English

Intent:

The English department focus on developing excellence in language and literature while providing students with the cultural capital and wider societal awareness to help them navigate an increasingly complicated world. 

We encourage all students to develop a love of reading: we run a Rise and Read initiative in Year 7; all pupils in Year 7 and Year 8 have one dedicated reading lesson per week where they participate in the Accelerated Reader programme; we have a department full of keen readers and a brilliantly resourced, up to date KS3 library and an older readers’ library to help sustain their reading habits throughout their time at the academy. 

Our curriculum balances reading and writing skills equally. Canonical authors like Dickens and Shakespeare are taught to all pupils, supplemented with a wide array of writers from diverse backgrounds exploring a range of topics and themes. Model texts are used to teach writing skills with a real focus on acquiring a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions. Pupils learn to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.

While the department maintains a student-centred, holistic focus in KS3, a more formalised exam focused approach is implemented in KS4 where students will learn about the specific rubric of each exam, enabling them to leave Rodillian with the best possible grades and the cultural capital which best empowers them in their life beyond school.