Curriculum

ENGLISH

Why study English?

The study of English is essential, not only in terms of helping individuals make sense of who they are, but also in learning how to communicate successfully with the world. English teaches a great deal about life, history and society and fosters tolerance and understanding, which is a vital part of a balanced education. Reading, spoken language and writing are the cornerstones of success and we aim to equip our students with the skills to read critically, confidently and for pleasure; to be articulate in their spoken language; and to write effectively with style and accuracy for a wide range of purposes and audiences.

How will I study English?

Students will study English Language and English Literature through a series of ‘Big Picture’ themes and key questions. Each unit covers a sequence of lessons, focused on a text of fiction or non-fiction, that allows students to engage with the focus. Students will discuss their ideas and engage with academic research and debate on the texts and topics. Alongside this students will learn to develop their disciplinary knowledge and the development of social, cultural and knowledge capital, which in turn underpins their ability to access GCSE by Year 10.

What will I study at Key Stage 3?

In year 7 students will use a variety of texts including prose, poetry and non-fiction to explore their own identity and selfhood as they begin their secondary school journey. This includes: the novels Oliver Twist and Northern Lights; poetry and non fiction on environmental campaigns. Students will respond analytically to themes about childhood, growing up and problems that impact children in the world.

In year 8 students will develop an understanding of more ambitious texts including short stories, poetry, plays and non-fiction. This includes: the seminal world novel Animal Farm; Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet; a short mystery story, The Speckled Band; a non fiction text around worldly conflict. They will build on from Year 7 by now considering their sense of self and how they fit into the world around them. Students will investigate themes of corruption, social divides, racism, gender and violence.

In year 9 students explore their understanding of challenging literature on science fiction, comedy, conflict, and human rights examining the writer’s intentions. They develop their knowledge of science fiction writing through conscious crafting and build on effective public speaking. Students will explore and critique their understanding of more challenging texts including prose, poetry and plays. This includes: the modern novel Noughts and Crosses; love and relationship poetry; Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Students will build on Year 7 and 8 by considering the different relationships they will encounter. Students will examine themes of familial love, parental love, romantic love, friendship and broken relationships.

Throughout key stage 3 students will also explore their writing skills both creative and transactional, inspired and modelled by rich and multi-layered texts. Students will build on this through various speaking styles including speech and debate and personal thoughts and feelings, often comparing points of view. Students will use logos, ethos and pathos when exploring their purpose, audience and tone.

What will I study at Key Stage 4?

In year 10 students will develop a thoughtful understanding of Power and Conflict poetry, 19th Century novel, modern drama and Shakespearean Literature, investigating writer’s intentions and historical context. This includes: A Christmas Carol; An Inspector Calls; Macbeth. Students will be able to articulate ideas clearly and cleverly explore writers’ methods to match the assessment objectives for both Language and Literature.

In year 11 students continue their journey towards GCSE exams through recall and development of key knowledge and skills. They will devise convincing and sophisticated interpretations of Power and Conflict poetry, 19th Century novel, modern drama and Shakespearean Literature. They will also be taught to demonstrate perceptive and detailed understanding of language in both fiction and non-fiction texts, and communicate in a compelling and convincing manner through the creation of their own fiction and non-fiction texts.

Assessment – English Language

Examination Board: AQA

Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
Overview	Focus
Written exam (1 hour 45 minutes) 80 marks 50% of GCSE	Section A Reading: pupils will answer four questions on an unseen fiction extract. Section B Writing: one extended writing question where pupils will demonstrate their narrative or descriptive writing skills in response to a written prompt, scenario or visual image.
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
Overview	Focus
Written exam (1 hour 45 minutes) 80 marks 50% of GCSE	Section A Reading: pupils will consider two linked sources from different time periods and genres in order to analyse how each presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader Section B Writing: pupils will produce a written text to a specified audience, purpose and form in which they give their own perspective on the theme that has been introduced to them in Section A.
Non-Examination Assessment: Spoken Language
Compulsory Speaking and Listening assessment, set and marked by the class teacher This result is included in the GCSE Certificate for English, but does not contribute to the overall grade

Assessment – English Literature

Examination Board: AQA

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel
Overview	Focus
Written exam (1 hour 45 minutes) 64 marks 40% of GCSE	Section A Shakespeare: pupils must answer one question on their play of choice (Macbeth, William Shakespeare). They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole. Section B The 19th-Century Novel: pupils must answer one question on their novel of choice (A Christmas Carol – William Shakespeare). They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole.
Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry
Overview	Focus
Written exam (2 hour 15 minutes) 96 marks 60% of GCSE	Section A Modern Texts: pupils must answer one essay question from a choice of two on their studied modern prose or drama text (An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley). Section B Poetry: pupils will answer one comparative question on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster (Power and Conflict Anthology Cluster). Section C Unseen Poetry: Pupils must answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem.

Enrichment Offer

The English Department enjoys celebrating the written word and runs activities across both key stages for events such as National Poetry Day and World Book Day. We also invite visiting authors and theatre companies to engage pupils and spark their interest, enjoy visits to the theatre and run regular competitions such as our ‘500 words’ short story competition. We are also engaged with Talk the Talk oracy project in partnership with Future U. This includes the Future Writers competition.

Careers

The study of English can lead to future careers ranging from Reporter, Solicitor and Politician to Media Researcher, Content Editor and Stage Manager. Famous English graduates include Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry, actress Emma Watson, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and film director Martin Scorsese.