Our Curriculum

Through our curriculum, we aim to foster confidence, curiosity and a passion for literature and language, with our end goal being that students achieve their personal best and leave Philip Southcote School with the tools they need to take their next steps. Our curriculum is designed to enable each pupil to flourish, following a programme of study and a specification which is tailored to their needs and capabilities.

Our KS3 English curriculum allows our students to explore a variety of accessible fiction and non-fiction texts in order to enrich their understanding of the world around them. This includes: 19^th century fiction texts, contemporary fiction texts, poetry snippets from various genres, topics, cultures, traditions, and play texts spanning from pre-19^th century to the 21^st century, as well as a range of functional non-fiction reading texts and writing extracts.

At Key Stage 4, pupils follow pathways most appropriate to each student’s individual need, enabling their achievements to be accredited through suitable qualifications tailored to them. All pupils access our Entry Level Certificate in English, whilst some may work towards an English Language GCSE qualification.

In our Sixth Form, the development of English and Literacy remains a pivotal part of our learning. Reading and writing are embedded throughout the curriculum, which is practical and real-life based, as well as focusing on the study of literature to broaden our students’ understanding of different cultures, settings and situations. All students work towards Entry Levels or an English Language GCSE qualification.

We have created a ‘love of reading’ culture at Philip Southcote and take a whole school approach, ensuring that it is embedded across the curriculum. We understand that when you find reading difficult, it is difficult to love reading and therefore we focus on equipping our students with the confidence to learn, the mechanical skills to read and the ability to comprehend.

Students have a timetabled reading session with their tutor every day. Two days a week, we focus on comprehension and understanding through group reading, in which we discuss, debate and imagine. We then have two days of focusing on the mechanics and fluidity of reading where students will read independently with the support of staff. For our students who are building on their phonics knowledge, we use these four sessions to continue working through the phases with age-appropriate groups and resources.

On Fridays, we have our beloved book club where staff and students can bond over a shared passion. This could be fitness magazines, cook books, favourite authors or favourite genres. It is important that staff are able to be role models and promote the love of reading. We run monthly reading challenges in which staff and students have the opportunity to gain their house team points and work towards a chance of winning the end of year reading day out.

Across all Key Stages, we aim to foster independence, empowerment and resilience by developing our student’s abilities to communicate effectively, encouraging them to become ambitious and aspirational in all that they do. Communication is at the heard of our curriculum; we focus on enabling our students to share their opinions and ideas with others, giving them a voice within their communities.

English Department Subject Rationale

English Department Learning Journey

Sixth Form English Department Learning Journey