Key Stage 3 English 

Students have four English lessons each week. They follow different programmes of study each year, covering all aspects of the English National Curriculum over 3 years. Each unit is topic based and differentiated across the year groups, as classes are taught in mixed age and ability groups. All lessons are differentiated to meet individual needs and topics are chosen to engage pupils. 

 All students study English Literature alongside English Language, regardless of their ability, because we feel it is vital to experience a range of texts from across the ages and across continents to gain an appreciation of other cultures and beliefs, to understand ourselves and how we fit into our world. 

 At Key Stage 3, students at Chadwick High School engage with a range of texts to prepare them for further study and ensure they are sufficiently prepared for possible re-integration in mainstream school. Texts include two whole Shakespeare plays, whole novels, a post-1914 play and a wide variety of non-fiction and fiction extracts, allowing pupils to fully understand writers’ intentions, methods and the contexts in which they have been written. The range of literature provides students with insights into a variety of cultures, broadening cultural capital and understanding of our world. 

 Key Stage 3 Curriculum – 3 year rolling plan  

2024-2025 Academic Year – Lune Plan 

2025-2026 Academic Year – Bay Plan 

2026-2027 Academic Year – Quay Plan 

KS3 Curriculum Rationale 

Lune Plan: 2024-2025 Academic Year 

War Poetry 

In preparation for the poetry studied at GCSE, students complete a unit of work on War Poetry. A range of well-known poems about WWI and II and other conflicts through history are studied. Exploring war poetry from poets such as Thomas Hardy, Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon as well as other poets such as Jessie Pope and Simon Armitage help to build students’ knowledge and understanding of key poets and poetry styles they may revisit at GCSE. 

Students learn how poets use language, structure and form to convey meaning, developing an understanding of poetic techniques and how to analyse poetry. They learn about the social, historical and cultural factors that influence the poems studied and how to plan and write poetry essays. Students complete a guided comparison of two poems in preparation for the skills required at GCSE. The poems studied also act as stimulus for creative writing set in war zones. 

Gothic Fiction 

Students may study Gothic Literature at GCSE, so this unit is designed to lay the foundations for further study in KS4. Students are introduced to the conventions of Gothic Literature through the study of various extracts from well-known Gothic texts such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stroker’s Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Monkey’s Paw.   

Students study how Gothic writers create characters, setting and atmosphere and explore the skills employed by writers to create tension. Developing analytical and evaluative skills enables students to discuss and write about characters, settings and the creation of tension. Students learn about Gothic openings and endings and how to structure a Gothic story. They then use these skills to develop and evaluate their own descriptive and narrative writing based on the conventions of the Gothic genre, with a focus on how to use punctuation, sentences, vocabulary and language techniques effectively to create effects. 

  The World of Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 

 In preparation for the potential study of Shakespearean Comedy at GCSE, this unit introduces students to the world and language of Shakespeare and more specifically the conventions of Shakespearean Comedy. Shakespeare’s dreamy comedy is perfect for younger students with its accessible themes of jealousy, love, disorder and imagination.  

Students begin by exploring the world that Shakespeare lived in, learning about the social and historical context of the era and are introduced to the genre conventions of all types of Shakespeare plays: tragedies, comedies and history plays. They develop an understanding of the Globe Theatre and its audiences and relate the Great Chain of Being to the characters within the play.  

Students explore the language, narrative, structure and characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream whilst delving in to themes and contexts such as love, relationships, dreams and how men and women were perceived. They evaluate how the different characters link together in the plot, analysing how language conveys characters’ emotions. They learn how to annotate extracts and select and explore quotations, whilst considering audience reaction to characters and events. Students complete a guided assessment of character and learn how to structure analytical paragraphs and explore how Shakespeare uses different dramatic techniques to emphasise the comedy in the play. They explore ‘the play within a play’ and its comedic impact on the audience. Finally, students use their knowledge of the conventions of Shakesperean comedy to design their own Shakesperean comedies in groups and present them to their peers, whilst also writing and performing a key scene from their play.  

Short Stories 

Short stories are a powerful way to explore the craft of fiction writing and to help students prepare for descriptive, narrative and imaginative writing tasks of their own. They are compact and allow students to glimpse a whole narrative structure in shorter, more comprehensible form; it’s easier to see the conventions of storytelling through the study of short stories. In this unit students explore stories by Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Guy de Maupassant and Kate Chopin, which help to lay the foundations for students’ analytical, reading and writing skills in preparation for GCSE English Language. 

Students begin by developing an understanding of the impact of different story openings on readers and look at the key elements of a short story. They explore character types, character development, use of dialogue and the impact of narrative perspective and voice on the reader. They learn to structure short stories and explore the effect of a range of structural features: foreshadowing, flashback, flashforward and linear, parallel and cyclical narratives. They develop understanding of different story endings and how they can affect readers. They look at genre conventions, the importance of settings, and how writers use language and structure to engage readers. Students explore pathetic fallacy and personification and how these techniques can impact readers’ understanding of mood, tone and character. They plan, develop and write different parts of short stories with a focus on improving vocabulary, using punctuation effectively, particularly speech punctuation, which culminates in a final writing assessment where they craft their own story using the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the unit. 

Non-Fiction Reading 2 

The study of non-fiction texts can help students develop critical thinking and analytical skills, develop knowledge of their environment and society, and encourage independent thought: all important skills for their personal development. Comparing non-fiction texts can help students become more aware of how language is used in society and by paying close attention to the words and phrases a writer chooses, students can develop understanding of the impact the writer intends. 

In this unit, students are immersed in reading a range of modern and 19th Century non-fiction texts, exploring their structural and grammatical conventions in preparation for study of non-fiction at GCSE level. They develop awareness of the ways in which language is used to influence readers and study a range of newspaper articles, interviews and media sources, exploring how writers reach target audiences and achieve different purposes. Students develop their understanding of different language techniques used in non-fiction writing and explore how they can be used to influence readers. The unit also encourages students to recognise the writer’s perspective and reflect on the way bias can be present in modern society and in the language we consume day-to-day. 

 Students practise some of the skills required for answering non-fiction reading questions at GCSE, such as writing summaries and analytical paragraphs, comparing perspectives and using evidence and analytical verbs to demonstrate their understanding. 

 Autobiography 

In this unit, students explore a range of diverse perspectives through different autobiographical extracts by writers like Nelson Mandela, Michelle Obama and Roald Dahl.  Autobiographies can help students learn about the personal experiences of others, and how people see life, reflect and construct meaning from their experiences. Autobiography exercises can also be a great way of getting students to consider their own achievements in life and the challenges they have overcome, thus developing a greater opinion of self. 

Students are introduced to the style and form of autobiographies, whilst developing their writing skills through the imitation of stylistic choices. Students develop their appreciation for a range of voices and experiences and learn about the ways in which writers convey emotion, create impressions of characters and setting, and build detailed accounts of significant memories. They develop an understanding of the structure of autobiographical extracts, exploring how writers engage readers with different ways of opening and closing autobiographical accounts. Students explore language techniques used by writers to make their accounts engaging, using these techniques in their own autobiographical writing. Students are encouraged to reflect on their identity and life experiences, ultimately planning and structuring a short piece of autobiographical writing, demonstrating the skills acquired across the unit. 

 Travel Writing 

A transition unit introducing Year 9 students to GCSE non-fiction writing through the genre of travel writing. Students explore the purpose, audience, form and conventions of different travel writing text types: articles, guides, blogs, journals, reviews, postcards, formal and informal letters, leaflets and brochures. By developing an understanding of writing for different purposes and audiences, students begin their preparation for the demands of writing non-fiction at GCSE level. 

Students explore key features of travel writing types and how the features meet the needs of purpose and audience. They develop their descriptive writing skills by describing travel destinations using the senses, colour, zooming in and different openings and endings to effectively engage readers. Students also explore persuasive writing, developing their understanding of persuasive techniques by planning and delivering a persuasive speech and writing a persuasive article about their chosen travel destination. Students explore how travel blogs use fact and opinion to engage the audience and plan and write their own blogs, whilst developing their editing and redrafting skills. They also explore the different purposes of review writing: inform, describe, entertain and advise, using what they have learned to plan and structure their own travel review. Students develop an understanding of how modal and imperative verbs are used in advice writing and then examine the organisation of leaflets and create their own advice leaflet about their favourite holiday destination.  

The unit culminates in a letter writing assessment where students demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired about purpose, audience, form, varying vocabulary choices, varying sentence types and openers and using a range of punctuation for effect: all the writing skills essential for success at GCSE and beyond.