English

Curriculum vision

Intent

Curriculum vision / Intent: The English curriculum offers an ambitious literacy programme in recognition that high levels of literacy gives greater access to learning across all subject areas, as well as equipping our students for life beyond the classroom. Our department embeds the importance of Douay as a Reading School through dedicated curriculum time to regular reading of a wide variety of texts. We place oracy as an integral part of our English classroom, as we understand the importance of spoken language skills for university, the workplace and wider life. Students are given the safe space to discuss literature and wider themes, where they grow in confidence to share and express their opinions. Our focus in Year 7 is to successfully transition all of our students from primary for them to access the curriculum and to introduce the skills that they will continue to develop through their academic career at Douay up to their GCSEs and beyond. Students begin their AQA GCSE Language and Literature course in Year 9, after two years of foundations in reading, writing and speaking skills. Throughout their GCSE studies, we interleave the skills and texts learned in order to best prepare students to achieve their potential in their final exams. There is a balance of English Language and Literature Skills, with schemes of work evaluated and updated to meet the particular needs of the students.

Impact

The impact of our ambitious English Curriculum is to support all students from primary through to KS3, GCSE, A Level and beyond. We appreciate that the skills students learn in English prepare them for both their exams and their wider life experiences (and beyond English to all other areas of the curriculum) which is why we place such a focus on literacy and oracy. The texts that we study are accessible to all students and allow for stretch and challenge for our academically ambitious students. We seek to encourage critical thinking and debate and how the texts and themes we study are relevant to modern day. We offer an engaging curriculum that prepares our students to achieve their potential whilst also recognising the vital building blocks needed to support and develop a variety of learners.