Reading Scheme of Work KS3– Autumn 2 (Lesson 5)

KS3 Whole-Class Reading (Years 7–8)

Genre Focus: Fiction (Fantasy Literature)
Core Text: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

This lesson forms Lesson 5 of the Autumn 2 whole-class reading unit for KS3 (Years 7–8), continuing the study of classic fantasy through C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Building on prior learning, this lesson further develops pupils’ comprehension, vocabulary knowledge and literary understanding as they explore the unfolding events and deeper themes within the next section of the narrative.

Lesson 5 continues to guide pupils through a structured approach to vocabulary development, oracy, and the key reading domains—retrieval, inference, and authorial reasoning. Pupils examine new tier 2 vocabulary embedded in the text, participate in discussion activities that enhance spoken language confidence, and engage with comprehension tasks that require them to interpret character motivations, analyse shifts in atmosphere, and track emerging narrative conflicts.

This lesson fully aligns with the KS3 National Curriculum Reading aims, supporting pupils to:

1. Develop an appreciation of literature, deepening engagement with a significant classic fantasy novel.
2. Read critically, retrieving key information and making increasingly precise inferences about characters and events.
3. Understand and apply ambitious vocabulary, using contextual clues and dialogue to deepen comprehension.
4. Discuss and evaluate the text, offering evidence-based interpretations in both spoken and written responses.
5. Build clear and confident spoken language skills, contributing effectively to paired, group and whole-class oracy activities.
6. Analyse language, structure and authorial choices, considering how Lewis builds tension, develops the magical world of Narnia, and shapes readers’ perceptions of characters.

Across the Autumn 2 unit, pupils will continue to explore how writers construct compelling fantasy worlds and memorable characters through whole-class reading, further strengthening their comprehension, vocabulary, oracy and critical-reading skills.