English
Our Vision
The English department is committed to developing critical and creative thinkers who collaborate and communicate effectively and truly enjoy the subject. We help students to learn to read critically and for pleasure, write analytically and creatively and to speak convincingly and passionately, so that they will have the skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex and changing world.
We aim to inspire and motivate our students to become life-long learners. We want students to think deeply about diverse and complex texts and ideas, and to understand that reading, writing, spoken language are skills that they will need throughout their lives. We endeavour to empower students through the study of language and literature and to help them develop empathy, demonstrate tolerance, and understand other perspectives which will enable them better to understand themselves and the world in which they live.
The English Curriculum
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Head of English Mrs Deborah Plowright |
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GCSE Course Information Throughout Year 10 and Year 11, students focus on both AQA GCSE English Language and AQA GCSE English Literature; lessons integrate the skills and content for both GCSEs. In Year 10, students begin by focusing on “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and on reading and writing skills for English Language Paper 1. In the spring term of Year 10, students move on to study Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and the transactional writing skills for English Language paper 2. Finally in Year 10, in the summer term, students study “Power and Conflict” poetry and the specific reading skills required for English Language Paper 2 as well as completing their spoken language assessment. Through careful interleaving and retrieval practice students are taught how to revisit and retain knowledge across the study of their English Language and English Literature courses. In Year 11, students begin by studying J B Priestley’s “An Inspector Calls” and revisiting the texts and language skills they have studied in Year 10. Students are assessed in this term by sitting the first mock examinations which highlight any areas may need revisiting from Year 10. In the spring term of Year 11 students complete revision and exam practice for all texts skills ensuring they are ready to take external examinations in the summer term.
AQA: English Literature 8702 http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-8702
AQA: English Literature 8700 http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-language-8700 |
Extra-Curricular and Enrichment
