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Welcome to English<\/strong><\/p>\n In our English Department, we believe that reading, writing, and spoken communication are the foundations for success in school and beyond. Our aim is to inspire a love of literature, nurture confident communicators, and develop critical thinkers who can engage with the world around them.<\/p>\n Our Curriculum<\/strong><\/p>\n We follow a knowledge-rich curriculum that ensures every student builds a strong foundation of literary, linguistic, and cultural knowledge. This approach allows students to connect ideas across texts, genres, and time periods, while also developing the skills needed for analysis, evaluation, and creative expression. Consequently, lessons are carefully sequenced, and key ideas are revisited regularly through retrieval practice to help students transfer knowledge into their long-term memory. This also help to support a key feature of our curriculum, which is the explicit teaching of Tier 2 (academic) and Tier 3 (subject-specific) vocabulary, giving students the tools to write and speak with precision. Knowledge organisers, vocabulary lists, and modelling ensure that new language is embedded and recalled.<\/p>\n We also make adaptations for SEND students, ensuring that every learner can access and succeed in English. Strategies include scaffolding, sentence starters, pre-teaching and dual coded vocabulary, chunked texts, and extra modelling, all designed to build confidence and independence over time.<\/p>\n In Key Stage 3 (Years 7\u20139):<\/strong> Students study a broad range of texts, from Shakespeare and Dickens to contemporary fiction, poetry from diverse cultures, and non-fiction. Lessons are carefully sequenced so knowledge builds year on year. Regular retrieval tasks, low-stakes quizzes, and cumulative assessments help transfer knowledge into long-term memory.<\/p>\n In Key Stage 4 (Years 10\u201311):<\/strong> Students prepare for GCSE English Language and Literature, studying A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, Blood Brothers, and a selection of poetry. Core knowledge of context, form, and key quotations is revisited frequently, so that students can recall and apply it confidently under exam conditions.<\/p>\n Our Vision<\/strong><\/p>\n