English Department Overview 2015-2016
Years 6 to 8
In Years 6 to 8 students will develop and hone deductive skills through the close scrutiny of one principal
literary text per term, as well as a number of shorter prose and poetry texts. Class study will be
supplemented through the use of the Galore Park ISEB So you really want to learn English series.
Outlined below is a summary of areas that will be covered during the year:
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Language: Specific practice will be given to grammar, syntax and punctuation through integrated
textual analysis – development of language skills, building on and consolidating previous years’
learning, with a focus on sentence and paragraph construction, identification of word classes, verb
tenses, sophisticated use of punctuation and vocabulary.
Literary and poetic devices: Revision and consolidation of basic figures of speech (simile,
metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia) and the exploration of more complex literary / poetic
techniques.
Writing: Students will be exposed to a range of written techniques, exploring narrative,
descriptive, instructional and discursive styles with the opportunity to implement these in their
own compositions. This will encompass study of structure, both formal and informal, content and
style.
Spelling: All students will have targeted weekly spelling practice, working on developing spelling
strategies, exploring the sounds of words, syllables, root words and word building (prefixes and
suffixes). Years 3 to 6 are vertically structured for these sessions. Teachers will consolidate
spelling strategies and help students build their vocabularies through continual literary study, as
well as strategy specific tasks.
In Year 8 one lesson per week will be dedicated to examination preparation with a particular
focus on examination technique, exploring a variety of questions (fact retrieval, inference,
opinion) and texts (non-fiction and fiction), as well as practising composition.
Students’ listening and speaking skills will be developed both formally and informally throughout
the year, building towards the Bridmore Public Speaking in the Autumn Term, as well as the
SATIPS Poetry Writing Competition and the Stowe Verse Speaking Competition in the Spring
Term.
The principal literary texts for each year group are outlined below:
Year 8 Scholarship: The Rivals, The Importance of Being Earnest, Out of the Woods but Not Over the Hill,
Z for Zachariah, selected poems
Year 8: Nation, Much Ado About Nothing, Journey’s End, The Weight of Water, The Knife of Never Letting
Go, selected poems
Year 7: Feather Boy, Northern Lights, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, Holes, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Face, selected poems
Year 6: Goodnight Mr. Tom, Journey to the River Sea, Skellig, As You Like It, The Children of Green Knowe,
Cosmic, Pig Heart Boy, selected poems
Year 3 to 5
Reading: Independent, paired and shared, adding expression and intonation throughout.
Comprehension: Literal and inferential, written and verbal in full sentences.
Spelling: Targeted weekly spelling practice, working on developing spelling strategies, exploring the sounds
of words, syllables, root words and word building (prefixes and suffixes). Years 3 to 6 are vertically
structured for these sessions. Teachers will consolidate spelling strategies and help students build their
vocabularies through continual literary study, as well as strategy specific tasks.
Speaking and Listening: Sustained conversation and explanation of choices; performance poetry in relation
to narrative poetry; speaking persuasively and presenting an argument; expressing opinions about various
different texts and role-play about different characters.
Years 3-5 will also take part in the Bridmore Public Speaking in the Autumn Term, the SATIPS Poetry
Writing and Stowe Verse Speaking competitions in the Spring Term and the SATIPS Handwriting
Competition.
Year 5
Year 4
Year 3
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Writing: Significant authors,
instructional texts, James and the
Giant Peach, note-taking.
comprehension work
Writing: Myths, legends and fables,
persuasive texts, classic and
narrative poetry, comprehension
work
Writing: Texts from other
cultures, explanatory texts,
reports and recounts,
comprehension work
Grammar/syntax: connectives,
synonyms, similes, metaphors,
punctuation and dialogue,
imperative verbs
Grammar/syntax: abstract nouns,
dialogue and direct speech,
idioms, pronouns, commas,
apostrophes (possession and
omission)
Writing: Poetic form; explanation
and instruction texts; persuasive
writing
Grammar/syntax: origin of words,
temporal connectives, clauses,
colons, semi-colons, punctuation
revision
Grammar/syntax: proper nouns,
capital letters, commas,
apostrophes (omission)
Grammar/syntax: apostrophes
(possession), plural nouns
Writing: recount/narrative
structure, characterisation,
instructional writing (non-fiction);
poetry (shape poems and
calligrams)
Writing: Non-narrative structures
and forms.
Writing: Stories set in imaginary
worlds; information texts;
instructional writing and
newspaper reports
Grammar/syntax: sentence
structure, capital letters, full stops,
direct speech, question marks,
exclamation marks
Writing: traditional and modern
stories, literary features, narrative
structure, report writing
Grammar/syntax: including capital
letters, full stops, verbs,
adjectives, question marks,
exclamation marks, use of
connectives and tense
Grammar/syntax: time words,
punctuating speech, verbs, nouns
and pronouns, determiners
Summer Term
Writing: Stories in a historical
setting; persuasive texts;
informative texts
Grammar/syntax: including capital
letters, full stops, verbs,
adjectives, question marks,
exclamation marks, use of
connectives and tense
Years 1 and 2
Writing: News, diary, book
reviews, instructions, persuasive
Year 1
and
Year 2
Individual reading, fiction, letter
to Father Christmas; group
reading
Spelling (ability grouped);
comprehension; grammar
Writing: News, fiction, poetry
Events linked to World Book Day
Writing: News, real events,
instructions, rewriting their own
versions of well-known stories
Individual reading; group reading
Individual reading; group reading
Spelling (ability grouped);
comprehension; grammar
Spelling (ability grouped);
comprehension; grammar
Cursive joined-up handwriting
Cursive joined-up handwriting
Cursive joined-up handwriting
NB Please be aware that the order in which we teach certain skills may change slightly as we review the
teaching and learning on a regular basis and update planning documents accordingly.