The study of English is a journey. It is a journey that begins with our first babblings as infants, where we learn our first words, and continues until we utter our last words. It is a journey that, when we are guided in the right direction, can enable us to become anything that we want ourselves to be. It is precisely this idea, of shaping who we can be, that underpins everything that we do in English at Hadley Learning Community and shapes the values that our staff and students embody at every level.

The study of English is integral in developing our ability to communicate with and interpret the world around us, both in a literal and figurative way. It allows us to share our ideas, shape our judgements and broaden our horizons. The reason that we study English is simple but this should not undermine the complexity of the discipline and that is why every student who studies English at Hadley Learning Community should feel challenged with every piece of work that they do. To be challenged is to push ourselves to be the best that we can be; this concept acts as the foundation of learning for all of our staff and students and can be found at the heart of our curriculum for every year group.

From there, our curriculum has been built on the philosophy of the learning journey, which considers where students are before they arrive, where they will want to be when they leave and who they will become whilst they are with us. We will ensure that students not only accrue the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed on this journey but also feel encouraged to explore their own relationship with language, literature, and the world around them.

We have designed our curriculum so that students revisit core skills in the same term in every year: our Autumn units focus on fiction reading and imaginative writing, our Spring units are based around non-fiction reading and writing, and our Summer units are focused on exploring drama and spoken language. Our 17 core skills are split across reading, writing and speaking and listening and are mapped so that each skill is practiced and developed every year from year seven to year eleven.

Lessons are engaging because they are rigorous. Students want to succeed, and, through hard work and achievement, they want to learn more. Every one of our lessons is shaped around a ‘Big Question’, which we find provides the students with a tangible focus for the content within the lesson but also allows them to revise and revisit with more confidence. These ‘Big Questions’ ensure consistency across the department, whilst also allowing our staff to explore the many avenues that make the study of English so subjective and so beautiful. Modelling is a key aspect of teaching in English; through regular feedback and guided practice students master key concepts, places and processes. Teachers explicitly teach students how to learn and revise so that they can be successful in regular knowledge and vocabulary tests. This helps to ensure long-term retention of core principles from KS3 through to KS4 and beyond. Extended writing opportunities at KS3 and 4 provide students with real world contexts to apply their knowledge. Key concepts are revisited over key stages as well as between lessons to practice retrieval and recall. Each of our KS3 units is split into the study of a ‘core text’ and a ‘wider study’ whereby students complete a close reading of a series of set texts whilst being able to explore a broad range of linked ideas and applying elements of both to find their own voices in their writing. The ‘core text’ and ‘wider study’ units run in parallel with one another at KS3, which mirrors how our English Language and English Literature units run in parallel with each other in KS4. Core texts are chosen to ensure that every student has a full and comprehensive appreciation of their own literary heritage and are able to articulate and convey their own interpretations of what they’re studying and how this applies to their understanding of their own world.

GCSE Study

Our KS4 curriculum has been mapped to develop the skills that were so integral to our KS3 curriculum provision. Eduqas English Literature and Eduqas English Language are taught concurrently in each term in their own discrete units so that students have four language and four literature lessons per fortnight. The units and the order in which they are taught mirror the primary focus of the KS3 units so that students can approach more challenging GCSE material with the confidence of continuity. Students study two of their three core literature texts, as well as their literature anthology of poetry, whilst also completing introductory units to English Language Component One, Two and Three.

As the students enter their final year, our curriculum builds to the most challenging and rewarding aspect. We study our final core text for literature, whilst continually revisiting and revising the core content from the year before. We trust that the analytical skills that students have developed since year seven will mean that they can confidently apply their analysis to all of their texts, focusing their revision on the core knowledge needed. In terms of English Language, we have found that repetitive analysis practise, with a broad variety of different texts, allows students to find success and build confidence when approaching unseen material. Year 11 students are also expected to continually revisit and revise the topics that they covered in Y10 as part of an ongoing intervention and revision schedule.  Our mock examinations (November and February) also provide crucial opportunities for feedback and reflection and may alter the direction of the students’ revision and intervention, depending upon their areas of strength and development.

We know our curriculum in the English department is effective because of the positive levels of student engagement observed across all key stages, supported by student voice surveys that highlight their enjoyment of the subject and the clarity of learning. Learning walks and lesson observations consistently demonstrate high-quality teaching and learning in English, with internal and external observers praising the strength of both the curriculum design and its delivery.

Student progress is rigorously tracked through regular assessments, which indicate clear improvements in key skills over time. Teachers frequently check for understanding using strategies such as targeted questioning, Think-Pair-Share, and individual feedback to ensure all students are supported in their learning journey.

Our department fosters a collaborative culture, with older students often mentoring their younger peers through structured reading and writing support sessions.

In the most recent GCSE results, English outcomes demonstrated significant strength. In English Language, 46.7% of students achieved grades 9–5, with an average grade of 4+. English Literature results were equally strong, with 47.3% of students achieving grades 9–5 and an average grade of 4+. While our Subject Progress Index for English (-0.23 for Language and -0.3 for Literature) reflects areas for continued growth, we are committed to refining our curriculum and teaching practices to ensure even greater success for all students in the future.

In KS4, students are required to complete bespoke homework set by their class teacher one week, followed by creating a revision guide the next week. The revision guide booklet will focus on core knowledge in English Literature, and possibly English Language, depending on the teacher’s discretion. Homework is heavily modelled, with students expected to create one-page revision guides based on what they learnt in lessons in the two weeks prior to the deadline. Spot checks, peer assessments, and feedback ensure accountability and progress. The homework strategy supports in-class learning, aids in interventions, and provides students with opportunities to showcase their best work. Regular reviews are conducted to evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness.

Year 10 have the chance to complete Sparx Reader during the bespoke homework week.

Over the course of a typical academic year, we offer a wide range of enrichment opportunities ranging from theatre trips, external speakers and companies, quizzes, poetry writing, assemblies and class/school-based debate and discussion.

Often times, we will complete these enrichment opportunities within the department but where possible, we will have whole school initiatives such as National Poetry Day or World Book Day – the latter in which we ask all staff to engage with students about their own favourite books either by dressing up as their favourite character in literature or by participating in a “Book Hunt” activity that students will complete.

We celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday; we create poems on National Poetry Day and often try to look at cross-curricular links. For example, this year, students created their own version of the poem “Ratios” by Dean Martin – using statistics in their poetry work. There are also opportunities to encourage debate and discussion, for example in Storytelling Week 2024 where we used the short story “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes as our focus. The stories themselves may be relatable and evoke discussion about how the story is relatable but also the themes may be less relevant or obvious to comprehend which allows our students to expand their cultural capital.

Skills for Your CV

The skills developed through studying English are highly sought after by employers across a wide range of industries. These include:

• Effective Communication (written and verbal)
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
• Analytical Skills (interpreting texts, data, and information)
• Research Skills (gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing information)
• Creativity (writing and generating ideas)
• Leadership and Teamwork (collaborating on projects and group discussions)
• Presentation Skills (conveying ideas confidently and clearly)
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence (understanding different perspectives)

Career Opportunities

A qualification in English opens the door to a wide array of career paths. Whether in creative industries, education, media, or business, the opportunities include:

• Journalist
• Author or Writer
• Editor or Publisher
• Marketing and Advertising Executive
• Teacher or Lecturer
• Lawyer or Legal Researcher
• Public Relations Specialist
• Speech Therapist
• Copywriter
• Policy Analyst
• Social Media Manager
• Human Resources Officer
• Actor or Playwright
• Film or TV Scriptwriter

The skills gained from studying English empower students to thrive in both traditional and emerging career fields. English graduates are valued for their ability to communicate effectively, think critically, and adapt to various professional environments, giving them the versatility to shape their own career paths in exciting and diverse directions.