Transcript English at Key Stage Three

English at Key
Stage Three
"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV
set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf
on the wall."
— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Key Stage Three English
• Imagination and creativity are developed through reading
and writing.
• Students to be able to look beyond the literal and explore
the layers of meaning in literature.
• Our aim is to promote confidence in exploring alternative
readings of texts and sharing ideas with the class.
• Students develop knowledge and understanding of spelling,
punctuation and grammar and learn to write with increasing
accuracy.
SPaG
• Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar
• All students across KS3 are given a SPaG test
once a term.
• Worth 20% of marks in the new GCSE language
exam.
Once a week,
students’ will
spend 10-15
minutes working
through activities
in the KS3 SPaG
book.
What do we study in Year 7?
Programme of Study
Introduction to English:
‘Writing the Natural
World’
Text 1: Holes
Text 2: Macbeth
Text 3: Tales of Terror
Text 4: Greek Myths
Reading using
innovative ‘active
reading’
strategies to
develop
understanding.
Discussion that
takes into
account different
viewpoints.
Written work that
enables students
to see language
as a whole but
also allows them
to focus on the
minute details
Written work that
develops their
creativity and
imagination.
What are the connotations of
the verb?
Who?
Icy? Sinister? Dangerous?
Ghostly?
Darkness, danger,
fear? Mysterious?
Usually we can’t see
at night so more
dangerous
As he melted into the night
another figure appeared.
A person? Who/what?
How can it just appear?
Are the two figures linked?
Where has it come from
and why?
Why say ‘figure’ rather than
‘man’ or ‘person’?
Supernatural?
Mysterious?
Promoting Reading
•Chances for reading are built into KS3 lessons.
Students, on average, will be given 10 minutes silent
reading time per week.
•All English classes are provided with opportunities to
use the study centre.
•Every year we invite an external author to come and
speak to students about creative writing and the joy of
reading.
"There is more treasure in books than in all the
pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
— Walt Disney
Homework
• Set at least once a week and will alternate between
SPaG tasks and longer writing pieces.
•Spelling Tests are routine in Year 7.
•Homework is an enormously important way of further
developing the skills learnt in class.
•The most important assistance you can give is in helping
your child to organise their time outside of school.
Assessments
•Students study a new topic roughly every ten weeks.
•Every topic is assessed in the middle and towards the
end of each unit (roughly every 4-5 weeks). One
assessment will be writing (creativity and composition),
one reading (analysis and understanding).
•The mid unit assessment task will be discussed in
advance. Students will be set homework to plan this
piece and lesson time will be given to re-draft it.
•Assessments last for approximately 40 minutes.
• Students are reminded in the lessons before
assessment which skills are being tested.
Assessments: marks and setting
Levels: no longer used at KS3
Instead: Band system (similar to GCSE) across the whole
of KS3. Students will be awarded a mark out of 100 for
each piece (70 for content, 30 for SPaG accuracy).
Bands range from 1-10 for content: generally a year 7
student would be expected to be at band 3 when they join,
and band 7/8 when they finish year 9.
-An excellent familiarity with conventions of a
variety of forms, adapted for purpose and
audience that creates a fluent piece of writing
with a clear purpose.
-Convincing voice or point of view sustained
throughout.
-Always appropriate level of formality and
consistent use of stylistic devices
-Paragraphs clearly support meaning and
purpose and a range of features signal direction.
Extra Curricular
Creative Writing Club runs once a week and
gives students the chance to indulge their
love of creative writing.
Last year we ran a creative writing
competition for KS3. The students
themselves were involved in the judging
process.
Top three ways you can help at home
• Spellings
1. Weekly spelling tests.
2. Using a dictionary when completing homework.
3. Taking a pocket dictionary to all lessons.
• Proof Reading
Encourage students to check that they have used the following
correctly:
1. Capital letters
2. Commas and full stops
3. Paragraph breaks
• Reading for pleasure
Encourage your child to read every evening. If you have time, try
to listen to them read once a week for 30 minutes.
Talking about school…
Closed questions:
1. Did you have a good day at school?
2. Did you studying anything interesting at school today?
3. Do you have any homework?
Open Discussions:
1. Let’s look at your homework planner together.
2. Can you explain what you are expected to do for this piece
of homework?
3. What questions did you ask at school today?