Subject Leader: Mr G Hughes – ghughes@knoleacademy.org
Lead Practitioner of English: Ms S Ahmed
Subject Teachers: Mr J Bermingham, Miss M O’Donnell, Ms J Osborn, Dr H Powell, Miss A Jones-Weetman, Ms C Barber, Ms J Robertson and Mr P Winsborrow
Exam Board: Eduqas
Intent
The English Department is dedicated to fostering a love of literature, language, and communication. Our aim is to empower students with the skills and confidence needed to express themselves effectively, think critically, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
Through the study of diverse texts, creative writing, and analytical exploration, we encourage students to appreciate the power of narrative- in all its literary forms – and the richness and crafting of language. In line with the academy’s broader ethos, we are committed to nurturing independent thought, cultural awareness, and empathy by exposing students to voices from various traditions, backgrounds, and perspectives.
Our curriculum is designed to develop literacy, creativity, and communication skills that prepare students for success in both academic and real-world contexts. Whether analysing classic works, exploring contemporary literature, or crafting their own writing, students are challenged to push their boundaries, realise and achieve their full potential.
At its heart, our English Department aspires to instil a lifelong passion for learning and self-expression, ensuring that every student develop into a confident, articulate, and reflective individual, ready to make a positive impact in their communities and beyond; we, in the English Department, believe that through this subject, more than any other, young people are enabled to truly appreciate the human condition, themselves as individuals and understand their place in society.
Implementation
The English Department ensures the delivery of a dynamic and inclusive curriculum that inspires a love for literature, language, and communication. Our approach is guided by a commitment to excellence, creativity, and the holistic development of every student – that each individual achieve academic potential while realising the broader worth of their education and the role English has within this.
We implement our curriculum by encouraging students to engage with a diverse range of literary texts, including classic, modern, and global works, to ensure they develop a comprehensive understanding of literary traditions and contemporary issues; through reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, students build essential skills such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, creative expression, and effective communication; we aim to foster cultural awareness and empathy by exploring texts from varied perspectives and backgrounds; students are given opportunities to produce original writing, participate in discussion, and explore different forms of self-expression, both independently and collaboratively, while nurturing both confidence and imagination; our clear objective is to maximise each student’s academic potential through increasingly rigorous assessment, individualised feedback, and targeted interventions ensuring that all are challenged and supported in pursuit of this.
Our teaching practices are rooted in research-based strategies and adapted to meet the needs of all learners. We actively use technology, collaborative learning, and cross-curricular links to make lessons engaging and relevant. By regularly reviewing our curriculum content, scrutinising our practices and outcomes, we strive for continuous improvement and ensure that students are well-prepared for further education, careers, and equipping them for life beyond school.
Impact
The English Department strives to leave a lasting and meaningful impact on every student, equipping them with skills and perspectives that extend far beyond the classroom. Through the study of literature, language, and communication, we empower students to become thoughtful, articulate, and confident individuals ready to contribute to their communities and the wider world.
Our impact is seen in many ways: in our academic outcomes and achievement; students consistently demonstrate strong progress and outcomes, reflecting their growing mastery of analytical, creative, and communication skills. In line with our IB credentials, students develop into critical thinkers and problem solvers, by engaging with complex texts and diverse perspectives; our success can be gauged through their personal growth as young people: the subject’s focus on empathy, self-expression, and cultural awareness shapes students into well-rounded, compassionate individuals who understand and respect the world’s diversity. We truly aim to prepare students for the future, honing those critical skills of reading, writing, speaking, and analysis which are transferable across all fields of study and careers, preparing students to excel in further education and the workplace; a lifelong passion for language, literature and learning, by embedding a love for reading and self-expression, we inspire students to continue exploring the power of language throughout their lives. The English Department’s impact is felt not only in our students’ academic successes but also in their confidence, creativity, and ability to engage meaningfully with the world around them. We are proud to help shape individuals who are not only prepared for their futures but also inspired to make a difference to the world around them.
English in Each Stage
The units of work that pupils will study at Key Stage 3 (years 7-9) are listed below. The units build on skills that pupils develop at primary school and lead naturally to developing skills required at GCSE.
Year 7
Autumn 1- A Monster Calls– Students explore challenging themes within this novel, paying attention to character development, narrative voice and literary techniques. The assessment consists of a comprehension piece, followed by a creative diary entry.
Autumn 2- Myths and Legends- Continuing with themes from the novel studied at the start of Year 7, students explore fiction and non-fiction texts surrounding Greek, Norse and many more. They are assessed on their understanding of how myths and legends occur, including a piece of comprehension.
Spring 1- Poetry of Childhood- Students are introduced to some challenging techniques when regarding poetry, exploring a range of styles and poets. Their assessment will consist of writing about a poem previously studied and looking at language analysis.
Spring 2- Introduction to Shakespeare- As well as contextual understanding, students will explore a range of plays, looking at heroes and villains and the three genres: tragedies, histories and comedies. Their assessment is based on speaking and listening, which looks at performance.
Summer 1- Becoming a Writer- Students are able to let their imaginations run wild, learn how to write a short piece of narrative, explore showing and not telling, and learn genre and how to create an atmosphere. The assessment is based on an image or sentence starter, and they are expected to craft a short piece of narrative instead of a full story.
Summer 2- The Girl of Ink and Stars– Looking at the fantasy genre, students learn the art of cartography in this wonderful adventure novel. Assessment is based on the novels fantastical element, students will be encouraged to create their own imaginary world and write a piece of description to accompany it.
Year 8
Autumn 1- Of Mice and Men– Beginning with context of The Great Depression/The American Dream and transporting our readers to Soledad, students are challenged by the vocabulary and emotive plot. Their assessment is an analytical piece on a character from a given extract. They will need to select appropriate quotations and offer analysis.
Autumn 2- Private Peaceful– Incorporating WWI poetry with this Morpurgo text, students explore the realities of War through emotive literature. Assessment is based on a piece of comprehension from the text studied, alongside their contextual understanding.
Spring 1- Creative Writing- Progressing from Year 7, students are taught to write a Mini Saga, being selective with vocabulary and concise in practise. Their assessment is based on an image or scenario in which they focus on craft, quality over quantity.
Spring 2- Noughts and Crosses (The Play)- To introduce students to theatre, we explore themes of race, love and injustice in this well-loved story. Students learn about tone, theatre terminology and structure when building tension. Their assessment is based on how tension is created in an extract.
Summer 1- Powerful People- Students explore powerful figures; Maya Angelou, Jeff Bauman, Nujeen and many more. They look at types of non-fiction and transactional writing, paying attention to techniques and eventually writing their own. Assessment consists of choosing their favourite Powerful Person and writing a biography.
Summer 2- Welcome to Nowhere– This novel explores life as a refugee, showing how difficult life can be. Students learn about tension, structure, character development and emotive language. The assessment consists of writing a letter to one of the characters in the perspective of the protagonist about their journey.
Year 9
Autumn 1 and 2- Shakespeare Play- In preparation for Macbeth in KS4, students will study a Shakespearean play chosen by their teacher. The term consists of preparing them with the language, form and structure as well as commenting on audience response. The assessment consists of writing about how a character speaks and behaves in a provided extract, as well as answering a themed question regarding the whole play.
Spring 1- Short Gothic Texts- A mixture of literature and language, students will read and explore a range of gothic texts, ranging from Frankenstein to Northanger Abbey. They will also have the opportunity to plan and write their own short, gothic narrative. Their assessment will consist of using the techniques learnt to write their own piece of gothic writing.
Spring 2- Becoming an Advanced Writer- Students will learn the art of being a journalist/author. With a mixture of transactional and creative writing, students will further their skills in preparation for GCSE. Assessment- TBC
Summer 1- Poetry of Power- To further their understanding of poetry, students will look at a variety of styles, themes and poets, surrounding power. Their terminology will improve as they spot techniques for language, form and structure. Assessment is an unseen poem, where they will annotate and then write a response about why the poem is considered powerful.
Summer 2- To Kill a Mockingbird– An opportunity to study a challenging novel that will prepare them for the texts studied at GCSE. Assessment will be based around a theme and given extract.
Examination Information
English Language
Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing (40%)
1 hour 45 minutes. Written examination.
- Section A (20%) – Reading Understanding of one prose extract (about 60-100 lines) of literature from the 20th century assessed through a range of structured questions.
- Section B (20%) – Prose Writing One creative writing task selected from a choice of four titles.
Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing (60%)
2 hours. Written examination.
- Section A (30%) – Reading Understanding of two extracts (about 900-1200 words in total) of high-quality non-fiction writing, one from the 19th century, the other from the 21st century. through a range of structured questions
- Section B (30%) – Writing Two compulsory transactional/persuasive writing tasks.
Component 3: Spoken Language (unweighted)
Internally assessed. Non-exam assessment.
- One presentation/speech, including responses to questions and feedback
- Achievement in Spoken Language will be reported as part of the qualification, but it will not form part of the final mark and grade.
English Literature
Component 1: Shakespeare and Poetry (40%)
2 hours. Written examination.
- Section A (20%) Macbeth
- Section B (20%) Poetry from 1789 to the present day
Component 2: Post 1914 Prose/Drama, 19th Century Prose and Unseen Poetry (60%)
2 hours 30 minutes. Written examination.
- Section A (20%) An Inspector Calls (Priestley)
- Section B (20%) 19th Century Prose A Christmas Carol (Dickens)
- Section C (20%) Unseen Poetry from the 20th/21st Century. There are two questions on unseen poems, one of which involves comparison.
Enrichment and Extra-curricular Activities
Knole Academy Art Department provides a range of enrichment activities, including clubs, trips and workshops.
Key Stage 3:
The Creativity Club for years 7 and 8 is a popular lunchtime activity that encourages students to explore different media and use their imaginations to produce new and exciting work.
Key Stage 4 and 5:
Students are given the opportunity to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities. We use visits to galleries museums, and run workshops with visiting artists and Knole
Alumni to develop students’ critical and contextual understanding. All students are also encouraged to visit local galleries as part of their independent study.
Arts Award encourages students to experience different elements of Art and collect evidence in an individual arts log of their experiences in the following areas:
- Active participation in a range of arts activities, including a personal response about what they have learnt from taking part.
- Experience of arts organisations, artists, and their work.
- Creating a piece of artwork.
- Identification of what they have enjoyed and/or achieved and their communication of this to others.
Warcraft Wednesdays are offered each week so students can bring in their collection and use the space to paint their models with teacher supervision.
English Future Paths
Students can progress further to IB English Language and Literature or LAMDA Speech and Drama
Some examples of careers with an English degree include Journalist, Copywriter, Teacher, Paralegal, Marketing Executive, Editor, Museum Curator, Freelance Writer, Librarian, Publisher, Web Editor, Author, Social Media Manager and PR manager. But this list isn’t exhaustive; there are numerous other careers in fields where strong communication and written English skills are top priorities, for example, within sectors such as media, advertising, law, retail and leisure.
There are also plenty of companies that recruit English Literature graduates. PR agencies such as Edelman and Brunswick and publishers like Penguin Random House and Harper Collins have a range of editorial, writing and content management roles.