English

Curriculum Intent

At Havant Academy we believe in the power of reading, writing and communication.

The English curriculum is unashamedly challenging because we want our pupils to experience the best possible education; promoting curiosity and critical thinking. Broad ranging, the curriculum takes in a wide variety of texts including prose, poetry, non-fiction and plays. We build in regular opportunities to study both fiction and non-fiction texts and develop analysis of language, tone and structure. Some of the texts included at Key Stage Three are: Northern Lights, Romeo and Juliet, The Woman in Black and Noughts and Crosses. We aim to select texts that are diverse, representative and inclusive. We encourage a love of reading by providing our students with a myriad of reading opportunities both inside and out of the English classroom.

Through studying reading we teach the skills of effective writing; developing a narrative, structuring a response, controlling spelling, punctuation and grammar and the invention of interesting pieces. Extended written pieces are set to develop writing stamina; a crucial skill for academic success. The curriculum develops the craft of effective writing so that Havant Academy pupils become confident and adaptable writers. Each unit of learning develops students’ understanding of our core and facilitating knowledge of the concepts of pattern, grammar, metaphor, story, context and argument. 

We aim to deliver a broad and aspirational curriculum fostering an appreciation of the diverse world that we live in, and seek to expand the horizons of our students through the use of both fiction and non-fiction texts from across the globe. These texts deal with contemporary issues and aim to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the wider modern world aligning with our school motto of Work Hard, Be Kind, No Excuses.

Students will hone and develop their oracy skills through in class discussion as well as termly whole school events such as the Big Talk debates and the annual Spelling Bee.

At Key Stage 4 our students study the AQA exam board and achieve two GCSEs in English Language and English Literature. Here we build upon the core skills and refine their practice. Students infer, analyse, connect, place and compare texts. The English Literature texts are An Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth and the Power and Conflict Cluster of the Poetry Anthology.

Our intention is for all students at Havant Academy to be proficient in their communication skills; becoming fluent readers, versatile writers and confident speakers.