English 

  Whole School Literacy Handbook

Ethos and aims

In the English faculty, students experience a range of literary genres and non-fiction texts from different periods. We develop students’ ability to analyse and interpret writers’ ideas and stylistic choices. Teachers will select texts from a diverse range to appeal to the interests of their classes.

By exposing student to a wide range of reading material, they are able to develop their skills as writers. Teaching and learning empowers students to be able to write with accuracy, clarity and imagination, making pertinent choices to shape writing to suit a range of purposes.

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3, we seek to engage our students, getting them interested in and excited by the subject. Within a framework that ensures consistency regarding the coverage of skills, knowledge and assessments across classes, teachers have a level of freedom that allows them to adapt texts and approaches to their students and pass on their love of English. We aim to expose students to a wide variety of literary genres, forms and contexts in order to empower them, giving them frames of reference that will support them at Key Stage 4 and in the wider world.   In Years 7, 8 and 9, all classes will complete units in the following:   - Pre-1914 Fiction - Post-1914 Fiction - Poetry - Non-Fiction - Modern Drama - Media   Please follow these links for more specific information on the units taught at Key Stage 3.   Year 7 Long Term Plan   Year 8 Long Term Plan   Year 9 Long Term Plan

In each year, we cover texts and contexts which provide plenty of opportunities to explore a range of knowledge and skills including our subject’s interaction with film and media. Units of work enable students to harness their creativity, for example in script-writing or producing their own poetry.

Building on knowledge from Key Stage 2, literacy skills are embedded in teaching across the Key Stage so that students can be as confident as possible with them as they begin their GCSEs.

As well as regular teacher feedback, we encourage students to be self-reflective and to practise editing and improving their work.

Students are given appropriate homework regularly alongside weekly vocabulary and spelling lists. The English Faculty also promotes tracking reading through the Reading Passports. Successful completion of which allows them to enter a termly prize draw.

KS3 Reading List HERE.

Key Stage 4

After their two years of study, students will gain two qualifications; English Language and English Literature. The form of assessment is 100% examination, with one level of entry.

Students need to be prepared to discuss a range of texts for the Literature course, including; a modern text or play, a 19^th Century novel, poetry and a Shakespeare play. These choices will depend on the teacher and class.

Students will need to thoroughly engage with these texts as exams are “closed text book”. This means students will have to write about the texts from memory, having no book with them in the exam. To help students prepare for this challenging task, we strongly recommend students purchase their own copies of the texts. This will allow them to make personal notes and take full ownership of their exam preparation. Whilst obviously we will provide texts for in class study, these cannot be written in and need to stay in school for other students’ usage.

English is a fundamental subject as the skills involved ensure students are equipped with a proficient ability to communicate their ideas. Most Sixth Forms, Colleges and Apprenticeships will require a grade in one of the two English qualifications.

KS4 Reading list HERE.

The English Faculty seeks to provide students with exciting extra-curricular opportunities, from theatre trips to creative writing workshops. We work with other departments to create cross-curricular events for example the One World Deforestation Awareness Week and cultural celebrations such as World Book Day.

Sixth Form

A Level Film Studies