English at Moat

 

The English Department at Moat Community College has been recognised both locally and nationally for its commitment to literacy, academic excellence and educational innovation. As leaders of the Leicester English Hub, we work collaboratively with schools across the city to improve literacy outcomes and were recently shortlisted for the national TES Award for English Team of the Year. Our collaborative work through the English Hub was further recognised with a Pearson National Teaching Award Certificate of Excellence for Partnership of the Year.An image of four students pictured outside Leicester University. They are wearing Moat College uniform. A second image appears on the top right-hand side inside a white circle. This image is of 14 Moat students, also pictured outside of Leicester University. The title of the visual reads: ‘Leicester City Debating Competition’ The Moat College logo appears in white at the bottom.

We are proud to work in partnership with the University of Leicester, Curve Theatre, Speakers Trust and a range of external organisations, providing students with opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom. These partnerships enrich our curriculum through university lectures, public speaking programmes, theatre experiences and engagement with academic scholarship, helping students to develop confidence, cultural capital and a lifelong love of learning. We are also committed to developing the next generation of teachers through our close work with SCITT and PGCE training programmes.

At the heart of everything we do is our belief that all students, regardless of background, deserve access to an ambitious and academically rigorous curriculum. As a school where most students speak English as an Additional Language, we place literacy, vocabulary development, reading fluency and oracy at the centre of our practice. Our carefully sequenced curriculum introduces students to a rich range of literary and non-fiction texts, including Shakespeare, Gothic literature, Greek mythology and literature, literary criticism, war poetry and contemporary literature, enabling students to engage with increasingly complex ideas, perspectives and academic concepts. 

Our distinctive curriculum model enables students to begin GCSE English Literature in Year 9 and complete the qualification at the end of Year 10 before focusing exclusively on GCSE English Language in Year 11. This approach has contributed to exceptional gains in reading age, a strong culture of academic reading and consistently high outcomes in English, ensuring students are well prepared for further study and future success. Through our focus on disciplinary literacy, academic reading, explicit vocabulary instruction and structured oracy, students develop the knowledge, confidence and communication skills required to succeed both within English and across the wider curriculum.

Above all, our department is driven by a simple philosophy: It's all about the students. Through high expectations, expert teaching and an unwavering commitment to literacy, we strive to ensure every student leaves Moat as a confident reader, articulate communicator and successful learner, fully prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.

 

Literacy and Reading at Moat

Whole School:

  • Our literacy motto, ‘The knowledge of a subject is the language of a subject’, underpins our whole-school approach to literacy. We teach reading for understanding through high-impact, evidence-informed strategies that strengthen teaching and learning across the curriculum while promoting a rich and ambitious vocabulary culture.
  • Whole-school reading during form time is embedded within our daily routines and has contributed to significant improvements in reading ages across the school. Quantitative and qualitative evidence demonstrates that Moat students are becoming increasingly proficient readers, with growing confidence in tackling challenging texts and sophisticated vocabulary.
  • We assess students’ reading ages annually using Access Reading Tests and continue to see substantial reading-age progress across all year groups. Many of our most capable readers have reading ages of 18 years and above across both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Targeted intervention is provided for all students with a reading age below 9 years, ensuring that every learner receives the support required to access an ambitious curriculum.
  • The Moat Proofreading Code, introduced through English and embedded across all subjects, supports students in communicating accurately, effectively and confidently in their written work.
  • Handwriting is recognised as an important component of literacy. All Year 7 students complete a dedicated handwriting module as part of our transition curriculum, while targeted handwriting intervention at Key Stage 4 supports students in developing fluency, presentation and examination confidence.
  • Oracy is central to our approach to literacy and learning. All staff are trained in strategies that develop students’ spoken language, including:
  • Repeating and refining student responses to verify understanding and clarify thinking.
  • Expanding upon student contributions and recasting them using precise academic vocabulary.
  • Modelling sophisticated and subject-specific language.
  • Providing students with structured thinking time before engaging in academic discussion.
  • We have adopted the nationally recognised Speak Out framework to develop students’ confidence, communication and public speaking skills. Through curriculum lessons, enrichment opportunities and competitive events, students learn to articulate ideas effectively, construct persuasive arguments and communicate with confidence in a range of formal settings.

KS3:

  • All Year 7 students participate in a weekly library and literacy lesson, designed to foster a love of reading while developing the literacy skills required for academic success.
  • Our bespoke Year 7 transition programme, The Kid in the 10 Shirt, combines an original fiction text, accompanying vocabulary books and over 40 hours of carefully sequenced literacy instruction. Developed at Moat, the programme has demonstrated exceptional impact, with case-study students making up to four years of reading-age progress following an intensive period of literacy-focused learning.
  • Our Year 7 SEND shadow curriculum places literacy at its heart, using carefully selected fiction texts to develop reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and confidence.
  • Year 7 students benefit from regular reading opportunities with trained Year 9 reading mentors, promoting reading fluency while fostering positive relationships across the school community.
  • All Year 7 students are invited to participate in our popular Blind Date with a Book initiative, encouraging reading for pleasure and broadening students’ reading experiences.
  • In Year 8, students continue their literacy journey through the sequel to The Kid in the 10 Shirt, which explores themes linked to the Personal Development curriculum. Accompanying vocabulary resources ensure that ambitious language is taught explicitly and systematically in preparation for Key Stage 4 study.
  • All Year 8 students are invited to participate in our in-house Reading Rampage initiative, which is carefully adapted to ensure accessibility and challenge for all learners, including those with SEND.
  • Year 8 students participate in the Holocaust Education Project and the Leicester English Hub essay-writing competition, coordinated by Moat Community College. Students regularly engage with challenging historical, social and ethical issues through their writing, and several have achieved publication through regional and national writing competitions.

KS4:

  • At the start of Year 9, students study a bespoke Greek Classics module, introducing them to mythology, literature and the enduring influence of the classical world. Students engage with pre-reading and attend lecture-style sessions designed to develop academic reading, listening and note-taking skills.

  • We host a Year 9 Carnegie Reading Group and are proud to be the lead school for an annual Leicester English Hub Carnegie celebration event, bringing together students from across the city to celebrate reading for pleasure and contemporary literature.

  • Our Year 10 and 11 students participate in an academic reading programme that exposes them to A Level and undergraduate-style texts, literary criticism and wider academic scholarship. Through structured discussion and guided reading, students engage with challenging ideas that extend and deepen their understanding of the curriculum.

  • We provide targeted handwriting intervention for students whose handwriting may affect the clarity and legibility of examination responses, ensuring that students are able to communicate their knowledge effectively under exam conditions.

  • Departments have collaborated to develop cross-curricular writing frameworks that promote consistency, reinforce high expectations and support students in developing sophisticated written communication across all subject areas.

  • To support examination success, we provide lecture-style revision sessions, masterclasses and a comprehensive library of in-house revision resources and videos, accessible to all students throughout Key Stage 4.

  • We enrich learning through a wide range of cultural and academic experiences, including visiting speakers, professional theatre companies, debate competitions, university events and educational visits. Through our partnerships with organisations such as the University of Leicester, Curve Theatre and Speakers Trust, students are encouraged to see themselves as confident learners with aspirations beyond the classroom.

English Curriculum Intent:

The English curriculum at Moat Community College is ambitious, inclusive and carefully sequenced to ensure that all students become confident readers, writers and critical thinkers. In Year 7, students begin with a bespoke literacy transition programme that supports the development of reading fluency, vocabulary and disciplinary literacy, ensuring a successful transition from primary to secondary education. Throughout KS3, students build core literacy, vocabulary and analytical skills through a diverse range of literary and non-fiction texts, including Shakespeare, Gothic literature, poetry, creative and transactional writing. In Year 9, students begin GCSE English Literature, extending their study of Shakespeare, poetry and literary criticism whilst exploring Greek literature and mythology, enabling them to understand the enduring influence of classical ideas and narratives on English literature and wider culture. Assessment of knowledge is formative, thorough and regular. Feedback provides students with the basis for improvement.

Our distinctive curriculum model enables students to complete GCSE English Literature in Years 9 and 10, sitting the qualification at the end of Year 10, before focusing exclusively on GCSE English Language in Year 11. This allows students to develop depth of knowledge, confidence and examination expertise across both subjects.

As a school where many students speak English as an Additional Language, inclusivity, disciplinary literacy, vocabulary development, reading fluency and high-quality oracy are embedded throughout the curriculum. Through ambitious texts spanning different periods, genres and traditions, students develop cultural capital and an appreciation of literature's influence on society. Adaptive teaching and targeted support ensure that all learners, including those with SEND, can access the same ambitious curriculum and achieve success.

Exam Boards:

  • AQA English Language
  • Eduqas/WJEC English Literature

 

English Information

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