Destination Overview (KS3)
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Where do we want to be at the end of Key Stage 3
We recognise the importance of Key Stage 3 as a foundation for Key Stage 4. It is here that students have the opportunity to hone their understanding of English as a discipline and their control of reading, writing and oracy generally.
Indeed, we understand that if these basic building blocks are not secure at this point, students will find Key Stage 4 more challenging, and that GCSE success is ultimately dependent upon mastery of these modalities.
As such, our aim for the end of KS3 is for all students to be secure in the main strands of our curriculum in order that:
- They know what English is, the knowledge that constitutes it, and the inherent value of it (at best love; at worst appreciate).
- They are confident and competent (or better) readers, writers and speakers generally.
- They are able to read, write and speak in a disciplinary way: reading analytically; writing creatively and discursively; and speaking like English experts.
- They have been supported to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially, spiritually and creatively.
Core
- Know that texts are constructs.
- Know what goal, audience and type are.
- Know what crafting is and the main elements of crafting
(CLS – Content, Language, Structure). - Know the key content, language and structure tools available to support effective crafting.
- Know that goal, audience and type influence crafting (GAT-C).
- Know that GAT-C can help us as readers (to think about the crafting choices writers have made) and as writers and speakers (to think about the crafting choices we will make ourselves).
Reading
- Read at – or above – an age-appropriate level.
- Know that texts are constructs and know how to use GAT-C to dissect these.
- Know what it means to read like an English expert (analytical reading).
- Know a range of text types (both fiction and non-fiction) and the conventions that underpin these.
- Be able to read analytically using this knowledge.
Writing
- Write at – or above – an age-appropriate level.
- Be able to write fluently with full technical control of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Know that writing is a process, what the stages in this process are, and both how and when to deploy these stages.
- Know that texts are constructs and how to use GATC to produce these.
- Know what creative writing is broadly, what it aims to achieve and what the ingredients of quality creative writing are.
- Within creative writing, to know what descriptive writing, narrative writing and experiential non-fiction are and what constitutes quality for each of these.
- Know what discursive writing is broadly, what it aims to achieve and what the ingredients of quality discursive writing are.
- Within discursive writing, to know what essay writing, opinion articles and persuasive speeches are and what constitutes quality for each of these.
- Be able to write high quality descriptive writing, narrative writing and experiential non-fiction.
- Be able to write high quality essays (especially literature essays), opinion articles and persuasive speeches.
Oracy
- Know how to speak in an academic context (standard English, tone, language).
- Know that spoken texts are constructs and how to use GAT-C to adapt talk.
- Know what prosody is and how prosodic elements can shape meaning.
- Be able to apply knowledge of prosody to their own talk (including when reading aloud).
- Know what discussion is and what the ingredients of quality discussion are.
- Be able to engage in high quality discussion.
- Know what presentations are and the ingredients that lead to quality.
- Be able to produce high quality presentations.
English as a Discipline
- Know the substantive and disciplinary knowledge specific to English as a domain.
- Know why English matters.
- Know what English is and how the different modalities of it fit together and overlap.
- Know what the main composites within English are (e.g. discursive writing) and what quality looks like for each of these.
- Know what literature is.
- Know what disciplinary reading, writing and speaking in English is.
- Be able to apply the knowledge above.