This Charter helps to implement the intent of the English curriculum every lesson by every teacher. 

English Secondary Curriculum Intent 

“Unapologetically  academic, unashamedly ambitious” 

As a society, we are constantly bombarded with information in increasingly sophisticated ways.  The study of English Language and Literature generates the skills to negotiate the flood of information that we receive in this modern world.  Reading a range of challenging texts that reflect the diversity of human experience, enables students to explore what it means to be human, acquiring knowledge and building upon what they already know. This gives them the ability to go to places beyond the limits of their own experiences.  Developing culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually, provides them with the skills to make sense of the world around them, creating an understanding of their own character.   

To consistently participate as an engaging member of society, it is essential that students learn to speak, read and write fluently.  By explicitly teaching vocabulary, embedded in fluent and accurate writing skills, students are empowered to communicate their emotions, reactions and ideas.  Regardless of their background, the study of English Language and Literature allows young people to be well-informed, democratic citizens who are ready for the world of work. This will subsequently lead to students being able to read a range of texts that they can successfully engage with and critically evaluate, taking into account a range of opinions and expressing their own with clarity, in written and spoken form.  

The English Curriculum is firmly rooted in the National Curriculum.  It is frequently evaluated to ensure it maintains itself as a scheme of long-term knowledge that possesses the highest aspirations for students. A significant part of this is creating a challenge that enables any gaps between students to close, as a curriculum that will be sustainable for the minimum of a five-year cycle. 

We expect students to possess the knowledge to allow them to access challenging texts from Year 7 and onwards, planning for a curriculum that sequences learning and identifies a clear connection between the texts, for example Oliver Twist in Year 7 and Jekyll and Hyde in Year 11. This curriculum is planned in such a way that it will create a path to independence, resilience and stamina for students within the key areas of modelling. Techniques such as scaffolding will provide students with further independence, who will then receive timely feedback on the progress made. This is a curriculum that drives assessment rather than being assessment driven, because students are individuals and teachers know their capabilities and areas of improvement. 

The English curriculum at Fulwood is ambitious and places the reading of challenging texts at its core. It is planned coherently and as a sequence, providing a broad and balanced provision where writing is seen equally important to reading.   

The aims of the English Secondary Curriculum are to ensure that all pupils:  

• learn to read and understand familiar and unfamiliar texts actively, fluently and with good understanding whilst developing their skills in inference analysis, comparison and evaluation; 

• are supported to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information, engaging with increasingly challenging texts; 

• learn and make use of a wide vocabulary (including subject vocabulary) in speech and writing to express nuances of understanding;  

• develop accuracy in spelling and broaden their etymological understanding; 

• use punctuation to clarify meaning; 

• use grammatical structures appropriately; 

• are introduced to and taught about a rich and diverse literary heritage that spans time, cultures and societies enabling links to be made between texts, and fostering their understanding of others’ lives; 

• learn to write imaginatively, clearly, accurately and coherently for different purposes and audiences, developing their skills in planning, drafting and self-editing to create effective texts; 

• use discussion in order to learn and contribute to others’ learning; developing, extending elaborating and explaining clearly their understanding and ideas and reflecting on learning; 

• learn to speak confidently and coherently in Standard English in class and group discussions and use the spoken word as a foundation for writing, understanding the differences between their idiolect and formal and/or Standard English; 

• learn how to listen actively and for purpose, adapting and integrating ideas with their own understanding and offering critical challenge to others. 

Implementing the intent through the Charter 

1. Check learning from last lesson has been retained through the Do It Now Activity (DIN)/starter.  

2. Introduce the learning objectives of the lesson making links to the ‘Big Picture’ and real-life applications.  Highlight priority information at the start of the lesson.  

3. Model key concepts to cement understanding by “I do, we do, you do” activities. 

4. Model and promote oracy as a way of developing spoken and written language and fluency. 

5. Enable pupils to rehearse written content verbally when planning for writing so as to deal with misconceptions and explicitly highlight the difference between spoken and written language where this occurs.  

6. Rehearse complex written structures orally first (for example, using a prepositional phrase to start a sentence, pupils recite orally and speak the punctuation).  

7. Teach and use metalanguage accurately to enable pupils to articulate how writers use a variety to methods to convey meaning.  

8. Explicitly present tier 3 vocabulary within schemes of learning. Reference it regularly in lessons.  

9. Develop knowledge organisers for each topic which accurately reflect the content Scheme of Learning. 

10. Be proactive and reactive when extending pupils’ tier 2 vocabulary. Give clear definitions and provide opportunities for students to explore the application of vocabulary. 

11. Follow a coherent sequence for teaching writing and provide regular opportunities for extended writing practice.  For example, teach pupils how to respond to texts explicitly so that they can internalise the process themselves.  

12. Build in regular checks for understanding during the lesson and address misconceptions quickly either whole-class or bespoke to individuals, including close reference to the knowledge organiser. 

13.  Check priority knowledge has been retained to the working memory at the end of every lesson and through the exit ticket. 

14. Ensure pupils take pride in their work and provide clear evidence in their books of development and understanding of knowledge and skills. Ensure they are used as an aide-memoire for recall and revision.  

15. Ensure that pupils develop a body of extended writing that shows their growing mastery of compositional skills. Their writing should show their developing maturity in writing for different purposes and audiences. 

16. Promote a love of reading by being an active role model and through encouraging pupils to expand their repertoire of independent reading, including through engagement with the Star Readers series. 

17. Seek out and create opportunities for pupils to show their skills in writing and speaking for audiences beyond school, by taking part in events and initiatives that enable them to communicate with wider audiences.  

18. As they progress through Key Stage 4, ensure that pupils’ notes are arranged in such a way that they can readily identify those which will support their revision and preparation for separate examinations in English Language and English literature.