1. Key Stage Three

2. English in Key Stage 3  All classes taught in form groups  Mixed ability throughout  Some shared classes – teachers work closely together and plan carefully  Classes taught in the same room as much as possible  Library lessons this term  Wider reading greatly encouraged  Regular use of dictionary and thesaurus also encouraged

3.  All students in KS3 are issued with a pink exercise book  This will be marked regularly by the teacher using the whole school code system. This will include ‘next steps’ advice and STOP targets  Time allowed for corrections e.g. spelling / punctuation  Summaries of Assessment Foci for Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening will be glued into books  All units of work contain a number of assessed tasks. These will marked summatively  We use peer assessment / self assessment / target setting  Department policy – marking should be meaningful  If a teacher just wants to check that a student has completed work, she / he may just stamp it with a personalised stamper Exercise books / KS3 portfolios

4.  Individual pieces in books not awarded NC Levels  NC Levels awarded at end of each half term for Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening. Assessed tasks will form the basis of these  APP Assessment carried out by department  APP identifies key Assessment Foci (AFs)for Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening  These are communicated to students and presented as ‘tools for learning’  Targets for improvement linked to AFs

5. Assessment Foci - WRITING AF1Write imaginative, interesting and thoughtful texts AF2Produce texts which are appropriate to task, reader and purpose AF3Organise and present whole texts effectively AF4Construct paragraphs and use cohesion within and between paragraphs AF5Vary sentences for clarity, purpose and effect AF6Write with technical accuracy of syntax and punctuation AF7Select appropriate and effective vocabulary AF8Use correct spelling

6. Assessment Foci: READING AF1 Use a range of strategies, including accurate decoding of text, to read for meaning AF2 Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text AF3 Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts AF4 Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level AF5 Explain and comment on the writer ’ s use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level AF6 Identify and comment on writers ’ purposes and viewpoints and the overall effect of a text on the reader AF7 Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary traditions

7. AF1 Talk in purposeful and imaginative ways Talking to others – Talk in purposeful and imaginative ways to explore ideas and feelings, adapting and varying structure and vocabulary according to purpose, listeners and content. AF2 Listen and respond to others Talking to others – Listen and respond to others, including in pairs and groups, shaping meanings through suggestions, comments and questions. AF3 role-play and drama Talking within role-play and drama – Create and sustain different roles and scenarios, adapting techniques in a range of dramatic activities to explore texts, ideas and issues. AF4 Understand the range and uses of spoken language Talking about talk – Understand the range and uses of spoken language, commenting on meaning and impact and draw on this when talking to others Assessment Foci: SPEAKING & LISTENING

8.  Unit 1: Cultural diversity / autobiography  Unit 2: Fantasy (Texts: A Midsummer Nights Dream and ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ or ‘Daydreamer’ or ‘Skellig’  Unit 3: History of Language / Literature (range of fiction)  Unit 4: Women (range of fiction and non fiction texts) Units of work – YEAR 7

9. Literacy focus  Key features of grammar / spelling / punctuation taught in lessons and integrated into teaching  Tasks to reinforce understanding done for both class and homework  Teacher will identify key spellings within a unit and ask students to learn and use them  Extension tasks provided to extend use  All staff aware of the focus

10. Autumn term: SENTENCES Spring term: STRUCTURE OF WRITING Summer term: WORDS Identifying and using simple sentences / clauses / phrases Complex and compound sentences Sentences: subject / object / verb Introducing topic sentences Correct use of punctuation: commas, speech marks, apostrophes, colons and semi colons, brackets, hyphens, dashes Introducing use of paragraphs Tenses: past / present / future Identifying and using: nouns (abstract / common / proper) and pronouns, Verbs and adverbs, Adjectives Capital letters Homophones Connectives Contractions

11.  Two homeworks per week –these will include literacy tasks, learning and using spellings in a sentence or written task.  They will also include reading (usually book of own choice)  Research tasks – girls encouraged to use research tools effectively (not just printing from Google etc)  Extended projects linked with the theme may be set with a specific deadline  Staff encouraged to write a note for folder or planner to inform you about extended homework tasks  Homework is part of on-going assessment – the actual assessed tasks will not be done at home

12.  We use KS2 levels to set appropriate targets  We measure levels of progress regularly  Data drops by teachers done regularly – we then compare with target levels and intervene if necessary  We are introducing ‘GOAL’ as another baseline assessment  Books and lessons scrutinised regularly

13.  Merits  Department certificates  Stickers, stamps  Postcards home  Note in planner or folder  Student of the term  Criteria discussed by department

14. Staff are being encouraged to:  Write letters home to inform parents of curriculum content  More regular positive feedback (phonecalls / postcards)  Use Fronter  Put notes in planners

15. What else you can do to help your daughter: reading. Encourage a reading habit.  Monitor her reading. Encourage a reading habit. non fiction  Encourage her to read a range of books and articles including non fiction (e.g. broadsheet newspapers)  Help her to use research tools effectively and selectively  Help her to learn the spellings  Encourage proof reading and re-drafting of written work theatre  Take her to the theatre if possible (lots of good local theatre productions) write  Encourage her to write in real situations e.g. letters speak  Encourage her to speak to people in different contexts e.g. asking for help in shops / directions (and speak on the telephone)  Encourage good study habits and organisation of work (prioritising tasks etc)

16. Contacts:  Mrs N Madigan – Head of Department  Ms C Kenney-Dwyer – second in department  Mrs M Epstein – Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator English teachers:  7L: Mrs Epstein  7M: Mrs Bradley / Miss Lawson  7N: Mrs Bradley / Mr Bevan  7P: Mr Bevan  7Q: Mrs Torrance  7R: Mrs Torrance / Mrs Bradley  7S: Dr Francis / Mrs Sykes