English
At Court Moor we want our students to leave us understanding that English is a wide, and essential, part of their lives. We aim to not only improve their reading abilities and develop their vocabulary but also to expose them to a wide range of texts that will foster a love of the subject.
Studying English provides students with a variety of valuable skills and knowledge that can be transferred and used across different subject areas and in everyday life. For example,
- Writing for different audiences and purposes
- Being able to read and comprehend all texts, across all subjects
- Being a confident writer as well as challenge themselves to read widely to improve both their knowledge and their enjoyment
- Write with grammatical confidence
- Be able to articulate confidently in a range of situations
Key Stage 3
In Key Stage 3 students are introduced to a range of texts that will not only encourage them to enjoy English but will also prepare them with vital knowledge and skills for the GCSE curriculum. We have selected both modern and classical texts and have tried to incorporate a range of themes that are relevant to their lives in the modern world, as well as understanding what the world was like during key moments in history. We also place some emphasis on speaking and presenting to the class to develop their spoken language skills and have a very rigorous reading focus across the whole of KS3 to ensure students’ reading abilities are advanced enough to cope with the demands of the GCSE.
We are also fortunate to offer Journalism, Classics and Creative Writing as part of the KS3 curriculum.
In Year 7, students study Journalism which looks at the language of journalism, both sensationalist and more serious, formal reporting. They also discuss the impacts on the media and look at both current news stories as well as events that have historical significance.
In Year 8, students have a lesson a week of Classics. This introduces them to key Greek mythological figures that tend to feature in literature, they look at the Iliad and explore how these classical stories and figures are relevant in today’s society.
In Year 9, students study creative writing. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to really learn how to write effectively before they embark on their GCSE studies. The main focus is on being able to write a short narrative and we use a wide range of stimuli to generate ideas to encourage students to be better writers.
Key Stage 4
In Key Stage 4 students follow the Eduqas GCSE specification which builds on the knowledge they learnt in Key Stage 3. There are two language papers that focus on fiction and non-fiction reading and writing and two literature papers that cover a range of poetry, Shakespeare, modern drama, and Pre-20th Century literature. The GCSE is assessed by terminal exams and they receive two English GCSEs.
To contact the Curriculum Leader for English, please email: english@courtmoorschool.net