English
Skill
We want all of our students to have the ability to read and write confidently, so that they can express themselves with clarity. We want students to have the necessary language tools to be able to appreciate the written word of others and to be able to use the written word to empower themselves.
Character
We want students to be competent readers. Reading will open doors for students to develop their character as it will allow them to express themselves. We want students to develop confidence because they have the language to articulate their ideas and opinions about literature and the world around them.
Experiences
Students will have the opportunity to engage critically with writers from a range of periods in history and experience the world through others’ eyes. They will read texts of their own choosing for pleasure, not only to develop a love of reading, but to encourage mindfulness. We want all students, having engaged with authors’ ideas, to take on a narrative voice and create their own descriptive pieces. Finally, students will express the views and understanding they have developed.
Criticality
English will develop students’ ability to think critically about the world around them and the written word. This study will encourage them to understand the human experience and themselves. English will encourage students to understand who they are and to develop emotional intelligence, so that they can articulate their own thoughts and feelings and also understand the thoughts and feelings of others.
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | |
| THEME/FOCUS | |||
| Year 9 (KS3) | Of Mice and Men (Modern Criticality Text) | Hamlet and Spoken Language (Shakespeare) | Poetry: The Human Condition and Experience Exploration and Comparison of Unseen Texts (Fiction and Non-Fiction) |
| Year 10 (KS4) | Macbeth & Language Paper 1 (Shakespeare) | The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde & Language Paper 2 (19th Century Novel) | Power & Conflict Anthology and Unseen Poetry Spoken Language NEA (Poetry) |
| Year 11 (KS4) | An Inspector Calls & Language Paper 2 (Modern Text) | Revision of Literature Paper 1 & Language Paper 1 | Poetry Revision |
| Year 12 (KS5) | Texts in shared contexts: ‘WW1 and its Aftermath’ Students will study three different texts: one prose, one poetry and one drama, of which one must be written post-2000. The examination will include an unseen prose extract. The examination will be worth 40% of your qualification and will include two different sections. Section A will focus on analysis of the set texts while Section B will focus on your ability to contextually link. The set texts that we have chosen are ‘Birdsong’ by Sebastian Faulks for Section A and ‘The Wipers Times’ by Ian Hislop for Section B. We will also be studying an anthology of War poetry. | Texts in shared contexts: ‘WW1 and its Aftermath’ Study of unseen prose and poetry to examine time period and literary conventions in further detail. Explicit links between poems and play form to explore the depictions and influences of war. Developing confidence in annotating and responding to exam texts and writing exam-style essays. | Non-Examination Assessment We Need to Talk About Kevin is the set text taught for the NEA. This term aims to build confidence in reading and responding to a variety of texts from the literary canon. Students will write a 2500-word comparative critical study of two texts, with a focus on developing autonomous personal responses. This is a unit of critical study with a focus on exploring one of a range of key themes which could include the struggle for identity, crime and punishment or war and conflict. |
| Year 13 (KS5) | ‘Love Through the Ages’ Students will study three texts: one poetry and one prose, of which one must be written pre-1900, and one Shakespeare play. The examination will be worth 40% of your qualification and will include three different sections. Section A will focus on Shakespeare, Section B will focus on an analysis of two unseen poems and Section C will be concentrated on testing your ability in comparing different texts. The set texts that we have chosen as a department are Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ for Section A and ‘The Great Gatsby’ for Section C. We will also be studying the ‘Pre 1900 Poetry Anthology’ for Section C. | ‘Love Through the Ages’ Revision of Poetry (WW1 and its Aftermath) and Responding to Unseen Prose. | Revision Focussing on Exam Skill |