English

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Poems from Different Cultures – a selection of different poems that show diversity across the world. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

We are very proud of the way we celebrate diversity at Bishop Justus. Beginning a students’ life at the school with a unit of work that explores and acknowledges the different cultures of the world sets the tone for a more inclusive environment within the classroom. Students may not be used to the encompassing acceptance that is expected here, so this unit allows for discussions to take place and any issues to be tackled early on. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Language Techniques (simile; metaphor; rhyme; rhythm; alliteration; imagery) 

Contextual details about poets’ lives 

Meaning of individual poems 

Students will analyse poems individually, paying particular attention to the words and phrases used to create meaning. They will explore the message that poets are trying to give to their readers and evaluate how successful this is. They will begin to compare poems by looking at how they are similar/different and why. Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to compare poems and be given sentence starters and model paragraphs to ensure the work is accessible for all. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….write about meanings and messages within poems, relate them to their understanding of a poet’s experiences and attitudes, and explore how methods influence readers. 

What should they be able to know? Details about the poets’ lives that have influenced their writing. How methods are used to create meanings. 

What should they be able to do? Write comparative responses to poems on a broad theme (setting, identity etc) 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Responses to individual poems, comparisons of poems in suitable pairs. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will learn how to effectively communicate their travel experiences, observations, and emotions through descriptive and engaging writing. This unit will interweave various skills and knowledge areas, including language arts, geography, cultural studies, and visual literacy. Students will be challenged to develop their creativity, critical thinking, research, and writing skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the world. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

We need to deliver this travel writing visual curriculum to empower students with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and understand the increasingly interconnected world we live in. By fostering their abilities to express themselves through travel writing, we aim to cultivate their creativity, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding. This curriculum is essential in preparing students to become informed global citizens who can effectively communicate their experiences and perspectives in an interconnected and diverse society. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

• Definition and purpose of travel writing 

• Different subgenres of travel writing (e.g., travel leaflet) 

• Key elements and characteristics of effective travel writing 

• Use of descriptive language, sensory details and imagery 

• Figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification) to enhance descriptions 

• Narrative structures and storytelling techniques to engage readers 

• Revising and editing travel writing for clarity 

• Proofreading for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors 

• Reflecting on personal travel experiences and their significance 

• Developing a unique voice and personal style in travel writing 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? 

• Students should have a solid understanding of the purpose, characteristics and elements of travel writing. 

• They should have knowledge of narrative techniques, descriptive language and literary devices used in travel writing. 

• They should have a good grasp of research skills, including gathering information about travel destinations and incorporating relevant facts into their writing. 

What should they be able to do?  

• Students should be able to write descriptive and engaging travel narratives that effectively capture their experiences and engage readers. 

• They should be able to incorporate visual elements, such as photographs and maps, into their travel writing to enhance storytelling. 

• Students should be capable of conducting research to gather accurate and relevant information about travel destinations. 

• They should be able to revise and edit their travel writing for clarity. 

• They should be able to reflect on their personal travel experiences and connect them to broader themes and perspectives. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: extended writing, peer assessment. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

In Year 7, students are introduced to the captivating world of Shakespeare through the plays ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘Othello’, and ‘The Tempest’. The focus is on building a foundational understanding of Shakespearean language, characters and themes. Students explore the richness of Elizabethan drama, enhancing their literary analysis skills. 

Challenges may arise from the archaic language, intricate plots and nuanced characters. Grappling with the complexities of Shakespearean verse and comprehending the cultural context of the plays may initially pose difficulties. However, overcoming these challenges fosters critical thinking and a deeper appreciation for the enduring legacy of Shakespeare's works. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Introducing Shakespeare's plays like Twelfth Night, Othello and The Tempest in Year 7 lays a vital foundation for several reasons. Early exposure to Shakespeare cultivates language skills, critical thinking, and cultural literacy. As students progress to GCSEs, familiarity with the Shakespearean language becomes an asset, aiding comprehension and analysis. Moreover, the complexity of themes in these plays fosters advanced literary understanding, positioning students for success in more intricate texts encountered during their GCSE English Literature studies. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

• Basic understanding of William Shakespeare's life, including the era in which he lived and his contributions to English literature. 

• An overview of the Elizabethan theatre, emphasizing the Globe Theatre and the unique aspects of live performances during that period. 

• Introduction to a selection of Shakespeare's plays, with a focus on accessible works for young learners such as Othello, The Tempest and Twelfth Night 

• A gentle introduction to Shakespearean language, including commonly used terms, phrases, and expressions, with an emphasis on understanding context. 

• Differentiation between Shakespearean genres, primarily tragedy and comedy, providing a broad understanding of the diverse nature of his works. 

• Basic exposure to Shakespearean sonnets, highlighting their structure and themes, even if not delving deeply into analysis. 

• An awareness of societal influences on Shakespeare's writing, introducing students to the broader context that shaped his works. This is particularly important for A03 which is an assessment objective for GCSE English which asks students to refer to the contexts of the texts they are studying. 

• Recognition of the fact that Shakespeare's plays were written for performance, encouraging students to consider the plays as scripts for actors. 

  By laying this foundational knowledge, students can develop a solid base for further exploration of Shakespeare's works in later years. 

This can be made accessible and engaging for all levels of learners, including those with special educational needs: incorporate visual aids, interactive activities and simplified language to make the content more digestible. For students with special needs, we provide additional support materials, such as audio versions or simplified texts. We encourage group discussions and creative projects to cater to different learning styles, fostering a collaborative environment. Assessments will be diverse, allowing students to express their understanding through various means, ensuring inclusivity and accommodating different abilities. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

In their introduction to Shakespeare, Year 7 students should grasp the basic themes, characters and settings of Twelfth Night, Othello and The Tempest. Successful understanding will be reflected in their ability to identify key characters, discuss major plot points and recognise the central themes in each play. Additionally, they should be able to express their thoughts coherently, demonstrating a foundational comprehension of Shakespearean language and dramatic elements. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

• Analysis of main characters in each play 

• Analysis of setting in each play 

• Analysis of key themes in each play 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Mortal Engines is a steampunk novel, meaning that while it includes futuristic technology, it also takes strong inspiration from the 19th century (when steam powered much of the technology). In particular, this was the period when the British Empire expanded, taking land and resources from other parts of the world in a process called Colonialism (which is similar to how the fictional Traction City of London devours smaller cities in the book). This interleaves with History, Citizenship, Science, DT and previous English lessons. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Mortal Engines is a contemporary novel which illustrates the continual evolving and creating of new genres of writing; whilst building on previous genres to make it relevant to a new and younger audience. Furthermore, the wider concepts are important to ensure our students understand the impact of social, political and economic ideas which underpin Western society and its links to the wider world.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

The concept of “Municipal Darwinism” is a parody of Social Darwinism, a similar real-life concept that used scientific language (drawing from Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theories) to hide darker ideas and was essentially a form of eugenics (the idea that some races are superior to others).  

Contextual information: Mortal Engines—particularly its setting—takes inspiration from the science fiction novels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days) and H.G. Wells (The War of the Worlds). Mortal Engines was published in the middle of a boom in the young adult fantasy genre, with the first Redwall, Harry Potter, and His Dark Materials books coming before it, and with the Twilight and Hunger Games series starting shortly after it. 

Key characters:  

Tom Natsworthy: Tom Natsworthy is a 15-year-old apprentice museum worker who has lived in the Traction City of London his whole life. His parents died when he was young in an accident called the Great Tilt.   

Hester Shaw: Hester Shaw is a teenage girl about Tom’s age who has a large scar on her face from the night when Thaddeus Valentine murdered her parents and left her for dead.  

Thaddeus Valentine: Thaddeus Valentine is the head of London’s Guild of Historians as well as the father of Katherine Valentine and possibly also Hester Shaw. Young Historian Tom Natsworthy idolizes Valentine. 

Katherine Valentine: Katherine Valentine is the daughter of Thaddeus Valentine and an unknown woman from outside of London who died when Katherine was very young. She was then sent to live with her father in London.  

Miss Anna Fang: Miss Anna Fang (also called Feng Hua) is an aviator who works as a spy for the League of Anti-Tractionists. Although this technically means she is an enemy of the Londoner.  Miss Fang takes a liking to Tom and Hester, helping them along on their journey back to London in her airship, the Jenny Haniver.  

Shrike: Shrike is a “Resurrected Man,” meaning that he was a soldier who died in a war long ago and was turned into a deadly cyborg.   

Magnus Crome: Magnus Crome is the evil Lord Mayor of the Traction City of London. Unlike previous mayors, he is thin, suggesting that times have gotten tougher for London.   

Bevis Pod: Bevis Pod is a convict who is sentenced to perform hard labour in London’s lower part: the Gut.   

Chudleigh Pomeroy: Chudleigh Pomeroy is Tom’s boss at the Museum of Natural History in London. He can be a strict boss, punishing Tom for being late.  

Dog: Dog is Katherine’s pet wolf. Valentine found him as a cub and shot his mother but didn’t have the heart to kill him, mirroring how Valentine killed Pandora Shaw but didn’t kill her daughter.   

Key themes: Social class, The dangers of Technology, Friendship, Sacrifice, Social class, Prejudice and First Impressions.  

Throughout the text, students will analyse the language through the presentation of character, theme and setting. They will looks at how the writer uses methods eg. Language devices, structural devices to convey their viewpoint through their writing. Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to present their ideas.  Work will be differentiated by ability with heavier scaffolding and sentence starters for students where necessary. Pre-teaching of complex vocabulary before reading each paragraph will ensure students can access the text before needing to anlayse it.  

Students will also continue to develop their writing skills for specific audiences and purposes.   

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….Analsye the development of and changes within characters across the text, engage with key themes and contextual knowledge to expand their overall knowledge of society; past and present. To explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding.  

What should they be able to know? Plot the novel as a whole.  The way characters change and learn throughout the novel, influenced by their relationships with others.  

What should they be able to do? Write analytical responses to extracts, exploring the language and structure (methods) that Philip Reeve uses to communicate his ideas and influence the reader.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes, Writing for audiences and purposes 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

• Students are exposed to different expressions of love, exploring themes such as romantic love, familial love, unrequited love and the complexities and challenges that can arise in relationships. 

• The anthology interweaves various themes related to love, including identity, power dynamics, gender, societal expectations and the passage of time. Students are encouraged to make connections between these themes and analyse how they influence the portrayal of love in the poems. 

• They develop skills in interpreting poetic language, identifying underlying messages and analysing the poet's intentions and perspectives. 

• Some of the poems in the anthology address intense and challenging emotions, such as heartbreak, loss and unrequited love. Students may need to navigate their own emotional responses and learn to empathise with the experiences portrayed in the poems. 

• The language used in poetry can be rich and complex, featuring metaphorical expressions and figurative language that may require careful analysis. Students may face challenges in interpreting the poetic language accurately. 

• The anthology prompts students to reflect on their own experiences and emotions related to love and relationships. This can be a challenging task as they explore their own feelings and connect them with the themes and messages presented in the poems. 

• By engaging with these learning opportunities and grappling with the challenges presented in the AQA Poetry Anthology for Love and Relationships, students develop their critical thinking, analysis and interpretation skills while gaining a deeper appreciation for the power of poetry to explore and convey complex human emotions and experiences. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

At Bishop Justus, we believe in nurturing well-rounded individuals who possess a deep understanding of the human experience. To achieve this, we teach Love and Relationships, a module from the AQA Poetry Anthology to our Year 8 students. This early exposure to themes of love and relationships serves as a foundational step toward their preparation for poetry at the GCSE level. 

Studying love and relationships at an early stage empowers our students to navigate the intricacies of human emotions, communication and interpersonal dynamics. They learn to recognise and appreciate different perspectives, to analyse and interpret poetic techniques and to articulate their own thoughts and feelings through creative expression. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

• Language techniques and methods used to create effects 

• Comparative skills 

• Understanding of writers’ intentions and meanings 

Recognising the diverse learning abilities and preferences of our students, we implement differentiated instruction techniques. This involves providing varied activities that accommodate different skill levels, allowing all students to engage meaningfully with the poetry. We also offer additional support and guidance to students who may require extra assistance. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can…. write about meanings and messages within poems, relate them to their understanding of a poet’s experiences and attitudes and explore 

how methods influence readers. 

What should they be able to know? 

• They should be familiar with various types of relationships, such as romantic partnerships, friendships and family relationships, and understand the dynamics and challenges associated with each. 

• Students should be able to recognise and label different emotions, develop empathy towards others and understand how emotions can influence relationships. 

• They should explore the concept of love, different forms of intimacy and how to foster and maintain healthy connections with others. 

• Students should learn the importance of self-reflection, self-awareness and self-care practices in promoting healthy relationships. 

• They should understand the significance of consent, setting and respecting personal boundaries and recognising signs of unhealthy relationships or abuse. 

• Students should explore how relationships can change over time, including life transitions and personal growth. 

• Students should learn strategies for resolving conflicts constructively, including active listening, negotiation skills and finding win-win solutions. 

• They should be aware of the importance of seeking support from trusted individuals or organizations when facing relationship difficulties or abusive situations. 

• By providing students with this foundational knowledge, the Love and Relationships GCSE anthology aims to equip them with the essential understanding and skills to navigate relationships and make informed choices as they mature into young adults. 

What should they be able to do?  

1. Devising a thesis about how two poets present the same idea in different ways. 

2. Selecting relevant evidence to support your thesis 

3. What How Why paragraph structure 

4. Comparing structure language and form 

5. Single word analysis 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Responses to individual poems, comparisons of poems in suitable pairs and annotation of poems. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

We read ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare. This is the second time students have explored the works of Shakespeare, following an introduction in Year 7; and it is their first Shakespearean tragedy. As such the text is an introduction to the key features of a tragedy which include concepts of fate, time, power and death; as well as to the conventions of Shakespearean society which includes patriarchal family structures. 

Without a doubt, Shakespeare’s language is challenging; however, most students will have some prior knowledge of the plot thanks to modern day depictions such as Noughts and Crosses, West Side Story or even Gnomeo and Juliet! This familiarity equips them with the basic understanding needed to analyse the more complex themes within the play.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

‘Romeo and Juliet’ forms part of our student ladder up to ‘Macbeth’ at GCSE. Like Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet is a Shakespearean tragedy – by studying it in Year 8, students have a head start on these conventions when they come to study Macbeth in Year 10. The patriarchal context of Romeo and Juliet is also echoed in the gender dynamics of Lord and Lady Macbeth – again, studying these dynamics in Year 8 gives our students a head start for Year 10. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

• Key concepts of a Shakespearean tragedy (fate, time, power, guilt, death) 

  Features of a Shakespearean play (Prologue, Chorus, stage directions) 

  Structural features (prose, verse, meter, rhyme, sonnets) 

  Narrative features (exposition, development, catastrophe) 

  Key characters and their purpose in the play (Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Benvolio, Tybalt, The Capulets, Friar Lawrence and The Prince) 

  Key themes (love, death, fate, honour, friendship, family) 

   

  Facilitating knowledge: 

  Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows more than the characters on stage to create tension. 

  Tragic Heroes have hamartia and hubris 

  Oxymorons are when two opposite words or concepts are used together to show mystery, confusion and irony. 

  The context around how women were viewed in Elizabethan times. 

  How context of how Elizabethans viewed marriage in their time 

  The significance of the characters' names to their personalities 

   

  Ensuring inclusion: 

  As we read the play, students act out key parts before analysing the language and considering the presentation of themes and characters.  

  They will look at how the Shakespeare uses methods to create an emotional reaction from the audience towards his characters.  

  Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to present their ideas, writing example paragraphs and practising close language analysis of key quotes.  

  Work will be differentiated by ability with heavier scaffolding and sentence starters for students where necessary.  

  Teachers model annotation of the text under the visualiser to ensure understanding of the plot. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can...understand the plot, characters, themes and context of the play, they will be able to explain Shakespeare’s language choices to create an emotional reaction in the audience. 

What should they be able to know? The conventions of Shakespearean tragedy; the plot, characters, themes and context of the play; how to analyse language and build terminology into their responses. 

What should they be able to do? Write What/How/Why paragraphs in response to close language analysis, exploring Shakespeare’s language choices 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Language assessment on attitudes to women in Shakespeare’s time; Literature assessment of Shakespeare’s presentation of a character. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

For the first time this year, students will be reading a complete novel and analysing come of the more complex themes within it. ‘Noughts and Crosses’ takes on similar ideas to last term’s study of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, in that it looks at friends on opposing sides who build a romance and then have to deal with the danger it brings. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Having already studied the more familiar story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ students have the opportunity to explore a similar plot whilst building on the more complex themes of the rest of the novel and looking at language analysis through a different form. Exploring terrorism, betrayal and prejudice among others, students are exposed to new themes that will support them in developing their analytical skills from previous units of work. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Symbols and motifs – Noughts; Crosses; chessboard; choice; similarities between Romeo and Juliet; duality; missed opportunity; emptiness 

Characters – Persephone Hadley; Callum McGregor; Kamal Hadley; Jasmine Hadley; Minerva Hadley; Ryan McGregor; Meggie McGregor; Lynette McGregor; Jude McGregor 

Themes – racism; prejudice; forbidden relationships; terrorism; conflict; courage; violence; betrayal 

Contextual knowledge – The Apartheid; Malorie Blackman (author) 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can…. Analyse development of and changes within characters across the text, engage with key themes and contextual knowledge, and explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding. 

What should they be able to know? Plot of the novel as whole, how society has influenced the key themes and ideas in the novel. 

What should they be able to do? Write analytical responses to extracts, exploring the language and structural features that Blackman uses to create meaning and influence her readers. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes; analytical response essays 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students are looking at the features of the gothic genre this term, first analysing extracts from texts within the genre, and then creating their own version of a gothic story. In order to understand how to craft their own story, they first have to understand the conventions of the genre. This will allow them to reflect on whether other texts they have studied might conform to the genre, as well as enabling them to recognise the features in future texts. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students have so far studied a variety of extracts on different genres, analysing each one independently and looking for meanings within each short piece of text. Having looked at a complete novel last term, we now return to extracts on one genre, looking for connections between each text and how students can build on their knowledge of features of the gothic genre as a whole. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

1. What the gothic genre is 

2. The origins and context around the gothic genre 

3. The features of a gothic story 

4. What makes a typical gothic character 

5. What makes a typical gothic setting 

6. What are the key themes of the gothic genre 

7. What is a typical plot structure 

8. Key Gothic writers and their works 

9. Victorian context such as new discoveries in Science, psychology and the Romantic Movement 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….recognise features of the gothic and make links between texts with regards to different conventions and the effects created by methods used. 

What should they be able to know? How writers use setting and characterisation to evoke a particular emotion or feeling, which methods are most effectively used in the gothic genre. 

What should they be able to do? Identify and analyse methods used in gothic literature. Use traditional conventions of gothic literature in their own writing. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

L6: Write a gothic story; L13: "Gothic writing is too extreme to believe therefore can never be truly terrifying." How far do you agree?; L10: Write a description inspired by the picture. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

As one of the pillars of our school, it is crucial that we do what he can up uphold the school’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all aspects of education. Students will cover a range of texts tat will lend themselves to analysis and inspire conversations within the classroom. As a school with a wide-ranging demographic, units such as this are crucial in ensuring the inclusion of our students 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

• Reading and understanding key texts and their reasons of being included within the curriculum. They will know key moments in history and they way that they have shaped current discussions. Students will read key texts, respond to questions about these texts and then analyse for specific techniques and language choices. Students will write bit long and short analytical responses to question that will scaffold work that they will do in year 10 and 11 with particular regard to analysing language and structure of key exam texts.  

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

A solid understanding of certain texts and the reasons as to why these texts were written. They will understand the lasting and devasting impact prejudice and discrimination have. 

Because they can explain what happens in key texts 

What should they be able to do?  

Comment on key texts 

Identify language techniques 

Exmaplin structureal features 

Write an analytical paragraph 

Use context to support answers 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Various extended pieces of writing 

End of term assessment 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

‘My Name is Leon’ is a relatively new publication that has recently been added to the GCSE Literature set text list by AQA in an effort to diversify the curriculum. We are adding it to our plans in year 9 for the time being so as to replace some of our more outdated literature without losing the ability to discuss more sensitive topics. The EDI pillar is at the heart of our curriculum and so teaching this novel after students have studied a language unit on ‘Identity’ reaffirms everything they have explored so far. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Contextual information about Britain in 1980s – in particular foster care and social services 

Plot of the novel 

Key characters: Leon, Jake, Maureen, Carol, Tina 

Key themes: family, racism, identity, society 

Through reading the novel, students will analyse the language used considering the presentation of themes and characters. They will look at how the writer 

(Kit De Waal) uses methods to convey his attitudes through his writing. Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to present their ideas, sometimes writing example paragraphs and other times writing complete essays. Work will be differentiated by ability with heavier scaffolding and sentence starters for students where necessary. Pre-teaching complex vocabulary before reading each stave will ensure students can access the text before needing to analyse it. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can...Analyse development of and changes within characters across the text, engage with key themes and contextual knowledge, and explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding. 

What should they be able to know? Plot of the novel as a whole. The way characters change and learn throughout the novel, influenced by their relationships with others.  

What should they be able to do? Write analytical responses to extracts, exploring the language and structural features that De Waal uses to create meaning and influence his readers. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The play deals with challenging yet relatable themes including working class societal conditions; the class divide; and the welfare state and benefits. In this way, it builds on some of the themes explored by Year 9 students immediately prior in Term 2, when we read ‘My Name is Leon’ by Kit de Waal. Like that text, Blood Brothers is on the GCSE syllabus; by studying it in Year 9, we introduce our students to a second text which allows them to read in depth, critically and evaluatively.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Stagecraft techniques and performance 

Language techniques 

Contextual details  

Characterisation 

Plot development 

Structural chronology 

Symbols and motifs 

Writing accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English 

Discussing and explaining their understanding and interpretations. 

Students who are comfortable to do so will read the play aloud, acting out the parts to understand how the playwright uses language and stagecraft to create meaning. They will explore the message that Russell is trying to give to the audience and evaluate how successful this is. Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to analyse the play. 

Ensuring inclusion: 

Work will be differentiated by ability with heavier scaffolding and sentence starters for students where necessary.  

Teachers model annotation of the text under the visualiser to ensure understanding of the plot. 

Students are usually offered the opportunity to watch the play on stage during a school trip at some point during Year 9. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….  understand the plot, characters, themes and context of the play, they will be able to explain Russell’s language choices to create an emotional reaction in the audience. 

What should they be able to know?  The conventions of the tragic genre; the plot, characters, themes and context of the play; how to analyse language and build terminology into their responses. 

What should they be able to do?  Write What/How/Why paragraphs in response to close language analysis, exploring Russell’s language choices and literary methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment:  Comprehension and recall starters throughout the SOW; Presentation of mother figures in the play (Lesson 10); Presentation of childhood in the play (Lesson 20). 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Last term’s play – regardless of whether students studied ‘A View from the Bridge’ or ‘Blood Brothers’ - explored conflict alongside other themes and so this gives students the chance to reflect on what they have learned from the play and build on it through other texts. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

To know there are different types of conflict and how they have been explored in different genres over time.  

To understand how conflicts are presented though a variety of texts and be able to discuss this in writing.  

To understand how conflicts have influenced literature over time and be able to analyse this perceptively 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can…. recognise features of conflict extracts and make links between texts with regards to different conventions and the effects created by methods used. 

What should they be able to know? How writers use setting and characterisation to evoke a particular emotion or feeling, which methods are most effectively used in the genre.

What should they be able to do? Identify and analyse methods used in conflict literature. Use traditional conventions of conflict literature in their own writing. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Analytical essays in the style of GCSE questions; descriptive writing pieces focusing on characters emotions during conflict. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

‘A Christmas Carol’ - contextual information about Dickens/the Victorian era may be interleaved from previous studies/history lessons. Students will learn about outdated social conventions, whilst being introduced to some complex vocabulary that is largely obsolete now. They will show understanding of a range of occupations that existed in the Victorian era and form their own conclusions about the treatment of others due, in part, to the class system. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

GCSE set text.  Whilst the language is more challenging than in KS3 texts, it is not the most difficult of the set texts and therefore provides an accessible beginning to the course. The plot is likely to be familiar to most students, which will equip them with the basic understanding needed to analyse the more complex themes within the novella. Starting the course with ‘A Christmas Carol’ rather than any other set text bridges the gap between some of the simpler texts from KS3 and the more complex ones for KS4. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Victorian Era 

Key characters and their purpose in the text (Scrooge; Marley; the Three Spirits; Bob Cratchit; Fred; Fan; Belle; Tiny Tim; The ‘other’ Cratchits) 

Key themes (Redemption; Greed; Solitude; Poverty and Wealth; Family; Christmas; Social Injustice) 

Through reading the novella, students will analyse the language used considering the presentation of themes and characters. They will look at how the writer (Dickens) uses methods to convey his attitudes through his writing. Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to present their ideas, sometimes writing example paragraphs and other times writing complete essays. Work will be differentiated by ability with heavier scaffolding and sentence starters for students where necessary. Pre-teaching complex vocabulary before reading each stave will ensure students can access the text before needing to analyse it. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….analyse development of and changes within characters across the text, engage with key themes and contextual knowledge, and explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding.

What should they be able to know?

Plot of the novella as a whole. The way Scrooge changes throughout each stave, influenced by the spirits and the visions he is shown. Dickens’ attitudes to Victorian society at the time of writing.

What should they be able to do?

Write analytical responses to extracts, exploring the language and structural features that Dickens uses to create meaning and influence his readers.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

English Language Paper 2- Students will delve into non- fiction texts that are written during different eras. Students will critically evaluate and respond to different types of writing while developing their analytical writing skills. Students will continue to develop a love and appreciation for the spoken and written word that will enable them to be successful in their GCSE exams and beyond. Students will also be using social and historical factors to improve their understanding of non-fiction texts.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

By the end of the academic year, students will complete the GCSE course by understanding all the requirements for AQA Language Paper 2. They will be able to write effectively in different forms and for different purposes focusing on assessment objectives 1 to 6 of the mark scheme. Students will also have the prerequisite skills linked to the language units from KS3 and English Language Paper 1 which are transferable with Language Paper 2. Students will continue to develop an appreciation for the spoken and written word and be able to convincingly engage readers and listeners through the spoken language endorsement and other mediums. Students will also become aware of issues that affect society with the UK and other countries worldwide.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Method to approaching exam question 

Analytical paragraph structure:  

• what (what is the writer telling me)  

• how (how does the writer use words and methods to tell me something)  

•  why (why is the word or method effective); what is meant by additional perspective/interpretation. Vocabulary to compare. Literary techniques. 

Teacher models: teacher modelled and shared construction of what, how ,why - examples from Exampro 

Low stakes tests: Choosing the most effective language choice; synonyms to manipulate emotion 

The use of what, how, why structure will be used by students to write their responses where tasks will be differentiated and scaffolded to ensure that all learners make progress throughout the lesson and overtime.  

Resources: A range of  non-fiction extracts  by using Exampro, AQA and GCSE Bitesize 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

know and understand methods of writing used by writers while understanding the social, historical and cultural context that influences a piece of work and  

Because they can….  Students can make informed comments and write about certain topics relating to worldwide issues including COVID, poverty, politics, gender issues and unemployment. Critically evaluate and analyse these pieces of writing which focuses on the AO3 element of the assessment objectives. 

What should they be able to do? Analyse and make inferences across both non-fiction texts by exploring the methods used by writers explore key messages. Write in different forms such as: essays, letters, articles while transferring the skills from section A to write successful responses 

Learning checkpoints and assessment:  extract analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

‘Macbeth’ - contextual information about Shakespeare/the Jacobean era may be interleaved from previous studies/history lessons. Students will learn about outdated social conventions, whilst being introduced to some complex vocabulary that is largely obsolete now. They will study the conventions of a Shakespearean tragedy include a tragic hero, hamartia, a high-status protagonist, supernatural elements and ideas of fate/destiny. They will understand social conventions of Jacobean society such as the divine rights of Kings being the belief that Kings were selected by God 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

GCSE set text. Students would have been introduced to Shakespeare at KS3; this term provides an opportunity for them to study a Shakespearean text in more depth, deepening their analysis skills and ability to link texts to the contexts in which they are written. Shakespeare is likely to be familiar to most students, which will equip them with the basic understanding needed to analyse the more complex themes within the play. Studying this text as this point in the course allows students to practice and develop the essay writing skills that were initially introduced whilst studying ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the previous term.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Jacobean Era 

Key characters and their purpose in the text (Macbeth; Lady Macbeth; the Three Witches; Banquo; Malcom; Macduff; Lady Macduff) 

Key themes (Ambition; Gender roles; Deception; Supernatural; Kingship; Christmas; Social Injustice) 

• Through studying the play, students will analyse the dramatic conventions used considering the presentation of themes and characters. They will look at how the writer (Shakespeare) uses methods to convey his attitudes through his writing. Students will use the ‘What, How, Why’ writing structure to present their ideas, understand how to formulate a thesis; selecting and embedding quotations. Students will progress from writing example paragraphs to writing complete essays forming their own interpretations on characters/ themes. Work will be differentiated by ability with writing frames/sentence starters for students where necessary. A glossary of complex vocabulary before reading each scene will ensure students can access the text before needing to analyse it. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The plot of the play, how the key characters develop throughout; Shakespeare’s messages to the audience and how he presents the key themes such as ambition, power, deception, attitudes towards gender. How the play is influenced by societal conventions. 

What should they be able to do? Formulate a personal response and write an essay analysing a key character or theme within the play. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will learn the core skills or identifying explicit/implicit ideas; make inferences; analyse language/structure and evaluate a range of literary fiction texts. They will learn and utilise linguistic/structural features to write their own narratives and descriptions. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

GCSE Language Paper 1. Students would have been exposed to looking at extracts from texts and reading/writing short narratives at KS3. In preparation for their English Language GCSE students will need to revisit these skills at a deeper level by reading more complex texts and developing their ability to analyse/evaluate and write their own short stories. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Method to approaching exam question  

Analytical paragraph structure:   

• what (what is the writer telling me)   

• how (how does the writer use words and methods to tell me something)   

•  why (why is the word or method effective); what is meant by additional perspective/interpretation. Vocabulary to compare. Literary techniques.  

Students will read a range of extracts from fiction texts; identify, analyse and evaluate the writers use of language and structural features in order to create particular effects. They will be equipped with the necessary acronyms/sentence starters to help structure responses with more scaffolded writing frames being provided where necessary. 

Teacher models: teacher modelled and shared construction of what, how, why - examples from Exampro  

Low stakes tests: Choosing the most effective language choice; synonyms to manipulate emotion   

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

They should be able to read a fiction text and explore what methods the writer has used (language/structure) to create an effect on the reader. LA students should be able to identify particular words/phrases and comment on the writer’s choices. HA students should be able to provide a detailed/perceptive analysis of the writers’ choices and explain how this effectively engages the reader. Students should know how to structure a short narrative. 

Because they can…analyse; evaluate and explain the effect of a writer’s choice of language/structure in a fiction text. 

What should they be able to know? How to use subject terminology and explain the effects created through writing in extracts and their own writing. 

What should they be able to do? Read and identify key information in a text; analyse language/structure; evaluate the writer’s choice of methods to create meaning and explain the effect on the reader; write their own short narratives. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Practice Questions for individual tasks i.e. Q2(language analysis) Q3(structure) Q4 (evaluation); practice exam papers 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

English Language Paper 2- Students will delve into non- fiction texts that are written during different eras. Students will critically evaluate and respond to different types of writing while developing their analytical writing skills. Students will continue to develop a love and appreciation for the spoken and written word that will enable them to be successful in their GCSE exams and beyond. Students will also be using social and historical factors to improve their understanding of non-fiction texts.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

By the end of the academic year, students will complete the GCSE course by understanding all the requirements for AQA Language Paper 2. They will be able to write effectively in different forms and for different purposes focusing on assessment objectives 1 to 6 of the mark scheme. Students will also have the prerequisite skills linked to the language units from KS3 and English Language Paper 1 which are transferable with Language Paper 2. Students will continue to develop an appreciation for the spoken and written word and be able to convincingly engage readers and listeners through the spoken language endorsement and other mediums. Students will also become aware of issues that affect society with the UK and other countries worldwide.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Method to approaching exam question 

Analytical paragraph structure:  

• what (what is the writer telling me)  

• how (how does the writer use words and methods to tell me something)  

•  why (why is the word or method effective); what is meant by additional perspective/interpretation. Vocabulary to compare. Literary techniques. 

Teacher models: teacher modelled and shared construction of what, how ,why - examples from Exampro 

Low stakes tests: Choosing the most effective language choice; synonyms to manipulate emotion the use of what, how, why structure will be used by students to write their responses where tasks will be differentiated and scaffolded to ensure that all learners make progress throughout the lesson and overtime. 

Resources: A range of  non-fiction extracts  by using Exampro, AQA and GCSE Bitesize 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students will know and understand methods of writing used by writers while understanding the social, historical and cultural context that influences a piece of work and  

Because they can….  Students can make informed comments and write about certain topics relating to worldwide issues including COVID, poverty, politics, gender issues and unemployment. Critically evaluate and analyse these pieces of writing which focuses on the AO3 element of the assessment objectives. 

What should they be able to do? Analyse and make inferences across both non-fiction texts by exploring the methods used by writers explore key messages. Write in different forms such as: essays, letters, articles while transferring the skills from section A to write successful responses 

Learning checkpoints and assessment:  extract analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

English Language Paper 2- Students will delve into non- fiction texts that are written during different eras. Students will critically evaluate and respond to different types of writing while developing their analytical writing skills. Students will continue to develop a love and appreciation for the spoken and written word that will enable them to be successful in their GCSE exams and beyond. Students will also be using social and historical factors to improve their understanding of non-fiction texts.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

By the end of the academic year, students will complete the GCSE course by understanding all the requirements for AQA Language Paper 2. They will be able to write effectively in different forms and for different purposes focusing on assessment objectives 1 to 6 of the mark scheme. Students will also have the prerequisite skills linked to the language units from KS3 and English Language Paper 1 which are transferable with Language Paper 2. Students will continue to develop an appreciation for the spoken and written word and be able to convincingly engage readers and listeners through the spoken language endorsement and other mediums. Students will also become aware of issues that affect society with the UK and other countries worldwide.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Method to approaching exam question 

Analytical paragraph structure:  

• what (what is the writer telling me)  

• how (how does the writer use words and methods to tell me something)  

•  why (why is the word or method effective); what is meant by additional perspective/interpretation. Vocabulary to compare. Literary techniques. 

Teacher models: teacher modelled and shared construction of what, how ,why - examples from Exampro 

Low stakes tests: Choosing the most effective language choice; synonyms to manipulate emotion the use of what, how, why structure will be used by students to write their responses where tasks will be differentiated and scaffolded to ensure that all learners make progress throughout the lesson and overtime.  

Resources: A range of  non-fiction extracts  by using Exampro, AQA and GCSE Bitesize 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students will know and understand methods of writing used by writers while understanding the social, historical and cultural context that influences a piece of work and  

Because they can….  Students can make informed comments and write about certain topics relating to worldwide issues including COVID, poverty, politics, gender issues and unemployment. Critically evaluate and analyse these pieces of writing which focuses on the AO3 element of the assessment objectives. 

What should they be able to do? Analyse and make inferences across both non-fiction texts by exploring the methods used by writers explore key messages. Write in different forms such as: essays, letters, articles while transferring the skills from section A to write successful responses 

Learning checkpoints and assessment:  extract analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

‘An Inspector Calls’  

Contextual information about Priestley/the Edwardian and Post War era which may be interleaved from previous studies/history lessons.  

Students will learn about outdated social conventions and beliefs; including gender, class and age discrimination. Students will show understanding of the capitalist and socialist beliefs of the time and Priestley’s intended message to the post war audience.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now?  

GCSE set text.  Perhaps the most accessible text as the language is most current and the story line relatively simple, it works to end the teaching on this text as there will be less time for revision. The KS4 curriculum also runs in chronological order and this text is the most recent.

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

• A socialist is someone who believes in equality in society. 

• A capitalist is someone who believes in individual pursuit of wealth and exploitation of the poor. 

•  The Birling family are middle class. 

• The Crofts are upper class. 

• Eva Smith symbolises the working class 

• The younger generation can reform. 

• Social class is determined by birth and role in society. 

• Dramatic irony is a writing method where the audience is aware of an idea or plot that other characters are not. 

• Stage directions help to infer meaning of character and setting 

• Tension builds a sense that something significant is about to happen. 

• A circular structure links to Priestley’s message about morality 

• Social responsibility is a shared responsibility by all that people have to treat all people fairly and to work with others to benefit the community 

• Generation gap is the difference in attitudes between people of different generations - often showing a lack of understanding. 

• Edna is a secondary character, who symbolises the way the lower class are treated. 

• Priestley’s crafting of acts and scenes is done deliberately 

• Characters are constructs created to highlight themes and ideas. 

Teacher models: Structuring of analytical paragraphs; quote explosions to explore meaning; how to write about writer’s methods; how to include quotations from all areas of the play. 

FACILITATING KNOWLEDGE 

• A morality play has characters that embody abstract concepts e.g. capitalism, socialism, exploitation 

• A foil is a secondary character to highlight specific ideas. 

• A motif is a recurring idea or theme. 

• The Inspector serves as a mouthpiece and moral guide to society, the audience and characters. 

• Dramatic irony encourages the audience to dislike certain characters. 

• Priestley is commenting on human nature. 

• Alternative interpretations can be taken e.g. marxist, feminist, psychoanalytic etc. 

PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE 

WHAT - Thesis - a declarative statement that outlines the student’s opinion of the character or theme and what it is there to show 

HOW 1. A method or reference that best supports the thesis. An explanation is needed to show exactly how this method supports the thesis with a supporting explanation of how it was designed to have an impact on the audience. 

HOW 2. The next most supportive method or quotation that supports the thesis (see above) 

HOW 3. See above 

WHY - write about why that character was created or that theme was included. What was Priestley aiming to teach, show or criticise by including this aspect of the play 

How well?

Because they can...Analyse development of and changes within characters across the text, engage with key themes and contextual knowledge, and explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding. 

What should they be able to know? Plot of the play as a whole, the influence of each character and Priestley’s wider message connected to social context information.  

What should they be able to do? Write analytical responses to extracts, exploring the language and structural features that Priestley uses to create meaning and influence his readers/audience. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

English Language Paper 2- Students will delve into non- fiction texts that are written during different eras. Students will critically evaluate and respond to different types of writing while developing their analytical writing skills. Students will continue to develop a love and appreciation for the spoken and written word that will enable them to be successful in their GCSE exams and beyond. Students will also be using social and historical factors to improve their understanding of non-fiction texts.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

By the end of the academic year, students will complete the GCSE course by understanding all the requirements for AQA Language Paper 2. They will be able to write effectively in different forms and for different purposes focusing on assessment objectives 1 to 6 of the mark scheme. Students will also have the prerequisite skills linked to the language units from KS3 and English Language Paper 1 which are transferable with Language Paper 2. Students will continue to develop an appreciation for the spoken and written word and be able to convincingly engage readers and listeners through the spoken language endorsement and other mediums. Students will also become aware of issues that affect society with the UK and other countries worldwide. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Method to approaching exam question 

Analytical paragraph structure:  

• what (what is the writer telling me)  

• how (how does the writer use words and methods to tell me something)  

•  why (why is the word or method effective); what is meant by additional perspective/interpretation. Vocabulary to compare. Literary techniques. 

Teacher models: teacher modelled and shared construction of what, how ,why - examples from Exampro 

Low stakes tests: Choosing the most effective language choice; synonyms to manipulate emotion 

The use of what, how, why structure will be used by students to write their responses where tasks will be differentiated and scaffolded to ensure that all learners make progress throughout the lesson and overtime.  

 Resources: A range of  non-fiction extracts  by using Exampro, AQA and GCSE Bitesize

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? 

Because they can….students can make informed comments and write about certain topics relating to worldwide issues including COVID, poverty, politics, gender issues and unemployment. Critically evaluate and analyse these pieces of writing which focuses on the AO3 element of the assessment objectives.

What should they be able to do?

Analyse and make inferences across both non-fiction texts by exploring the methods used by writers explore key messages. Write in different forms such as: essays, letters, articles while transferring the skills from section A to write successful responses

Learning checkpoints and assessment: extract analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Power and Conflict Poetry- Students will be exploring relevant cross curricular links with History and Religious Studies focusing on the exploration of relevant social and historical context as well as diversity. Social and historical contexts will range from the Romantic era to the French Revolution into more contemporary times relating to conflict in war torn areas. Students will also develop vocabulary across tier 2 and 3 used across all poems.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now?  

The Power and Conflict poetry unit is a GCSE set unit that is quite accessible to students as they would have built the skills requited to write essays from KS3 and year 10. The themes and message being expressed in the poems are all linked and provides a great segue to explore the comparative element within the poems. This unit will serve as an excellent springboard building on knowledge from other unseen poems which is also a set GCSE unit.  

They will be able to write effectively in different forms and for different purposes. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Students will compare poems used by poets to create effects through the themes and methods such as: 

Students will also be able to effectively use comparative language such as:  similarly, likewise, both, whereas, in contrast, alternatively, on the other hand to make links between poems. By analysing language, form and structure students can write essays to explore how poets use these methods for effect. The use of what, how, why structure will be used by students to write their responses where tasks will be differentiated and scaffolded to ensure that all learners make progress throughout the lesson and overtime.  

How well?

What should they be able to know? How do they know they have done this well?

Understand the message of the poems which is mainly the futility of warfare and the negative effects of tyrannical and oppressive power. 

Because they can?  Engage with key themes and contextual knowledge, and explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding.  

What should they be able to know? - The story being told by all poems and about the effects of power and conflict. The social and historical factors that influenced the writing of these poems.   

What should they be able to do? Write effective essays by engaging with the requirements of the mark scheme: AO1, 2 and 3. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment:  Presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will learn the core skills or identifying explicit/implicit ideas; make inferences; analyse language/structure and evaluate a range of literary fiction texts. They will learn and utilise linguistic/structural features to write their own narratives and descriptions. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

GCSE Language Paper 1. Students would have been exposed to looking at extracts from texts and reading/writing short narratives at KS3. In preparation for their English Language GCSE students will need to revisit these skills at a deeper level by reading more complex texts and developing their ability to analyse/evaluate and write their own short stories. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Method to approaching exam question  

Analytical paragraph structure:   

• what (what is the writer telling me)   

• how (how does the writer use words and methods to tell me something)   

•  why (why is the word or method effective); what is meant by additional perspective/interpretation. Vocabulary to compare. Literary techniques.  

Students will read a range of extracts from fiction texts; identify, analyse and evaluate the writers use of language and structural features in order to create particular effects. They will be equipped with the necessary acronyms/sentence starters to help structure responses with more scaffolded writing frames being provided where necessary. 

Teacher models: teacher modelled and shared construction of what, how, why - examples from Exampro  

Low stakes tests: Choosing the most effective language choice; synonyms to manipulate emotion   

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? 

They should be able to read a fiction text and explore what methods the writer has used (language/structure) to create an effect on the reader. LA students should be able to identify particular words/phrases and comment on the writer’s choices. HA students should be able to provide a detailed/perceptive analysis of the writers’ choices and explain how this effectively engages the reader. Students should know how to structure a short narrative. 

Because they can…analyse; evaluate and explain the effect of a writer’s choice of language/structure in a fiction text. 

What should they be able to know? How to use subject terminology and explain the effects created through writing in extracts and their own writing. 

What should they be able to do? Read and identify key information in a text; analyse language/structure; evaluate the writer’s choice of methods to create meaning and explain the effect on the reader; write their own short narratives. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Practice Questions for individual tasks i.e. Q2(language analysis) Q3(structure) Q4 (evaluation); practice exam papers 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Love Through the Ages – Students explore aspects of the central literary theme as seen over time, using unseen material and set texts. ‘The Great Gatsby’ is used as the starting point for this. Students will be expected to read the texts in their own time and come to lessons prepared to discuss the content. They should relate their knowledge of the novel to their knowledge of any wider reading that has been completed. As the first set text studied, it is important for students to remember that they will need to compare this text with others studied later in the programme, as well as unseen extracts. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students explore representations of love across unseen material and three set texts at A-Level: a Shakespeare play (Othello), an anthology of love poetry and a comparative prose. ‘The Great Gatsby’ is chosen as our comparative prose text as it is widely considered one of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century. It is often called a realist novel and has therefore been chosen as the first text studied for this unit at A-Level as it provides a setting that students can relate to in a very recognisable New York: landmarks such as The Plaza Hotel and Central Park are familiar to readers. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Key Themes: love and relationships; appearances and reality; gender and sexuality; religion and morality; money and class 

Context: The American Dream; the roaring twenties 

Key characters and their relationship to each other 

General plot overview 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….identify key themes (with particular reference to love and relationships) through language analysis of this text to explore the central theme and how it is presented over time. 

What should they be able to know?

How writers use methods to explore a central literary theme. 

What should they be able to do?

Write thoroughly about the presentation of the key themes in the texts, analysing language and effects created through methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Chapter quizzes, analytical paragraphs/essays, practice exam papers.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Tests in Shared Contexts (Option B) – the aim of this unit is to encourage students to explore aspects of literature connected through a period in time, starting with ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. This topic explores both modern and contemporary literature’s engagement with some of the social, political, personal and literary issues which have helped to shape the latter half of the 20th century and the early decades of the 21st century. Students should prepare for Texts in Shared Contexts by reading widely within their chosen option. Studying representations of the key themes identified will allow them to encounter a range of ideas and opinions relevant to the shared context.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ is chosen as our drama text in order to explore issues that have helped shape the latter half of the 20th century. It is paired with ‘The Color Purple’ across the course, in order to contextually link the two texts in one essay question.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Key Themes: Manliness and homosexuality; unrequited love; dysfunctional family dynamics 

Context: Mississippi plantations 1950s, homosexuality laws and attitudes; Civil Rights Movement 

Key characters and their relationship to each other: Including Maggie, Brick, Big Daddy, Big Mama 

General plot overview 

Key Quotations – analysis of language used in relation to practice exam questions

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….identify key themes (with particular reference to love and relationships) through language analysis of this text to explore the central theme and how it is presented over time. 

What should they be able to know?

How writers use methods to explore a central literary theme. 

What should they be able to do?

Write thoroughly about the presentation of the key themes in the texts, analysing language and effects created through methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Chapter quizzes, analytical paragraphs/essays, practice exam papers.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Love Through the Ages – Students explore aspects of the central literary theme as seen over time, using unseen material and set texts. The AQA Pre-1900 poetry anthology is the next of the set texts to be explored for this unit, making comparisons with the themes from ‘The Great Gatsby’. Students should relate their knowledge of the poetry to their knowledge of any wider reading that has been completed. Students must consider the poems in relation to their studies of ‘The Great Gatsby’ with the knowledge that they will need to compare the texts for their exam, with at least two poems considered. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students explore representations of love across unseen material and three set texts at A-Level: a Shakespeare play (Othello), an anthology of love poetry and a comparative prose. The Pre-1900 Poetry Anthology satisfies the exam board’s requirement that one of the set texts chosen must be from this time period, in order that students can explore aspects of a central theme as seen over time. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Key themes: romantic love of many kinds; love and sex; love and loss; social conventions and taboos; love through the ages according to history and time; love through the ages according to individual lives (young love, maturing love); jealousy and guilt; truth and deception; proximity and distance; marriage; approval and disapproval. 

Biographical context for each poet. 

Poetic Devices and their effects – including structure 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can identify key themes (with particular reference to love and relationships) through language analysis of the poems to explore the central theme and how it is presented over time. 

What should they be able to know? How writers use methods to explore a central literary theme. 

What should they be able to do? Write thoroughly about the presentation of the key themes in the texts, analysing language and effects created through methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Low-stakes quizzes, analytical paragraphs/essays, practice exam papers. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

The Color Purple is a core text for the ALevel unit in texts in modern context. It is compared with ‘A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ 

Although not an exhaustive list of aspects of Modern times, areas that can usefully be explored include: wars and the legacy of wars; personal and social identity; changing morality and social structures; gender, class, race and ethnicity; political upheaval and change; resistance and rebellion; imperialism, post-imperialism and nationalism; engagement with the social, political, personal and literary issues which have helped to shape the latter half of the 20th century and the early decades of the 21st century. 

This is interleaved with the Unseen prose element of the examination with a particular focus on narrative methods.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Color Purple is a seminal literature text that provides a voice to black women and their experiences. Nonetheless it is a novel with a positive a hopeful message where black female characters do not remain the victims. It is a classic Bildungsroman novel which pulls of the genres of the past to create a new impactful story. This novel engages students in terms of exploring wider national issues as well as localised character arcs.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

• Students are required to know and understand the generic conventions that are utilised and subverted. They need to explore a range of narrative methods including how writers construct different narrative voices and the changes within style. Students need to explore the overall structure of a novel and how this shapes meaning.  

  Students are also required to have a broad understanding of historical context and through a new historicist lens consider how this shapes meaning and supports different interpretations.  

  Students may wish to explore post-colonialst or feminist/womanist critical theory to complement their study.  

  Students will develop their essay writing skills and students will be supported to do this through shared planning and high-quality models.  

   

  Key themes: 

• Oppression and Liberation: The novel examines various forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, and abuse, and highlights the journey toward liberation and empowerment for the marginalized characters. 

• Identity and Self-Discovery: The characters in the novel grapple with questions of identity, self-worth, and self-discovery as they navigate societal expectations, personal relationships, and their own desires. 

• Female Relationships and Empowerment: "The Color Purple" explores the bonds between women, particularly the transformative power of female friendships, sisterhood, and mentorship in the face of adversity. 

• Love and Sexuality: The novel delves into the complexities of love and sexuality, challenging societal norms and exploring same-sex relationships as well as the exploration of personal desires and expressions of intimacy. 

• Religion and Spirituality: "The Color Purple" presents various perspectives on religion and spirituality, showcasing the characters' struggles with faith, the role of spirituality in their lives, and their own interpretations of God and divine presence. 

• Voice and Expression: The theme of voice and expression highlights the importance of finding one's own voice, speaking out against injustice, and reclaiming personal agency and power through self-expression. 

• Resilience and Survival: The characters in the novel exhibit remarkable resilience in the face of trauma, abuse, and oppression, emphasizing the human capacity to survive and overcome adversity. 

• Growth and Transformation: "The Color Purple" follows the journey of its characters as they undergo personal growth, transformation, and healing, finding strength and reclaiming their lives. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of narrative and linguistic methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the structure of the novel and the use of motifs supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints. 

What should they be able to know? 

Students should know the text and be able to cite details with confidence to support a line of argument. Students should know the contextual factors from the time period the novel is set and how these have been sued by the writer eg share-croppers, segregation, class & poverty, imperialism.  

What should they be able to do?  

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Students are provided with regular opportunities for extended writing, much of this will be a homework for formative feedback and redrafting. As students progress there will be increasing opportunities for timed writing and evaluations of knowledge recall.  

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will be studying Shakespeare’s Othello as part of their A Level Paper 1. Students are expected to know the plot of the play and understand the characters and themes as well as the social context. They should be able to understand the play within the bigger picture of literature through the ages. The vocabulary and concepts are challenging and as it is a closed book question, students will be expected to know their quotes.   

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This text is taught during Term 4 as it is a complex text and taught in isolation as it doesn’t require a comparison. Students would have been introduced to the level and high expectations of A Level via more modern texts in Term 1 and 2 and so should be accessing literature at a higher level. Studying Shakespeare throughout KS3 and KS4 prepares them for this part of the course.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Elizabethan/Jacobean era  

Main Characters: Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Emelia, Cassio, Bianca, Roderigo and Brabantio  

Main Themes: prejudice, manipulation and deception, jealousy, love, loyalty  

Students will explore the overarching theme of love throughout the play and answer an analytical question exploring the impact of the characters in displaying the themes and Shakespeare’s main messages to the contemporary and modern audience. They will also consider different critical interpretations.  

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can…. Analyse development of and changes within characters across the text, engage with key themes and contextual knowledge, and explain the use of writers’ methods to influence readers’ understanding. 

What should they be able to know? The plot of Othello along with the main characters and themes. They should understand Shakespeare’s messages and how this links to the social context of time. They should also be able to plot this text on a timeline of wider literature studied throughout the course.  

What should they be able to do? Answer questions considering how and why Shakespeare presents the characters and themes in the way he does. Their analytical responses should be thorough and detailed and consider the wider context of the time and critical interpretations.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Character analysis; presentation of key themes; practice exam questions 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will learn to respond to unseen prose extracts within the confines of the ‘Texts in Shared Contexts’ unit. Although not an exhaustive list of aspects of Modern times, areas that can usefully be explored include: wars and the legacy of wars; personal and social identity; changing morality and social structures; gender, class, race and ethnicity; political upheaval and change; resistance and rebellion; imperialism, post-imperialism and nationalism; engagement with the social, political, personal and literary issues which have helped to shape the latter half of the 20th century and the early decades of the 21st century. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The unseen element is a valuable assessment of students’ independent understanding of methods. Students will have been exposed to a range of extracts from within the time periods and in different styles to be able to interpret language and meaning 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Students are required to know and understand the generic conventions that are utilised and subverted. They need to explore a range of methods including how writers construct different speakers and the changes within style. Students need to explore the impact of structure and form and how this shapes meaning.  

Students are also required to have a broad understanding of historical context and through a new historicist lens considering how this shapes meaning and supports different interpretations. Students are provided with little context in the examination so will be required to utilise existing schema and inference.  

Students will develop their essay writing skills and students will be supported to do this through shared planning and high-quality models.  

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the form, structure and use of conceit supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints. 

What should they be able to know? 

Students should know the processes and sequences for how to analyse a text independently eg exploration of language, form and structure. They should be able to annotate texts well to support their understanding. They should be able to construct an interpretation of meaning, using a range of textual details.  

What should they be able to do?  

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Students are provided with regular opportunities for extended writing, much of this will be as homework for formative feedback and redrafting. As students progress there will be increasing opportunities for timed writing and evaluations of knowledge recall.  

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? 

The Unseen Poetry is a core element of the Love Through the Ages unit. It is a diachronic comparison of two poems.

Although not an exhaustive list of aspects of Love through the ages, areas that can usefully be explored include: romantic love of many kinds; love and sex; love and loss; social conventions and taboos; love through the ages according to history and time; love through the ages according to individual lives (young love, maturing love); jealousy and guilt; truth and deception; proximity and distance; marriage; approval and disapproval.

It ties in with the novel The Great Gatsby, the poetry anthology and Othello is terms of exploring different attitudes to love over time.

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The unseen element is a valuable assessment of students’ independent understanding of methods. Students will have been exposed to a range of poems from different time periods and in different styles to be able to interpret language and meaning

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Students are required to know and understand the generic conventions that are utilised and subverted. They need to explore a range of poetic methods

including how writers construct different speakers and the changes within style. Students need to explore the impact of structure and form and how this

shapes meaning.

Students are also required to have a broad understanding of historical context and through a new historicist lens consider how this shapes meaning and

supports different interpretations. Students are provided with little context in the examination so will be required to utilise existing schema and inference.

Students will develop their essay writing skills and students will be supported to do this through shared planning and high-quality models.

Key themes:

• Nature of Love: Poems may explore different aspects of love, such as romantic love, unrequited love, love as a transformative force, love as a destructive force, or the complexities of human emotions and relationships.
• Time and Change: Poems may examine the impact of time on love and relationships, including themes of longing, nostalgia, loss, or the evolution of love over time.
• Power and Control: Some poems may explore power dynamics within relationships, themes of domination, submission, manipulation, or the struggle for control in romantic contexts.
• Desire and Passion: Poems may delve into the intensity of desire and passion, exploring themes of sensuality, sexuality, yearning, and the consequences of unrestrained emotions.
• Gender and Identity: Poetry may explore how love and relationships are shaped by gender roles, societal expectations, and individual identity. This can involve themes of masculinity, femininity, gender inequality, or LGBTQ+ experiences.
• Love and Death: Poems may intertwine love and mortality, exploring themes of love transcending death, the grief of losing a loved one, or the fleeting nature of love in the face of mortality. ·
• Social and Cultural Contexts: Poetry may reflect on how love is influenced by social and cultural factors, including themes of love across different eras, societies, or cultural backgrounds.
• Parental and Familial love: love for children, old age, loss and grief

How well?

 What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of poetic and linguistic methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the form, structure and use of conceit supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints.

Students should know the processes and sequences for how to analyse a poem independently eg exploration of language, form and structure. They should be able to annotate texts well to support their understanding. They should be able to construct an interpretation of meaning, using a range of textual details.

What should they be able to do?

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Students are provided with regular opportunities for extended writing, much of this will be a homework for formative feedback and redrafting. As students progress there will be increasing opportunities for timed writing and evaluations of knowledge recall.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will learn how subject matter, attitudes and ideas are conveyed, as well as how meaning around subject matter and attitudes and ideas is shaped.

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students are exposed to a range of poems on complex topics in order to facilitate their analysis of unseen poems later in the course. They can build on their interpretation of drama and prose and transfer skills previously learned to a new media.

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

• Poetic structural devices 
• Poetic form 
• Poetic language devices 
• Terminology relevant to structure and form. 
• Plan for an informed and relevant exam style response 
• Include relevant quotations from the poem(s) 
• Write an effective thesis for their response 
• Include relevant contextual detail relevant to the poetry

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of poetic and linguistic methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the form, structure and use of conceit supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints.

What should they be able to know?

Students should know the processes and sequences for how to analyse a poem independently eg exploration of language, form and structure. They should be able to annotate texts well to support their understanding. They should be able to construct an interpretation of meaning, using a range of textual details.

What should they be able to do?

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

• ‘Duffy celebrates the fact that modern women now enjoy advantages and opportunities that women in the past never had.’ Examine this view. You must refer to at least two poems in your answer. [25 marks] 
• Examine the view that the poems that follow ‘The Laughter of Stafford Girls’ High’ in the collection have nothing to say about the position of women in society. You must refer to at least two poems in your answer. [25 marks]

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Love Through the Ages – Students explore aspects of the central literary theme as seen over time, using unseen material and set texts. The AQA Pre-1900 poetry anthology is the next of the set texts to be explored for this unit, making comparisons with the themes from ‘The Great Gatsby’. Students should relate their knowledge of the poetry to their knowledge of any wider reading that has been completed. Students must consider the poems in relation to their studies of ‘The Great Gatsby’ with the knowledge that they will need to compare the texts for their exam, with at least two poems considered. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students explore representations of love across unseen material and three set texts at A-Level: a Shakespeare play (Othello), an anthology of love poetry and a comparative prose. The Pre-1900 Poetry Anthology satisfies the exam board’s requirement that one of the set texts chosen must be from this time period, in order that students can explore aspects of a central theme as seen over time. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

• Key themes: romantic love of many kinds; love and sex; love and loss; social conventions and taboos; love through the ages according to history and time; love through the ages according to individual lives (young love, maturing love); jealousy and guilt; truth and deception; proximity and distance; marriage; approval and disapproval. 

  Biographical context for each poet. 

  Poetic Devices and their effects – including structure 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can identify key themes (with particular reference to love and relationships) through language analysis of the poems to explore the central theme and how it is presented over time. 

What should they be able to know? How writers use methods to explore a central literary theme. 

What should they be able to do? Write thoroughly about the presentation of the key themes in the texts, analysing language and effects created through methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Low-stakes quizzes, analytical paragraphs/essays, practice exam papers. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Love Through the Ages – Students explore aspects of the central literary theme as seen over time, using unseen material and set texts. ‘The Great Gatsby’ is used as the starting point for this. Students will be expected to read the texts in their own time and come to lessons prepared to discuss the content. They should relate their knowledge of the novel to their knowledge of any wider reading that has been completed. As the first set text studied, it is important for students to remember that they will need to compare this text with others studied later in the programme, as well as unseen extracts. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students explore representations of love across unseen material and three set texts at A-Level: a Shakespeare play (Othello), an anthology of love poetry and a comparative prose. ‘The Great Gatsby’ is chosen as our comparative prose text as it is widely considered one of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century. It is often called a realist novel and has therefore been chosen as the first text studied for this unit at A-Level as it provides a setting that students can relate to in a very recognisable New York: landmarks such as The Plaza Hotel and Central Park are familiar to readers. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Key Themes: love and relationships; appearances and reality; gender and sexuality; religion and morality; money and class 

Context: The American Dream; the roaring twenties 

Key characters and their relationship to each other 

General plot overview 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….identify key themes (with particular reference to love and relationships) through language analysis of this text to explore the central theme and how it is presented over time. 

What should they be able to know?

How writers use methods to explore a central literary theme. 

What should they be able to do?

Write thoroughly about the presentation of the key themes in the texts, analysing language and effects created through methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Chapter quizzes, analytical paragraphs/essays, practice exam papers.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

The Color Purple is a core text for the ALevel unit in texts in modern context. It is compared with ‘A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ 

Although not an exhaustive list of aspects of Modern times, areas that can usefully be explored include: wars and the legacy of wars; personal and social identity; changing morality and social structures; gender, class, race and ethnicity; political upheaval and change; resistance and rebellion; imperialism, post-imperialism and nationalism; engagement with the social, political, personal and literary issues which have helped to shape the latter half of the 20th century and the early decades of the 21st century. 

This is interleaved with the Unseen prose element of the examination with a particular focus on narrative methods.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Color Purple is a seminal literature text that provides a voice to black women and their experiences. Nonetheless it is a novel with a positive a hopeful message where black female characters do not remain the victims. It is a classic Bildungsroman novel which pulls of the genres of the past to create a new impactful story. This novel engages students in terms of exploring wider national issues as well as localised character arcs.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

• Students are required to know and understand the generic conventions that are utilised and subverted. They need to explore a range of narrative methods including how writers construct different narrative voices and the changes within style. Students need to explore the overall structure of a novel and how this shapes meaning.  

  Students are also required to have a broad understanding of historical context and through a new historicist lens consider how this shapes meaning and supports different interpretations.  

  Students may wish to explore post-colonialst or feminist/womanist critical theory to complement their study.  

  Students will develop their essay writing skills and students will be supported to do this through shared planning and high-quality models.  

   

  Key themes: 

• Oppression and Liberation: The novel examines various forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, and abuse, and highlights the journey toward liberation and empowerment for the marginalized characters. 

• Identity and Self-Discovery: The characters in the novel grapple with questions of identity, self-worth, and self-discovery as they navigate societal expectations, personal relationships, and their own desires. 

• Female Relationships and Empowerment: "The Color Purple" explores the bonds between women, particularly the transformative power of female friendships, sisterhood, and mentorship in the face of adversity. 

• Love and Sexuality: The novel delves into the complexities of love and sexuality, challenging societal norms and exploring same-sex relationships as well as the exploration of personal desires and expressions of intimacy. 

• Religion and Spirituality: "The Color Purple" presents various perspectives on religion and spirituality, showcasing the characters' struggles with faith, the role of spirituality in their lives, and their own interpretations of God and divine presence. 

• Voice and Expression: The theme of voice and expression highlights the importance of finding one's own voice, speaking out against injustice, and reclaiming personal agency and power through self-expression. 

• Resilience and Survival: The characters in the novel exhibit remarkable resilience in the face of trauma, abuse, and oppression, emphasizing the human capacity to survive and overcome adversity. 

• Growth and Transformation: "The Color Purple" follows the journey of its characters as they undergo personal growth, transformation, and healing, finding strength and reclaiming their lives. 

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of narrative and linguistic methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the structure of the novel and the use of motifs supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints. 

What should they be able to know? 

Students should know the text and be able to cite details with confidence to support a line of argument. Students should know the contextual factors from the time period the novel is set and how these have been sued by the writer eg share-croppers, segregation, class & poverty, imperialism.  

What should they be able to do?  

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Students are provided with regular opportunities for extended writing, much of this will be a homework for formative feedback and redrafting. As students progress there will be increasing opportunities for timed writing and evaluations of knowledge recall.  

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Tests in Shared Contexts (Option B) – the aim of this unit is to encourage students to explore aspects of literature connected through a period in time, starting with ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. This topic explores both modern and contemporary literature’s engagement with some of the social, political, personal and literary issues which have helped to shape the latter half of the 20th century and the early decades of the 21st century. Students should prepare for Texts in Shared Contexts by reading widely within their chosen option. Studying representations of the key themes identified will allow them to encounter a range of ideas and opinions relevant to the shared context.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ is chosen as our drama text in order to explore issues that have helped shape the latter half of the 20th century. It is paired with ‘The Color Purple’ across the course, in order to contextually link the two texts in one essay question.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Key Themes: Manliness and homosexuality; unrequited love; dysfunctional family dynamics 

Context: Mississippi plantations 1950s, homosexuality laws and attitudes; Civil Rights Movement 

Key characters and their relationship to each other: Including Maggie, Brick, Big Daddy, Big Mama 

General plot overview 

Key Quotations – analysis of language used in relation to practice exam questions

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….identify key themes (with particular reference to love and relationships) through language analysis of this text to explore the central theme and how it is presented over time. 

What should they be able to know?

How writers use methods to explore a central literary theme. 

What should they be able to do?

Write thoroughly about the presentation of the key themes in the texts, analysing language and effects created through methods. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Chapter quizzes, analytical paragraphs/essays, practice exam papers.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? 

The Unseen Poetry is a core element of the Love Through the Ages unit. It is a diachronic comparison of two poems.

Although not an exhaustive list of aspects of Love through the ages, areas that can usefully be explored include: romantic love of many kinds; love and sex; love and loss; social conventions and taboos; love through the ages according to history and time; love through the ages according to individual lives (young love, maturing love); jealousy and guilt; truth and deception; proximity and distance; marriage; approval and disapproval.

It ties in with the novel The Great Gatsby, the poetry anthology and Othello is terms of exploring different attitudes to love over time.

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The unseen element is a valuable assessment of students’ independent understanding of methods. Students will have been exposed to a range of poems from different time periods and in different styles to be able to interpret language and meaning

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

Students are required to know and understand the generic conventions that are utilised and subverted. They need to explore a range of poetic methods

including how writers construct different speakers and the changes within style. Students need to explore the impact of structure and form and how this

shapes meaning.

Students are also required to have a broad understanding of historical context and through a new historicist lens consider how this shapes meaning and

supports different interpretations. Students are provided with little context in the examination so will be required to utilise existing schema and inference.

Students will develop their essay writing skills and students will be supported to do this through shared planning and high-quality models.

Key themes:

• Nature of Love: Poems may explore different aspects of love, such as romantic love, unrequited love, love as a transformative force, love as a destructive force, or the complexities of human emotions and relationships.
• Time and Change: Poems may examine the impact of time on love and relationships, including themes of longing, nostalgia, loss, or the evolution of love over time.
• Power and Control: Some poems may explore power dynamics within relationships, themes of domination, submission, manipulation, or the struggle for control in romantic contexts.
• Desire and Passion: Poems may delve into the intensity of desire and passion, exploring themes of sensuality, sexuality, yearning, and the consequences of unrestrained emotions.
• Gender and Identity: Poetry may explore how love and relationships are shaped by gender roles, societal expectations, and individual identity. This can involve themes of masculinity, femininity, gender inequality, or LGBTQ+ experiences.
• Love and Death: Poems may intertwine love and mortality, exploring themes of love transcending death, the grief of losing a loved one, or the fleeting nature of love in the face of mortality. ·
• Social and Cultural Contexts: Poetry may reflect on how love is influenced by social and cultural factors, including themes of love across different eras, societies, or cultural backgrounds.
• Parental and Familial love: love for children, old age, loss and grief

How well?

 What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of poetic and linguistic methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the form, structure and use of conceit supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints.

Students should know the processes and sequences for how to analyse a poem independently eg exploration of language, form and structure. They should be able to annotate texts well to support their understanding. They should be able to construct an interpretation of meaning, using a range of textual details.

What should they be able to do?

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Students are provided with regular opportunities for extended writing, much of this will be a homework for formative feedback and redrafting. As students progress there will be increasing opportunities for timed writing and evaluations of knowledge recall.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will learn how subject matter, attitudes and ideas are conveyed, as well as how meaning around subject matter and attitudes and ideas is shaped.

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students are exposed to a range of poems on complex topics in order to facilitate their analysis of unseen poems later in the course. They can build on their interpretation of drama and prose and transfer skills previously learned to a new media.

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:

• Poetic structural devices 
• Poetic form 
• Poetic language devices 
• Terminology relevant to structure and form. 
• Plan for an informed and relevant exam style response 
• Include relevant quotations from the poem(s) 
• Write an effective thesis for their response 
• Include relevant contextual detail relevant to the poetry

How well?

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Students should know a range of poetic and linguistic methods and how these have been used to shape meaning. They should know how the form, structure and use of conceit supports the writer’s message. They should know the contextual factors that have shaped reception and interpretation, including different academic critical viewpoints.

What should they be able to know?

Students should know the processes and sequences for how to analyse a poem independently eg exploration of language, form and structure. They should be able to annotate texts well to support their understanding. They should be able to construct an interpretation of meaning, using a range of textual details.

What should they be able to do?

They should be able to write well-structured coherent essays with a clear line of argument, having selected appropriate textual details to support their ideas.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

• ‘Duffy celebrates the fact that modern women now enjoy advantages and opportunities that women in the past never had.’ Examine this view. You must refer to at least two poems in your answer. [25 marks] 
• Examine the view that the poems that follow ‘The Laughter of Stafford Girls’ High’ in the collection have nothing to say about the position of women in society. You must refer to at least two poems in your answer. [25 marks]