English

At Mayfield, we believe that writing is a powerful tool for communication, creativity and learning. We aim to develop confident, articulate and independent writers who can write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes. Through exposure to high-quality texts, rich language and carefully sequenced learning opportunities, children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to express their ideas clearly and accurately.

Our writing curriculum is carefully designed to build from the oral foundations established in the Early Years through to sophisticated and purposeful written composition across Key Stage 2. We recognise the intrinsic relationship between speaking, reading and writing and place a strong emphasis on vocabulary development, language acquisition and oral rehearsal as the foundations of successful writing.

Writing is purposefully linked to wider curriculum learning wherever possible, allowing children to draw upon and apply their growing knowledge of the world. Vocabulary is carefully mapped across the curriculum to ensure that children are exposed to ambitious language, revisit previously taught vocabulary and make meaningful connections between subjects. Planned retrieval opportunities support children in transferring knowledge and vocabulary from long-term memory into their writing, enabling them to communicate with increasing precision, confidence and sophistication.

Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, we aim for every child to develop the grammatical knowledge, transcription skills, vocabulary and writing stamina needed to become successful communicators and lifelong learners.

Early Writing Foundations

In EYFS, early writing is developed through high-quality talk, storytelling and play-based experiences. Children participate in Drawing Club sessions, which provide meaningful opportunities to develop vocabulary, imagination, comprehension and early composition skills. The texts selected for Drawing Club are carefully chosen to link with the core areas of learning and wider curriculum themes throughout the year, supporting the retrieval and application of previously taught knowledge and vocabulary.

Through Drawing Club, children are encouraged to discuss ideas, orally rehearse language, innovate stories and communicate meaning before recording their thoughts through mark making and early writing. This strong emphasis on talk and storytelling establishes the foundations for successful writing as children progress through the school.

To support transition into Key Stage 1, Drawing Club continues into the beginning of Year 1 before children begin the CUSP Writing curriculum in Autumn 2.

Writing Through CUSP

From Autumn 2 in Year 1, children follow the CUSP Writing curriculum, which provides a carefully sequenced approach to developing transcription, composition, vocabulary, grammar and authorial craft.

Each writing sequence follows a carefully structured progression that enables children to build knowledge and skills over time. Lessons begin with a connect section, which focuses on retrieving and revisiting previously taught grammar, punctuation and spelling knowledge. This retrieval process strengthens long-term memory and supports pupils in applying previously learned skills within new contexts.

Every lesson follows the same consistent structure of Connect, Explain, Example (I do), Attempt (We do) and Apply (You do), with explicit vocabulary instruction and challenge woven throughout. This structure is used consistently across our curriculum and helps to reduce cognitive overload by providing a familiar approach to learning. As children become secure with the lesson routine, they are able to focus their attention on the new learning rather than the process of learning itself.
Through carefully sequenced teaching, pupils are first introduced to new knowledge and vocabulary, before observing high-quality teacher modelling and worked examples. They are then supported in applying their learning collaboratively before progressing to independent application. This gradual release of responsibility enables children to develop confidence, deepen their understanding and apply skills and knowledge increasingly independently.

Children analyse high-quality model texts, explore the purpose and audience for writing, investigate authorial choices and develop an understanding of how language can be manipulated to achieve different effects. Throughout each sequence, opportunities for discussion, oral rehearsal and collaborative learning support pupils in articulating ideas before committing them to writing.
Vocabulary forms a central part of every writing unit. Carefully selected words are explicitly taught, discussed and explored in depth before being applied within spoken and written language.

Vocabulary is deliberately mapped across the year to ensure ambitious language is revisited and retained. Retrieval opportunities are planned throughout writing lessons, enabling children to recall vocabulary learned both within previous writing units and across the wider curriculum.

A key feature of the writing curriculum is the A/B cycle structure. Children revisit each writing genre twice throughout the academic year. This approach enables pupils to return to previously taught knowledge, strengthen retention and demonstrate increasing independence and sophistication in their writing outcomes over time.

Spelling

Spelling develops progressively alongside writing. Children in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and into Year 3 continue to build and apply their spelling knowledge through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. During this phase, children develop secure phoneme-grapheme correspondence knowledge and learn to apply this understanding when spelling increasingly complex words.
As children move through Year 3, they transition to the CUSP Spelling curriculum. This enables them to build upon their phonics foundations through the explicit teaching of morphology, etymology, spelling conventions and spelling patterns. Children learn how words are constructed and develop strategies that allow them to spell unfamiliar words with greater confidence and accuracy.

Handwriting

Handwriting is taught through the Kinetic Letters programme. Beginning in the Early Years, children develop the physical foundations necessary for writing through activities that strengthen core stability, fine motor control and pencil grip.

As children progress through the school, they are taught consistent letter formation, joins and presentation skills. Through Kinetic Letters, pupils develop fluent, legible and automatic handwriting, enabling them to focus increasingly on the composition and quality of their writing rather than transcription alone.

Writing Across the Curriculum

Writing opportunities extend beyond English lessons and are carefully planned throughout the wider curriculum. Children regularly produce extended pieces of writing in subjects such as history, geography, science and religion and worldviews. These opportunities enable pupils to apply the knowledge, vocabulary and writing skills developed during English lessons in meaningful and authentic contexts.

By writing across a range of curriculum areas, children deepen their understanding of subject content whilst strengthening their ability to communicate knowledge effectively.

Assessment

Writing is assessed continually through classroom practice, teacher feedback and pupil outcomes. Teachers use formative assessment throughout units to identify misconceptions, adapt teaching and provide targeted support.

Whole-school moderation is a key element of our assessment process. Staff participate in regular writing moderation sessions to review outcomes against agreed expectations and exemplification materials. This ensures consistency of teacher judgement across the school and supports high expectations for all pupils.

Assessment information is used to identify strengths, gaps and next steps, informing future planning and ensuring that children continue to make strong progress as writers.

At Mayfield, children develop as confident, ambitious and increasingly independent writers who are equipped to communicate effectively across a range of contexts and purposes. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils acquire the transcription, grammatical and compositional knowledge necessary to craft high-quality written outcomes.

The strong foundations established through Drawing Club, oracy and explicit vocabulary instruction enable children to develop rich language knowledge that is reflected in their writing. As pupils progress through the school, they demonstrate increasing control over language, structure and authorial choices, adapting their writing to suit different audiences and purposes.

Our deliberate approach to vocabulary instruction and retrieval ensures that children retain and apply ambitious language over time. Pupils draw upon vocabulary, concepts and knowledge from previous writing units as well as the wider curriculum, allowing them to write with increasing precision, depth and sophistication. They make meaningful connections between subjects and confidently utilise previously learned knowledge within new contexts.

Through regular opportunities for discussion, oral rehearsal and reflection, children become increasingly able to articulate their ideas, evaluate their own work and improve their writing independently. They develop resilience as writers, understanding that drafting, editing and refining are essential elements of the writing process.

As a result, children leave Mayfield as confident communicators who can write accurately, effectively and purposefully. They are able to draw upon a broad vocabulary, secure grammar knowledge and rich curriculum understanding to communicate their ideas successfully across the curriculum and in the next stage of their education.

In the English department at Mayfield, the three core key skill areas of Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening are delivered through six units that pupils engage with each year from 7-9.  Each of these units uses a variety of increasingly complex and difficult texts and resourcing to build and spiral key skills from the start of KS3 until the end and prepare pupils for the rigours of GCSE in KS4.

Monsters and Men

Starting in Year 7, pupils engage with extracts from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and employ the initial skills of analysis of implicit and explicit understanding and synthesising of information from a text to form a response.  Gothic fiction is used as a stimulus to engage pupils to write and experiment with different forms and conventions of persuasive writing such as newspapers, which are key to the GCSE.   

Moving into Year 8, pupils are given a wider variety of canonical/ historical texts to engage with from the choice of: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll, Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, War of the Worlds by HG Wells, and Animal Farm by George Orwell. This will enable them to further their experiences of challenging pre-1914 texts and extend/ expand their vocabulary base through revisiting structural and authorial intentions and building on the work done in year 7 by extending the knowledge and use of Subject Specific terminology to infer and interpret implicit and explicit information and analyse structural form and characterisation through authorial choices.  Fiction extracts and examples are used as stimulus to encourage pupils to write creatively in and expand vocabulary and structural choices, as well as authorial intent and exposition through their creative choices. 

In Year 9, pupils continue their journey through the darker side of literary fiction by studying (in full) novels from a choice of: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, 1984 by George Orwell; building on the work from previous years and introducing the appreciation and inclusion of historical and contextual understanding of the texts studied into pupil’s analytical writing.  Texts are used to build on creative concepts such as characterisation and structural conventions through the use of vocabulary and linguistic device choices.

Heroes and Villains

In Year 7, pupils use a variety of extracts from classical and historical Hero texts such as Beowulf, Hercules, Homer’s Odyssey, in order to introduce and build the skills of comparison of textual/ authorial viewpoints and vocabulary/ linguistic device choice, and the representation of character.  Pupils use this understanding and knowledge in their creative writing to craft and represent their own heroic creations as defined by their own authorial choices and employ their understanding of structuring and building a text throughout various phases to create a reliable and realistic/ believable narrative for the reader. 

Moving into Year 8, pupils look at a choice of texts from Holes by Louis Sachar, and The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, and build on their understanding of characterisation and structural choices/ authorial intent through choices in vocabulary and linguistic device, whilst returning to and building on their understanding of Subject Specific Terminology and the effect it has on the reader.  In terms of assessment, pupils begin to look at exam board style phrasing in this unit as an introduction to the length, content and quantity of writing response required at GCSE.  Using the writing style of the chosen texts, pupils continue to develop their own narrative style and experiment with epistolary forms, more complex punctuation and personal tone in genres such as diary, letter etc, both of which are GSCE related persuasive styles.   

In Year 9, pupils experience Dystopian Fiction forms through The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and building on/ across from the study of 1984 by George Orwell or new texts such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.  Pupils build and compliment their understanding of the skills of analysis of implicit/ explicit detail and analysis of the narrative voice, as well as comparative elements across texts.  In their creative writing, pupils experience the GCSE style approach of writing for a specific frame of reference through the short story task: “The Assassin” which uses the previous learning of Dystopian Fiction and imagery as a stimulus to recreate a GCSE Language Paper 1 Question 5 style assessment where pupils can practice exam style timing and preparation.

Power and Conflict

Pupils begin this unit in year 7 by looking at prominent and historically significant speeches such as MLK’s I have a Dream and JFK’s Inaugural address, looking at persuasive style and forms of address, using Subject Specific terminology for persuasive writing, as well as how time, place and context can affect content.  Pupils use their understanding of persuasive techniques to create their own persuasive writing, ensuring that they employ their understanding of how to structure an argument using appropriate paragraphs and discourse markers, in line with GCSE Language Paper 2 Question 5. 

Pupils then move on to the study of playscripts, looking at the theatrical version of War Horse and WW1 poetry as an early introduction to Literature Paper 2.  Pupils understand and analyse the writer’s craft, language, structure and staging of the play with appropriate Subject Specific Terminology and incorporating skills of analysis of implicit and explicit meaning with some comparison through poetry-based work.  Textual stimulus materials are used to create a piece of persuasive writing in letter format, in line with GCSE Literature Paper 2 Question 5 style and using authentic narrative voice and perspective. 

Moving into Year 9, pupils continue playscript study with Blood Brothers by Willy Russell, studying the whole text and building upon the skills from previous years but layering on GCSE style approaches to Lit Paper 2 assessment in their extended analytical writing task.  Pupils explore genre further and incorporate cultural and historical/ contextual understanding into their writing, and further extend their understanding of Subject Specific Terminology to further analyse and explain.  Pupils then engage in GCSE Language Paper 2 style persuasive writing in an article style and in response to a critical statement as stimulus, using their understanding of authorial perspective, audience, structure and vocabulary/ linguistic choices they have built up to this point.

Love Shakespeare 

Pupils begin this unit in Year 7 by learning more about the historical and cultural significance of the life and times of Shakespeare, as this is often one of the more difficult aspects of it to grasp initially.  Pupils work with a variety of examples from well-known Shakespearean texts so pupils can learn and appreciate the variety and complexity, but accessibility of the language, as this is also one of the most difficult aspects of studying it.  Pupils learn and employ Subject Specific Terminology specific to playscripts previously learned in the study of War Horse, as well as additional understanding of more complex terms specific to Shakespeare in order to analyse and interpret meaning and intent.  Textual examples and experiences are used to stimulate a piece of narrative perspective creative writing focussing on the use of senses and specific planning to incorporate emotive and powerful vocabulary on a specific scene. 

Pupils then move on to studying more focussed and specific Shakespearean textual extracts from a choice of The Merchant of Venice, Richard III, The Tempest, MSND, The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice in more of their entirety. This helps them to build on the previous learning of Shakespeare/ playscripts and to further develop their understanding of writer’s perspective and choices on the audience, language and device choices, and structural choices in the texts, combined with a greater appreciation of context and leading to a more focussed assessment in a GCSE Literature Paper 1 style. Finally, pupils engage in creative writing in monologue/ soliloquy, to further enhance pupil understanding of how Shakespeare creates characters and uses language to influence and affect the audience. 

In Year 9 Pupils engage with Macbeth and bring all their skills previously learned to analyse and understand implicitly and explicitly at extract and structural level.  Pupils build on previous units in year 9 by extending their understanding of essay writing skills in terms of length and specific content, formal approaches and tone in line with GCSE Literature Paper 1 expectations, culminating in a GCSE style assessment and further work on producing Shakespearean monologue/ soliloquy to extend understanding of GCSE Paper 1 style perspective creative writing and focussing on a specific viewpoint.

Time Travellers and the origins of language

Pupils begin this unit looking at historical and contemporary Ballads and extending their understanding of the ways historical and contextual factors can influence literature, whilst extending their skills of analysis and inference of implicit and explicit meaning, and their appreciation of structure and form, plus the associated conventions and Subject Specific Terminology.  This is used as a stimulus for further creative writing and collaborative group work with performance of pupil’s own Ballads and poetry, in order to further appreciate the stylistic conventions and historical significance of the form. 

In Year 8, pupils are exposed to a range of Science fiction and non-fiction and non-fiction articles and extracts, in order to further their understanding of GCSE Language Paper 2 analysis and comprehension skills, as well as the skill of comparison using linguistic and structural authorial choices and decisions. This links closely to STEM and offers effective cross-curricular links for pupils to engage with.  Following this, pupils build on their own understanding of structural organisation and non-fiction language choices and conventions to produce their own piece of persuasive/ informative text on a Science-based topic of their choice 

Moving into Year 9, pupils continue the Science/ Dystopian Fiction/ themed approach and are exposed to more complex texts and extracts from classic historical and contemporary works such as The Time Machine by HG Wells, Gulliver’s Travels by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  Using the GCSE Literature Paper 1 as a basis, pupils build on their existing knowledge of extended writing/ tone/ formality and structured approaches to tackling more complex texts, combining this with the work already done on language analysis and contextual referencing.  This leads to GCSE Paper 1 Question 5 style creative writing, where pupils – again – combine their experiences of planning, drafting and structured approaches to writing, to produce their own descriptive pieces of writing, using a stimulus image/ statement.

Our World 

Pupils begin this unit in year 7 by looking at Poetry from different cultures and using their skills of analysis and comparison to look at the differing ways writers use theme/ word/ imagery/ structure to convey their message and influence the reader, including the differing Subject Specific Terminology associated with the poetry genre.  Rather than have this lead to writing their own poetry, pupils learn to effectively and efficiently annotate and make notes on and around poems, in line with GCSE expectations in preparation for Literature Paper 2.

In Year 8, pupils continue the skills of comparison by working with short stories from British and other cultures in much the same way that they are expected to for GCSE Language Paper 1.  This includes analysing language and the management and use of micro-quotations within structured paragraphs, and building on terminology already introduced in previous units, and leading to creative writing from a solo narrative perspective to replicate the stylistic conventions of the extracts/ stories they have been studying. 

In Year 9, we continue along this theme, looking again at British/ other culture, short stories, focussing on how contextual factors influence our own writing and how we can inform and influence the reader of this in our own structural, linguistic and grammatical choices, with a focus on comparing these aspects in our analysis.  This leads to a piece of written work on an area of British culture in a creative/ non-fiction style, at the choice of the pupils, and building on all previous work in this area and relating to GCSE Language Paper 1 and 2/ Questions 5. 

At the end of Year 9, pupils have their first introduction to the English Literature GCSE course when they begin their study of An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley for Paper 2. 

KS4 builds on the acquired knowledge and understanding acquired from KS3. It layers on the Subject Specific content for the GCSE Literature course and builds further on the introduction of specific question related skills taught in years 7-9, preparing pupils for the rigours of the Language exam in terms of Reading/ Writing requirements and time conditions. 

The aim of Year 10 is to equip pupils with the bulk of learning needed for their English Literature GCSE, but also interleave the skills required for the English Language GCSE and the variety of questions they will need to understand and get to grips with there.  GCSE Literature is a content based subject where pupils need to read and understand A Shakespeare Play, a 19th Century novel, a modern text, an anthology of 15 poems, and unseen poetry, so we aim to cover this in year 10 so pupils have the maximum amount of time to revise and retrieve throughout year 11 and onto the GCSE exams.

An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley 

We begin Year 10 by studying the Modern texts aspect of the Literature GCSE where pupils draw together all the previous skills taught through KS3 in relation to knowledge of the narrative, themes, characters and ideas supported with well-chosen quotations; analysis of the writer’s methods (language and structure) to create meaning and effect using subject terminology (AO2), and showing understanding of the relationships between texts and their contexts in which they are written.  This text is chosen first as it offers the most simple introduction into the GCSE Literature course texts and the expectations in terms of exam content.  It is the most recent text we study and therefore ‘closest’ to the pupil’s experiences as it draws on more recent historical contextual understanding such as WW1 and 2, and the post war Socialist movement in British Politics.

AQA Power and Conflict poetry anthology by various 

The Anthology of poetry for the Literature GCSE is studied in sections throughout the year, following major text study and in homework packs over holiday periods. Pupils culminate the poetic study they have engaged with throughout KS3 and employ the same skills as used previously with An Inspector Calls but transpose them onto the shorter form writing of poetry, as well as continuing the use of the more distinct Subject Specific Terminology associated with poetic form. 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 

Pupils continue Year 10 by engaging in the study of A Christmas Carol, sustaining the use of the skills from the previous two units, and building on the pupil’s understanding of writing in exam style and length, whilst including the relevant and specific details and content necessary for success.  The text moves the pupils back historically and contextually, but still allows them to retain some sense of ‘contact’ with the novel due to its links to Portsmouth and the local area, thus allowing them some sense of relationship with the story. 

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 

Pupils conclude the GCSE Literature texts by using the skills honed through the previous two units to study Romeo and Juliet following the Christmas break.  As the hardest and most difficult to understand text, we save this until later in the year, to allow pupils the time to adapt and become better acquainted with the level of content and expectation in relation to the GCSE.  As the chronologically furthest text and with the most unusual and difficult language, pupils need the time to prepare for this, and the difficulties understanding the more complex and unfamiliar historical context associated with it.  

Unseen Poetry 

Following the textual study, pupils return to poetry and work on the Unseen poetry element of the English Literature GCSE.  We save this unit until later in year 10 as it calls on the previous skills pupils have used in the preceding units but also allows them to begin to use the skill of comparison and working with an unknown and unfamiliar text, which is key to the work they will continue to undertake on the GCSE Language course content.   In this unit we draw from the wide range of the Literary canon and more obscure examples to expose the pupils to previously unseen and unheard texts from both historical and contemporary sources so they are prepared for the unpredictability of the exam rigour on this question.

GCSE English Language Paper 1 

At the end of year 10 pupils begin their English Language GCSE teaching in earnest.  They will already have experienced the skills and content through interleaved elements within the Literature teaching but here they have the opportunity to focus solely on the exam structure of the GCSE as well as the often subtle differences between the Reading questions on the exams and the two heavily weighted writing sections which make up half the whole GCSE mark in two questions.  They will need to draw together all their experiences in KS3 and the work they have done so far within Literature to ensure that they are fully aware of the expectations that will be placed upon them in order to perform well in the exam.   

The skills of: identifying and interpreting explicit and implicit information and ideas; explaining, commenting on and analysing how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, and using relevant subject terminology to support their views; evaluating texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references, will all be tested, and pupils need to know where and how these relate to the different Reading questions they will face.   

Equally, the writing section of the exam requires pupils to be fully aware of the expectations and time-limitations placed upon them in the exam.  They need to be adaptable and keenly focussed in readiness for them exam and the mode of assessment that requires them to work quickly and promptly, but precisely and in detail where required.  The skills of: communicating clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences;  organising information and ideas;  using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts; using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation, are all key elements to success here and pupils must build on the skills of creative writing that they have been engaging in for many years throughout school but adapt their understanding and output accordingly, and in line with exam expectations. 

By working explicitly on the questions and allowing pupils to have the time to learn the different approaches and skills the exam board is looking for, they are able to build up their understanding of the exam piece by piece as they move through the teaching. 

GCSE English Language Paper 2 

Moving into year 11, pupils complete their understanding and teaching of the English Language GCSE by looking at the second exam paper for that GCSE.  As the harder paper, due to the need for pupils to read, and draw from two sources (as opposed to one for Paper 1), as well as write in a persuasive style, the time limitations and difficulty of the exam are exacerbated and pupil’s understanding of the key skills required to succeed are even more critical here, which is why we place it later in KS4 and at the start of year 11. 

Pupils are expected to utilise the same skills as paper 1 in terms of reading, but with the addition of:  comparing writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts, as this is crucial in two questions in the exam.  Equally, the writing section relies on the same skills as the previous exam but requires them to write in a persuasive context, which is more technically explicit than writing due to the pupils needing to show understanding of the different modes and formats of persuasive writing in which they may be asked to write.  There is also the need for pupils to appreciate and target, the audience to which their writing is aimed.   

As with Paper 1, we work through the questions and ensure that pupils know specifically the expectations and finite details for each question so they are aware of the different approaches needed for success.    

English Language Speaking and Listening  

This short unit works as a complement to English Language GCSE teaching and allows pupils the opportunity to move away from the written component of the exam for a short while.  As an unweighted but specified element of the GCSE that is registered on exam papers, it is important that we allow time for pupils to fully engage with the expectations and produce a quality piece of work that reflects their efforts and their appreciation of the skills of: Demonstrating presentation skills in a formal setting; listening and responding appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and feedback on presentations; using spoken Standard English effectively in speeches and presentations. This acts as good continuation of the teaching for GSCE Language, and the expectations of formality/ Standard English/ grammar/ vocabulary, that are all allocated more weight in the mark scheme for those exams.

Revisiting English Literature and English Language 

For the remainder of the year, until the final GCSE exams, the pupils and their teachers work together to ensure that the content of both GSCEs is revised in an effective and explicit manner dependant on the needs of the classes and individual pupils in order to review and revisit the content that is most needed in order to prepare effectively. 

The expectation is that teachers will draw up their own individual ‘road map’ of study, using mock exam data, in-class assessment and professional judgement, as well as regular in-class work to adapt, review and plan ahead to ensure that pupils are engaged in, and working on, the right texts/ questions and focusses for them in order to maximise success in their exams