English

Welcome to english

What will I be studying in September?

In September you will start off the year by reading the novel, 'Freeze' by Chris Priestley.

When Maya and her classmates are asked to write a creepy story with a winter theme, they come up with some brilliant ideas. Rising floodwaters uncover long-buried bodies and ghostly children take to the ice on a frozen canal. But as each of the stories is read out in class, Maya grows more and more uncomfortable. She features in each of her friends’ creepy tales and they start to feel a little too real. Finally, when a mysterious new girl stands up to read the last story of the day, the light outside dims and it starts to snow. The classroom starts to freeze but everyone is trapped. Can Maya stop the story before the nightmare comes true?

You will be completing a range of different tasks based on the novel, including writing your own spooky stories!

Your task over the holidays is to read the first chapter of the novel and complete the work booklet of activities. These tasks will give you a taster of what is to come in your English lessons at the JLV. Here is an electronic copy of your work booklet

After you have finished studying 'Freeze' in lessons wit your new English teacher, you will move onto ‘Poetry from different cultures’. Here you will look at a range of poems which are all linked to different places and cultures.

Why not try reading this exciting poem from the poet, Dean Atta? It will show you the kinds of texts we study in the JLV.

I Come From by Dean Atta

Diary of first day in JLV:

3rd September 2022

Dear Diary,

Today was an extraordinary day, it was my first day at the JLV!

The school was a short walk from where I met my friends, which made it easy and fun. On the way I saw students from all year groups, but mainly the new year 7s (I was not to know that some of them would become my friends). After about five minutes of chatting and walking, the gleaming silver of the doors were right in front of me; I opened them and stepped into a new world.

Once I was in the JLV, I had to navigate a dense crowd of students. When it reached 8:45 one of the teachers announced something, but I was not too sure what. The message was clear, though, when the students swarmed to the Hub (the assembly hall). It took a while, but I found a place in the queue. When I got into the hub, there were hundreds of brand new students staring at the board.

After the welcome assembly, that explained what happens at the JLV, we made our way to our form groups (classes). During the day, we met our teacher, met our class and learned what it is like in the JLV. Also, in that time, we were given our individual timetables; some were similar to others too. The rest of the day was great, with loads of fun activities!

I loved today and I can’t wait to come back tomorrow when the entire school is there. It is going to be so much fun!

Write soon,

Max Smith.

FAQs

Where do I get my reading books from?

You can change your reading book in our Knowledge Cafe. Ms Armstrong, our librarian, will be happy to help you. She is fantastic and will always be able to give a book recommendation.

Will my reading level be different to my primary level?

It may be, we use a reading programme called Accelerated Reader in the JLV. When you start in September you will complete a baseline assessment which will give your book level. Each time you pass a quiz, your book level goes up.

How much writing will I do each lesson? Each lesson you will do some extended writing. You will usually write between 1 and 2 sides of A4 each lesson.
What do I need to bring to my English lessons?

Make sure that you have a full pencil case, your reading book and reading filled in reading log. You should also bring your planner so you can record any homework and your Chromebook as we usually use these for research.

How often do we read in the JLV?

In years 7 and 8, you will read every single day. You will do this in registration, tutor time and in English lessons.

What kind of assessments will I do?

In English, you will complete a range of both reading and writing assessments. We do an assessment at the end of each half-term so we can track your progress throughout the year. This helps us know who may need some extra help.

What is a target level and what does it mean?

At the start of the year you will be given a target level. This is where we hope you will be at the end of Year 7. It will be a number on a 1-9 scale and we will keep track through assessments to make sure you are heading for your target grade.

Are there any English extra-curricular clubs I can do?

There are lots of English clubs you can attend. Currently we run a book club, creative writing club, Miss McVay’s English drop in and Mock Trial. These sessions run on a weekly basis and are always great fun.

Where can I get help or support for my English?

If you are struggling with any aspect of your English work you may be asked to attend some intervention. Some students may be asked to work on the Lexia programme on a morning with our English intervention teacher, Mrs Garrick. Or, you could attend Miss McVay’s English drop in sessions.

Will I be put into a set for English?

In September, Year 7 students will be put into mixed groups until the first assessment. Then, your teachers will look at your scores and decide which group might fit you best!

Yr 7 English Team: Who will be teaching me in September?

Meet your teachers below...

Mrs Taylor: Head of English

Hello Year 7! I can't wait to meet you all in September. I know you're going to love the English curriculum we have planned for you next year! We've made sure to include funny, exciting stories that will keep you hooked, poetry that will make you think and lots of opportunities for creative writing.

I absolutely love reading! My favourite book is 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, and I am also a big fan of anything by J.K. Rowling. You're going to really enjoy English at CLV and all of the English department are very excited to meet you.

Mrs Preston: KS3 Coordinator

Hi Year 7! I have worked at the CLV for 7 years and have enjoyed every minute. I teach English because I love to explore different worlds, people and adventures through writing, story telling and poetry. Reading is a real passion of mine and I have managed to read 12 books this year so far. In my spare time, I enjoy walking my dog and finding new places to explore!

My book of the year: 'A Murder Most Unladylike' by Robin Stevens

Favourite childhood book: 'Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry' by Mildred D.Taylor

Looking forward to meeting you all in September.

Mrs Minchell: KS4 coordinator

Hi Year 7! I have worked at at CLV for 9 years now and in Spain in between! I love teaching English as it helps me to understand the lives of other people. I love to learn about other cultures and other people different from myself. I think that is the magic of Literature! In my spare time, I enjoy visiting new places, eating lovely food and spending time with my family and friends.

My book of the year: 'The Vanishing Half' by Brit Bennett

Favourite childhood book: 'George's Marvellous Medicine' by Roald Dahl

Mr Mays: Lead Practitioner

Hi everyone, I’m Mr Mays and I’ve been teaching at CLV for 10 years. The things you need to know about me are that I love reading, music and football (I’ve a season ticket at Newcastle and sit in the Gallowgate). Thanks to our amazing librarian, Mrs Armstrong, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some famous authors (you’ll get this chance too) including David Almond, who signed a copy of one of my favourite books ‘Skellig’ for me.

Looking forward to meeting you all in September, especially ‘Toon’ fans.

Ms Paxton: Literacy Coordinator

My favourite book when I was younger was 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' by C.S. Lewis and I love Roald Dahl books, especially 'Matilda' and 'The Twits'. A fun fact about me is I am amazing at accents! This summer I plan to re-read the Harry Potter series.

Miss MeehanYr 7 Learning Manager

Hello! My name is Miss Meehan and I’ve taught at CLV for 8 years. As any English teacher, I absolutely love reading. Recently, I have enjoyed reading ‘Time Travelling With A Hamster’- the hamster was called Alan Shearer and it was set where I live in Whitley Bay! My favourite book of all time is ‘The Color Purple’ (Colour is spelled differently because it’s written by an American!).

Other things I like are very early mornings, the beach, bike rides, squash (both the juice and the game!).

Can’t wait to see you when you join the JLV! Make sure you can tell me about your favourite books.

Mrs Hudson

'Hello, I'm Mrs Hudson and I've been teaching English for 13 years now. I love listening to music, reading and doing exercise! My all time favourite book is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, which I studied at Cramlington Learning Village, when I went to the Sixth Form there many moons ago! I've been to see the band The Foo Fighters play live 3 times, in: London, Milton Keynes & Dublin- Wembley Stadium was definitely the best out of the 3. I can't wait to meet you all when you begin Year 7!'

Miss Milesi

Hi Year 7! I have only worked at the CLV for 2 years but it has quickly become my favourite place to be. My favourite things about the school is the sense of community, the fact that we are surrounded by our friends every day and the jewel of the CLV - the English department! Reading has always been a passion of mine and I will be challenging myself to read even more books next year - I’m hoping that you will keep me on track with this by giving me lots of recommendations! The last book I read was ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. This was not the first time that I have read this book, but I like to revisit it as often as I can; it is my all-time favourite! I love the characters, the quirky little bits of poetry and the fact that every time I’ve revisited this book, I have picked up on something that I had previously missed. One interesting fact about me is that I was born in Greece, so I might be able to teach you a couple of Greek words along the way. I might even treat you to the Greek version of Jingle Bells before the Christmas break!

Ms Armstrong: Our Wonderful Librarian

Hello year 7!

I'm definitely winning at having the best job in the whole school. As the librarian at CLV I get to spend every day talking about books, recommending books and organising activities to help you love reading too.

Before becoming a librarian I studied Languages at University and lived in France and Spain teaching English. I love travelling and discovering new places - whether in real life or through the pages of a book.

The summer holidays have been great for catching up on all the things I've been meaning to read but never had time to - and also for trying to tire out my crazy springer spaniel.

I can't wait to talk to you about what you've been reading in September - make sure you keep reading this summer!

Mrs Milligan

My name is Mrs Milligan. I am the intervention co-ordinator. That means that I work with groups of students who need a bit of extra help with reading and maths. I have been teaching for over 25 years including at Cragside, Burnside and Cramlington Village Primary School and have been at CLV for just over a year. When I started secondary school I hated reading, was rubbish at spelling and didn't know my times tables. I know how hard it can be if you struggle but the sooner you put in the effort the sooner you will see the improvements and then you can go on to do amazing things and dream big. We will be able to help you with this.

I am a big Harry Potter fan. In June 1997, the first Harry Potter novel was released and I read it with my Year 4 class before anyone had really heard of Harry Potter. We loved it. I still have the book and it is a first edition but paper back. If I had bought the hardback version it would be worth thousands! Once I even queued for 7 hours just to get on the new Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios; crazy I know.

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