Theme: Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry

Mildred D. Taylor. Set in 1930s Mississippi, the novel explores themes of childhood, racism and justice. They will experience reading the whole novel in class and will be able to take a copy home to continue reading as homework. This is also their introduction to skills of analysis in English through the development of inference and language analysis skills through essays. They will be assessed through a reading test of an extract from the novel.

Theme: Shakespeare – Midsummer Night’s Dream

An engaging introduction to Shakespeare’s language, characters and comedy. Students will have opportunities to use drama to examine the text as well as a springboard for their own creative writing.

Theme: Creative Writing – Dystopian Fiction

Students will experience strange and wonderful worlds of dystopian fiction and use these as a way into creating their own worlds and ambitious works of writing.

Theme: WWI Poetry

From Vera Brittain to Wilfred Owen, the poetry of the First World War is a vital part of our literary heritage. Students will explore some of the classic works from 1914-1918 as well as engaging with contemporary work.

Theme: The relevance of Media and News

Students will learn to think critically about news and media and explore the conventions of different media texts. They will also use their own questioning and interview techniques to construct their own newspaper articles and receive a vital introduction to the emergence of new media in the modern world.

Theme: British drama – Dracula (play)

This classic work will give students the opportunity to develop their understanding of the Gothic genre and its place in our literary heritage. They will also have the opportunity to develop their skills of character analysis and the art of scriptwriting.

Theme: The 19^th Century novel

Students will have opportunities to explore the complexities of an abridged novel as a class. They will build their confidence with approaching 19^th Century texts and explore characters and contexts from English literary heritage.

Theme: Shakespeare – Twelfth Night

Students will evaluate how comedy and audience expectations of gender are used in a text to engage an audience. They will develop their own critical approaches to Shakespeare and appreciate how drama can bring these responses to life.

Theme: Creative Writing – Narrative writing from different cultures (short stories)

Students will use prior learning to effectively structure their own creative writing. They will have the opportunity to read and respond to short stories from a range of cultures. They will also conduct their own research on cultures and use this to form their own short stories.

Theme: Poetry from different cultures

Bridging from their previous unit, students will analyse how poets engage in question of identity and nationality in a series of poems. They will also have opportunities to reflect upon their own heritages and explore their own place in the world through their own pieces.

Theme: Media and Speaking & Listening (1 Full Term)

Students will engage in a series of debate and oral exercises about media. They will learn to speak persuasively and in a formal context. They will continue to develop their media analysis skills.

(previous unit continued)

Theme: Class reader – Of Mice & Men

Students will develop key skills of analysing language and structure; they will be able to evaluate the presentation of characters and society.

Theme: Shakespeare – Romeo & Juliet

Shakespeare’s classic tale of love and betrayal provides a rich tapestry for interpretation and reinvention. Students will continue to approach language and characters critically and build their skills through use of drama and creative writing.

Theme: GCSE Language Paper 1/2 (Section B) – Writing Skills

An engaging and vital preparation for the challenge of the GCSE. Students will also have opportunities to research current affairs topics and complete persuasive writing tasks for authentic audiences- seeing the value of their English skills play out in the real world.

Theme: Poetry – Comparison & unseen

Through a series of taught and unseen poems, students will hone their analytical skills and ability to interpret a wide range of writing. This unit will place them in a good position to navigate the challenges of GCSE poetry.

Theme: GCSE Language Paper 1/2 (Section A) - Reading Skills

Students will engage with a range of fiction and non-fiction extracts from our literary heritage, developing the skills they will need to be successful at GCSE as well as thinking critically about the media around them.

Theme: GCSE text – An Inspector Calls

A searing examination of society, J. B. Priestley’s classic text will be the first unit of their GCSEs. This will give students the opportunity to explore political ideas, themes of social responsibility and gender inequality.