This is the English Home Language CAPS Document (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) for the Senior Phase, Grades 7-9, issued by the South African Department of Basic Education. It sets out what must be taught, learnt and assessed in English Home Language across Grades 7, 8 and 9, and is relevant for the 2026 and 2027 school years. The document covers the four language skill areas of Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, Writing and Presenting, and Language Structures and Conventions, along with detailed term-by-term teaching plans.
The following document, English Home Language CAPS Document Grades 7-9.pdf, is the full document.
CAPS Document Brief
English Home Language CAPS Document Grades 7-9 kavo-172
The document defines English Home Language around four language skill areas: Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, Writing and Presenting, and Language Structures and Conventions. It also distinguishes between Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language levels within the broader National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement.
Running to 142 pages, the document is organised into four sections plus a glossary. Section 1 covers the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement background, general aims and time allocation across school phases; Section 2 introduces the languages, covering language levels, language skills and teaching approaches; Section 3 sets out the content and teaching plans for each language skill area, the spread of texts across Grades 7 to 9, and a detailed teaching plans table; and Section 4 addresses assessment in Home Language, including informal and formal assessment, the programme of assessment, recording and reporting, and moderation.
The document aims to produce learners who can communicate effectively and think critically and creatively, while working well both individually and in teams, and who achieve high standards of knowledge and skill in English. It sets out to develop confident listening, speaking, reading, viewing, writing and presenting abilities, alongside a sound grasp of language structures and conventions, so learners are prepared for further education or the workplace.
Grade
7-9
Subject
English Home Language
Phase
Senior Phase
Curriculum
South African (CAPS)
School Years
2026 and 2027