KS3 Year 7

Autumn

Reading and Descriptive Writing

Pupils will begin the school year by reading a class novel, chosen by the class teacher, and use this as a springboard for discussion and exploration of wider society. They will also develop their creative writing skills using the characters or themes of their class novel.

In the second half of the term pupils are introduced to life in Victorian London through the text ‘Oliver Twist’. They will explore the themes of morality through the key characters in this classic text and consider the form of a novel.

To support their skills in Writing Mastery, pupils will begin to use their analytical skills and consider key concepts and themes in the text to explore the writer’s choices.

Spring

Shakespeare and Ancient Tales

Pupils will consider life in Elizabethan England and how this compares to other traditions, such as the Greeks in Ancient Athens, through their study of a William Shakespeare play. They will delve in to Shakespearean life and how relationships and families are considered. Pupils will continue to develop their analytical skills and consider key concepts and themes in the text to explore the dramatist’s choices.

Later in the term, pupils will question what Ancient Tales are and investigate the oral story tradition and morality tales.

The development of their Writing Mastery will be a move to using analytical sentences to explore how writers’ structural choices in short stories create meaning. 

Summer

Poetry and a selection of non-fiction texts

Pupils will study various poetic forms and linguistic poetic devices through the study of a variety of poems.   They will continue their development of their analytical skills using analytical sentences to explore how writer’s choices of poetic language create meaning. 

During this term, pupils will also learn to navigate a selection of non-fiction texts and consider how rhetoric is used to persuade. Pupils will also work on oracy skills, considering how to speak to an audience clearly and fluently, choosing appropriate vocabulary, facial and tonal expression, gesture and posture.

Planning, drafting and editing their work will be a Writing Mastery focus. Alongside continuing to use their analytical skills and consider key concepts and themes in the text to explore the texts fully.

KS3 Year 8

Autumn

Descriptive Writing and ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’

Pupils will begin the school year by reading ‘Stone Cold’ and use this as a springboard for discussion and exploration of wider society. In writing, they will be consolidating their Year 7 learning.  They will develop knowledge of and practise using structural and language skills for writing- in readiness for GCSE English. 

They will then move to exploring Conan Doyle’s stories looking at the scientific developments in the Victorian era; class and society in Victorian England; and the detective genre. They will also explore the theme of duality. 

They will be using complex topic sentences to explore character and using analytical sentences to explore meanings. They will also work on using sentences to link ideas from one paragraph to another.

Spring

Shakespeare and Allegories

A close study of a Shakespeare play, such as the ‘The Tempest’ or ‘Macbeth’, will allow the pupils to consider areas such as the Elizabethan or Jacobean age of exploration and colonialism or monarchy and power. They will explore themes such as nature vs nurture and the form of a comedy or tragedy. They will be using complex topic sentences as a Writing Mastery focus to explore character and theme using accurate dramatic terminology.

Through the novel ‘Animal Farm’ pupils will explore allegories and allegorical writing. They will also consider Orwell’s life and times and how this impacted his novella commenting on the Russian Revolution and consider authorial intent.

To analyse the texts, they will be using complex topic sentences as a focus in their Writing Mastery to explore themes & concepts; selecting and embedding quotations; using analytical sentences to explore how writer’s choices create meaning and linking textual analysis to contextual analysis.

Summer

Poetry and Rhetoric

Building on their studies of Shakespeare pupils will study poetry predominantly through the form of sonnets. They will continue their development of their analytical skills using analytical sentences to explore how writer’s choices of poetic language create meaning. 

Then, inspired by the themes of ‘Animal Farm’, pupils will write and perform a structured speech about a power imbalance that they feel strongly about. To ensure they can do this confidently they will spend time studying the art of rhetoric through Aristotle’s ideas of ethos, logos, pathos. As well as the discourse of rhetoric in Renaissance and Shakespearean texts, pupils will learn how to write for performance and impact.

They will be applying the Writing Mastery sentence knowledge of using sentence variety for impact in a performed speech and the effect of writing using ethos, logos and pathos.

KS4 Year 9

Autumn

Modern and Victorian Literature

Pupils will begin the school year by reading ‘Noughts and Crosses’ and use this as a springboard for discussion and exploration of wider society. In writing, they will be consolidating their Year 8 learning.  They will continue using structural and language skills for writing- in readiness for GCSE English. 

Then, through either Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’ or Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, pupils will consider Victorian society- exploring themes and influences such as attitudes to children and childhood and the themes of rural isolation, or poverty and the poor laws.

To develop their analytical skills and Writing Mastery, pupils will learn how to introduce and sustain a thesis across a whole essay; planning & developing; write introductions; and use analytical sentences to explore alternative meanings.

Spring

Modern Drama and Dystopian Worlds

Pupils will study a modern play- such as ‘Small Island’ or ‘Blood Brothers’. They will consider how these plays and the social and political picture at the time has shaped our society. They will also learn about modern dramatic conventions, such as character development and monologues; foreshadowing; the form of a tragedy and the tragic character. Pupils will be analysing structure through a whole text through exploring: characterisation, alternative interpretations and context of production or reception.

Pupils will study a selection of dystopian texts or extracts– such as from ‘The Hunger Games’ or ‘1984’.  Through this, they will examine how dystopian literature reflects fears and tensions within society, and how these imagined futures are often critical commentaries on real-world issues, both past and present.

Students will also study the use of symbolism and motifs (e.g. eyes, technology, colour), and features such as foreshadowing, internal monologue, and narrative structure. They will analyse texts through close study of characterisation, structural choices, alternative interpretations, and contextual influences – both from the time of the text’s creation and its contemporary relevance. Pupils will consider how fiction acts as both a warning and a mirror to society, and how it continues to shape political and cultural conversations today.

Summer

Poetry and Reading for Study

Pupils will study a range of modern and historical poems that explore themes of conflict, identity, protest, and the human cost of war. Texts may include works by poets such as Wilfred Owen, Carol Ann Duffy, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Imtiaz Dharker. Through this, pupils will deepen their understanding of how poetry has been used to respond to political unrest, social injustice, and global conflict across time.

Pupils will develop their understanding of poetic conventions such as imagery, symbolism, structure, voice, and form – including dramatic monologue, free verse, and traditional forms. They will analyse how poets use these techniques to express emotion, provoke thought, and challenge societal norms.

Throughout the unit, pupils will be encouraged to engage with alternative interpretations and consider how the context of production or reception influences meaning.

Reading and studying a variety of non-fiction extracts from the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century, in the second half of the term pupils will be looking towards their GCSE studies. They will be using extracts as models to plan and structure their own writing. They will write letters, articles, speeches, and essays. This is a transitional language unit into KS4. Their analytical writing and Writing Mastery will continue with writing an introduction, thesis and argument, but also including a counter- argument.

KS4 Year 10: 

Here at Purbrook Park we follow the AQA English Language and English Literature programmes of study.

Autumn

Primarily in Year 10 there will be a strong focus on English Literature. Pupils will interleave key skills such as comprehension, inference, analysis, evaluation, and close reading. They will apply these skills to core set texts, focusing on the Modern Drama ‘An Inspector Calls’ and the Victorian novel ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. Alongside this, pupils will also begin to build and practise the skills needed for English Language, as these will be naturally embedded within their Literature study. In doing so, pupils will develop their ability to explore themes, characters, context, and writers’ methods while simultaneously strengthening the analytical and evaluative techniques required across both Language and Literature exams.

Spring

In the next term, the focus will move to further developing English Literature skills through the study of Shakespeare and poetry. Pupils will continue to interleave comprehension, inference, analysis, evaluation, and close reading skills while exploring ‘Romeo and Juliet’. They will analyse key themes, characters, and dramatic methods, as well as the play’s historical and social context. Alongside this, pupils will begin their study of the Power and Conflict poetry cluster, learning how to compare poems effectively and develop exam-style responses. This term will build on their analytical and evaluative skills, ensuring they can apply these across different genres and forms of literature.

To support the requirements of English Language challenges, pupils will be taught to plan, structure and write narratively and descriptively, pupils will also be taught to write informative and persuasive texts, both for preparation for public examinations and for their Speaking and Listening assessment.

Summer

Pupils will begin their first explicit study of English Language Papers 1 and 2. They will be introduced to the different sections of each paper and develop an understanding of what the exam requires. Pupils will start to practise key skills, including analysing how writers convey their thoughts and feelings through a range of methods. Alongside this, opportunities will be built-in to revisit and interleave key Literature ideas, ensuring that revision and consolidation of prior learning are embedded as part of their preparation for both Language and Literature exams.

KS4 Year 11

Autumn

Pupils will focus on building their exam skills through continued exploration of English Language Papers 1 and 2. They will develop a deeper understanding of the different sections of the exams and practise analysing how writers convey their thoughts and feelings through a range of methods.

In English Literature, pupils will revise key texts to strengthen their knowledge and exam technique. They will continue their study of the Power and Conflict poetry cluster, revisit ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, and consolidate their understanding of ‘An Inspector Calls’, focusing on themes, characters, and exam-style responses.

Spring

Pupils will be revising and strengthening their exam skills by continuing to explore English Language Papers 1 and 2. They will develop their understanding of the different sections of the exams and practise applying strategies to respond effectively. Pupils will focus on how writers convey their thoughts and feelings through different methods, linking this to exam-style questions.

For English Literature, pupils will revise ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and the poetry elements of the exam, consolidating their knowledge of areas such as key themes, characters, methods and exam techniques to prepare for assessment.

Summer

Pupils will revise for, and sit, their Public Examinations.