The English packs have been written by our in-house Primary English specialists, who have years of subject leader experience. The packs are based on a rigorous, progressive framework of skills, which was created by unpacking the national curriculum programmes of study for each year group. For an immersive learning experience, all the English packs link to the history and geography driver projects.
What is an English pack?
An English pack is a set of resources that support children in writing a text type. Each of the Engage, Develop and Express stages of the history and geography driver projects includes an English pack.
Why should I use the English packs?
This enables the children to apply their English skills to knowledge gained in the project lessons. Occasionally, further knowledge of the project is provided in an English pack that does not appear elsewhere in the project lessons.
Which text types are available in the English packs?
Within most history and geography driver projects, the text types include at least one form of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. The table below shows the wide variety of text types on offer across the curriculum.
Non-fiction | Fiction | Poetry |
autobiography balanced argument biography chronological report description directions email explanation information sheet or booklet instructions letter newspaper article non-chronological report persuasion postcard poster speech | adventure story comic strip story from another culture diary historical narrative myth playscript | acrostic calligram cinquain couplets free verse haiku kennings poem list poem narrative poem nonet ode riddle |
What resources are included in an English pack?
Each English pack includes a model text, planning sheet and checklist. Some packs also include a writing frame, additional resources and useful links where appropriate.
- Checklist: The purpose of the checklist is to inform the children about the features, grammatical structures and punctuation pertinent to the text type and age group. It is also provided to help children evaluate and edit their work.
- Model text: The purpose of a model text is to show the children a high-quality, language-rich example of the text type they are studying. It is specially written to include each feature of the checklist.
- Planning sheet: The purpose of the planning sheet is to guide children’s thought processes as they plan to ensure they include the checklist's most important features.
- Writing frame: The purpose of the writing frame is to help children with the layout of their work.
- Additional resources: Additional resources can be presentations, recording sheets or information sheets. The purpose of additional resources is to give children the information they need to understand a text type or grammatical focus fully. Additional resources are also included to provide a stimulus for writing or to help children understand the historical context.
What is the best way to use an English pack?
The English packs have been designed to provide all the resources needed to teach the writing process. What follows is the suggested order of using the resources in this process.
- Share the task with the children. If additional resources are supplied to provide a historical context or explain a text type, share this with the children, so they understand the task from the outset.
- Ask the children to remember features of the text type from previous learning.
- Share the checklist and discuss its features, including any not previously noted.
- Read the model text aloud and ask the children to find examples of each feature from the checklist.
- If additional resources are supplied to support grammar or punctuation, share these with the children to help them practise their skills. If they are supplied to provide a stimulus for writing, share these with the class.
- Invite the children to think carefully about the sections of the planning sheet and jot notes ready to use in their writing. Encourage them to highlight features on the checklist as they include them in their plans.
- Ask children to turn their plans into a piece of writing, using the writing frame if one is provided. Encourage them to highlight features on the checklist as they include them in their writing.
- When their writing is finished, encourage the children to proofread their work and add any omitted features from the checklist. If there is a feature they feel they could improve next time, ask them to set this as a new personal target.
- If time allows, invite the children to use their best handwriting or ICT to present their work to its intended audience.
Where can I find the English packs?
The English packs appear above the project lessons when you open an Engage, Develop or Express stage in a history or geography driver project.
Further reading
- Rationale for the choice of text types in the English Packs
- How to plan using the Cornerstones Curriculum
- How to plan using the English packs