Year 9 Curriculum

Journeys

Assessed for writing AFs 2, 3 and 4

With the aim of further developing writing skills, this unit covers a range of different writing genres, from travel brochures to literary travel journals and advertising leaflets and pamphlets. A mini project on the Titanic, including creative and factual writing rounds off the unit.

Poetry

Assessed for reading AFs 4, 6 and 7

Re-introducing and consolidating understanding of poetry, this unit on War Poetry covers poems from conflicts throughout history, from the Crimean War right up to modern warfare. Poems studied include The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and The Field Mouse by Gillian Clarke. The unit helps students to further develop and build on skills learnt in years 7 and 8, in preparation for poetry units at GCSE level.

Writing Workshop

Assessed for writing AFs 5, 6 and 7

This unit aims to focus in specific and precise detail on the skills needed for students to develop and improve their skills in written communication. In identified assessment focus specific tasks, students are encouraged to write in a range of styles and formats, whilst being given clear success criteria to aid improvement. As a booster for GCSE, this unit ensures that students have the required skills to succeed. Tasks are chosen from a bank and targeted by class teachers to fulfil the needs of the students in their class to ensure that all students reach their targets at the end of Key Stage 3. The unit also enables students to develop their skills in self and peer assessment, which are essential for success in GCSE English.

Shakespeare

Assessed for reading AFs 2, 3 and 5

Further developing and embedding essential Shakespeare skills, students in year 9 study Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. With GCSE controlled assessment in mind, this unit asked students to address the representation of characters in two key scenes. A developed, essay style response prepares students for the rigour of controlled assessment in year 10.

Novel

Assessed for all assessment focuses and as a GCSE Controlled Assessment piece – writing from another culture.

Students study Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck at the end of year 9, as an introduction to GCSE English. As the basis of one of their controlled assessment pieces, this novel fulfils the writing from other cultures criteria for GCSE, and focuses students at the end of year 9, easing the transition to KS4 and allowing extra time to complete the GCSE course.