What is English Mastery?
English Mastery is a digital curriculum and teacher development programme, including everything you need to deliver a mastery curriculum in your English classroom.
We have designed every part of the programme to complement and build on the knowledge of other units, ensuring your school fully meets the requirements of the 2014 National Curriculum for England.
Our online learning platform, MyMastery, offers easy ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to our full suite of English Mastery content. This includes a carefully planned and knowledge-rich English curriculum for KS3, a comprehensive set of lesson plans and resources with integrated assessment, and a structured programme of subject-specific professional development. All of our resources are adaptable, allowing you to tailor them to your unique setting.
Educational Impact
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English Mastery Reviews
from 11 Verified Reviews
User rating
Country
Nov 2021
We, as a department, have the building blocks to deliver a well planned, well resourced curriculum.
Mrs Vickerman found English Mastery:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Teacher workload is significantly reduced when using English Mastery.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“It challenges disengaged students to become more proactive in the classroom.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“We can spend more time addressing misconceptions with the use of embedded AfL.”
- Slightly improves school processes
- Significantly builds student knowledge“The texts all link and build on each other over the three years. This helps to embed contextual knowledge.”
Charlotte Parkinson
Head of English
Used English Mastery daily for 0–3 months
Oct 2021
We have found that English Mastery has been transformative for out KS3 curriculum. Staff are happier, with a reduction in workload and students learn lots, remember lots and enjoy their English lessons.
Charlotte Parkinson found English Mastery:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Reduction in planning and marking.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“All students are offered a high challenge curriculum”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Teachers spend their time collaborating and focusing on pedagogy, rather than creating resources.”
- Significantly improves school processes“There is increased consistency in the quality of education students receive”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“English Mastery is a knowledge rich curriculum, providing students with strong building blocks and foundations for study at KS3.”
Sally Moore
Head of English
Used English Mastery daily for 0–3 months
Oct 2021
It is hard to give more than 8 out of 10 currently, as we are in the early stages of delivering Ark. However, the training and support have been high quality and the resources are challenging and engaging. I am excited to see the impact on our students over this academic year and beyond.
Sally Moore found English Mastery:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“The time spent planning is used differently. Rather than having to create resources, teachers are required to edit and tweak existing resources to fit the needs of their students.”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“We are in the early stages of using the Ark Curriculum, but I can already see the challenge implemented throughout the Oliver Twist, mastery writing and reading for pleasure units. It is clear how students will learn vocabulary and key concepts that will be revisited and embedded.”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“It allows teachers the time to focus on what they are teaching, why they are teaching it and gives a clear picture of the end product they are aiming for, so teachers day to day planning is streamlined in terms of focussing on how to get students to the desired destination.”
- Significantly improves school processes“Collaborative planning is an excellent development addition. These sessions encourage consistency and help to develop and secure staff subject knowledge.”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“There is a heavy focus on knowledge and deep learning. We are in the early stages, but through the recap 'do now' activities and the fortnightly quizzes, it is clear how much students are learned already.”
Oct 2021
As a head of English, I am confident that our students have a great diet of literature that has been carefully resourced to maximise students' retention of key knowledge- without cognitive overload. As a leader of learning, I am not leaving it to chance that teachers will revisit content, ideas or skills and this fills me with confidence. The English Mastery takes a robust approach to curriculum design that successfully prepares students for their journey into KS4 and beyond.
Jo Catchpole found English Mastery:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Staff are given more time to perfect their subject knowledge and pedagogy in order to improve pupil outcomes and less time resourcing lessons.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Since the introduction of English Mastery, our gender gap has significantly reduced at KS3. The sequenced curriculum and planned retrieval practice has enabled learners to maximise their learning potential throughout the year; the formative quizzes give constant feedback for both teachers and students alike to ensure misconceptions are addressed and concepts are re-visited in a timely manner. This has made a positive impact on all of our students.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“As a fully resourced curriculum, teachers feel confident that the lessons are adequately preparing students for up and coming assessments. Therefore, teachers spend their time planning targeted questions, differentiating tasks and thinking about how to include stretch and challenge for their students. This is a much more productive and efficient use of their time that has huge benefits for our students. Our weekly co-planning sessions enable teachers to discuss and plan lessons together. This has had a huge impact on teachers feeling more supported in the delivery of our curriculum.”
- Significantly improves school processes“The researched-based curriculum supports the school's existing pedagogy and practice. Therefore, staff feel supported and empowered to deliver content that supports the whole-school's learning culture.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“The consciously sequenced curriculum and spaced-out retrieval practice enables students to retain knowledge. Teachers are confident in the delivery of the curriculum as they know that key skills and knowledge will be constantly revisited throughout the course.”
Oct 2021
It is a highly effective curriculum, with excellent support and training.
Bryn Davis found English Mastery:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“It is a workload solution: instead of resource-making, teachers can focus on implementation, improving subject knowledge, and teaching great lessons.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Its focus on explicit vocabulary instruction and assessment helps all pupils to make great progress.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency
- Slightly improves school processes
- Significantly builds student knowledge“It is a knowledge-rich curriculum. Pupils learn lots of great knowledge.”
Gary Vessey
KS3 Leader of English and Mastery Lead
Used English Mastery daily for 3-4 years
Sep 2021
Effective and efficient. Pupils are engaged with the texts and activities
Gary Vessey found English Mastery:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Planning time is reduced as we only differntiate for each class”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Repetition of skills until learned - Mastery. Skills build year on year”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Less planning. Also, marking cycles and assessments meaningful and clear.”
- Significantly improves school processes“Less planning time = less teacher workload and stress”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Skills built up year on year and repetition of skills ensures pupils can master each one before moving on”
Sep 2021
I have really enjoyed teacher in English Mastery because pupils are really engaged with the lessons - particularly the Literary Heritage lessons. I have had excellent support from my Mastery link throughout the last two years. It makes my job easier!
Stacey Hanby found English Mastery:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“I am able to mark books in my free periods when I would usually be planning lessons.”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“It's been difficult to measure due to Covid restrictions and school closures.”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“All lessons and resources are planned along with focused re-teach activities.”
- Moderately improves school processes
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Pupils' contextual knowledge of literary heritage texts have improved considerably.”
Sep 2021
English Mastery has transformed my teaching practice and I believe it provides schools with the opportunity to embed a robust, engaging and progress-driven KS3 curriculum.
Alice Cokeham found English Mastery :
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“The English Mastery programme is fully resourced with booklets to accompany all of the literary texts which are taught. Having all the resources provided saves a vast amount time on planning, resource creation and printing.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“The programme provides a rigorous curriculum founded in pedagogy and research. Both the Literary Heritage and Mastery Writing elements can be differentiated by selecting the relevant course and pathway for your students. All students are provided with the same consistent and robust curriculum and the chosen texts expose students to rich, historical context which builds up both their knowledge and cultural capital.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Lessons are content-packed so it encourage teachers to focus on pace and efficiency during lessons.”
- Significantly improves school processes“The programme supports the effective running of a KS3 department within the English Department.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Literary heritage lessons are knowledge rich and students build up a wealth of historical, social and political contextual knowledge over the 3 year course. Mastery Writing also provides students with a strong grammatical knowledge base.”
Sep 2021
I think some of the mastery writing can be repetitive so needs changing a little.
Smita Mann found English Mastery :
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Less time finding/making resources. A range of tasks to help planning”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“The resources can be tailored effectively. The way the lessons build upon prior knowledge is very effective for retention”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“More focus on the actual teaching as a lot of the resourcing is done”
- Slightly improves school processes
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Developing new ideas, building on previous learning”
Sep 2021
It has revolutionised my way of teaching.
Jenny Jones found English Mastery :
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Core materials ready for personal planning”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“With EAL learners”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Range of material”
- Significantly improves school processes“Influenced teaching in KS4”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Topics closely link which helps build knowledge, eg Oliver Twist to Jane Eyre-helps with retention”
Sep 2021
I would strongly recommend the programme- fantastic quality resources and great support.
Jess found English Mastery :
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“English Mastery provides a fully resourced curriculum, meaning teachers do not have to spend planning time creating resources (powerpoints, worksheets etc.)”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Most students following the English Mastery programme in our school met or exceeded their target grade by the end of KS3.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Rather than spending time creating resources and building spreadsheets, teachers are able to use Mastery's bank of resources as a platform from which to consider their teaching and delivery style with more nuance.”
- Moderately improves school processes
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Mastery's cumulative approach systematically builds on prior knowledge to allow students to deepen their knowledge.”