English
Through the study of English, students will develop skills to analyse the written and spoken word, to think independently and foster their own, informed opinions about the world they live in. Students will study a range of literary texts from the English canon as well as across the world which will challenge students to explore their moral, social, spiritual and political development. Students will also develop their vocabulary enabling them to better express their opinions allowing them to explore their own sense of voice and individuality. It will encourage debate and reflection enabling students to explore their viewpoints and opinions about the changing world they live in.
KS3
What Will I Study?
Students will gain a grounding in the concepts which will build over the next five years. In their fiction writing, they will be introduced to the foundations of fiction going back to classical Greek studies which will underpin their creative writing for the next five years. Students will explore the impact of historical events and social events on writing through the poetry of WW1. Students will then be introduced to the concepts behind media exploring bias, institutions and representation studying how food is presented but also understanding how advertising works. Students will move on to an introduction to Shakespeare, his plays, times, themes etc. before moving on to exploring a whole play: Much Ado About Nothing.
Building on the foundation work of year 7, students in year 8 will continue to develop the strands from year 7. Writing fiction will develop into genre led fiction, in particular the Gothic. The novel will be a single novel study exploring the politics and allegorical style of Animal Farm. Building on the poetry, students will explore poetry from other cultures broadening their views of our place in the wider world. Students will develop the ability to write speeches exploring speeches that were key in shaping our world today. They will also be challenged to explore the representation of gender in the media as well as developing their depth and breadth of Shakespeare with the study of a tragedy: Romeo and Juliet.
How Will I Be Assessed?
Students will be assessed through written responses to a variety of stimulus, both creative and literary. Formal assessments will occur at the end of units with detailed feedback and opportunities to reflect and develop their work. Other assessment opportunities will take place in the classroom with a mixture of individual and whole-class feedback based on observation of work undertaken.
What Experiences Will I Get?
Students will have the opportunity to visit the theatre seeing productions of ballets, plays and the opera. There will also be opportunities to hear visiting authors. Through their reading, students will explore the concept of culture and traditions, our role in conflicts, especially WW1 as well as the importance of British poetry through the poetry units as well as concepts of communism and socialism in Animal Farm. They will also see pivotal speeches that shaped the world we live in such as those by Martin Luther King and Churchill as well as challenging their perception of gender.
Your Sources of Support
KS3 study books are available to purchase. The department has an additional literacy nurture group in year 7 following a program designed to support those who struggle with reading and decoding language.
KS4
Key Stage 4 builds on the study of Key Stage 3 English developing students to become more effective communicators (in both spoken and written English), critical thinkers, and creative readers and writers. They will build on the skills of Key Stage 3 analysis of text and take a more conceptual approach to the reading of texts developing into more ideas-led and abstract critical readers and creative writers.
What Will I Study?
In Year 9, students will be challenged to explore and challenge their own ideas of the world around them. The potential problems of the world around them will be pursued through the study of, and writing of, dystopian fiction. They will continue to broaden their experience of literature through the study of To Kill A Mockingbird, exploring race, responsibility and society. They will develop a deeper understanding of the development of poetry through focusing on poetry of nature, in particular, the Romantics. Students will continue to explore the media by exploring articles and focusing on the presentation of climate change. They will develop their reading of non-fiction by exploring how London has been presented over time through articles and newspapers. Finally, students will start to prepare for the Literature GCSE with the study of An Inspector Calls and Macbeth.
The GCSE Literature course will continue into Year 10 where students will study a range of Literary Heritage texts. They will build on the skills of analysis and critical thinking as well as challenging how they react to the ideas presented in through the texts and the relevance of these themes and ideas in today’s society. Year 10 is about being able to conceptualise ideas and become confident in challenging the ideas presented by writers and how these ideas are shaped. Students will develop a critical vocabulary in order to express their analysis cogently and conceptually.
Year 11 is a culmination of the previous four years of study. Students will be able to confidently explore language, analyzing writers’ choices as well as being able to communicate their own ideas through writing confidently.
How Will I Be Assessed?
Students will be assessed through written responses to a variety of stimulus, both creative and literary. Formal assessments will occur at the end of units with detailed feedback and opportunities to reflect and develop their work. Assessments will be based on GCSE AQA English papers and we have AQA trained examiners for both Language and Literature to ensure the accuracy of these assessment.
What Experiences Will I Get?
Other assessments opportunities will take place in the classroom with a mixture of individual and whole-class feedback based on observation of work undertaken.
Students will have the opportunity to visit the theatre seeing productions of ballets, plays and the opera. There will also be opportunities to hear visiting authors. Students will study a range of texts from the English Literary canon.
KS5
Students will develop a deeper understanding, and appreciation, of the framework of language as well as more advanced explorations of Literature. Students will also develop a greater understanding of the various influences on a writer and the production of a text, seeing texts very much as a reflection, and critique, of their time.
Students will engage with more complex concepts and be challenged to reflect on their own moral and philosophical viewpoints. Students will also have a change to explore their own interests within Literature through their choice of coursework texts fostering a deeper and wider interest in Literature. As well as their own critical perspectives, students will explore their own creative writing.
What Will I Study?
In Year 12, students will be introduced to the frameworks of language which underpin the whole course. They will move on to reading a wide variety of poetry then will study Brontë’s Jane Eyre. The year will culminate with Shakespeare’s Othello and preparation for their coursework.
How Will I Be Assessed?
In Year 13, students will build on the concepts taught in Year 12 starting with the study of Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. They will continue with the study of poetry started in Year 12 as well as Capote’s In Cold Blood. They will finish with exploration of spoken language texts. Students will also complete their coursework unit which includes a creative element as well as the comparison of two novels of their choice.
Formal assessments will occur at the end of units with detailed feedback and opportunities to reflect and develop their work. Assessments will be based on EDUQAS exam papers. Students will also undertake PPEs at key points during the year under formal exam conditions.
What Experiences Will I Get?
Students will have the opportunity to visit the theatre seeing productions of ballets, plays and the opera. As well as having opportunity to watch a variety of National Theatre productions from the Schools Streaming service. There will also be opportunities to hear visiting authors. Students will study a range of texts from the English Literary canon.
A-Level
No Course Available