Lower Primary School English Literature Online

English Literature is the study of the English culture in words, what it looks like and how it works. Lower school English Literature is informed by the English National Curriculum Key Stage 3 Programmes of study. This ensures pupils have the expected knowledge, skills and understanding to progress to Upper school at any English school.

5. Pupils are taught to: develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently through:

• reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including in particular whole books, short stories, poems and plays with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods, forms and authors. The range will include high-quality works from:
• English literature, both pre-1914 and contemporary, including prose, poetry and drama
• Shakespeare (two plays)
  –  seminal world literature choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment.
  –  re-reading books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons.

6. Understand increasingly challenging texts through:

• learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries making inferences and referring to evidence in the text knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense.

7. Read critically through:

• knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
• recognising a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used
• studying setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these understanding how the work of dramatists is communicated effectively through performance and how alternative staging allows for different interpretations of a play
• making critical comparisons across texts studying a range of authors, including at least two authors in depth each year.

Reading list/set texts to be decided.

Below is a list of recommended summer reading for students entering Levels 1 and 2 in September.  You will receive 5 merits for every book read, plus an additional 15 merits for whoever reads the most books. (Plus certificates!) There will also be 10 merits for a book report on your favourite book, which doesn’t have to be from the list.

Please ask parents to email Mrs Howard directly to prove that a book has been read.  Happy reading!

Click here for more book details including covers and synopses

• Freedom (1783) by Catherine Johnson
• Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari 
• Kick by Mitch Johnson 
• Watership Down by Richard Adams 
• The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson 
• The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave 
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken 
• Robin Hood: Jet Skis, Swamps & Smugglers by Robert Muchamore 
• Peter Pan by JM Barrie 
• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper 
• Wolf by Gillian Cross 
• Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson 
• The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland 
• Boy and Going Solo by Roald Dahl 
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 
• The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner 
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 
• Across the Barricades by Joan Lingard 
• War Horse by Michael Morpurgo 
• Stone Cold by Robert Swindells 
• His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman 
• The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff 
• The Cay by Theodore Taylor 
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend 
• Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease 
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 
• The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White 
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
• Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman 
• Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce 
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 
• The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird 
• Wonder by R.J Palacio 
• The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 
• Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 
• The Box of Delights by John Masefield 
• The Call of the Wild by Jack London 
• Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo 
• Holes by Louis Sachar 
• Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge 
• A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of Hair by Nicholas Fisk
  

What is the aim of the Online Secondary School English Literature course?

The Online Secondary School English Literature course aims to engage, educate, and develop students’ abilities in expressing ideas and emotions through literature. It seeks to boost pupils’ confidence and enjoyment of English Literature at Key Stage 3.

How is the assessment conducted in the Online Secondary School English Literature class?

Assessment in the Online Secondary School English Literature class is ongoing and includes live-taught lessons, marking of coursework and assignments, as well as summative tests. This continuous evaluation ensures that pupils receive timely feedback on their performance.

What types of homework are given in the Online Secondary School English Literature course?

Homework is usually given at the week’s end and may involve research on key literary concepts, quizzes for recapitulating previous lessons, and completing coursework. These activities are geared towards enhancing pupils’ comprehension of the subject.

How can parents keep track of their children’s performance in the Online Secondary School English Literature class?

Parents are granted 24/7 access to all coursework, grades, and teacher feedback related to their children. They can also schedule consultations with teachers at mutually convenient times to discuss their child’s progress.

What are the key topics covered in the Online Secondary School English Literature course?

The course covers a broad spectrum of English Literature, ranging from fiction and non-fiction to poetry and drama. Pupils learn to appreciate literature, understand increasingly challenging texts, and read critically. Topics include the works of Shakespeare, various genres and historical periods, and techniques like setting, plot, and characterisation.