English

“I'm busy writing a script at the moment. ”

Andrew

The English curriculum at Collingwood includes the explicit teaching of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. These skills are vital, as they ultimately allow pupils to engage in and participate fully as members of society, ensuring that they have access to the academic, vocational and training opportunities that will benefit both their present and future adult lives.

In addition, the curriculum contributes to the personal and social development of pupils, as they become more adept at identifying their own thoughts, feelings and behaviours, as well as those of others, through the study of a wide range of English literature texts. We hope to instil in pupils a love of reading that becomes habitual beyond the school gates and, indeed, their time at Collingwood.

In keeping with the National Curriculum for English, we strive to ensure that pupils are able to:

  • read easily, fluently and with good understanding;
  • develop the habit of reading widely and often;
  • acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language;
  • appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage;
  • write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences;
  • use discussion on order to learn, elaborating on and explaining their understanding and ideas;
  • interact with others, making formal presentations and participating in debate and role play activities.

In English, pupils work towards targets set by their teachers, culminating, if appropriate, in nationally recognised qualifications, including: Functional Skills (Pearson); English Language GCSE (AQA); Extended Project Qualification(s) (AQA).

Literacy and Reading

We promote reading through English lessons and the use of the library in these lessons at least once a week. The school has also implemented the Accelerated Reader programme, as a means of tracking reading performance and ensuring that pupils are selecting books at a level that is beneficial to their progress. Pupils enjoy quizzing on books they have read and are rewarded for the amount of time they dedicate to this. More about Accelerated Reader and instructions for quizzing at home are on our Collingwood Connect website.

In terms of curriculum content, the school has implemented the Twinkl phonics and reading programme. This is a nationally approved approach to the teaching of reading that will benefit all our pupils, at all stages of their development.

An overview of the English Curriculum can be viewed here.

English Curriculum Overview

English Curriculum Topics