English
English
At Landmark, the study of English is about communication, connection and community; who am I, how do I communicate that to the world, and how do I understand the world in which I find myself? The English classroom, therefore, is a space for curiosity, exploration and discovery.
This exploration leads us to study reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, in an atmosphere of inquiry, looking for transformative experiences.
Rich texts, produced by ourselves and others, support this inquiry, and reading and writing for pleasure is an important part of the curriculum.
This journey leads to students taking IGCSE English language and English literature at the end of Year 11, and our hope is to foster a lifelong love of reading and writing, with proficiency in speaking and listening.
Learning is enhanced by theatre visits, author visits and special events celebrating different aspects of English throughout the year. The development of the school library is of particular benefit in the encouragement of reading for pleasure, an essential component for success in English.
Writing
A good grounding in literacy is valuable in all subjects, and writing skills are carefully fostered, with lots of opportunities to write in different genres, with attention given to the purpose of why we are writing, and who is our audience. Punctuation, spelling and grammar are embedded into the curriculum and are highlighted in assessments. Writing for pleasure is promoted during events such as National Poetry Day and Just Write, and students are encouraged to enter writing competitions.
As part of our goal to ensure the integration of the learning journey from the early years to the end of KS4, teachers came together to create a Writing Continuum, a collection of pieces of student work that show expected progression in writing through the school. It is intended for use by teachers and parents, as a tool to support assessment, moderation and improvement.
Reading
Reading for pleasure is important in the development of English skills, and for personal wellbeing. Our library is a source of a rich range of fiction, non-fiction and magazines and is an invaluable support in encouraging students to read for pleasure. Students in KS3 have a library session every week, and continue to be encouraged to read widely in KS4.
Speaking and Listening
Oracy skills are essential to success in English, and indeed across all subjects, and students explore and articulate their ideas through group discussions, drama and presentations. Students collaborate to create a set of guidelines to govern their discussions, and to ensure the participation of all.
KS3
In lower secondary the curriculum aims to foster a love of reading and writing, and to map onto the National Curriculum, while ensuring that students have the necessary skills to progress to IGCSE study of English language and English literature.
The schemes of work for Years 7-9 for the Cambridge Lower Secondary English Curriculum are included below, and are used for reference and assessment.
Year 7 Scheme of Work
English_Stage 7_SOW_tcm143-354015 pdf(1).pdfYear 8 Scheme of Work
English_Stage 8_SOW_tcm143-353963 (2)pdf.pdfYear 9 Scheme of Work
English_Stage 9_SOW_tcm143-354145pdf.pdfCurriculum Framework - Cambridge Lower Secondary
0861 Lower Secondary English Curriculum Framework 2020_tcm143-592623.pdfKS4
In Years 10 and 11, students study for 2 separate IGCSEs, English language and English literature. Both IGCSEs are studied during English classes, and the dual study enhances the understanding of the skills needed for both IGCSEs.
The IGCSE Scheme of Work is used for English Language and Literature in the upper Secondary, and details of how this is done can be found on the following documents
IGCSE English Language Scheme of Work
EngLang0500_Scheme_of_Work_(for_examination_from_2020).pdfIGCSE English Literature Scheme of Work
EngLit0475_Scheme_of_Work_(for_examination_from_2020).pdf