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English

Our overriding aim in English is to challenge pupils to think deeply about the texts they read and the societies out of which these texts were born. We also aim to cultivate excellence in writing skills and to offer a wide range of support in order to help students achieve this within a framework of highly challenging subject matter.

The Department’s schemes of work fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum. All pupils study English and English Literature at Key Stages 3 and 4 which covers poetry, drama, prose fiction, non-fiction and topical issues.

All of our schemes are designed to enable students to effectively retain knowledge and apply it with increasing confidence to different contexts as they progress up the key stages.  We do this through the following:

  • Regular testing (through quizzes, discussion and questioning) and progress checks to assess key concepts and inform student reflections and targets for moving forward.
  • Re-teaching where misconceptions or errors have been identified.
  • Study skills embedded in the context of subjects across the curriculum where links can be made.

Developing literacy skills is at the heart of our curriculum in English with a focus on the Literacy Golden Threads and Key Outcomes embedded within our schemes.  We intend to enable students to enjoy success across all subject areas and beyond the classroom. The English department strives to create successful young learners who are able to present themselves well and communicate in a range of different contexts to a high level in order to showcase the best they have to offer. Throughout our curriculum, we aim to provide pupils with ample opportunities to explore authors, poets and writers from a range of cultures and immerse themselves in the wonderful diversity of the literary world. We will guide pupils through poems from well-known poets such as John Agard and Benjamin Zephiniah, exploring the use of creole and patois. We will explore American authors, such as John Steinbeck, to follow Lenny and George on their search for the American Dream. We encourage our students to view English as both a pleasurable and practical subject that will develop skills which will allow them to compete within the challenging climate of the 21st century.

 

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