Blackpool Skills Academy

English Curriculum Overview

39 Week Spiral Curriculum with Stage Progression

Explore careers through English

Communication skills open doors

Strong English skills help people communicate clearly, understand information, express ideas and make confident decisions in education, employment and everyday life.

This video explores how reading, writing, speaking and listening skills support success across different careers and professional settings.

Watch the video and consider how English skills are used in the workplace.

01

Our curriculum model

How the spiral curriculum works

All students study the same broad English concepts.

Progression is achieved through increasing:

  • Reading complexity
  • Vocabulary sophistication
  • Writing accuracy
  • Analytical depth
  • Independence
  • Application

The curriculum is aligned to the National Curriculum for English and prepares students for Functional Skills English, GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature, further education, apprenticeships and employment.

Students work at the stage appropriate to their current attainment and progress through increasingly demanding tasks within each curriculum area.

02

The learning journey

Progression Through Stages

1

Stage 1

Retrieve and Respond

Supported reading and writing

Everyday communication
2

Stage 2

Summarise and Organise

Structured reading and writing

Developing vocabulary
3

Stage 3

Infer and Explain

Independent application

Academic communication
4

Stage 4

Analyse and Control

Critical reading and writing

Formal communication
5

Stage 5

Evaluate and Communicate

Sophisticated application

Professional communication
03

The 39 week programme

Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

Identity and Conflict

Weeks 1 to 14

Autumn 1: Identity, Poetry and Self-Expression

Autumn 2: War and Conflict

Core focus: Reading foundations, vocabulary and writing accuracy

Week Topic Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
1 Baseline Assessment: Who Am I? Initial assessment Initial assessment Initial assessment Initial assessment Initial assessment
2 Identity Through Reading: Reading Comprehension Retrieve information Summarise information Infer meaning Analyse meaning Evaluate meaning
3 Vocabulary of Identity: Vocabulary Development Everyday vocabulary Tier 2 vocabulary Academic vocabulary Subject vocabulary Nuanced vocabulary
4 Poetry and Self-Expression: Sentence Construction Simple sentences Compound sentences Complex sentences Varied structures Controlled structures
5 Crafting Accurate Writing: Grammar and Punctuation Capitals and full stops Commas and apostrophes Clauses and tense Colons and semi-colons Deliberate effect
6 Building an Identity Profile: Paragraph Construction Basic paragraphs Organised paragraphs Linked paragraphs Structured arguments Controlled organisation
7 What Is War? Descriptive Writing Describe objects Describe settings Create atmosphere Create mood Develop a writer's voice
8 Life in the Trenches: Narrative Writing Simple narrative Structured narrative Character development Narrative techniques Sophisticated narrative
9 War Poetry and Human Experience: Character and Setting Identify features Explain features Explore development Analyse methods Evaluate effectiveness
10 Propaganda, Debate and Spoken Language Short responses Discussion skills Presentation skills Formal presentation Professional communication
11 War in the News: Reading Non-Fiction Identify facts Summarise information Compare viewpoints Analyse purpose Evaluate effectiveness
12 Reporting World War Three: Writing to Inform Informative sentences Informative paragraphs Extended information Controlled structure Professional communication
13 Letters Home: Communication in Conflict Forms and notices Emails Formal letters Reports Workplace communication
14 Assessment and Retrieval: Identity and War Stage assessment Stage assessment Stage assessment Stage assessment Stage assessment

Spring Term

Literature Through Time

Weeks 15 to 28

Core focus: Literature, reading analysis, comparison and critical thinking

Week Topic Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
15 Literature Through Time: What Makes a Great Story? Understand plot Explain events Explore themes Analyse methods Evaluate ideas
16 Of Mice and Men: Character and Context Understand the story Explain characters Explore themes Analyse language Evaluate significance
17 Dreams, Friendship and Society: Quotation Analysis Identify quotations Explain quotations Analyse quotations Explore methods Critical evaluation
18 Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare Understand the story Explain characters Explore themes Analyse language Evaluate significance
19 Love, Conflict and Imagery: Poetry and Figurative Language Identify imagery Explain imagery Compare imagery Analyse effect Evaluate effectiveness
20 Writer's Craft: Language Techniques Identify techniques Explain purpose Compare use Analyse choices Evaluate impact
21 Loneliness, Power and Relationships: Modern Fiction Understand plot Explain character Explore themes Analyse methods Evaluate effectiveness
22 Victorian Voices: Literary Heritage Understand the text Explain ideas Compare themes Analyse methods Evaluate significance
23 Literature Through Time: Then and Now Compare information Compare ideas Compare methods Analyse similarities Evaluate effectiveness
24 Messages That Matter: Writers' Viewpoints Identify opinions Explain viewpoints Compare viewpoints Analyse perspective Evaluate arguments
25 Reading Like a Critic: Reading Analysis Retrieve evidence Explain evidence Infer meaning Analyse language Evaluate methods
26 How Stories Are Built: Structure Analysis Identify structure Explain structure Explore organisation Analyse effect Evaluate choices
27 Modern Versus Classic: Critical Reading Understand the text Interpret the text Analyse the text Evaluate the text Make a critical judgement
28 Assessment and Retrieval: Literature Through Time Stage assessment Stage assessment Stage assessment Stage assessment Stage assessment

Summer Term

Communication, Employment and Real-World English

Weeks 29 to 39

Core focus: Persuasion, media, functional communication, employability and independent writing

Week Topic Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
29 Changing Minds: Persuasive Techniques Identify persuasion Use persuasion Select techniques Analyse persuasion Evaluate effectiveness
30 Making Your Voice Heard: Persuasive Writing Short argument Structured argument Balanced argument Sophisticated argument Professional influence
31 Media Matters: Media Texts Identify messages Explain messages Compare messages Analyse methods Evaluate impact
32 Truth or Manipulation? Fact, Opinion and Bias Distinguish fact and opinion Identify bias Compare sources Analyse reliability Evaluate credibility
33 Heroes and Villains: Audience and Purpose Recognise audience Adapt communication Select style Analyse effectiveness Evaluate success
34 Building a Hero: Functional Communication Forms and notices Emails and messages Reports and records Formal documentation Employment readiness
35 In Their Shoes: Character Interviews Simple responses Structured responses Expanded responses Professional responses High-impact communication
36 Heroes, Villains and Legends: Extended Writing Project Supported writing Structured writing Independent writing Controlled writing Professional standard
37 Create Your Own Myth: Independent Literacy Project Supported project Applied project Independent project Workplace project Extended project
38 Show What You Know: Retrieval and Reflection Retrieval practice Retrieval practice Retrieval practice Qualification preparation Qualification preparation
39 Final Assessment and Celebration of Learning End of Stage Review End of Stage Review End of Stage Review End of Stage Review End of Stage Review
04

Learning across the year

Curriculum Themes

Autumn

Identity and Conflict

  • Identity, poetry and self-expression
  • War and conflict
  • Reading comprehension
  • Writing accuracy
Spring

Literature Through Time

  • Of Mice and Men
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Literary heritage
  • Comparison and analysis
Summer

The Power of Words

  • Persuasion and media
  • Heroes and villains
  • Myths and legends
  • Independent communication
05

What students will study

National Curriculum Coverage

Reading

  • Reading for meaning and comprehension
  • Retrieval, inference, analysis and evaluation
  • Fiction, non-fiction and poetry
  • Comparing texts across different periods
  • Writers' viewpoints, perspectives and intentions
  • Reading for pleasure and critical engagement

Literature

  • Modern fiction
  • Shakespeare
  • Literary heritage and nineteenth-century extracts
  • Poetry from different times and contexts
  • Character, theme, context and writer's methods
  • Comparing literature across time

Writing

  • Narrative and descriptive writing
  • Transactional writing
  • Informative and explanatory writing
  • Persuasive writing
  • Creative and reflective writing
  • Editing, proofreading and redrafting

Grammar and Vocabulary

  • Sentence construction and language choices
  • Standard English
  • Punctuation and spelling
  • Vocabulary development
  • Language analysis and writer's methods

Spoken Language

  • Discussion and debate
  • Collaborative learning
  • Presentations
  • Speaking for different audiences and purposes
  • Professional and workplace communication

Functional Literacy and Employability

  • Reading everyday and workplace texts
  • Forms, emails, letters and reports
  • Media literacy and evaluating information
  • Interview and communication skills
  • Writing for purpose and audience
  • Employability and independent communication

The purpose of the programme

Curriculum Intent

The English curriculum at Blackpool Skills Academy develops confident readers, thoughtful communicators and purposeful writers through engaging, knowledge-rich themes that revisit and deepen key literacy skills over time.

Through a spiral curriculum, students explore identity, conflict, literature, persuasion and storytelling while progressively developing the reading, writing, speaking and analytical skills required for Functional Skills, GCSE English, further education, employment and everyday life.

Learning is carefully sequenced so that students revisit core concepts with increasing independence and sophistication, enabling every learner to make progress from their individual starting point.