KS3 & KS4 English curriculum

This unit uses and builds on pupils' understanding and mastery of fiction writing methods from the unit 'Ending stories'. In this unit, pupils look at a wider range of fiction writing techniques, and start to think carefully about the merits of making different choices in their writing. They also start to focus more on openings and beginnings, which helps them to extend their understanding of comprehensive narrative writing. This unit prepares pupils for the unit 'Inner musings', where pupils extend their understanding of narrative writing by focusing in detail on the importance of voice.

1. Exploring the importance of books and stories
2. 'The Great Gatsby': Developing a personal response
3. 'The Great Gatsby': analysing a writer's craft
4. Analysing effective endings in Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby'
5. Reading the opening of Orwell's '1984'
6. Emulating the opening to Orwell's '1984'
7. Considering the use of motifs in Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'
8. Emulating the use of motifs in Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights'
9. Considering the use of dialogue in Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment'
10. Emulating Dostoevsky's use of dialogue in 'Crime and Punishment'
11. Considering Chandler's use of similes in 'Trouble is My Business'
12. Emulating Chandler's use of similes in 'Trouble is My Business'
13. Planning the opening to an impactful narrative
14. Writing the opening to an impactful narrative

• Pupils can use reading skills to decode a range of texts
• Pupils can identify a range of language devices in texts
• Pupils can offer alternative interpretations of an author's use of language
• Pupils can structure arguments clearly, using thesis statements, topic sentences and single paragraph outlines
• Pupils understand how authors structure text, through plot or character development
• Pupils understand the difference between narrative and descriptive writing
• Pupils can use simple, compound and complex sentences
• Pupils can use a range of language devices, in their own writing
• Pupils can use single paragraph outlines, to plan their writing
• Pupils can use a range of inter-connected paragraphs in their writing