English
Mission Statement
At Dorchester Learning Centre, we provide a learning environment that allows pupils who have previously struggled in education a chance to achieve and feel safe. In English, we are focused on promoting a love of literature, building confidence in speaking and helping pupils become literate adults, ready for post-16. We enter students for appropriate qualifications to help them on their education journey.
Meet the English Department
Intent
Our curriculum outcomes are to...
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Rebuild confidence in learning: Help students feel positive about learning again after time away from education.
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Re-engage with education: Make lessons interesting and supportive so students feel motivated to attend and take part.
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Improve reading skills: Support students to understand different texts, instructions, and everyday information.
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Develop writing skills: Help students express their ideas clearly through different forms of writing.
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Strengthen speaking and listening: Build confidence in sharing ideas, asking questions, and taking part in discussions.
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Support emotional literacy: Help students recognise and talk about their feelings and understand the feelings of others.
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Improve social communication: Develop respectful communication, teamwork, and positive interaction with peers and staff.
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Provide a safe and supportive environment: Create lessons where students feel comfortable making mistakes and trying again, building resilience.
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Offer recognised qualifications: Provide opportunities to work towards Entry Level English or GCSE English depending on each student’s starting point.
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Prepare for next steps: Support students to move on to further education, training, or employment with stronger English and communication skills.
Year 11
Year 10
Our English curriculum is designed to provide every pupil a rich, ambitious and inclusive literary education that develops
confident readers, articulate speakers and skilled writers. Rooted in the National Curriculum, we aim to cultivate a lifelong
appreciation for language and literature through exposure of high quality and challenging texts from diverse voices and
varied genres. We intend for all students to develop strong literacy foundations, critical thinking and the ability to
communicate across contexts. Through this, students will deepen their understanding of culture, society and the power of
language, while building their confidence, creativity and curiosity to support them becoming literate adults post-16.
Implementation
Students have a personalised learning pathway based on their baselines assessment, identifying strengths and gaps in knowledge as well as any barriers to learning. This will be monitored though
formative assessments which will influence the trauma-informed teaching and planning, and students will have the chance to gain feedback and make improvements.
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The English curriculum is coherently sequenced from primary through to secondary to ensure progression in reading, writing, speaking and listening, Pupils encounter a breadth of fiction, non-
fiction, poetry and dramatic texts that promote both literary knowledge and cultural awareness.
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Explicit teaching of vocabulary and language structures support students in becoming fluent readers and purposeful writers.
Lessons provide regular opportunities for close reading, discussion, analytical thinking and extended writing across a variety of forms and purposes. Teachers model high-quality language, scaffold
learning where necessary and develop independence. Enrichment opportunities include drama performance workshops, debate, reading and writing programmes, theatre trips and creative writing
competitions to further enhance students’ engagement with English.
Impact
The impact of our English Curriculum
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Improved attendance in English lessons
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Increased pupil confidence and the ability to challenge themselves
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Growing resilience and independence, as well as fostering teamwork skills.
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Individual progress from starting point
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Pupils achieving in Entry Level and GCSE
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Showing interest in enrichment opportunities in and out of school around English
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Through this curriculum, students are guided to become fluent, enthusiastic readers who can interpret, analyse and evaluate a wide range of texts. They expand their writing skills, writing with accuracy, clarity and creativity for a range of audiences and purposes.
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We aim for students to leave each key stage with a more secure command of language and a knowledge of diverse literary perspectives. Ultimately, our curriculum hopes to empower students to achieve strong academic outcomes while fostering curiosity, playfulness, acceptance, empathy and a lifelong love of English.
