English

The English curriculum at Heritage High School is varied, diverse and increasingly challenging. It aims to allow students to progress through the Key Stages – improving their knowledge and skills in the use, understanding and analysis of the English language as well as immersing them into a range of literature though history. Our passionate teachers deliver engaging lessons whilst challenging students and empowering them to achieve highly. The breadth of the curriculum will teach students to read for pleasure, read critically, write factually and creatively and debate literary issues that link to the world around them. Our students are taught in broadly mixed ability groups throughout Year 7 and are placed into ability focused groups in Year 8 and 9 which are evaluated at our regular assessment points.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7 - 9)

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

Across a fortnightly timetable, students receive 6 English lessons and 2 Reading lessons which include visits to the school library. Our English lessons deliver the curriculum outlined below. Within each unit of work, students are exposed to a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry connecting to the unit focus and topics/issues surrounding it. The units also give students opportunities to partake in speaking and listening tasks to develop oracy and presentation skills. Students are assessed for both reading and writing skills in each term. Our reading lessons give students the opportunity to visit the library, read for pleasure, track their Accelerated Reader progress, talk about their reading, and develop their literacy skills.

Year 7 Units

  • ‘A Monster Calls’ and Becoming a Heritage Citizen
  • ‘The Tempest’ and A Broken World
  • Global Voices

Year 8 Units

  • ‘Stone Cold’ and Causes to Fight For
  • ‘Dear Martin’ and Race and Justice
  •  Power and Conflict

Year 9 Units

  • ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Responding to Diverse Fiction
  • ‘Macbeth’ and Tragedy
  • Viewpoint and Rhetoric

Long Term Plan English Year 7 

Long Term Plan English Year 8 

Long Term Plan English Year 9

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 - 11)

Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)

GCSE study provides students with the opportunity to study a diverse range of literature; explore and analyse writers’ methods, evaluate and compare texts, relate texts to their context and write for different audiences and purposes.

In Key Stage 4, teaching builds on the skills and knowledge gained in Key Stage 3, with students studying AQA English Language and AQA English Literature.

English Language Paper 1
1 hour, 45 minutes
Section A: Analysing and evaluating an unseen fiction extract
Section B: Narrative or descriptive writing

English Language Paper 2
1 hour, 45 minutes
Section A: Analysing and comparing 2 unseen non-fiction extracts
Section B: Writing to present a viewpoint

English Literature Paper 1
1 hour, 45 minutes
Section A: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ essay question
Section B: ‘A Christmas Carol’ essay question

English Literature Paper 2
2 hours, 15 minutes
Section A: ‘An Inspector Calls’ essay question
Section B: Essay comparing Love and Relationships Poetry
Section C: Unseen Poetry analysis and comparison

Long Term Plan English Year 10

Long Term Plan English Year 11