English in KS3. 

Whenever I think about English, I think about this painting from one of my favourite street artists Wrdsmith. Its sentiment is so simple, so playful and yet so profound. It has the alphabet stamped out in american typewriter font in a letter by letter basis and on the final rectangle it states, “This is my palette. A mere 26 deep. Yet the possibilities are endless.” To me this piece of art is emblematic of everything I hold dear about English as a subject: the ability to craft and build, redraft and edit, play with and enjoy both the written and spoken word until something new is created. Something that the writer can be proud of, something that can be analysed, discussed and reinterpreted through a number of different viewpoints and that can challenge our perspectives. 

One of Britain’s famous and current poets, John Cooper Clarke (also known as the Bard of Salford) stated in his autobiography that once his poems were published, he felt they were mocking him as he could always see a way that they could be improved. Reading these words written by somebody admired for their talent in working with and delivering words resonates deeply with his audience. (Watch the video included here that shows just how captivating his delivery is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0vAqxbyrSg ). It showcases the importance of searching for the perfect word and about how words can dance across the page and sound like music, but the same selection of words with a few careful alterations can change the atmosphere entirely. It conjures up an image of the word ‘wordplay’ and how to a perfectionist such as John Cooper Clarke, the publishing of his poems actually signified the end of him being able to play with that small selection of words and that this was not something for him to be happy about as for him, playtime was over. Who of us can truly say that we enjoy playtime coming to an end?

In my mind’s eye when I think about the ultimate form of relaxation, it is reading a book and being so immersed in a story that I can picture each and every detail written by the author. It is like the most vivid of dreams and the world and characters come to life and I do not want it to end. The famous saying “You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” showcases how important it is to see things from the view of others and one of the most powerful ways we can do this is through the reading and sharing of stories. Atticus Finch, whilst giving advice to his daughter in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird said that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”  and books allow us this opportunity. How else could you see the world through the eyes of a child wizard, an unrequited lover or a tyrannical madman within the same day? The possibilities truly are endless

There is an African proverb that reads “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” This quote not only signifies the importance of English as a subject to be taught as part of the National Curriculum, but also highlights the dire consequences to me of a world without English on the curriculum, a world without different viewpoints and perspectives and a world where there is only one side to a story. That to me is not a world at all. That to me is a prison. That to me is a cage.

The Literature lessons for KS3 English offers exciting stories and discussions for young students which will give them important knowledge the will need for future work in this subject.  They will read great stories from the likes of Dickens and Shakespeare as well as modern classics by writers including Michael Morpurgo and Lois Lowry.  They will learn to think carefully about the history and ideas in each book, play or poem and be helped to develop their written responses to questions about Literature.  Everything studied at KS3 is linked in some way to what they will be doing in KS4 and is an important first step in their learning journey as students of English.