The following case studies exemplify a range of approaches to planning from the Framework for secondary English. Each case study contains a medium-term plan for a Year 7 unit and some case studies comprise a suite of linked long-term and medium-term planning. All case studies contain a commentary by the teachers and/or consultants who wrote them, in which they share their intentions and priorities and explain the choices they made.
In addition, a small number of other formats and strategic plans are included as examples of departmental thinking. As well as providing examples of planning in three key areas of the English curriculum, the case studies also exemplify more generic key features of planning engaging and effective learning experiences, as shown below.
Key features: An English teacher explains and exemplifies an approach to long-term planning and then shows a detailed medium-term six week plan called 'Parallel Worlds' located within it. In this plan, pupils will explore a range of literature before studying a specific text and then undertake creative oral and written work. Blank Word versions of the documents are offered for adaptation.
Key features: A consultant explains and exemplifies a process for producing a medium-term plan, with a five week example for Year 7 pupils, in which they lead up to presenting an answer to the question 'Why study Shakespeare?' through drama, discussion and reading. The pupils explore extracts form a number of the plays, study one in more detail and then prepare their presentation. The medium-term planning document is offered in Word version for adaptation.
Key features: An English consultant and English teachers describe a process by which they reviewed and adapted current plans in the light of the Framework and show an example of a medium-term plan they devised for Year 7 pupils on Beowulf and the storytelling tradition. The medium-term planning document is offered in Word version for adaptation.
Key features: An English consultant working with an English subject leader explains their process for reviewing department planning approaches. They offer an example of a four week medium-term plan for Year 7 called ‘Get it off your chest', which incorporates applied learning, Assessment for Learning (AfL), APP, intervention and a wide range of texts and resources around the thematic link. The medium-term planning document is offered in Word version for adaptation.
Key features: An example of a long-term plan for Year 7 which cross-relates the learning focuses from the Framework with an indication of the range and content of the work to be covered and the assessment of pupils’ progress. The long-term planning document is offered in Word version for adaptation.
