Key Stage 3 English at Egypt British International School

As the head of the English Department, I would like to welcome you and introduce you to our department vision, which is “to promote literacy and the enjoyment of the English language and its literature.” This could happen in many ways including:

  • enhancing literary skills significantly through a love of reading where students read a novel or work of non-fiction independently for at least 30 minutes each day. This is logged on a daily basis and students are rewarded for their efforts.
  • developing skills to promote understanding and independent study through online comprehension practice. (ReadTheory.com)
  • promoting the use of the English language in non-academic situations through competitions and events. (Spelling Bee / Public Speaking / Story Writing / Poetry Competition)

Aims and features of our schemes of work

We have a successful scheme of work that can support the progress of all abilities and fully fulfils the requirements of the Pearson iLower Secondary English curriculum which is taken at the end of Year 9. Students will also study novels from a range a contemporary and pre-1914 English literature. We hope this will inspire pupils with confidence and provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to progress and succeed at IGCSE level and beyond.

The schemes that we are using have been updated to ensure that they:

  • fully meet the requirements of the Pearson iLower Secondary examination as well as the UK National Curriculum
  • reflect the latest thinking on best practice for English teaching at this level
  • include resources that are completely topical and relevant to pupils’ lives
  • are accompanied by state of the art digital resources, available online

The core aim of these schemes is to ensure that every pupil makes progress at the right pace for them, helping them to make the transition from Key Stage 2 successfully and equipping and preparing each and every pupil for future study of English Language and Literature at IGCSE level.

Integrated throughout all of the components of the schemes are questions that develop pupils’ fluency in English as well as their ability to understand and respond to an array of resources, such as newspaper articles, poetry and literary texts.

We also provide further targeted work to help pupils prepare for and transition to IGCSE-level study coupled with real-life contextualisation of each topic which provides the motivation to learn.

Practice exercises consolidate and build on pupils’ prior knowledge from Key Stage 2 with questions that gradually build in difficulty and help to track progress and show pupils the level they are working at. Progress tracker checklists offer an opportunity for self-assessment, and show pupils what they need to do to progress.

Half-termly tests and review questions help pupils to integrate their learning and see the ‘big picture’.

About ReadTheory.com

We all know that today’s pupils are at home in the digital arena, and often take in information best when it is presented to them in digital formats such as videos and interactive activities. ReadTheory.com is a new online learning platform that has been launched in response to this change in learning habits and offers an integrated learning experience that will motivate and inspire. It can be accessed from a wide range of devices, from PCs to smartphones and tablets, giving pupils the freedom to log in and learn at any time and in any place.

Because each pupil will have their own login, we will be able to keep track of their progress on an on-going basis and share this information with you.

We are confident that your son or daughter will enjoy working with ReadTheory.com and that it will help them not only to practice, but to love reading too.

English Department Team

  • Kevin Smith
  • Amira Mazhar
  • Sally Swellam
  • Sarah Samir
  • Shelly Dewsnap
  • Aynsley McIntyre