A KS3 English overview including progression from KS2, assessment structure, vocabulary strategy and literacy approaches for The Runaway Children of Chennai.

This KS3 English overview provides teachers with a clear, curriculum‑aligned foundation for teaching The Runaway Children of Chennai. It includes three core elements that support planning, sequencing and whole‑department consistency.

What’s included

1. KS2 → KS3 Progression Map
   Shows how the scheme builds on Year 6 foundations such as inference, retrieval and basic PEEL paragraphing, and introduces key KS3 concepts including dramatic irony, subtext, symbolism, narrative structure and independent analytical writing.
   Students start Year 7 with foundation skills. The scheme builds on those foundations introducing dramatic irony, subtext, symbolism and motif.

2. Assessment Overview
   Outlines the formative checks, midpoint assessment and final essay, plus optional Week 7 and Week 8 tasks.
   Formative assessment: annotation checks, short analytical responses.
   Final Assessment: a full essay using at least three PEEL paragraphs.

3. Literacy Strategy
   A clear breakdown of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary, annotation‑based learning, SPaG in context and oracy approaches.
   Students annotate directly in their copies of the novel, tracking sensory detail, mood shifts, symbols.
   Minilessons are embedded throughout the scheme.

Who this is for
KS3 English teachers
English Leads planning curriculum progression
Departments adopting the novel
Schools exploring author‑led schemes

Why it’s useful
Provides clarity before teaching the full scheme
Supports curriculum conversations with SLT
Helps departments ensure progression and consistency
Demonstrates the rigour behind the full SOW

This resource is part of the wider KS3 English Scheme of Work for The Runaway Children of Chennai. The full scheme includes lesson plans, worksheets, extracts, assessments and teacher notes. Available on TES.

About the author
Caroline Boxall is a children’s author, educator and curriculum designer who specialises in helping young writers unlock confidence, creativity and craft.

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