Year 7
‘Black and British’ by David Olusoga
(21st century non-fiction)
David Olusoga OBE is a British historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and filmmaker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester. He describes this as “the book I wish I had been given when I was at school” so that “the history of Black people in Britain can be read by everybody”. This book is a crucial first step in allowing students from diverse backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the JMS curriculum at the start of their school career.
‘Julius Caesar’ by William Shakespeare(16th century drama - historical)
Shakespeare's exploration of universal themes gives his works a timeless quality that transcends the cultural and historical contexts in which they were written. Themes such as love, betrayal, justice, and the consequences of unchecked ambition resonate across centuries. Specifically,Julius Caesar explores the way in which power can corrupt people, make them jealous and ruin friendships - something which is highly relevant to us today.
‘Smart’ by Kim Slater
(21st century prose fiction)
Kim Slater’s Smart, is a sensitive portrayal of a boy about whom few seem to care, honouring the death of one of the countless many that others would quickly brush aside. Studying this book shows the power of fiction to explore contemporary issues, with themes that include abuse, homelessness, and treatment of the neurodiverse. Smart encourages mature and thoughtful discussion and analysis.Smart has been nominated for twenty-four book awards, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 15, the Carnegie Medal 15 and the Children’s Book Award 16.
Year 8
‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell
(20th century drama)
Blood Brothers introduces year 8 to the idea of texts as political protest through the tragic, gripping and yet comic tale of twins Mickey and Edward who are separated at birth. Dubbed a “Liverpudlian folk opera”, Blood Brothers won the Olivier award for best Opera in 1983 and is a set text on the AQA Literature exam which ensures appropriate challenge.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Shakespeare
(16th century drama - tragedy)
Few writers are as universally well-known or revered as William Shakespeare whose works continue to resonate centuries after their first production and whose ideas continue to shape literature into the C21st. In year 8 we therefore return to a study of the Bard taking as our text this year Romeo and Juliet. This play explores the way in which our loyalties and allegiances can also become a source of conflict, which, if unchecked, can have devastating consequences.
Protest texts: poetry and speeches.
This unit of work introduces year 8 to a selection of key speakers and poets, from Martin Luther King to Imtiaz Dharker, who have used their voices to highlight inequality and bring about change. Topics include the right to education, child exploitation, civil right and gender equality.
Year 9
Narrative writing
Telling stories is one of the most fundamental human behaviours and the opportunity to write creatively, building on skills students will have been developing their whole lives is both joyful and inspiring. This unit of work combines rigorous teaching of writing skills with the opportunity for pupils to express themselves creatively and experiment with structure at sentence and paragraph level.
Gothic and Victorian Literature
This unit of work introduces students to some of the key Gothic texts and the themes therein, in preparation for studying the GCSE 19th Century text. Students will be taken on literary journey by exploring a range of extracts from significant authors such as De Maurier, Bronte, Dickens and Shelley. Students should be equipped with a thorough understanding of character, narrative, setting features typical of the period.
‘An Inspector Calls’ by J B Priestley
Heralded as a socialist masterpiece, students will spend two terms exploring and analysing this 20th century post-war GCSE text, including the significant contextual and thematic knowledge which influenced it. Students will have the opportunity to read the entire play in class, guided to write analytically and practise key essay writing skills.
Non-fiction reading and writing
This unit provides vital preparation for GCSE Language Paper 2 where students must read, analyse and compare two non-fiction extracts (19th, 20th and 21st Century). Students will revisit key reading skills and approaches, revise language and structural features relevant to non-fiction writing, consider a range of writer viewpoints and alternative arguments. This learning progresses into students having the opportunity to create viewpoint writing pieces of their own.
Power and conflict: poetry
This unit covers a breadth of verse from across different time periods, countries, and conflicts in order to immerse students in the fascinating world of poetry. We will interrogate broad concerns such as ‘what does power look like?’, ‘how does conflict impact people?’, and ‘what is the role of memory in war?’ in order to help students to understand how poetry can be used as an effective way of communicating the human experience. The poems selected form part of the Power and Conflict anthology which is a set GCSE text.
