English

CURRICULUM AIM

Our English curriculum is designed to help students become confident communicators who can read, write, speak and listen well. We want every student to develop the literacy skills, vocabulary and confidence they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Our Curriculum Aims

Help students become confident readers, writers and communicators.
Foster a love of reading and literature.
Build vocabulary to support learning across the curriculum.
Develop communication skills for school, work and everyday life.
Encourage confidence in speaking and listening.
Support personal development through a wide range of texts.

How We Learn

From September 2026, most students in Years 7 and 8 will follow our Communication Through Literature curriculum.

Reading, writing, speaking and listening are taught together through stories, novels, poetry, documentaries, visual texts and other media, helping students make meaningful connections between the skills they are learning.

Students in Years 9 to 11 continue to follow our established English Language and Literature courses which prepare them for their chosen qualification pathway.

Supporting Literacy

All students take part in our whole-school spelling and vocabulary programme. Spelling groups are based on individual spelling development rather than age or year group, ensuring learning is matched to each student's needs. The programme develops both spelling knowledge and vocabulary to support reading, writing and communication across the curriculum.

Writing is taught using a small steps approach, helping students build confidence in vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar before applying these skills in longer pieces of writing.

Please note that Southland's current qualification offer includes a pathway towards GCSE qualifications for our current year 11 students.

Southland's offers an adapted National Curriculum at KS3 to meet the needs of our students. Students will be assessed during KS3 to identify their individual needs and determine which qualification pathway is right for them at KS4. GCSE will not be part of our core offer.