 and 2001, this is 'Macbeth'.

  There is also a large selection of modern plays. These include:

  • Gregory's Girl
  • Aidan Chambers Chicken Run

  Poetry Anthologies are used. These include:

  • The Sheldon Book of Verse
  • Voices
  • Trevor Millum Too much schooling can ruin your health

  There is a large selection of short stories from the 19^th and 20^th centuries

Assessment

In Years 7, 8, and 9, there are usually two homeworks a week; the homeworks should take about one hour but as many of the homeworks are geared towards SAT tests especially in Year 9, time limits are often recommended which may be more or less than an hour. Homeworks often include reading chapters from novels/learning poems.

The Christmas Examination assesses the first term's work. At the end of April, all students in Year 9 attempt the SAT tests, which are marked externally.

The summer examination for year 9 is preceded by a short course created to help students make the transition to IGCSE work in years 10 and 11. Assessment in this examination is based on this course.

Grading

Students receive grades and each piece of written work is also given an assessment level. A list of grade and assessment equivalents is given below.

Content

The content is based on thematic units, class reader units and a Shakespeare unit in Years 7 and 8. Skills in these years are incorporated within the thematic units. In year 9, the units are more specifically based on skills and the literature texts examined in SAT tests and internal examinations.

Year 7 (First Language)

Term 1

• Unit 1 Just Suppose
• Unit 2 Playing
• Unit 3 Tooth and Claw
• Unit 4 Accident at Salter's Cliff
• Reading Unit The Pearl

Term 2

• Unit 5 Emergency
• Unit 6 Friends and Enemies
• Unit 7 My Hero
• Unit 8 Bank Raid
• Unit 9 Discovering
• Reading Unit The Silver Sword

Term 3

• Unit 10 Wings
• Unit 11 Strange and Mysterious
• Unit 12 Escape from Kraznir
• Reading Unit The Borrowers (Includes worksheet on the Film of the same name)
• Shakespeare Unit A Midsummer Night's Dream

Year 7 (Second Language)

Term 1

• Unit 1 New year's Resolutions
• Unit 2 A New lodger
• Unit 3 Money problems
• Unit 4 No money, No Girl
• Unit 5 Problems of the Heart
• Unit 6 A nasty Experience for Mr Smithers
• Unit 7 Invitation to a Dance
• Reading Unit The Pearl (Simplified)

Term 2

• Unit 8 Old School Friends
• Unit 9 Arthur Decides to Improve Himself
• Unit 10 Evening Classes
• Unit 11 Arthur on television
• Unit 12 A Man Comes for the Television
• Unit 13 An Emergency Visit to the Dentist
• Unit 14 Mary is Upset
• Unit 15 At the Police Station
• Unit 16 An Arrest is made
• Reading Unit The Goalkeeper's revenge

Term 3

• Unit 17 The Trial
• Unit 18 Midsummer Fair
• Unit 19 Engaged to be Married
• Unit 20 The Wedding
• Reading Unit The Borrowers (plus worksheet on the film of the same name)
• Shakespeare Unit A Midsummer Night's Dream

Year 8 (First Language)

Term 1

• Unit 1 Courage
• Unit 2 The Days of our Lives
• Unit 3 All Winter Long
• Unit 4 Snowed Up!
• Reading Unit Walkabout

Term 2

• Unit 5 Underground
• Unit 6 Possible Futures
• Unit 7 The Horror, the Horror!
• Unit 8 The Final Voyage
• Unit 9 Wheels
• Reading unit 3 Weeks with the Queen

Term 3

• Unit 10 Conflicts
• Unit 11 Animals and Man
• Unit 12 School 2025
• Reading unit Gregory's Girl (Play plus worksheet on the film the same name)
• Shakespeare Unit Romeo and Juliet

Year 8 (Second language)

Term 1

• Unit 1 Finding a Flat
• Unit 2 Working in an Office
• Unit 3 Higher Education
• Unit 4 The Domestic Budget
• Unit 5 Christmas
• Reading Unit Walkabout

Term 2

• Unit 6 Sickness and Health
• Unit 7 Home Decoration
• Unit 8 An Evening Out
• Unit 9 Invitation to Dinner
• Unit 10 Tourists in London
• Unit 11 Holiday in Wales
• Unit 12 Preserving the Environment
• Reading Unit 3 Weeks with the Queen

Term 3

• Unit 13 The Police and Crime
• Unit 14 A visit to a Factory
• Unit 15 Looking for a Job
• Reading Unit Gregory's Girl (play plus worksheet on the film of the same name)
• Shakespeare Unit Romeo and Juliet

Year 9

Unit 1: Elements of Key Stage 3 Examination (Terms 1, 2 and 3)
Skills covered:

• Examination technique
• The long answer comprehension (incl. quotation technique)
• An introduction to Summary and Directed Writing.
• Essay writing - narrative, descriptive, explanatory and argumentative
• Punctuation (including direct and indirect speech and paragraphing)
• Structural/grammatical - especially tenses incl. conditionals and passives.

Unit 2: Macbeth - A scene by scene reading (Terms 1, 2 and 3)
Skills covered:

• An understanding of theme, characterisation, plot and structure
• Discussion of its universality.
• Discussion of dramatic elements (conflict, stage effects etc.)
• Styles of writing involving imaginative role-playing: diary form, speeches, newspaper reports etc.
• Formal literature essays - incl. quotation technique.
• Introduction to Key Stage 3 paper on Shakespeare (the context question)

Unit 3: Animal Farm (Term 1) Skills covered:

• An understanding of theme, characterisation, plot and structure
• Discussion of its universality.
• Discussion of allegory, fable, satire.
• Prose form to play form
• Formal literature essays

Unit 4: 19th Century Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Term 2 and 3)
The Extended group read these short stories within the context of Unit 5
Skills covered:

• An understanding of plot, character, and theme
• The structure of the short story
• The formal literature essay (incl. quotation technique)
• An understanding of dialect and class
• The elements of the mystery/horror genre
• Narrative position
• The writing of stories from different perspectives
• (Extended group only) Prose to poetry/drama (an understanding of style/genre)

Unit 5: Key Stage 3 - Extension paper practice (For the most able) (Term 2 and 3)
Skills covered:

• An introduction to "Unseen Literature Appreciation".
• The essay of variety.
• See Unit 4

Unit 6: An introduction to IGCSE English - After the Key Stage 3 Examinations (Term 3)
Skills covered:

• Literature Appreciation
• Summary
• Directed writing

Unit 7: An Exploration of Words (Extension of Vocabulary) (Term 3)
Skills covered:

• Contextualization, Roget's Thesaurus and the pitfalls of 'Spanglish'
• Prefixes and suffixes
• Stems and parts of speech
• Etymological terms
• The use of proverbs and idioms

Unit 8: Project on Goya (With Art Department) (Term 1)
Skills covered:

• Group work - discussion/co-operation
• Different styles of writing based on 'Goya - his art and times'
• Display (incl. computer work)

Unit 9: A Discussion on 'Cry Freedom' (Term 3)
Skills covered:

• See film. Discussion of dramatic qualities
• Worksheet on themes (Display)
• Discussion of the problems faced by South Africa since Majority rule