In terms of our English curriculum planning for individual students, we firstly look to liaise with our referring schools. Aligning our teaching so that students are able to keep up with their peers within mainstream and are ready to transition back when health allows, we also look to support gaps in learning. Where Key Stage 3 students are with us for a longer period of time, the CHES curriculum for English may then be delivered.
The CHES Key Stage 3 curriculum map has been developed in parallel with many emerging curriculum maps from our mainstream partners; the principles underpinning the National Curriculum for English; literature from national CPD bodies such as the EMC and CLPE; and other outstanding hospital school providers. During this 2018-19, CHES teachers have worked together, pooling their knowledge and experience, to build this sense of journey for our students that enhances both their skills of literacy and language, and their experience of Literature.
Our curriculum map is not a panacea; it allows us to adapt and respond to individual need and interest, and for teachers to continue to innovate and develop resources and methodologies as they develop their own short term schemes and in depth planning based on this journey. It allows for teaching to link to students’ interests, without this being the sole driver of curriculum content, so that students move to worlds and books that are unfamiliar and increasingly challenging. In doing so, we seek to support our values of fairness and parity so that all CHES students have similar opportunities to their mainstream peers to experience a rich, progressive, exciting English curriculum offer.
By ensuring we have mapped the intended skills and content journey, and are clear on the non-negotiable principles that underpin our curriculum, students whose health will at times make attendance more difficult are still supported and thus enabled to make progress. Where students’ health makes lesson attendance and therefore curriculum coverage more difficult, the teachers will refer to these core principles below to ensure that planning and home learning is adapted and shaped to move students forward from their starting points.
Following the principles of the National Curriculum, Students will be taught to:
- Read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideasAre competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
And through the above be supported in transitioning back into mainstream education at the appropriate stage.
This Curriculum Journey is rightly ambitious in its aim and scope. It takes students to worlds outside of the familiar; explores historical and contemporary themes such as the impact of colonialism, race and gender equality through literature and ensures high challenge in terms of developing spoken, written and reading skills. The units are sequenced to allow each unit to ‘stand alone’ where students join us mid-year, but equally are linked and spaced in terms of progression and experience of a range of creative and transactional writing, balancing contemporary and historical literature.
Key Stage 3 English Curriculum Content Maps
