English at Larches
At Larches High School we believe that it is our duty to inspire young people to see the real value of English in the wider world by accessing a variety of texts, making it interesting and accessible. Very often learners have little awareness of their own reading skills, especially in terms of inference and deduction. We aim to increase their confidence in reading, writing and overall communication, so that our learners are either able to reintegrate quickly into mainstream education or to achieve English Language and Literature GCSEs when they finish their high school education.
We aim to:
- Develop literacy skills
- Increase reading and writing skills
- Prepare students for the demands of examinations and the workplace
Purpose of study
English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.
(Dept. For Education)
Key Stage 3 English Route Map
Autumn 1
Literacy MOT/dictation – baseline testing
Weekly explicit literacy lesson
Spelling test
Writing focus
Transactional writing
Magazine articles
Use of structure/paragraphs
Reading focus
Autumn 2
Weekly explicit literacy lesson
Spelling test
Writing focus
Narrative writing
Visual stimulus
Use of vivid vocabulary
Reading focus
Extract – retrieval, inference, deduction, language, structure, tone
Spring 1
Revisit Literacy MOT/dictation – progress check
Weekly explicit literacy lesson
Spelling test
Writing focus
Transactional writing
Letter writing
Reading focus
Spring 2
Weekly explicit literacy lesson
Spelling test
Writing focus
Narrative writing
Visual stimulus
Development of character
Reading focus
Extract – retrieval, inference, deduction, language, structure, tone
Summer 1
Weekly explicit literacy lesson
Spelling test
Writing focus
Transactional writing
Speech writing
Reading focus
Summer 2
Weekly explicit literacy lesson
Spelling test
Writing focus
Narrative writing
Reading focus
Extract – retrieval, inference, deduction, language, structure, tone
