The secondary curriculum review
The key concepts for English provide a context for developing pupils' personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS).
This focuses on adaptability and the ability to make informed choices about effective ways to communicate formally and informally. It requires creative thinkers who can adapt ideas as circumstances change, and reflective learners who are able to communicate their learning in relevant ways for different audiences.
This emphasises developing young people's ability to use imagination, make fresh connections and use creative approaches to make meaning. It requires creative thinkers who can generate ideas and explore possibilities, connect their own and others' ideas and experiences in inventive ways, and try out alternatives and new solutions.
This explores how ideas, experiences and values are portrayed in texts from a range of cultures and traditions. It requires independent enquirers who are able to explore issues or events from different perspectives.
This calls for pupils to develop their own views and be able to analyse and evaluate. It requires reflective learners who are able assess themselves and others, and independent enquirers who are able to look at information and judge its relevance and value.
Work on speaking and listening and drama contributes to other PLTS, including team workers, self-managers and effective participators.
With thoughtful planning, a range of PLTS can be embedded in any sequence of work. For example, pupils might be asked to prepare a group presentation on an issue of local importance over several lessons. This would involve pupils:
