KS3 English Curriculum Support for Parents
This page is designed to help you support your child with English at home. Across the year, students develop their reading, writing, speaking and analytical skills through a range of engaging topics and texts.
Each half term includes a short overview of what students are learning, why it matters, questions you can ask at home, and helpful resources to explore together.
Here is a roadmap visual of the year, and a weekly timetable (click the horizontal bars) and below is greater detail and web links to help you support learning
Learning Resources
Jump to: Autumn 1 ⬇ | Autumn 2 ⬇ | Spring 1 ⬇ | Spring 2 ⬇ | Summer 1 ⬇ | Summer 2 ⬇
Autumn 1: All About Me
What students are learning
Students begin the year by getting to know one another and exploring identity through reading, discussion and writing. They take part in ice breakers and quizzes, create a learning passport, set goals and express themselves through poetry and personal writing.
Why this matters
This unit helps students build confidence, reflect on who they are and develop a positive start to learning in English. It also introduces them to the idea that writing can be personal, creative and meaningful.
Questions to ask at home
- What have you learned about yourself so far this term?
- How can poetry help people express feelings or identity?
- What goals have you set for your learning this year?
Assessment point
Students complete a half term assessment based on an “All About Me” written profile.
Helpful resources
Autumn 2: World War Reading
What students are learning
Students explore reading and writing through the context of war. The unit includes World War One and World War Two history exploration, poetry and prose, diary writing, and study of propaganda and media.
Why this matters
This unit helps students understand how writers use language to communicate conflict, emotion and point of view. It also strengthens reading comprehension while linking English to historical context.
Questions to ask at home
- How does writing help us understand what life was like during wartime?
- What is the difference between propaganda and factual reporting?
- How does a diary entry help us see events from a personal perspective?
Assessment point
Students complete a half term assessment by writing a “WW3 News Article”.
Helpful resources
- BBC Bitesize: World War One
- BBC Bitesize: World War Two
- Imperial War Museums: Learning resources
- YouTube: War poetry for students
Spring 1: Of Mice and Men
What students are learning
Students study Of Mice and Men, including the context of the American Dream and the Great Depression, setting and symbolism, chapters 1 to 4, character study of George and Lennie, and completion of the novel.
Why this matters
This unit develops students’ ability to read a literary text in depth, understand context, and analyse how writers present characters, themes and ideas. It also introduces important social and historical issues.
Questions to ask at home
- What does the American Dream mean in the novel?
- What does Steinbeck suggest about friendship and loneliness?
- How does the setting shape the story?
Assessment point
Students complete a half term assessment focused on analysing Curley’s Wife.
Helpful resources
Spring 2: Persuasive Writing
What students are learning
Students learn how writers influence an audience through language and structure. They explore audience, purpose and tone, are introduced to persuasion, practise DAFOREST techniques, structure persuasive arguments, and write and edit a full persuasive text.
Why this matters
Persuasive writing is a vital skill in English and beyond. It helps students learn how language can shape opinions, present arguments clearly and communicate with confidence.
Questions to ask at home
- Who is the audience for your writing?
- How does tone affect the way a message is received?
- Which persuasive techniques are most effective, and why?
Assessment point
Students produce, edit and redraft a full persuasive text as their final assessment.
Helpful resources
Summer 1: Creative Writing
What students are learning
Students develop their creative writing skills by exploring what makes a hero and a villain, how to “show, don’t tell”, how to build a scene through setting and conflict, and how to draft, edit and improve a story.
Why this matters
This unit encourages imagination while developing core writing skills. Students learn how to create believable characters, engaging scenes and effective narrative structure.
Questions to ask at home
- What makes a character feel like a hero or a villain?
- How can a writer build tension in a scene?
- What does “show, don’t tell” mean in practice?
Assessment point
Students write, edit and improve their own hero versus villain story.
Helpful resources
Summer 2: Myths and Legends
What students are learning
Students explore the features of myths and legends, including heroes, gods and creatures, myth settings and atmosphere, quest and conflict, and the process of planning and writing their own myth. The unit ends with editing, performance and reflection.
Why this matters
Myths and legends help students understand how stories have been used across time to explain the world, communicate values and entertain audiences. This unit develops both literary understanding and creative confidence.
Questions to ask at home
- What makes a myth different from another kind of story?
- Why do myths often include heroes, quests and monsters?
- How can atmosphere make a story more powerful?
Assessment point
Students write, edit and reflect on their own myth, with opportunities for performance as well as written work.
Helpful resources