English

English

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from [their] point of view… until you climb in his skin and walk around in it” Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird 

At Alder Community High School, the English department’s aim is to instil a love of learning through ambitious, engaging text choices and an inclusive and challenging curriculum. 

The texts we study are carefully chosen to reflect, celebrate and enrich the experiences of our students and wider community. We believe that literature provides a powerful lens through which students can better understand the world around them, engage thoughtfully with a range of perspectives, and develop their own voice, opinions and sense of autonomy. 

Our curriculum is ambitious for all. It develops students’ understanding of 6 key categories of knowledge: literary methods, narrative, rhetoric, pattern, grammar and contextual influences.  Core knowledge within these six categories is carefully sequenced and revisited, enabling students to deepen and refine their understanding over time. We carefully develop students’ reading, writing and speaking skills from Year 7 to Year 11, allowing students to communicate effectively and fluently with each other and the world around them.  

English Curriculum at KS3

Across Years 7–9, students revisit and deepen their understanding of key concepts such as power, identity and morality, enabling them to make increasingly sophisticated interpretations of both canonical and contemporary literature. Through analytical discussion, extended writing and explicit vocabulary instruction, students develop confident written expression, critical thinking and an understanding of how writers shape meaning for different audiences and purposes. 

English Curriculum at KS4

Our KS4 curriculum is designed to build and further deepen the knowledge of KS3, developing confident, critical and articulate readers, writers and communicators. Through the study of a rich range of literary texts and engaging language units, students deepen their understanding of human experiences, cultural contexts and the power of language, while preparing successfully for future study. 

English Team

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