English

Head of Faculty

Mr S Parker (sparker@wrhs1118.co.uk)

Curriculum Intent Statement

Our English curriculum is designed to empower students to be able to communicate effectively through various forms and genres. It is driven by its passion to instil a love for literature and language in all students in school, as well as equipping students with the knowledge and skills in order to succeed in exams and their life after school. Through a robust and comprehensive curriculum map, developed specifically by the English faculty for the students of Whalley Range and informed by the latest in educational research and pedagogy, students are provided with the opportunity to not only develop their cultural, historical and societal understanding through an exciting exploration of literature, but also increase their access to the texts themselves through a creative and robust approach to teaching reading, writing and communication. As reflective practitioners, students develop their understanding of what it means to be ‘wordsmiths’, both within English and across the curriculum.

Through informed dialogue and research, the following ideas are the key intentions that the English faculty would like to focus on instilling in the students of Whalley Range:

• Give all students access to texts that have stood the test of time, as well as emergent modes and genres
• Develop students’ cultural capital and knowledge of the world, including texts from diverse backgrounds
• Develop students’ reading and writing stamina
• Provide all students with opportunities to communicate through structured talk, verbal rehearsal and bespoke oracy events • Build students’ vocabulary
• Develop students’ ability to write with accuracy, precision, clarity and sustainability
• Use student assessment to drive student progress
• Ensure learning is remembered, embedding transferable skills across whole-school curriculum
• Build on what has come before and prepare for what is yet to come, including the reading of texts through a thematic, critical lens (power and relationships)
• Ensure teachers are specialists of the curriculum they teach, who model what it means to be a reflective practitioner and celebrate collaborative CPD

The curriculum has been designed specifically to develop the above skills in all students, including those with special educational needs or high ability. Careful planning has taken place to ensure effective sequencing in the curriculum, both between schemes of learning and year groups, deliberately building on learning that has happened previously. All staff use the curriculum map for all Key Stages and follow the assessment policy to ensure that learning is suitably challenging and ambitious for all learners.