Statement of Intent
The BLC offers English Language and English Literature to our Key Stage 3 students.
We aim to make all learning an enjoyable experience which develops students to be fully rounded individuals, enabling them to develop their skills in communication, reading and writing.
We aim to challenge and stretch our younger students to promote high standards, so that students can achieve their full potential.
In KS4, all students study English Functional Skills at an appropriate level, with the vast majority of students also working towards an iGCSE in English language.
This allows us to focus on maximising the literacy skills of our students, often through ‘real world’ examples and ensures that no students leave The BLC without the literacy skills they need.
Implementation
All students take a variety of assessments throughout the year, these are rigorously monitored and the results are used to determine the best learning environment for each student.
At KS3 we follow a scheme of work which links to the skills students will be required to master for GCSEs/Functional Skills.
Schemes of learning are written collaboratively and are regularly reviewed and updated.
Our KS3 curriculum bridges gaps from our pupils’ primary education to GCSE/Functional Skills.
We have analysed the skills our students need and we have studied the range of skills our students have covered in Year Six.
This work has enabled us to create a broad curriculum that continually challenges students whilst ensuring that they gain confidence in all areas of English study.
We strive to make our students become confident and mature readers.
As well as building weekly reading lessons into our curriculum, we also promote reading through discussion, study and through our passionate belief that reading is the key to success in all areas of school.
Writing is formal in the way that speaking and thinking are informal, our pupils need to be given the tools to be able to follow the rules both structurally and grammatically.
Curriculum Map
Impact
At The BLC we want to develop the appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding in order for our pupils to become well rounded writers.
Our approach means that all subject areas provide the opportunity for pupils to express their thoughts in a range of written styles.
It is vital that our pupils are exposed to a range of exemplar texts, from across different genres and subject areas, to embed ambitious vocabulary choices and secure expectations of writing across the curriculum as language is the cornerstone of reasoning.
Many pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds generally do not have stories, songs and poems read to them; therefore, their language acquisition needs strengthening.
We want to foster a lifelong love of reading by exposing our pupils to various literature across all curriculum areas.
We believe reading opens up a new world for pupils and gives them the opportunity to explore new ideas, visit new places, meet new characters and develop a better understanding of other cultures.
Through building up the pupils’ vocabulary it gives them the word power they need to become successful speakers and writers, as well as confident readers. Reading is a key life skill and we strive to embed a culture of reading into the core of what we do.
Providing opportunities for pupils to read both independently and aloud, as well as allowing them the chance to discuss and recommend books they have read to their peers.
Reading and quality literature is implicitly interwoven into our curriculum through the use of key texts to expose our pupil to various genres and famous authors and to enhance the variety of exciting topics that we teach.
Brownhill Learning Community's aims in English is to empower and inspire all students across the Key Stages to be competent and confident users of English.
Our main aim is enable pupils to have access to reading materials on a daily basis and timetable story time for our lower Key Stage Pupils.
If you would like further information please contact our school's Curriculum Lead for English, Mrs Caroline Maddock-Hodgins on 0300 303 8384, option 2 or email: cmaddock-hodgins@theblc.org.uk
For more detailed information on the BLC's English Curriculum, please click the link below:
Specifications for English:
