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Y8 English
Head of Department
Mr M Stubbert
Organisation of the subject:
Students have 4 x 50 minute lessons each week. Each year group has two ‘top sets’ (7-9 targets); the remaining mixed ability classes comprise students targeting grades 1-6.
Key Concepts (The big ideas underpinning the subject)
- For a range of texts and text types:
- Communicating effectively
- Spelling, punctuating and using grammar with increasing accuracy
- Extracting and interpreting information
- Exploring how writers use and manipulate language, form and structure
- Exploring texts in context
- Exploring links between texts
- Supporting responses with textual references
What will your child be learning?
- Fiction and Non fiction: reading and writing skills
- Poetry: reading and writing
- Shakespeare: understanding and analysis
- Genre conventions
- Speaking and Listening skills
- Literacy skills
Key ‘Learning Capacities’ in this subject
- Reading for a variety of purposes
- Reflecting on, amending and interrogating texts, including a student’s own work
- Sharing, developing, supporting and challenging ideas
- Engaging with authorial intent, allowing for multiple interpretations of texts, concepts and ideas
- Writing for a variety of purposes and audiences
How will your child be learning?
- A variety of reading techniques and skills
- Drafting, crafting and editing
- Paired, group and class discussion
How will learning be assessed?
- Marking and tracking of class and homework
- Formal termly assessments track and monitor progress against the students’ targets
- Regular, targeted questioning and verbal feedback
- Self and peer reflection
What can you do to support your child?
- Encourage regular reading of a range of texts: fiction and poetry; biographies and autobiographies; magazines and good quality, national newspapers
- Listen to your child read aloud
- Encourage him/her to revisit and revise subject terminology
- Consider purchasing revision/study guides as appropriate
Equipment needed for this subject
- Pens, pencils and a ruler; colours. A pocket dictionary would be useful too
Extra-Curricular/Enrichment Opportunities
- Newspaper Club
- Reading Buddies
- Creative Writing club
- Writing competitions
- Reading Aloud
- War of the Words