The English curriculum is aspirational because it enables pupils to reach within their souls and clutch onto the hope that they will succeed and achieve greatly not only in our subject but within every aspect of their lives. We, as a department, do this in many ways: one direction would be through our methodical and carefully considered curriculum that has been carved with intricate reasonings and logical steps to guide pupils through to their young adulthood. Another way that we ensure that pupils strive for more is through our positive, energising and engaging environment which allows pupils to bloom with security. Pupils are constantly shown how to improve upon their work and reinforce their skills which are essential lifelong attributes. Through our robust and dedicated assessment system, we can clearly usher pupils to their next step within English and ultimately direct them to aim higher when they are naturally ready to progress. 

The English curriculum serves our students by providing them with enriching lessons that fill pupils with an abundance of intrigue. Our lessons in English not only provide curiosity, but they are also invested in the purpose of enabling pupils to develop in their reading, writing and speaking and listening skills. Dedicated time is spent in the planning of our wide curriculum which is devoted in ensuring that pupils reinforce their analytical ability to uncover meanings in texts and to facilitate the growth of their descriptive and argumentative writing. Working together in pairs or in teams in English also helps pupils learn how to nurture their social skills and provide positive contributions within their community. 

The English curriculum allows our pupils to flourish by supporting their individual needs and by allowing flexibility in our teaching to be easily adapted to guide pupils into fulfilling their true potential in the subject. Through our personal love of reading and writing, pupils witness the true beauty of literature and creative writing, opening the doors for their passion of the subject to blossom into an array of intellectual yet imaginative thoughts. After their journey of linguistic and literary richness, pupils should feel confident to tackle the meaning of any piece of writing that they may encounter in their adult life. They should also be able to write clearly, logically and with flare when they are required to produce a text of any size. Our curriculum caters for their growth and success when engaging with the vivid rainbow of colour captured in both English Language and English Literature. 

The curriculum is English is sequenced and judiciously created to ensure that pupils enter the school experiencing a range of content and skills that will follow them all the way through to the end of their time at the academy. Each year is built upon the last, for example the Shakespeare content in each academic year becomes more sophisticated as the pupils grow in our school. This is also the case for the skills of reading and writing; they are taught year by year but in different ways, they are also reinforced with our meticulous dedication and planning approaches. Our KS3 curriculum builds upon techniques learnt at the end of KS2, this is then reshaped with many of the KS4 objectives in mind which are then adapted to suit the needs of KS3 pupils. In KS4 and KS5, the curriculum is based on the demands of the exam board named AQA. We look at the objectives given and ensure that the content we deliver is in line with the demands of the exam board. We also make sure that there are links to discussions on future careers that the pupils may want to go into when they are older. As well as gearing pupils up to completing their exams, we work very hard in incorporating the development of pupils’ individual voices which can be seen in our sequencing from Year 7 all the way up to Year 13. 

In the English department, adaptive teaching is just as important as the reading and writing that takes place in lessons. There is great scope in the curriculum to allow teachers to mould and shape their lessons to suit the needs of the pupils in their classes. Regularly, we meet as a team to discuss ways in which we can use adaptive strategies appropriately, minimally and successfully in our lessons; we habitually share resources and strategies too.  Through our adaptive teaching, pupils grow and develop efficiently in English leading on to further confidence and resilience which will follow them through to their adulthood. 

In English, everything that we do is linked to spirituality. Through the reading of classical or modern texts, we can gather and acknowledge the impressions of a character through the authors’ careful employment of language and structural devices. Understanding the characters and their emotions allows us to sympathise and, in many cases, empathise with the events presented in the texts that we read. This develops purposeful class discussions that explore relevant topics that have an impact on human feelings and emotions. Pupils can then increase their sense of compassion, guiding them to intensify their inner philanthropic qualities.   

 As this is a church school, it is important that pupils feel free to express their thoughts on a particular subject relating to a passage as this encourages them to accept themselves and know that their sentiments are appreciated by those around them. In English, we spend time in ensuring that our classrooms exhibit an atmosphere where pupils feel secure to offer their perceptions. Equally, absorbing concepts in texts, permits pupils to also write creatively which is another way in which they can demonstrate their reflections confidently. Presenting passions imaginatively develops individuality.  

We foster spirituality every day in English lessons. One dominant way we do this is through reading texts that exhibit themes such as: power and conflict. We determine central ideas conveyed by writers, leading us to agree and explain why we approve of such views. Naturally, this returns to the idea of ‘what living a good life looks like’, which is promoted by the bible. Through the understanding of the principles that are expressed by the authors we read, we can make sharp connections to religious beliefs and values that we want pupils to ultimately follow so that they can grow into well rounded adults.  

Learning beyond the classroom in English is an essential part of certifying that pupils achieve their best in our subject. A major part of our curriculum is nurturing a love of reading in our pupils. To help this love of reading grow we offer pupils age-appropriate reading lists to encourage reading at home with parents. We also work closely with the librarians who invite authors to the school regularly; these authors talk to the pupils about their joy of writing and spend time discussing ideas related to their novels. Inviting theatre companies to the school to perform the texts that pupils are studying is another way in which we help pupils to learn outside of the classroom.