English

In preparation for adulthood, pupils attending Muntham’s Post-16 provision are given the opportunity to gain essential qualifications in English. This is to enable them to progess to the next stage in college or University education, to participate in apprenticeship / training programmes, or to secure a job / paid employment.

Intent 

The Post-16 English Curriculum has been developed to enable pupils to build upon previously acquired knowledge and skills so that they can: enjoy a range of texts; access and understand written information; and communicate with fluency and accuracy in writing, speaking and listening. Pupils are supported to retake their English Language GCSE or to pass Functional Skills English: Levels 1 and / or 2.

Implementation

Our pupils learn, and teachers teach using a wide range of strategies including: discussions and debates; mini-workshops and seminar-style sessions; reading aloud, silently and being read to; exploring cultural capital and researching context; creating and critiquing presentations and speeches; and writing for a specific purpose, audience and form - usually linked to work-based scenarios. Tasks are differentiated and accessed through a ‘stage not age’ approach, and geared towards the type of qualification each pupil is aiming for.

Impact 

Pupils retaking their English Language GCSE improve on their previous grade, and often gain GCSE level 4 as requested by many colleges to enable further study. Where this presents an unrealistic challenge, or where a different form of qualification is needed, pupils work towards and achieve either (or sometimes both in consecutive years) Level 1 or Level 2 passes in AQA Functional Skills English. All pupils achieve an outcome / grade which accurately reflects their ability, which is usually beyond what was deemed possible from their baseline measurement. All leave with a level of English sufficient to proceed into further education or training, apprenticeships or the workplace, and to enable each young person to become a positively-contributing member of society.

In the past, AS Level English Language has been offered, and with the current level of expertise in English, we are delighted that this and higher levels of courses in English are a possibility for Post-16 pupils at Muntham!