Online School

Year 8/9 English

Year 8/9 English

This Year 8/9 English programme combines classic and modern texts to strengthen foundations and prepare students for the demands of GCSE. Through the study of Orwell, Shakespeare, Dickens, poetry, and global nonfiction voices, students develop reading, writing, and oracy skills while practising analysis, extended essays, and unseen responses. The course builds critical thinking, independence, and resilience, ensuring students are equipped with both academic rigour and the character to engage thoughtfully with literature’s big questions.

ALL

Home Education Support

Year 8

Year 8/9

Year 9

Department

  • Online School

TimeLine

Sep 15, 2025 - Jul 10, 2026

Duration

10 Months

Sessions

129

Language

English

Location

Online

Time

12:00 am

Rating

4.5 (110 ratings)

Price

£110.00 per month

Total Cost

£1100

Key Objectives

  • Strengthen core foundations in reading, writing, and oracy so that every student is ready to succeed at GCSE and beyond.
  • Bridge the gap between KS3 and GCSE by introducing extended essays, comparative analysis, and unseen texts in a supportive but challenging way.
  • Develop mastery of language, precise vocabulary, accurate grammar, and controlled expression in both written and spoken work.
  • Equip students with intellectual habits essential for critical thinking, research, independence, and adaptability.
  • Challenge students with big questions about justice, leadership, power, and resilience encouraging them to connect literature to history, society, and moral responsibility.
  • Strengthen character capabilities such as integrity, courage, empathy, and patience, ensuring that study of literature also builds personal depth.
  • The Course Includes

  • 3 x one-hour lessons per week
  • A comprehensive curriculum aligned to the IGCSE curriculum.
  • Student feedback and grade reports.
  • Biannual parent meetings to discuss progress.
  • An opportunity for students to fill learning gaps.
  • Course Schedule

    Schedule UTC+001
    Wednesday12:35 PM - 1:35 PM
    Thursday10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
    Friday10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    Description

    Our Year 8/9 English curriculum combines breadth, depth, and progression. Students in this mixed class encounter a carefully chosen range of literature  from Orwell’s political allegory and essays, to Shakespeare’s comedy, Dickens’ Victorian morality tale, and a cluster of modern and classic poetry. Alongside these, they read global nonfiction voices such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Chinua Achebe.

    The curriculum is designed to be academically rigorous (emphasising close reading, extended essays, comparison, and unseen texts), fully aligned with the National Curriculum (covering Shakespeare, 19th-century literature, modern texts, poetry, and nonfiction), and deliberately aspirational (building independence, adaptability, and critical reflection). At the same time, it is character-focused, using literature’s big questions to develop empathy, integrity, courage, and patience.

    Because this is a combined class, outcomes are differentiated: Year 8 students consolidate and strengthen foundations, while Year 9 students extend into comparative analysis, unseen work, and more sustained writing bridging securely into GCSE.

    Core Texts (Year in Brief)

    Term 1: Power, Politics, and Language

    • Core text: Animal Farm – George Orwell
    • Supporting texts: Orwell essays (Politics and the English Language, Shooting an Elephant, Why I Write)
    • Focus: allegory, propaganda, truth, and the power of language

    Term 2: Justice, Authority, and Imagination

    • Core text: A Midsummer Night’s Dream –  William Shakespeare
    • Supporting texts: Martin Luther King Jr. (Letter from Birmingham Jail, extracts); Nelson Mandela (I Am Prepared to Die, extracts); Chinua Achebe (Civil Peace)
    • Focus: justice, law vs. mercy, leadership, imagination, and love

    Term 3: Society, Transformation, and Resilience

    • Core text: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
    • Poetry cluster:
      • London –  William Blake
      • Ozymandias –  Percy Bysshe Shelley
      • Dulce et Decorum Est –  Wilfred Owen
      • Tissue –  Imtiaz Dharker
      • Home – Warsan Shire
      • Praise Song for My Mother – Grace Nichols
    • Focus: social change, resilience, legacy, identity, and redemption

    Outcomes

    Because this is a combined Year 8/9 class, outcomes are set with progression in mind. Students are supported to close learning gaps where necessary while moving forward at a pace that prepares them securely for GCSE.

    • Year 8 students will:
      • Strengthen reading, writing, vocabulary, and oracy foundations.
      • Build confidence with extended writing and practise the first steps of comparative analysis.
      • Engage with Shakespeare, Dickens, and modern texts at an accessible level.
      • Improve accuracy in grammar, sentence structure, and written expression.
      • Grow in empathy, patience, and integrity through discussion of literature’s themes.
    • Year 9 students will:
      • Consolidate prior skills while extending into sustained analysis and comparative essays.
      • Practise unseen reading and thematic evaluation across genres.
      • Deepen engagement with Shakespeare and 19th-century literature in preparation for GCSE study.
      • Refine academic vocabulary and grammar for clarity and precision.
      • Strengthen resilience, self-control, and independence through grappling with complex texts and ideas.

    Cost: £1100 per year, payable in 10 monthly instalments of £110.00.

    Should you require further information on this course, please click on the chat widget at the bottom right corner of the screen to leave a message, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

    Requirements

    • Age Group: This course is designed for students aged 13-15 years.
    • Prerequisites: Basic Literacy Skills, Core Grammar and Vocabulary, Literary Genre Exposure, Analytical Skills, Writing Experience, Speaking and Listening and Independent ReadingInterest in Learning: Curiosity and willingness to engage with different types of literature and writing tasks.

    Instructor(s)

    Asma Patel

    Asma Patel

    4.5 (110 ratings)

    30 Courses • 525,181 students

    PGCE, Manchester Metropolitan University – 2019, Bachelor of Education in English and Education Studies, Bolton, Greater Manchester. Graduated: -July 2010. Asma is dedicated and highly experienced English teacher with over a decade of proven success in fostering a positive learning environment and facilitating the intellectual and social development of students. Asma has a deep passion for teaching, strong communication skills, and comprehensive knowledge of English literature to contribute to the academic growth of students.

    Students Reviews

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