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"...exemplary standards demonstrated throughout the whole environment."

English

Introduction

In the English Department, we want all our students to be well-equipped for the 21st century, being able to think creatively, to be empowered to communicate accurately and effectively, and to have a well-developed understanding of human relationships and the world, developed through the study of a wide range of literature.

Facilities

The English department is housed within a suite of three rooms in the main school, and a specialist sixth form English room within Norbury House, which houses an extensive range of resources for the study of both Language and Literature at A Level. We also make regular use of the main school library.

Curriculum

We deliver a challenging KS3 curriculum that encompasses a wide range of texts from different cultures and contexts, including a range of modern novels and plays, Shakespeare, autobiography, and pre-1900 poetry and stories. Alongside our study of Literature, we encourage our students to be competent and confident writers who are prepared to experiment and take risks. They therefore study a wide range of written forms and purposes throughout KS3. Furthermore, we encourage reading for pleasure and introduce students to the skills required to make effective use of the school library.

Year 9 serves as a foundation year for the externally assessed elements in Years 10 and 11. Students study Shakespeare, 20th century novels, the Gothic genre, diverse short stories and modern poetry, and develop their skills for writing and speaking & listening. For GCSE, we follow the AQA syllabus and students work towards assessment in:

  • Literature - the study of a pre-twentieth century novel, a Shakespeare play, a collection of poetry from the AQA Poetry Anthology and a modern text;
  • Language, - reading through the study of unseen texts from the 19th century to the present day; writing of creative and discursive texts; speaking and listening (Spoken Language Endorsement).

English Literature is popular at A Level and the department has recently introduced an A Level English Language course, also a popular choice. Students follow AQA’s Specification A for English Literature. The course consists of two components: Paper 1 is ‘Love through the Ages’ – Shakespeare, a novel and poetry comparison, and unseen poetry; Paper 2 is ‘Modern Times’ – a novel and play comparison, a modern poetry text and unseen prose, all published from 1945 to the present day. Students also complete a 2500 word NEA comparing two texts of their choice, within the guidance of the exam board.

For English Language, students follow the Eduqas specification: Component 1 (Language Concepts and Issues) and Component 2 (Language Change Over Time) are studied in Year 12, and the NEA and Component 3 (Creative and Critical Use of Language) are completed in Year 13.

Throughout Year 12 and Y13, students on both courses are encouraged to read widely, both with NEA in mind, and to experience a wide range of texts appropriate to their courses.

Staff

Please click on the link below for an up-to-date list of staff:

Staff List