KS3 English Mastery Curriculum
In September 2021, the English department successfully introduced the ARK English Secondary Mastery curriculum across KS3, being the only school in the Ipswich area to do so. This curriculum is based on the central belief that virtually all learners can learn all important academic content to a level of excellence and has proven to be incredibly effective when adopted in other schools across the UK.
Being a confident and articulate English student involves a large number of complicated skills. Mastery curriculum is designed to create learners who can ‘master’ these skills by introducing them systematically to the wonders of grammar, vocabulary and reading for pleasure, alongside the traditional literature teaching that we all know and love.
It is very carefully sequenced in the content covered across each academic year to build on skills and knowledge learnt by students in previous units and in previous years.
Our English Mastery Curriculum has been proven to give students on average four months’ additional progress when compared to those not studying the programme.
Other schools that have also used this curriculum have reported of its wide-reaching benefits; it has not only been found to ‘improve pupil outcomes’, but has been crucial in equipping pupils with the necessary transferrable skills, knowledge and experience that will allow them to be successful in the future outside school.
Our curriculum is divided into strands covering Literary Heritage, Mastery Writing and Reading for Pleasure. Every part of the curriculum is designed to complement and build on the knowledge of other units.
Miss Beth Hewlett
Literacy Coordinator & Teacher of English
