English

A spot of digging!

Year 7 students have been reading Louis Sachar’s Holes this term so we went to the outside learning space to find treasure and to dig a hole (which we found out wasn’t as easy as we imagined it would be! ) Great effort boys.

 

Outdoor Reading Activity

The boys have been reading a book called ‘Stone Cold’. In order to bring the curriculum to life, we went out to the Outdoor Learning Area to experience what it might feel like to be the main character in the book, whilst listening to Ms Collins reading an extract of the story. 

 

English Curriculum

Cloughwood Academy places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ confidence and independence in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

At KS3 a range of texts are selected as a stimulus for thoughtful discussion so students can develop empathy and consider their relationship with the wider world. Routine spelling, punctuation and grammar tasks provide the progressive framework needed for our pupils to be accurate and effective in their writing.  

At KS4 there is a shift in focus where the intention is for us to develop communication skills needed for adult life, the workplace and today’s challenges. Students prepare for Functional Skills English which is based on a range of relevant, real-life texts, contexts and scenarios. This award is a component of apprenticeship frameworks and foundation learning. Another benefit of the award is its flexibility with ‘on-demand’ entry and resits if necessary. Following success at Level 1 students can move on to Level 2. The qualification is embedded in programmes of study at KS3 and KS4 so it prepares students for the functional elements of GCSE English which Cloughwood Academy also offer should this pathway be appropriate.

Some pupils, who have gaps in learning or a low starting point, are supported with two interventions delivered to small groups or 1:1 in SENDIT. The first of these is The Bigger Picture which is a writing intervention which addresses improving planning and meta-cognition skills. The second is Reciprocal Reading which supports literacy by focusing on prediction and inference skills in reading comprehension.

Our whole school literacy policy ensures our students become ‘word rich’ by promoting a cross curricular ‘word of the week’ and providing vocabulary banks for topics studied.

It is therefore our aim to provide a stimulating, engaging and enriching curriculum which supports every student’s needs. We do this by providing exciting opportunities to ignite students’ imaginations by providing educational workshops and theatre visits.

October 2019 English Enrichment Day – ‘Hallowe’en and Horror’ based on extracts from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, poetry and song lyrics.

November 2019 English Enrichment Day – ‘The Importance of Giving’ including BBC Children in Need 2019, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and examples of religious role models.

December 2019 Theatre visit – Pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at Theatre Clwyd.

KS3 boys enjoyed a day out to Wales to see the rock ‘n’ roll panto Jack and the Beanstalk.

“It was awesome!”  KL

“It was the best the best thing I’ve ever done.”  WJ