Curriculum Intent
At Arena Academy, the English Department has an irrevocable belief that every student can, and will, succeed. We work hard to impart the importance of English skills with the aim of embedding, not only a thirst for success and a love of our subject, but the importance of the skills they develop as facilitating to their post-16 and lifelong choices. The high expectations we have of all our students demonstrates our dedication to their success and, as an innovative department, we are reflective and supportive in our own practices to foster an environment conducive to collaboration and improvement.
In English, students will discover the human experience through studying a variety of non-fiction and fiction texts. We will ignite a sense of awe and wonder by learning about those who have and continue to inspire us; learning about their place, identity and experiences. We pride ourselves in fostering inclusive learning environments where contentious and sensitive issues can be explored freely, enabling students to not only be more culturally aware, but, importantly, self-aware too.
Our determination to develop conceptual knowledge of our curriculum allows students to gain a clear understanding of how English was, how English is today and to consider what English will become in the future. This development of knowledge with the embedding of key skills required for this subject will allow students to gain autonomy in critical reading and a passion and flair for the creativity of the written and spoken form.
Ultimately, our ethos is to nurture the growth of our students; developing their verbal, cognitive and written skillset, whilst instilling within them a passion for literature that will remain for years to come.
Our Teachers
- Miss M Kahtun – Head of English
- Mr L Amos – Teacher of English (Assistant head of English )
- Miss F Ellis – Teacher of English (Assistant head of English )
- Mrs R Bangar – Teacher of English
- Mrs K Rowles – Teacher of English
- Mr D Zs – Teacher of English
- Ms Haji Mohammed – Teacher of English
- Miss N Yesmin – Teacher of English
Learning journey
Assessments and Exams
AQA GCSE English Language
AQA GCSE English Literature
Assessment Grid – English
Aspire 5
English Literature
A grade 5 student should be able to:
- Clearly explain their ideas – what they think and why they think
it…‘because’…. - Demonstrate knowledge of the ‘whole text’
- Select references from the text to support the idea or point being made
- Make relevant use of subject terminology
- Show understanding of the effects of writers’ methods on meanings
- Focus on not only the content, but also the construction of a text – have a
greater sense of the writers’ intentions or purpose - Show some understanding of themes / ideas / context and how they link
to the text and task
English Language
In the reading sections, students should be able to:
- Identify and interpret some explicit and implicit information and ideas
- Explain clearly the effects of the writer’s choices of language and structure
- Select a range of relevant textual references to support ideas
- Make clear and accurate use of subject terminology
- Evaluate texts critically and make inferences
- Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives in a clear and relevant way
In the writing sections, students should be able to:
- Match the tone and style of their writing to the purpose of the task and the audience
- Write with an increasingly sophisticated vocabulary, chosen for effect
- Make effective use of linguistic and structural devices
- Write in an engaging way
- Paragraph their writing in a coherent, organised way
- Write using a variety of sentences and a range of punctuation with some accuracy
- Include generally accurate spellings, including complex and irregular words