Overview of skills for English
Key Stage 3 - Years 7, 8 and 9

Speaking and Listening

Speaking
We aim to help our pupils to speak fluently and appropriately in different situations, adapting their talk to different purposes and audiences.

We teach them to develop the ability to: use spoken standard English fluently in different contexts, and to recognise its importance as the language of public communication; structure their talk and use appropriate and varied vocabulary and sentence structure, including technical vocabulary; use markers so that their listeners can follow their line of thought; appreciate how gesture, tone, pace and rhetorical devices bring out their points; make use of visual aids where appropriate; include illustration, evidence and anecdote to expand their ideas.

Listening
We aim to help our pupils recognise the qualities of a good listener.

We teach them to develop the ability to: listen with concentration, understand and recall the main points of what they hear and see; distinguish the explicit and implicit elements of what is being said; recognise intention and some features of presentation; to begin to listen and view critically, recognising ambiguity, misuse of evidence or unsubstantiated statements; to comment and question relevantly.

In Speaking and Listening work
We teach them to develop the ability to: work co-operatively in different groups, taking on varied roles, such as leading discussion, chairing a meeting or supporting others, adapting their speech appropriately; take differing views into account, and be prepared to modify their own views in the light of others’ ideas; take an active part in group discussion, contributing with sensitivity to the views and situation of others; support the group in its overall task by contributing in varied ways such as summarising points made, expanding or clarifying them, negotiating consensus or agreeing to differ; recognise variation in language: between social and regional groups, between speech and writing, in attitudes to language use, according to current influences, as the language develops and changes, recognise word families and roots, as affected by electronic communication; participate in a range of drama activities, both text-based and free, using a variety of dramatic techniques to explore ideas and issues; appreciate the range of dramatic techniques available and how the structure, organisation and pacing of scenes contribute to dramatic effect; evaluate critically performances of dramas that they have watched; evaluate the contribution they and others have made to discussions and drama activities.

Reading
We aim to help our pupils to develop an understanding and appreciation of as wide a range of texts as possible, including print, ICT-based information, media and moving image texts.

Pupils will be given opportunities to read from a wide range of literature drawn from a variety of genres, and a wide range of non-fiction such as autobiography, journals, letters, travel writing and media including newspapers, advertisements, T.V., film and video.

The literature will include:

• Two plays by Shakespeare
• Drama by major playwrights
• Works of fiction by major writers published before 1914
• Works of fiction by major writers published after 1914
• Poetry by major poets published before 1914
• Poetry by major poets published after 1914
• Recent and contemporary drama, fiction and poetry written for young people and adults
• Drama, fiction and poetry by major writers from different cultures and traditions

Pupils will be taught to use dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopaedias and other reference materials, both in class and in libraries. Our library skills lessons will teach them that these skills are transferable between libraries.

They will be helped to develop the ability to: read widely, independently, for pleasure and for information; read for different purposes, using different strategies; extract both literal and implied meaning; consider alternative interpretations; consider the exploration of ideas, values and emotions; respond imaginatively, sensitively and critically to the literature read; consider how styles of writing vary; compare texts for connection and contrast; consider the craft of the author, plot, character motivation, ideas, issues and the use of imaginative and original language; appreciate the distinctive qualities of literature from different traditions; evaluate what they read, giving reasons.

Writing
Pupils will be taught to use writing to communicate, to think and to learn.

Writing will be to: imagine, explore, entertain, inform, explain, describe, persuade, argue, advise, analyse, review, comment.

Writing will include imaginative, informative, persuasive and analytical pieces, and will be in various forms such as notes, summaries, reports, posters, leaflets, diaries, stories, reviews, scripts poems and personal accounts.

We aim to help them to develop their ability to: write for many purposes, bearing their audience in mind and selecting the appropriate register for their task; draw on their experience of good fiction, poetry and drama, and their own experience to sustain interest; exploit choice of language and structure for effect; present information concisely, using formal and impersonal language; listen, take notes, summarise and plan argument tightly, calling on persuasive techniques; develop a view on the subject matter, analysing and commenting on evidence and opinion; structure their writing with accurate punctuation and an increasingly precise vocabulary; plan, draft and proof-read, so that their final work is polished and well presented, using IT skills where appropriate; evaluate their own writing and that of others.

They will be taught: a range of punctuation and its correct use; to increase their knowledge of patterns of spelling, word families, roots, prefixes and suffixes, applying their knowledge of word formation; to check spelling for errors using a dictionary where needed; to use a thesaurus; to write at speed if needed; to write legibly and neatly, using presentational devices where appropriate; to make use of a word-processor, using appropriate layout, organisation and illustration; the variations in written and spoken language, and the appropriate use of standard English; the word classes or parts of speech, the appropriate terms for them and how they function; how to structure complex sentences; grammatical terminology; how to structure paragraphs and whole texts.

GCSE English and English Literature

Curricular Skills

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking and listening
  

Technical Skills

• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Grammar and grammatical devices
• Paragraphing and sequencing
• The acquisition of a wide and effective vocabulary
• Sentence structures
  

GCSE English and English Literature
Turning skills into objectives

Reading
Students will be assessed on their ability to:

• Understand information
• Select what is relevant to specific purposes and collate information within and between texts
• Appreciate the difference between facts, ideas and opinions
• Recognise implicit meaning and attitudes
• Evaluate information and detect bias
• Appreciate a writer´s use of language
• Encounter a range of literary and non-fiction texts and be able to communicate an informed personal response which takes account of features distinctive to genre
  

Writing
Students will be assessed on their ability to:

• Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined
• Order and present facts, ideas and opinions
• Use language and register appropriate to audience and context
• Exercise control of appropriate grammatical structures
• Understand and use a range of apt vocabulary
• Demonstrate an awareness of the conventions of paragraphing, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling
  

Speaking and Listening
Students will be assessed on their ability to:

• Listen to, understand and convey information
• Listen to and respond appropriately to the contributions of others
• Understand, order and present facts, ideas and opinions
• Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined
• Communicate clearly and fluently
• Use language and register appropriately to audience and context

ICT IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE BASED TASKS

• News articles
• Analysis of news articles with annotation
• Re-draft news articles for different audiences
• Leaflets or brochures
• Postcards
• Analysis and comparison of information material in web-based and paper-based formats
• Advertisements
• Range of letters for different audiences and purposes
• Descriptions in which words are replaced with images, colours or hyperlinks
• Reading log in which use of spellchecker and thesaurus are taught
• Use of CD Roms and internet, focusing on: discerning ´good´ sources key words, scanning, skim-reading and close reading
• Research issue and present information in a range of formats
• Design questionnaires, record data and create chart, importing graphics to produce final product
• Create logos and slogans
• Advertising/business presentation
• Travel and tourism project
• Annotation of parts of speech
• Grammar/spelling tasks (e.g. cloze, highlighting, posters, pattern work)
• Story ´consequences´
• Essay sequencing
  

Link to Year 7 Comments
Link to Year 8 Comments
Link to Year 9 Comments
Link to Reading Suggestions
Link to GCSE Preparation
Link to Year 11 Comments
Link to Theatre Visits
Link to Year 12 Comments
Link to AS & A2 English Literature