English – Curriculum Intent and Implementation

The intent of our English curriculum at Swinton Academy is to develop English learners who:

· are enthusiastic readers and writers;

· are resilient, independent learners who are curious about English and communication;

· are confident in speaking in front of others;

· have a sound understanding of English grammar, which includes the ability to apply it in new contexts and the ability to use and understand a range of sentence types confidently;

· are analytical linguists, having developed an understanding of an extensive range of vocabulary suitable for all purposes, audiences and formats;

· can apply their knowledge of context surrounding their English learning to the relevant task, text, and the place this has in their own lives;

· have a strong awareness of the range of texts available and have benefited from opportunities to experience a range of topics and themes relevant to our students and their needs;

· are interested in, engaged in and eager about topics and ideas;

· can access personal development topics through texts and discussions;

· are proud of their reading and writing achievements;

· can progress to the next stage in their lives with a confident grasp of English and literacy.

 

The intent of our curriculum is implemented through:

· an awareness of students’ KS2 literacy experience;

· schemes of work which are designed for all students to be able to access and engage in learning;

· the expectation that students will engage in reading, whether independent or aloud in lessons, and through a range of reading strategies;

· the inclusion of a range of writing formats;

· building on prior literacy knowledge whilst regularly revisiting SPaG and reading comprehension within new contexts to ensure knowledge is secure;

· reading, writing, and spoken activities, including debates, role play and presentations;

· quizzes, tests and assessments;

· the routine expectation that students will show resilience in each and every lesson (the Resilience Zone) and are supported in this through independent learning resources;

· the central focus of a range of engaging material, including key novels, plays, films and other literature;

· revisiting knowledge throughout their learning;

· continual support including classroom resources, questioning, and verbal and written feedback;

· ensuring that students have at least one opportunity per year to participate in an on off-site learning experience which will give them the opportunity to enhance their English Language and Literature learning experiences;

· a reflective approach to the continuing professional development of English teachers (an ‘open classroom’ policy, collaborative planning, faculty CPD).