Year 7
English
Content




Autumn Term: Module 1 and 2
Spring Term: Module 3 and 4
Summer Term: Module 5 and 6
Adventures and Journeys
Tales of the Gothic
Heroes and Villains
Adventure fiction: Novel Study.
Myths and legends-language change.
Poetry study- journeys.
Literary non-fiction (Guardian’s report on the
sinking of the Titanic) etc.
 Gothic fiction writing
 Shakespeare Study and context: Macbeth.
 Gothic Poems from across time (pre and post
1914).
 Graphic Novel and/or Class reader
 Film analysis
 Heroes in the Media: Non-Fiction: Features of
Newspapers/feature articles/opinion journalism.
 Descriptive Writing: My Hero
Texts: Frankenstein, Gothic Short Stories, Macbeth.
Texts: Narnia (R), The Hobbit (D) Harry Potter (T),
Harry Potter (J).
SPaG Focus
Vowel Choices and Pluralisation
Parts of Speech- Nouns, verbs, articles, adjectives,
prepositions, subject-verb agreement, tense.
Reading: Extract from novel - analyse how setting is
used for effect.
Assessment
Homework
Writing: write the opening or climax to a story
Speaking and Listening: Role-play (to
complain/persuade/advertise- radio advert/TV chat
show)
1. Write a short story (no more than 500 words)
which includes a character on an adventure.
2. Create your own Narnia/Class at Hogwarts/Hobbit
using exciting language. (Max 400 words).
3. Create a 3D setting for a new fantasy film out of a
shoe box.
Texts: Shrek, The Laboratory (Browning) and others.
Word Endings and Prefixes
The Elements of a Sentence- Simple sentences,
compound sentences, complex sentences, listing,
brackets, use of the comma.
Reading: Analysis of Act 1, Scene 7.
Writing: A descriptive text based on King Lear ‘Out
vile jelly’ and/or Diary in the voice of an
Elizabethan audience member.
Speaking and Listening: Discuss, argue and
persuade. The Horrific Head to Head.
1. Read a Gothic fiction text from the library. Take
a selfie and tweet this to @withamenglish.
2. Create a modern day version of Lady Macbeth
and Macbeth in an OK! Style interview.
3. Create a Facebook timeline that documents
feelings in the build up to Duncan’s murder.
Suggested class readers: Stormbreaker, The
Breadwinner, Danny Champion of the World and
Private Peaceful.
High Frequency and Commonly misspelled words
Structuring texts- Topic sentences, paragraphing,
introductions, conclusions
Reading: How does the film ‘Shrek’ subvert the typical
conventions of fairy tales?
Writing: News Report on a ‘local’ hero.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation ‘My Hero’,
Discussion-What makes a hero?
1. Bring your hero to life! Create a model. Photograph
it or bring it in.
2. Subvert your favourite fairy tale story in a comic strip
or character sheet (labelled).
3. Nominate ‘Your Hero’ for Hero of the Year award,
stating why they should win.
Autumn Term: Growing Pains
Module 1 and 2
Year 8




English Content


Exploring character, theme and setting in a Play script.
Analyse the methods used by playwrights.
Develop language used to compare.
Exploring theme: Pre and Post 1914 poetry linked to the
theme of childhood.
Explore the language and presentational features of non
fiction texts.
Literary Non-fiction: The Dreadful Life and CONFESSION
of a BOY Aged Twelve Years, (1829)
Texts: Blood Brothers (R), Fast (D), Angels (T) and Free (J) or
Boy.
SPaG Focus
Assessment
Vowel Choices and Pluralisation
Parts of Speech-Adverbs, comparative and superlative
adjectives, plural nouns, the genitive case (apostrophe), plural
nouns, and contractions.
Reading: Close detail analysis of character change (A01, AO2
and A03)
Writing: A ‘Growing up’ themed collection of diaries or blogs
or magazine page. ( AO4 and AO5)
S&L: Role-play task based on a scene from the play and/or
character interviews/hot seating. (AO7 and AO9)
Homework
1. Create an agony aunt style letter from a teenager,
raising an issue that teenagers are likely to face.
2. Create a Vlog named How to Be a Parent to Stroppy
Teenagers using imperative verbs.
3. Re-enact a short scene from your class’ play and video
it. Upload it to Twitter to @WithamEnglish.
Spring Term: Love and Conflict
Module 3 and 4




Exploring the theme of love and conflict through Shakespeare
and poetry
Explore how a setting can impact characters’ experiences of
love and conflict.
Drama: Shakespeare
Literary non-fiction: John Keats’: Letter to a Girl.
Texts: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romantic poetry (When
you are old, Yeats: When I Have Fears, Keats: To Caroline, Byron
and She was a Phantom of Delight, Wordsworth)
Word Endings and Prefixes
Elements of a Sentence- Complex sentences, noun appositive
phrases, conjunctive adverbs, semi-colons.
Reading: What are Shakespeare’s messages about love in, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream. (AO1 and AO3)
Summer Term: Animal Writes
Module 5 and 6





Explore the portrayal of animals in literature.
Identify, analyse and use language used in speeches.
Consolidate language used to compare.
Explore presentational devices used in adverts, posters
and advertorials.
Create an advertorial/poster.
Texts: Marley and Me (R), Animal Farm (D), War Horse (T)
and Esio Trot (J).
High Frequency Words and Commonly misspelled
words
Structuring texts-Connections between sentences,
proofreading, rewriting.
Reading: Compare the ways that two poets present
animals, and comment on the effects of methods used.
(A01, 2 and 3)
Writing: Describe a setting based on an image (linked to class
text) or describe the same setting at different times of year.
(AO4 and AO5)
Writing: A persuasive speech about a cause related to
Animal Rights/theme in the novel. (AO4 and AO5)
Speaking and Listening: Discuss and present: ‘Why do we learn
about Shakespeare?’ (AO8 and 9)
Speaking and Listening: Zoo debate or Save my Dog
presentation and discussion. (AO7, 8, 9)
1. Create a guide to three Romantic poets.
2. Write a Facebook messenger chat between the voice of a
poem and their love, with accurate use of complex
sentences and semi-colons. (You may use any poem that
you have studied as your inspiration for this task.)
3. Modernise one part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Eastenders style and film it. Tweet to @WithamEnglish
1. Create an advert/poster against animal cruelty.
2. Create a short story draft about the relationship
between a human and an animal which you are
prepared to redraft. (No more than a page.)
3. Find a poster/leaflet/flyer about animals, annotate
the writer’s use of language.
Year 9
English
Content
SPaG
Focus:
Assessment
Homework
Autumn Term: Mod 1 and Mod 2
Of Mice and Men
Approaching Poetry: America
 Context of the novel.
 Descriptive language in the opening
 Character, themes and settings.
 Annotating
 Use of language
 Exploring themes within the novel through poetry.
 Comparing poems
Novel: Of Mice and Men
Poems: Hawk Roosting, Flag, Next to of course God
America I, Let America be America again, Out of the Blue
Parts of Speech
Subject, direct object, indirect object, the passive voice,
auxiliary verbs, participles, word endings.
Module 1:
S&L: A presentation based on context of the novel.
Writing: A prequel to the novel or descriptive piece based on
an image from the context.
Reading: Analysis of the language used to present setting.
Module 2:
S&L and writing: Argue/persuade Should OMAM be saved?
Reading: AQA Language exam Q based on an extract.
1. Write the letter than Aunt Clara wrote to George before she
died with accurate use of auxiliary verbs.
2. Research why OMAM was taken from the curriculum and
summarise.
3. Choose a character from the novella and create a mood
board, focusing on context.
Spring Term: Mod 3
Crime: Play



Spring Term: Mod 4
19th Century Lit: Crime and Horror
Play scripts: Sign of
 Reading and responding to a
Four (R), DNA (D/T)
range of 19th C texts and
and Fast (J).
Modern.
Exploring genre,
 Analysing form, language and
context, character
structure.
and theme.
 Researching and making links
Discuss, argue and
with context.
persuade from a
 Making comparisons across
variety of viewpoints
texts.
(Use De Bono’s
thinking hats)
The Elements of a Sentence
Restrictive and non restrictive clauses, colons, hyphens,
punctuating speech.
Reading: Theme based
exam style question.
Reading: Close analysis of the
opening of Frankenstein.
Writing: To what extent is
society to blame for gun
crime in schools? Etc.
Writing: An incident report and/or
narrative piece based on
Frankenstein
S&L: Discuss
controversial topics
(Related to writing).
Speaking and Listening: Role-play
Interview Shelley/police interview.
1.
2.
3.
Create a guide to the necessary elements when writing
crime fiction.
Create your own setting, adapting the style of Shelley’s
opening. (Pathetic fallacy, sentence structures.)
Create a ‘Breaking News’ video about a infamous
murderer (no longer than three minutes.) Tweet to
@WithamEnglish
Summer Term: Mod 5
Language Study Identity


Explore the theme of
identity through poems
and a range of non-fiction
and literary non fiction
texts.
Select a non-fiction text
for AQA language style
short and longer writing
style task. (Letter from
Mary Secole)
Summer Term: Mod 6
DRAMA Shakespeare Study



Romeo and Juliet, Tempest or
Macbeth.
Dramatic approach to the
text, characters, themes and
context.
Explore plays in performance
and compare them.
Structuring texts
Text, purpose and audience.
Reading: Question on ‘How
does the writer create a
persona?’ In Jekyll and Hyde.
Writing: Specimen GCSE
question – Create the persona
in an image.
Speaking and Listening: Perform a
short extract and provide a
written commentary to explain
your choices.
Writing: Theatre/film review
Reading: Analyse the dramatic
S&L: Compare the way
conventions of an extract/Close
language is used in both
analysis of the presentation of
poems to show identity.
character or theme in an extract.
1. Film a split personality monologue based on Jekyll and Hyde and
upload it to Twitter @WithamEnglish.
2. Using one of the texts studied, create a Facebook profile to
present their persona.
3. Write a short poem that presents your persona, using at least one
feature that you have seen used in another poem.