ABSTRACT
To understand the significance of the role played by speaking and listening in the current Key Stage 3 (KS3) English programmes of study, it is important to begin by reflecting upon the impact that the removal of the 20" speaking and listening segment from General Certificate for Secondary Education (GCSE) English and English language has had on its deemed worth at KS3. In terms of the long-term plan, there is clear reference to Speaking and Listening as a priority as it is one of the formal assessment tasks for autumn 2 and is clearly marked in the Year 7 column. Speaking and listening and, in particular, the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) that occur on the autumn 2 long-term plan also have a prominent section on the medium-term plan, where it states that the 'Let's think in English' lesson is a mandatory lesson that must take place at the beginning of the sequence of learning.
