Our English faculty is based in the modern, purpose built English and Drama centre, which, alongside the Drama Studio and rehearsal room, houses 6 classrooms, a study centre and an ICT suite. We aim to enable all our students to:
- communicate appropriately and accurately in written and spoken English
- read, understand, appreciate and enjoy literature, non-fiction and media texts
- produce high standards of preparation and presentation of work
- creatively use the English language to express themselves
- correctly structure a variety of different media using appropriate language
- be prepared for life beyond school
Key Stage 3
In Year 7 - 9 all students receive 4 English lessons per week.
GCSE
English is a core subject and all students follow both the 2 year English Language and English Literature GCSE courses.
English Language
The assessment for GCSE consists of both coursework and examination as follows:
COURSEWORK - (40% of final mark)
- 20% Written coursework
- 20% Speaking & Listening Coursework
EXAMINATION - (60% of final mark)
- 30% Non-Fiction and Media Texts
- 30% Literary Texts
English Literature
The English Literature course explores drama, poetry and prose from historical greats such as Shakespeare up to the present day.
The assessment for GCSE consists of both coursework and examination as follows:
COURSEWORK - (30% of final mark)
The coursework element concerns pre 1914 drama, poetry and prose and consists of two essays, one of which is comparative.
EXAMINATION - (70% of final mark)
- 20% Post 1914 Drama
- 50% Post 1914 Poetry and Prose
Accelerated Reader
This year, Year 7 children will be participating in the Accelerated Reader (AR) program.
AR is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book from our library at his/her own level and reads it at their own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer. (Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read.) AR gives both students and teachers feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help set targets and direct ongoing reading practice.
Our teachers and librarians help your child choose books at an appropriate reading level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success.
We recommend that all Year 7 students read at home, for a minimum of two 20 minute sessions each week.
Extra Curricular
The English Faculty runs a variety of activities both in and out of school. Teachers regularly have lunchtime sessions to help students with their work.
Our Subjects