English
‘So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.’
Roald Dahl
‘That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.’
F. Scott Fitzgerald
English, and its centrality to a plethora of other subjects and disciplines, empowers people to succeed. It provides us with the means to communicate effectively, serves to both open and broaden the horizons of all, and shines a pathway to creativity. In encompassing works from different cultures and traditions, and those spanning across important historical periods, English enables those who study it to build on their emotional intelligence, appreciation of the world in which they live, and their cultural capital, through the eyes of others as well as their own. Literature has the power to excite, entertain, move, challenge, and question. Through this, it generates a sense of understanding and empathy in each and every one of us, building us into global citizens that transcend the past, the present, and the future.
Crucially, English provides us with an expression of the human experience that may otherwise remain unknown. An exposure to individual and collective voices not only builds a person’s confidence and ability, but adds to a comforting realisation that we are not alone; through the world of literature, we quickly realise that there are others who have walked the same path as us, sharing the same emotions and experiences. In the words of American writer George R. R. Martin, ‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.’ As a subject, and through reading, English has the capacity to not only reassure, but ensure we grow both individually and collectively. The opportunities it affords us, therefore, are truly limitless.
The English Long Term Plan is available here
The English Medium Term Plans for KS 3 are available by clicking on the Year groups below.
Staff
Miss S Andrew – Leader of English
Mr S Duffy - Teacher of English and second in English
Mr A Bodell – Teacher of English
Miss A Harvey -Teacher of English and Year Leader
Mrs N Haigh - Teacher of English and Assistant Headteacher
Ms M Jangali - Teacher of English
Mrs S Long - Instructor of English
Mr S Mallard –Teacher of English and Assistant Headteacher
Mr J Myers - Teacher of English
Further information on KS4
Students in Key Stage Four sit the AQA Language (8700) and Literature (8702) examinations. All students will study the following texts:
- ‘Macbeth’
- Power and Conflict poetry
- ‘An Inspector Calls’
- ‘A Christmas Carol’
Students currently sit a number of mock examination papers across the two years, with in class assessments also regularly undertaken.
Eight lessons per fortnight are dedicated to the teaching of English: six of these are given to the teaching of the main literary texts. Students are also given a dedicated English Language lesson each week where they are taught the key skills of understanding, comparison, inference, synthesis, analysis, and independent narrative, descriptive, and transactional writing. Content is regularly revisited and skills interleaved throughout the two year course to ensure that ‘knowledge is taught to be remembered, not merely encountered’ (Tom Sherrington).
Links to all offered KS4 specifications can be found here and here.
Homework in English
At Key Stage 3, students are set 45 minutes of English homework per week: students are expected to read for 30 minutes, following on from their LRC lesson, and to complete two lessons on Bedrock Learning.
Bedrock Learning is an online programme designed to develop students’ vocabulary across the curriculum. Students and Guardians can log on to Bedrock using this link.
At Key Stage 4, students are set 60 minutes of homework per week: this often alternates between a fortnightly Knowledge Test, and revision activities set on either Seneca or Audiopi. Students revise for their Knowledge Tests at home, and are then assessed on these in class. These tests explore the skills and knowledge required for success at GCSE, including remembering quotations.
Further Information on English
At Key Stage 3, students are taught in termly units, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of each topic and area of study. The study of fiction and non-fiction is interleaved with reading and writing skills to create a journey through Key Stage 3 that prepares students for Key Stage 4 and educates them about the world, developing their cultural capital alongside this. The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is as follows:
- Year 7: Crime and Society; The Mystery Genre; Culture and Identity
- Year 8: Love and Relationships;War and Conflict; Children Throughout Literature
- Year 9: The Gothic Genre; Shakespearean Women; The Art of Rhetoric