Overview

This 7-week term plan is designed for Year 7 SEN students studying The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. It links directly to the National Curriculum for English at Key Stage 3, providing differentiated activities for three learner levels (Emerging, Developing, and Secure) to ensure inclusive learning. The plan emphasises comprehension, thematic exploration, and personal response, aligned with NC objectives.

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National Curriculum Links

• Reading: comprehension
  • Reference: 
    • "Read and understand increasingly challenging texts through a range of strategies, including inference and deduction" (NC KS3 English: Reading).
    • "Identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a range of writing" (KS3 English: Understanding literature).
• Writing: composition and vocabulary
  • "Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences."
• Spoken language: discussion and presentation
  • "Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions."

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Term Plan Themes & Learner Levels

Week	Focus Theme	Emerging (L1)	Developing (L2)	Secure (L3)
1	Introduction / Setting	Recognise main characters & setting using pictures and simple sentences.	Identify key settings and characters via short quotes.	Summarise setting & characters, beginning to infer context.
2	Family & Responsibility	Label family members and basic relationships.	Explain Parvana’s family roles in simple sentences.	Analyse family responsibility with sentence starters.
3	Survival & Courage	Match words to images showing survival & courage.	Describe Parvana’s brave actions with guided support.	Write short paragraphs explaining how themes develop.
4	War and Impact	Understand effects of war via story sequencing & visuals.	Discuss how war affects families, orally and in writing.	Critically explore war’s impact with supporting quotes.
5	Gender and Equality	Identify male/female characters and roles.	Compare gender roles simply and write about differences.	Evaluate how gender roles challenge stereotypes.
6	Hope and Resilience	Circle the words about hope & resilience in the text.	Write a short diary entry from Parvana’s perspective.	Compose a reflective piece highlighting theme development.
7	Review & Presentation	Retell the story using images and word banks.	Create a simple poster about a theme with phrases.	Deliver a detailed oral presentation answering questions.

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Week 1: Setting and Characters

Learning Objectives

• Reading: Identify key characters and setting (NC: comprehension).
• Speaking & Listening: Discuss initial impressions (NC: spoken language).
• Writing: Compose simple descriptive sentences (NC: composition).

Activities

Time	Activity	Methods & Resources	Differentiation
0-10m	Starter: Picture Sorting Game	Images of characters/settings; students match names and places.	L1: Match images with captions. L2/L3: Add 1-2 words describing each.
10-25m	Read Aloud & Discussion: Intro chapter	Teacher reads aloud; pause for Q&A. Guided questions e.g., “Where is the story?”	L1: Yes/No questions. L2: Simple inference. L3: Explain setting in own words.
25-40m	Writing Task: Describe one character or setting using a word bank	Scaffolded worksheets; write 1-3 sentences.	L1: Fill in blanks or label. L2: Write full sentences. L3: Use adjectives, expand ideas.
40-45m	Plenary: Group share of sentences	Speaking circle; positive peer feedback.	All: Encourage confidence in speaking.

Assessment

• Informal observation during discussions.
• Work samples from writing task matched to levels.

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Week 2-7 Summary (For teacher use)

Week	Main Learning Goal	SEN Support	Assessment Approach
2	Explore Family Dynamics	Visual family trees & sentence starters	Observation & sentence checklist
3	Identify Courage & Survival Themes	Role-play and image matching	Group discussion notes & written sentence accuracy
4	Impact of War	Story sequencing & supported writing	Written responses & verbal answers
5	Gender Roles and Equality	Compare and contrast charts	Written comparisons and peer feedback
6	Express Hope & Resilience	Diary writing scaffolds	Diary entries assessed for understanding and voice
7	Review and Present	Visual aids for oral presentations	Mark presentations on content and confidence

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Additional Notes for Teachers

• Use multisensory approaches: combine visual aids, audio, and hands-on tasks to meet SEN needs.
• Provide regular breaks and calming activities as needed to support attention spans.
• Encourage peer support with mixed-ability pairs for paired discussions and tasks.
• Incorporate technology such as interactive quizzes or storyboarding apps if possible for engagement.
• Assess continuously and adapt tasks; keep records of individual progress based on the three learner levels.

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This term plan enables SEN students to connect deeply with The Breadwinner while developing foundational literacy skills, critical thinking, and confidence aligned with the KS3 English National Curriculum.