English
Year 7-9
Over the course of Years 7-9, students will write imaginatively in diverse forms and for a variety of purposes and audiences, including autobiography, letters and stories. We build on student experience at Key Stage 2, developing subject-specific skills and consolidating the fundamentals of spelling, punctuation and grammar embedded by Year 6. By Year 9, they will also be introduced to the format of the GCSE English Language papers, developing their transactional writing skills. They will study writers and texts from the traditional canon, such as Shakespeare, as well as being introduced to literature from other cultures and traditions.
A library lesson every fortnight gives students the time and space to read for pleasure, and promotes good academic practice through library skills sessions. Spoken Language assessments also take place across the Lower School. Opportunities for co-curricular activities include competitions, author visits and reading clubs as part of an ever-changing programme.
GCSE
All students study English Language and English Literature at GCSE, following the Eduqas specifications in both. There are three strands to English Language: Reading, Writing, and Spoken Language. There are regular opportunities for assessment and feedback in all three areas. Teachers have some flexibility in the selection of set texts for English Literature, although all must study a Shakespeare play and an Eduqas curated anthology of poetry. Texts chosen include Macbeth OR an alternative Shakespeare play, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and An Inspector Calls. Where possible, we arrange trips to see plays in performance. The culture of promoting reading for pleasure continues to be at the heart of all we do, and students are invited to use the well-resourced Senior Library.
A Level
Studying the OCR English Literature A Level allows students to develop the skills learned at GCSE, adding a depth of critical appreciation to their reading. Classes are invariably smaller, and group discussion is the key to success; we aim to promote an environment that is safe, friendly and supportive. Set texts are taught for drama, poetry, and prose. Choices include Othello, The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale, The Duchess of Malfi, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Students also undertake independent study of The Road and The Parable of the Sower. A Streetcar Named Desire, and Mean Time are studied for coursework, along with a post-2000 prose text chosen by the student from a suggested list. Students complete two coursework pieces: a close analysis of a single poem, and a comparative study of two prose texts. Where set texts are staged, we will try to take students to see them, and we have also attended text-based RSC workshops in the past. Several students choose to study English at university, and this is a proud tradition that we aim to uphold.
