Secondary English
Welcome to our Secondary English page - a place to find key documents, links and learning opportunities for all teachers of English in AET secondary schools.
Please scroll down to explore the page.
You can find out about the work of our English Subject Network via our network page
AET Entitlements: Curriculum, Culture & Teaching
As a community, we are committed to delivering the following entitlements for all our AET pupils
CURRICULUM
An AET pupil is entitled to:
a well-sequenced curriculum that builds depth of knowledge and understanding over time
multiple opportunities to master the most transferable knowledge in the discipline
study a broad range of high-quality fiction texts, including literary heritage texts, stories with powerful cultural capital, and complementary texts that encourage diverse perspectives and intertextual comparisons. Literature texts should include:
English Literature (both pre-1914, contemporary, prose, poetry and drama)
Shakespeare plays
Seminal World Literature
a whole-text approach to English teaching, where relevant and possible
a reading curriculum that takes a holistic approach to reading, with decoding, fluency and language comprehension developed at every stage
a curriculum that is interwoven with relevant and purposeful non-fiction texts to develop background knowledge
regular opportunities to:
read a challenging, wide-ranging selection of texts;
write and edit for a range of purposes and audiences;
practise oracy so that they may learn to talk and learn through talk
a curriculum that is informed by regular and accurate use of assessment and adapted based on pupil needs
a curriculum that is constantly developing and preempting common misconceptions
a curriculum that prepares them for exam success, further study and to be a life-long learner of English beyond school
high quality resources that are adapted to suit the needs of all
TEACHING
An AET pupil is entitled to:
expert teaching underpinned by secure English knowledge and the use of up-to-date, evidence-informed approaches
a teacher who is passionate and knowledgeable about English and infuses their teaching with both
the explicit teaching of:
reading, including sequenced vocabulary instruction
Writing, including the explicit and integrated teaching of spelling and grammar
oracy skills
High-quality models and examples, non examples and precise explanations in every lesson
targeted, robust and impactful interventions, where necessary
rigorous, content-specific strategies for checking their understanding
regular, low-stakes formative assessment to identify misconceptions and gaps
summative assessments that test their English knowledge and its application, including extended writing tasks
to receive regular, meaningful, precise and actionable feedback to address misconceptions and promote progress, and multiple opportunities to respond to it
rigorously planned collaboration or active learning tasks that allow students to both share and consider a wide range of perspectives and develop their oracy
CULTURE
An AET pupil is entitled to:
a learning environment which immerses them in the discipline of English enquiry
a safe environment where exploration and risk-taking is encouraged
English enrichment, through extra-curricular clubs, events and trips
enter reading, writing and speaking competitions
access the texts they are studying, and an appropriate personal reading book that is matched to their interests
see the purpose of English in the wider world, including its use in a range of possible careers
Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment
AET Specifications
Recommended Curriculum
Ark: English Mastery
English Mastery Welcome PackClick the image above to read more about English Mastery
Based on the stories that shaped the world, the Ark English Mastery Secondary programme helps you inspire students to better understand the concepts of literature and writing. It also empowers teachers to continually develop subject knowledge to make English more accessible to every student.
As teachers ourselves, we know the challenges of engaging students. We designed the Key Stage 3 curriculum and teaching resources to target subject enjoyment and understanding, which is proven to have a meaningful impact on learning outcomes. Students on our English Mastery Secondary programme are proven to have made four months’ more progress than students on other curriculums.
The programme helps you to:
Improve grammar and syntax understanding
Close the word attainment gap with a focus on tier 2 words
Use norm-referenced assessments to accurately gauge progress
Legacy Curriculum
Assessment
Raising Standards: Growing to AET490
Y11 Raising Achievement
Click here to access resources, webinars and guides to support the planning and delivery of the curriculum for your Y11 cohort
English Top Ten Checklist
