What will this subject enable me to do?
You will learn to read and respond to a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, and to develop informed and supported interpretations of the texts you read. In your own writing you will be encouraged to emulate the literary and linguistic techniques used by the writers you study, adapting your style to suit a range of audiences, purposes and genres. In addition, you will be taught to take responsibility for proofreading your work, ensuring accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Department Staff
L Till
D Booth
M Abrahall
Y Bowler
C Cooper
P Clavin
R Fletcher
E Murton
H Le Prevost
C Lovell
R Milner
R Richards
Keystage 3
Homework and support Homework will be set and for some units take the form of a booklet with a range of tasks addressing both reading and writing skills. Booklets will be issued early in each half-term and a deadline set for approximately 6 weeks after. Students are encouraged to work on the tasks regularly throughout the 6 week period to enable them to develop the skill of managing a workload. In other units, teachers will set homework to consolidate or extend learning on a fortnightly basis .
Keystage 4
Homework and support Homework will be set and will comprise of exam practice questions and accessing online resources to enhance knowledge and understanding of the texts and their contexts. Revision guides and workbooks will be provided or recommended by the English Department, and students will be advised to work from them regularly as well as completing written homework tasks to be handed in. It would also be extremely beneficial for students to purchase their own copies of the literature texts and to re-read them regularly throughout the two years of study.
Keystage 5
Homework and support Coursework will mainly be completed in students’ own time. It is expected that students will match time spent in lessons with private study, even if formally set homework is completed in a shorter time. Reading around topics independently will enhance students’ knowledge, as well as enabling them to access the higher grades by developing the ability to cultivate independent lines of thought.
| Unit | Content | Assessment |
| English Literature | ||
| Love Through The Ages | One play by Shakespeare. One novel written in the 20th Century. An anthology of poetry written in the 19th Century. | 40% 3 hours exam. |
| Texts in shared Contexts: WW1 | An anthology of poetry from WW1. A modern novel exploring WW1 retrospectively. A drama text exploring the theme of WW1. | 40% 2 hours 30 minutes exam. |
| Non-examined assessment | Two texts of the students’ own choosing, one of which must have been written before 1900. Students must make their choices from a reading list of recommended texts, or from their own reading. All texts must be agreed by teachers. | 20% An essay of 2500 words written independently. |
| A Level English Language | ||
| Language, the Individual and Society Textual variations and representations. | Children’s language development (0-11 years). Methods of language analysis. | 40% 2 hours 30 minutes exam. |
| Language Diversity and Change | The history of the English language. Discourses about Language change. Writing skills. Methods of language analysis. | 40% 2 hours 30 minutes exam. |
| Non-examined assessment | Language investigation on a topic of students’ choosing. Original writing of a genre of students’ choosing. Commentary on the original writing piece | 20% The three tasks are to be completed independently and the folder should be 4000 words in total. |