Aims
The English Department aim to develop the whole child and to equip them with the language and communication skills which enable them to perform to the best of their ability in all subjects, not just English.
Our aims are:
- To provide a safe and positive learning atmosphere which caters for all learning needs and to motivate students to reach their full potential.
- To acknowledge the relevance of students’ own experiences and value their individual contributions.
- To develop confident students who are effective communicators and reflective thinkers, equipping them with skills which allow a confident participation in adult and student life.
- To develop a love of Literature, Language and Media which encourages exploration and understanding of the world and themselves.
- In essence we want to open students’ eyes to the possibilities in the world around them and to equip them with the skills necessary to explore that world in full.
Curriculum
The details below give the area that your daughter will be covering: this includes many skills and areas. If you need any more detail, then please contact her class teacher.
Years 7 & 8
Year 7
Term 1: Shakespeare
Term 2: The World of Dickens
Term 3: Poetry
Term 4: The Modern Novel
Term 5: Travel Writing
Term 6: Greek Myths or Fables
Year 8
Term 1: Gothic Texts & Creative Writing
Term 2: Shakespeare Play
Term 3: A Modern Novel
Term 4: Poetry Study
Term 5: Play Scripts
Term 6: Chaucer or Greek Myths
Year 9
This is a transition year in which we consolidate and extend the skills required at GCSE.
Term 1: 19th Century Texts (Conan Doyle)
Term 2: War Poetry
Term 3: Descriptive Writing
Term 4: Analysing Structure
Term 5: Relationships in Shakespeare
Term 6: Study of a Shakespeare Play
Key Stage 4
At GCSE, students gain 2 GCSEs in English, AQA GCSE English Language and AQA English Literature, some may also choose Media Studies as one of their option choices. We begin preparing students for the GCSEs in Year 9 when students develop GCSE level skills across a range of fiction and non-fiction texts.
GCSE Literature texts studied
Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth or Much Ado About Nothing
Nineteenth Century Novel – A Christmas Carol, Frankenstein or The Strange Case
of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
A modern play – An Inspector Calls or Lord of the Flies
Poetry – 15 poems from an anthology collated by AQA (Power and Conflict) alongside unseen poetry
analysis.
A range of non-fiction texts from the 19th century to the present day are studied in preparation for the English Language exams.
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-language-8700
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-8702
Key Stage 5
Students will be preparing for exam and coursework which will be broken down into two distinct components by the teachers. We currently offer A Level English Literature, A level English Language and A Level Media Studies.
Target Setting
Students will be set clear next steps targets following each end of unit assessment. These targets are recorded in the front cover of students’ exercise books along with their end of year or GCSE target grade.