• To develop a love of literature.
• To develop the habit of reading widely and for enjoyment.
• To use discussion in order to support and enhance learning.
• To acquire a wide vocabulary.
• To engage pupils through multi-sensory lessons.
• To equip pupils with a command of the spoken and written word.
• To write with a wide range of purposes.
• To ensure all pupils leave Woodlane with an English qualification which reflects the best of their ability. 

Curriculum Delivery

• Pupils have full access to the English National Curriculum which is differentiated to meet pupils’ learning needs and styles.
• The English curriculum is designed to be challenging, appropriate to each pupil’s stage of development.
• The English Curriculum offers opportunities for cross-curricula learning, to ensure pupils make significant personal development, including:
  • World Book Days;
  • theatre visits/In-house theatre events;
  • educational visits;
  • SaLT strategies/Word Aware integrated in to teaching;
  • communication development through in-class drama elements and spoken language activities, i.e. formal presentations; and
  • use of a wide range of Media to explore popular culture, bias etc. and create own work etc.
• The KS3 English curriculum is taught through 2.5 hours contact time per week (10% curriculum time).
• The KS4 English/Literacy curriculum is taught through 2.5 hours contact time per week (10% curriculum time). 
• Recovery Lessons are timetabled for all of KS3 (x3 lessons per week), and Year 10 (x1 lessons per week). These lessons ensure dedicated curriculum time is provided to identified areas need. The topics and subjects covered are based on the school’s data, teacher observation and assessment.
• The English curriculum is designed to build and expand on previous skills and subject knowledge, over a 5-year period.  It also plans for opportunities for repetition to embed knowledge, increasing the chance of information recall and to integrate new knowledge into larger ideas (view our English curriculum map in Appendix). 
• We offer a wide range of qualifications in English, which are selected to appropriately challenge, based on each pupil’s stage of development, including:
  • English Language (GCSE)
  • English Literature (GCSE)
  • Step Up to English (Gold and Silver Entry Level)
  • Non-Qualification English Units for learners below Entry Level (AQA Unit Award Scheme)
• The love of learning is incredibly important to us, we therefore also run an annual Book Day, where pupils and staff dress up as their favourite characters and participate in exciting activities.  
• We provide additional extra-curricular activities at lunch time, including:
  • GCSE English support
  • Opportunities for homework support

Teaching and Learning

• Our pupils are taught by transition teachers in Year 7 and subject specialists from Year 8 to Year 11.
• Our English Subject Leader is well qualified, possessing a PGCE in English, Media and Drama, a BSc in English and Media.
• The English curriculum is differentiated broadly into 3 levels of challenge, ‘all’, ‘most’ and ‘some’.  Further differentiation and personalisation are implemented when required.  
• English homework is provided on a standardised format and is differentiated to provide the appropriate level of challenge, using  ‘all’, ‘most’ and ‘some’
• In English we have a 3-tiered approach to supporting a pupil’s learning, including:

• Universal – this is the teaching your child will receive from the English subject teachers and will include adaptations to match learning needs.  All classes:

• • GCSE English support
  • opportunities for homework support
  • are supported by a teaching assistant (TA);
  • have a maximum of 12 pupils per class to ensure there is a high level of support available from the teacher and TA;
  • are multi-sensory;
  • are dyslexia friendly;
  • have opportunities to use tools and technology to support and enhance their progress and enjoyment, including Spellodrome/Readiwriter;
  • have integrate speech, language and communication support;
  • are supported either directly or indirectly by speech and language therapists; and
  • receive specialist streamed literacy lessons at KS3, based on standardised testing.

• Targeted­ – it may be appropriate to consider making additional short term special educational provision to remove or reduce any obstacles to your child’s learning.  This takes the form of a graduated four-part approach of a) assessing your child’s needs, b) planning the most effective and appropriate intervention, c) providing this intervention and d) reviewing the impact on your child’s progress towards individual learning outcomes. Interventions may include:

• • specific targeted literacy small group interventions run outside the classroom. These will be limited to a number of weeks to minimise disruption to the regular curriculum;
  • one to one literacy/reading support from a SpLD specialist;
  • one to one reading intervention using the SRA and DSE programmes;
  • termly literacy and SaLT targets.

• Specialist – it may be necessary to seek specialist advice and regular long-term support from a specialist professional in order to plan for the best possible learning outcomes for your child.

     Assessment

• Pupils collate Pupil Achievement Books, where they showcase their best work and progress over time in English.
• Our bespoke Flight Path is used to track the progress of pupils in English and determine expected outcomes from different starting points.
• English teachers use a range of formative and summative assessment procedures to assess progress and attainment, including:
  • daily marking;
  • self/peer assessment;
  • reading (NFER) age assessment;
  • spelling (Helen Arkell) age assessment;
  • informal/formal examinations; and
  • B-Squared etc.

• The vast majority of pupils meet or exceed their expected progress in English.
• The vast majority of pupils meet or exceed their expected outcomes (external qualifications). 
• The vast majority of pupils leave Woodlane with at least one formally recognised English qualification. Many pupils meet mainstream entry requirements at post-16 where they study a range of different qualifications and subjects following high achievement in English at Woodlane. Pupils who move on to post-16 provision are often able to join a mainstream environment following successful completion of the GCSE or Step-Up to English qualifications.
• Pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Analysis of English outcomes and pupil progress indicates that there is little statistical significance between key groups.  Where any small differences are identified strategies are implemented swiftly.
• Literacy is embedded across the school and feeds in to all subjects. Excellent progress in English has a significant benefit for pupils in all other subjects.
• Although a small number of pupils enter the school functionally literate, a high number move towards this throughout their time at Woodlane.
• Functional skills and life-skills are embedded in the English curriculum and are personalised for each pupil. This supports pupils to make the leap to post-16 provision and meets their needs when entering the world of work.
• Joint targeted interventions by the English and SaLT teams ensure the spoken language aspects of the curriculum are personalised to each pupil based on the outcomes identified within their EHCPs.

* Please see annual SEF/SIP for further details.