English

The English curriculum at Sir John Hunt enables students to become effective readers, writers and communicators. Students explore different writers’ ideas about human experience, developing their understanding of how language and communication are central to our ability to make sense of the world and to find our place in it.

As a result of experiencing this curriculum, students will have a wider appreciation of texts/novels from all genres and a greater understanding of their own identity, especially after exploring such key emotions as love and fear and questioning what makes them human. Through the breadth of the curriculum, they will see the importance of embracing social diversity and see the value in what others have to offer to them and the wider world.

Furthermore, the curriculum is designed to foster greater empathy among students. By exploring sensitive topics such as race, social divide, slavery, and prejudice, students will learn the importance of compassion and understanding. They will also gain a comprehensive understanding of the world (both constructed and literal) across the ages, and why writers use their words to express their inner thoughts, in response to the place in which these great minds live. This understanding will help them to connect with others and effect positive change.

This approach not only builds a wide domain of knowledge around Language and Literature skills but also equips our students with the tools they need to succeed academically. By developing a deeper understanding of the subject, students will become more thoughtful and perceptive, instilling in them a sense of confidence and preparedness, to ensure success in their GCSEs and beyond.

Ultimately, SJH students will develop intellectual curiosity and appreciation, as they identify with a wide variety of experiences, hoping that what they learn will help them better understand themselves and the choices that they will make as human beings.

The National Curriculum States that:

A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

The big ideas in English are reading, writing, speaking and listening, through which all students will:

All students are organised into sets and they are challenged and supported (as appropriate) in lessons. Our lessons are designed to meet the needs of students of all abilities. Lessons are based on the SJH Principles of Teaching and planned according to the College agreed lesson structure.

There are four distinct lesson phases, which demonstrate: retrieval in the form of a quiz at the start of the lesson, to assess prior knowledge and retention; high-quality instruction from the teacher; followed by deliberate practice (students working independently to practise a skill) and, finally, consolidation of learning. This lesson structure allows all students to learn effectively and lends itself to the modelling and development of reading analysis and writing.

We firmly believe that students should be exposed to high-quality models of reading analysis and writing. All staff are expected to live-model or pre-prepare model answers for students to access, so that they can view the thinking process and mechanics of writing, as well as the accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar. All staff are expected to model the reading and writing process, as part of the instructional phase of the lesson.

We have seven dedicated English classrooms, fully equipped to effectively deliver high-quality lessons. We have access to ICT in dedicated rooms within our curriculum area and our department-based class set of tablets. All rooms have visualisers, so that staff can share high-quality modelling and feedback directly with their classes.

Writers and outside visitors are invited into the College, to engage with selected year groups. Years 7 and 8 also have an annual event linked to World Book Day, involving an author visit, with a talk and subsequent workshops.

Where possible, we take students to see live plays at The Theatre Royal in Plymouth—most recently, we took our Year 11 and 10 cohorts to experience 'An Inspector Calls'. We also invite theatre companies to school, to deliver performances of key GCSE texts, prior to the GCSE examinations in May/June.

We also run writing competitions at various points throughout the year. This academic year, we will be entering more poetry competitions and encouraging students to develop their confidence in sharing their work beyond the classroom.