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The overarching aim for our English curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the written and spoken word through reading, writing and speaking and listening. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development and our curriculum is structured to offer access to a broad range of texts to reflect a rich and varied literary heritage. Students are guided to develop and refine their skills across all key-Stages.
Mrs R Griffiths - Head of English
What is it like to study English at Monk's Walk School?
In the English classroom, we have lots of discussions about a wide variety of topics to help develop students’ oracy skills. We cover a broad range of texts across our curriculum to reflect a rich and varied literary heritage and these take many different forms from non-fiction to poetry. Students are encouraged to think critically and use their inference skills across all key-stages. Students are taught to refine their writing skills each year and develop their own unique written voice and style.
How is English Assessed?
Feedback will be given regularly throughout the term in all key-stages and may take lots of different forms including written comments from teachers, 1-1 verbal targets, whole class targets and peer feedback.
At KS3, assessments take place on a half-termly basis at the end of each unit of work. This might take the form of an essay, a story, a speech and will relate to the skills that have been developed throughout the term. Progress information given to students reflects the work completed in recent assessments alongside the written and verbal contributions in class.
At KS4, assessments take place regularly at the end of each unit of work and they reflect the exam structure so that students become familiar with writing in that format. Mock exams also take place in Year 10 and twice in Year 11. Regular timed practices are built into lessons to help raise student confidence.
At KS5 in Literature, students are regularly given feedback on their essays. These essays are designed to replicate the format of exam style questions to help raise confidence. Students are also regularly given the opportunity to verbally contribute and are given lots of feedback from their peers and teachers about their ideas. Students also submit one 3000 word essay as a piece of coursework. There are mock exams held in Year 12 and Year 13.
At KS5 in Media Studies, students are regularly given feedback on their submitted essays. They are also given 1-1 tutorials through the creation of their coursework to help in the creation of several media texts. There are mock exams held in Year 12 and Year 13. Timed practices are built in regularly into lessons throughout the course.
