Key skills provides students with the opportunity to develop and enhance their literacy skills. It focuses on improving both reading comprehension and also reading fluency. Writing skills are also developed with a particular emphasis on supporting students with their use of spelling, punctuation and grammar and transferring these vital skills across the curriculum. This additional literacy time also ensures that students are confident communicators both in written and oral form.
Key stage 3
Year 7
Topics
- Term 1
Students will read the fiction novel Cirque Du Freak and develop their reading skills by selecting and explaining relevant quotations and making inferences and deductions.
Students will complete a final assessment at the end of the term assessing both their reading and writing skills.
- Term 2
Students will be studying texts from the Science Fiction genre focusing on the classic novel ‘Frankenstein’. Students will be producing writing for a wide range of purpose and audiences as well as developing their use of ambitious vocabulary, varied sentence types and use of sophisticated punctuation to create a range of effects.
Students will complete a final assessment at the end of the term assessing both their reading and writing skills.
- Term 3
Students will be reading the fiction novel The Vampire’s Assistant. This final term provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their progress in a range of reading and writing tasks.
Writing tasks include letter writing, Diary extracts and producing longer writing pieces. Reading tasks include making inferences, locating explicit and implicit information, skimming, scanning and close reading of a text.
Assessment
Students are assessed throughout the half term fortnightly on both reading and writing skills.
Homework
Students are given a homework booklet each half term based on the topic being studied. Students are given one piece of homework per fortnight
Year 8
Topics
- Term 1
Students will read the fictional novel ‘Darkside’ and focus on developing reading skills such as selecting and explaining relevant quotations effectively, analysing main ideas, characters, themes and plots.
- Term 2
Students will be writing for the purposes of writing to persuade and writing to describe under the theme of Project Dream School. Students will be developing their use of tone and style, structure and paragraphs whilst also continuing to embed their growing spelling, punctuation and grammar skills.
- Term 3
This final half term, students will be basing both their reading and writing skills around the book Gangsta Granny. Students will be focusing on explaining the writer’s use of language and structure whilst also applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form.
Assessment
Students are formally assessed each half term on both their reading and writing skills. Throughout the term, both formative and summative assessment is used continuously to ensure maximum progression.
Homework
Students are given homework once a fortnight in booklet form. Students will be given a different booklet each half term and the booklet links to the theme currently being taught.
Support
Year 9
Topics
- Term 1
Students will be studying a range of fiction texts to support their continuous development of their comprehension skills and ability to explain deeper meanings of texts.
Within this term, students will also become competent in the arts of speaking and listening through the use of presentations and debates.
- Term 2
This term student’s work will be based around the novel ‘Stone Cold’. Throughout this term, students will focus on increasing and improving their ability to write accurately and coherently by adapting their style and vocabulary for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
- Term 3
The focus for this half term is using short stories as the stimulus for extended writing texts.
In addition to writing tasks, students will also be taught how to critically explore and explain the effects of figurative language, vocabulary choices, structural and organisational features ready to begin their GCSE English courses.
Assessment
Students are continuously assessed throughout the half term from both formative and summative assessment. Students are formally assessed fortnightly on both reading and writing skills.
Homework
Students are given a homework booklet each half term based on the topic being studied. Students are given one piece of homework per fortnight.
Support
Extra-Curricular
Students are invited to homework clubs which take place in the LRC where they are can receive additional support.
