The English Curriculum here at Philip Morant seeks to immerse students within the fictional worlds of some of the most celebrated writers of our time. We strive to expose our students to the literature that will challenge, stimulate and provoke critical thinking that allows students to inform, develop and articulate their own perception of the world in a safe and protected environment as we prepare them across their five or seven year journey to seamlessly shift into their next stage of life be it work, study or training. Through fiction we are able to remove walls, obstacles and everyday life and engage students in worlds, experiences and lives that they may otherwise not be aware of. We seek to expose students to texts from a full breadth of our literary heritage – poetry, drama and prose – travelling from one side of the globe to the other. We pride ourselves on developing not only students’ academic success but also their personal merits: especially kindness and respect. Our study of literature allows this to happen through discussion and engagement with the different events within each text – considering not just what happened, but why it happened and how it could have been different had a separate choice been made. This reflective environment supports students to grow into the best versions of themselves with understanding, empathy and compassion. This intention is driven by our desire to create a community where everyone belongs and to promote a love of learning that will transcend the classroom.
To support this love of learning we interweave the Language and Literature skills to exhibit how the study of Language allows students to explore nature and expression whilst practising these skills within their own writing. English Language allows students to recognise how language has developed meaning over time and to consider how and why this has happened. We then develop this understanding with a deeper dive into the grammatical structures of sentences and how these may be adapted to alter meaning. Students are encouraged to see the use of language as a fluid process that with constant review and reflection can be adapted and improved to create greater impact. This deep understanding of the grammatical structure of language helps to develop our students into articulate and imaginative writers, potentially inspiring the future writers, journalists and politicians in the generations to come. Through the exposure to a variety of written forms we seek to consider multi-modal examples and an awareness of the ephemeral text types that exist within this modern and adapting world. This encourages students to identify the dangers of these modern text types as we are increasingly exposed to information that is not always validated or reliable. Understanding how language is constructed ensures that our students become more critical readers, probing and questioning what intent that authors had when constructing their acclaimed works. Students develop their skills of critical evaluation and analysis throughout their five years to ensure they are prepared for the rigours of the GCSE system, but also beyond this at A Level and degree.
Our Curriculum has been constructed and sequenced to develop the skills, understanding and learning from one year to the other. Teachers strategically guide students to make authentic connections to previous and future learning and cross-curricular study through carefully considered and deliberate activities: from low-stakes testing and recall tasks; questioning and promoting discussion and debate; imaginative and inspiring written tasks; and refined and tailored teaching episodes following carefully spaced diagnostic and summative assessments to best meet the needs of students. Our aim is to develop considered, informed, independent, and academically talented thinkers that leave us with a range of skills and an astute ability to be critical and confident as they navigate their way through their academic career and adult life.
