Ribston HallHigh School
Key Stage 3
Description
The national curriculum forms the foundation of English study at Ribston Hall High School. Students are encouraged and supported to develop their skills of reading, writing and oracy across each scheme of learning. Through a wide range of challenging texts, students explore a breadth of themes spanning across the centuries. We offer variety, with a new focus each half term, ensuring that all interests are catered for. Students are exposed to a range of genres of fiction and non-fiction texts that will ignite their imaginations and inspire their academic curiosity.
At Ribston Hall, we build creativity through the study of different texts, then give students the opportunity to develop the skills they have studied in their own writing. They are encouraged to use ambitious vocabulary and a variety of language techniques to create different effects for different audiences. High levels of grammar, spelling and punctuation are reinforced throughout study at Key Stage 3.
In year 9, students work with texts and complete tasks inspired by the AQA GCSE English Language and Literature courses. We introduce the GCSE mark schemes at this stage in their journey to increase challenge, raise aspirations and build awareness of the demands of the examinations.
Content
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | |
| Autumn | Modern Novel: Northern Lights |
Modern Novel: Lord of the Flies / Of Mice and Men / Animal Farm Non-Fiction Reading and Writing: Survival |
Literary Heritage Novel: Jane Eyre Non-Fiction Reading and Writing: Diversity |
| Spring |
Gothic Literature and Dracula Playscript Exploring Literary Movements through Poetry – 1600s to present |
Modern Play: The Importance of Being Earnest Poetry: Protest |
Modern Play: Blood Brothers / View from a Bridge / The Crucible Fiction Reading and Writing: Diversity |
| Summer |
Introduction to Shakespeare Journalism |
Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream World Literature and Creative Writing |
Shakespeare: Macbeth Poetry: Power and Conflict |
Key Stage 4
Exam board
AQA English Language (8700)
AQA English Literature (8702)
Description
The demands of the AQA GCSE English Literature and English Language papers are introduced in Year 9, but in Years 10 and 11, students start to work with the texts that they will respond to in the examinations. While Jane Eyre is used to further explore the Gothic tradition and introduce ideas such as feminism and Marxism, GCSE students will learn and revise The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the exam, applying the foundations of the knowledge that they gained in previous years and building upon this with new and interesting texts.
The material that the students cover offers high levels of challenge that facilitate the achievement of the highest GCSE outcomes, while scaffolding support for students to feel confident to take risks and build their own analytical style. With the onward journey towards A Level English literature in mind, we ensure that students are given insight into what further study of English looks like and how their skills will be needed beyond the classroom.
Content
| Year 10 | Year 11 | |
| Autumn |
Literary Heritage Novel: Jekyll and Hyde Fiction Reading and Writing |
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet |
| Spring |
Modern Play: An Inspector Calls Non-fiction Reading |
Non-fiction Reading and Writing |
| Summer |
Poetry: Unseen and Love and Relationship Anthology Non-Fiction Writing |
Revision Programme: Jekyll and Hyde, Romeo and Juliet, Poetry Anthology, Unseen poetry, An Inspector Calls, English Language Papers 1 and 2 |
Key Stage 5
Exam board
AQA A-Level English Literature A
Description
The A Level specification allows students to cover relevant, engaging and thought-provoking literature through the lens of historicism. Students build their global awareness through the study of English Literature at A Level in a way that facilitates their personal development as thoughtful, knowledgeable citizens.
The course offers clear progression from GCSE and provides a variety of assessment styles, such as passage-based questions, unseen materials, single and multiple- text questions, and open and closed book approaches.
One of the aspects of the course that really prepares students for the next steps is the non-examined assessment – an opportunity for students to formulate their own hypothesis and select their own texts for study. This portion of the course encourages independent thought. Students can travel along a line of enquiry of their choosing, work with texts they have a personal interest in and craft arguments that spark their own personal interests. With the support of their class teachers, students at A Level are fully prepared for their futures as articulate, productive adults.
Content
| Year 12 | Year 13 |
| Shakespeare: Othello | Modern Play: A Streetcar Named Desire |
| Novel: The Great Gatsby | Modern: Owen Sheers- Skirrid Hill |
| Unseen Poetry | The Handmaid’s Tale |
| Unseen Prose | |
| Poetry: Pre 1900 Anthology | |
| Poetry: Post 1900 Anthology | |
|
Revision: The NEA, Modern Play: A Streetcar Named Desire |
Revision: Othello, Great Gatsby, Poetry Anthology, Unseen Poetry, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Handmaid’s Tale, Skirrid Hill |
Extra-curricular opportunities
Students will find that extra-curricular opportunities crop up seasonally, we run events and competitions that surround national celebrations, such as Black History Month, Remembrance Day, World Book Day, Pride, and there are weekly clubs that students can look forward to such as creative writing clubs, reading groups and revision and coursework drop-in sessions.