English
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Pupils will study a range of poetry, prose, drama and other literary and non-literary texts, to help them learn to develop, construct and compose ideas, communicating meaning to specific audiences. This will help them to increase their ability to read accurately and fluently as well as formulate, clarify and express their ideas through speech.
In Years 7, 8 and 9, pupils examine a range of texts including biographies, autobiographies, newspapers, advertisements and travel writing. They also analyse poetry and stories of varying length, study Shakespeare and contemporary plays and are taught how the English Language has developed historically. Throughout, pupils will begin to develop a wide range of vocabulary, elevate their ability to organise and structure sentences grammatically and whole texts coherently, and improve essential presentation skills that include accurate punctuation and correct spelling.
Our live-learners (pupils based off-site) at Key Stage 3 are entered for the pre-GCSE qualification Entry Level Step-Up to English Silver and Gold award which provides an authentic platform for their introduction to the subject at Key Stage 4.
Our pupils are the beneficiaries of a 2023 implementation programme of SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) which focuses on them mastering their usage of capital letters and full stops as practiced not only in English but across all subjects.
English is a core subject at GCSE and all pupils are entered for the external examination at the end of the two year course in language. Additionally, GCSE English Literature is offered to those pupils for whom it is appropriate. Throughout this period, pupils are expected to read with insight and engagement and relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts. Pupils are also taught to understand literary traditions and to evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentation devices to achieve their effects. The reading list changes every year and a variety of texts has been analysed in the past, including ‘War of the Worlds’, First World War poetry and ‘Macbeth’.
Pupils also undertake a number of creative writing tasks that demonstrate their ability to communicate clearly and imaginatively, using and adapting forms for different readers and purposes, and participate in discussion and debate by both speaking and listening.
Alongside the GCSE certificate, our pupils pursue a level 1 Functional Skills qualification (equivalent to GCSE grade 3) in Year 10, which is subsequently (at Year 11) complemented with the level 2 credentials (GCSE grade 4 equivalent). Therefore, at Key Stage 4, our pupils conclude their tenure by earning results they can be proud of.
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