Our Vision in English

All young people deserve the very best quality of education. As teachers of English at Tamworth Enterprise College, it is our mission to work collaboratively to deliver a rich curriculum where pupils build on existing knowledge that create foundations for new and exciting domains of knowledge. They will master a range of skills in reading, writing and spoken language and be exposed to the best that has been thought and said. 

Our intent is to raise cultural capital by providing opportunities to read and write about real issues that influence young people today.  In addition, we want to expose our pupils to a wide range of literature, from across the ages, where themes and concepts can be studied in depth that will allow personal consideration, and debate around its importance today.

English has a fundamental place in the curriculum. It has the power to equip pupils with an extensive knowledge as they experience a plethora of rich materials that inspire debate, discussion and critical thinking. Through shared dialogue, we develop trust, empathy and promote the soft-skills that pupils are not always conditioned with. In turn, we increase levels of confidence, discovery and resilience so our students are fully prepared for further education, the workplace and beyond. It is our mission to shine a light on how remarkable our students’ lives can be to allow for remarkable opportunities in their futures.

Literacy at Tamworth Enterprise College

Literacy is one of the most fundamental aspects of learning. Whether it be in History or Science, reading and the understanding of vocabulary is key to unlocking a person’s true potential. At Tamworth Enterprise College we use a range of strategies to promote and enhance the literacy level of every student across the curriculum and via enrichment opportunities. 

Our Reading Ethos at TEC:

We believe that every student should have the opportunity to access interesting, quality texts to read; as part of their educational journey and to develop a habit for reading for both learning and enjoyment. A TEC reader is confident, empathetic and curious.

Every teacher at TEC is a teacher of reading.

Pupils in KS3 complete regular ctasks in all subjects to improve vocabulary across all three tiers.

• Tier 1: These are the common, everyday words that most children enter school knowing already. 

• Tier 2: This tier consists of words that are used across the content areas and are important for students to know.

• Tier 3: This tier consists of content-specific vocabulary—the words that are often defined in textbooks or glossaries.

Reading for Pleasure - The School Library

Our library is constantly being updated with new releases and books requested by the pupils themselves. During registration, pupils will spend 25 minutes per week reading independently and/or with the support of their tutor. 

Our two story library has an ICT suite; a range of cross-curricular texts; colour coded sections relevant to reading age and ability; a KS4 study zone; reading recommendations (contributed to by staff and students) and flexible display boards. Since Covid, mini libraries have been created in each bubble, allowing pupils the chance to change their books regularly.

Enrichment

White Water Writers is a project where small groups of young people write a book in a week. At the end of the week, the book is published and listed for sale on Amazon. This has been completed successfully by several groups of students in KS3. To celebrate their success, we had a book signing event too! Since Covid, this has been offered virtually. See the link attached.

https://higherhorizons.co.uk/app/uploads/2020/09/White-Water-Writers.pdf